Book reviews – 'The Deeping secrets' by Victor Watson

After a train is blown up during World War Two, the people in the village of Great Deeping become aware that there's a spy in their midst. Molly and her friends are distracted by searching for buried treasure, but they find more than they bargained for.

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Your reviews

Review by Tia Pavlides

I thought this book was good. The book is set in World War Two in a place called Great Deeping. There are five children called Molly, Abigail, Adam, Joe and Edward. It is based mainly around the railway and the friendships between the children. There is a man called Robertson Creake who writes letters to Hitler but never sends them. He writes that he is on the side of the Nazis and when to blow up the ammunition trains.

My favourite character was Joe because he was really caring, not just himself but for the other children. He always knows how to sort things out when they go wrong! Also he took an interest in Edward which made his friends start caring for him too. This made Edward feel happy because he had no friends at all before then. At the end of the story he was very brave. I can't say anymore otherwise I will give the ending away.

The story was good but it is not my favourite book. Once you got about half way through it got much better. I didn't like the first 82 pages, it was just so boring but that is my personal opinion. I couldn't stop reading it when it got to the bit about the bombing – I couldn't wait to find out what happens next!

I think 9 to 11 year olds would enjoy this story because it isn't an easy read but it isn't a hard read.

Review by Olivia Cummins

I thought this book was brilliant. The story is set in wartime. It is about a little town called Great Deeping where five children get involved with a German spy. The children are carried away on a huge, mysterious adventure and are faced with trouble at every turn. My favourite character was Adam because he was a talented artist, with a mind like Sherlock Holmes!

The story was amazing – I found it very exciting and it kept me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't wait to turn the next page and each chapter ended with a cliffhanger. Although the characters weren't described especially well at first, as the story unfolded their personalities developed and by the end of the book I felt as though I knew them very well.

I think children between 9 and 12 would enjoy this story – especially children who enjoy adventure and mystery stories with a problem to solve.

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