Along Came a Spider by James Patterson

Jade Rating 3/5.

The first in Patterson's Alex Cross series published in 1993 when race was a more prominent issue than in modern society. It centres around Cross's life when two rich school children Maggie Rose Dunne and Michael Goldberg are kidnapped by their teacher fondly nicknamed 'Mr Chip' who is actually the more sinister Gary Soneji. We follow Cross's personal relationship with a white female government agent: Jezzie Flannagan and the troubles surrounding their interracial relationship is explored. It is interesting to see the changes in racial perspectives from an early 90s point of view and how society has progressed since then.

Our first look into Cross's mind, exploring the psychology of Soneji following the death of Michael Goldberg and the suspense is maintained throughout the book. An interesting read, and it is fair to say that Patterson's success through his Alex Cross series is set on firm foundations. Cross battles his own personal issues with the power wars at work between agencies etc and the plot unfolds carefully to reach a thrilling climax by the end.

Overall, I feel this is a good book to read, if a little dated in modern times; but I guess crime thrillers age well, and I enjoyed reading this enough to continue with Cross's adventures.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J K Rowling

Jade Rating: 5/5

I am sure that everyone knows the story of Harry Potter by now as a result of the popular cinema intepretation of the books. The concluding book to the Harry Potter series ties up the loose ends from the series to perfection. No questions are left unanswered by the end of the book, and the amazing way in which Rowling links back to tiny details mentioned in the previous books in the series makes this an enthralling read.
This book sees Harry Potter and the team develop as adults, taking on the responsibility of fighting Voldemont without the safety net of Dumbledore to fall back on. The characters develop into adults and their worries no longer focus around school and common problems faced by children worldwide; instead they take on the weight of the world and are forced to make huge decisions that would be hard for grown adults to make.
Rowling keeps the magical world of Harry Potter very much alive throughout the book, and the audience is completely absorbed into this fictional world. The realism and believeability of Rowling's descriptions and explanations is what makes this series a must read. Despite theiir magical abilities, Potter and co face confusion, hurt and emotional turmoil throughout the book and the audience really empathise with the trio as they face their toughest trials and tribulations.