I, Coriander and The End

I, Coriander by Sally Gardner

This book tells the story of Coriander, set in 17th Century England. Coriander is the daughter of a wealthy merchant father and a mother with a mysterious history. The story is divided into six parts, each covering a part of the 15 years the story covers. This is a combination of historical fiction and fairy tales. It gives details of Cromwell's Puritan England after the execution of the King and the changes in society with the coming of Charles II. The story also brought to mind the fantasy aspects of Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan. It was an interesting book but I struggled to get though it. I found myself struggling to follow the story at times and to follow the characters.

The End (A Series of Unfortunate Events) by Lemony Snicket

Finally the last book in the miserable tale of the Baudelaire orphans. I did not enjoy reading this series, however I did like the last book. The tale begins with the Orphans stranded in a boat with Count Olaf, they get caught in a storm and get washed up on the coast of an island , the local castaways are again an interesting group for the orphans to interact with. On the island the find many of the answers they were seeking and conquer some of the challenges they had been facing. The children learn many lessons and by the end of the book seem to have taken charge of their destiny. The book ends with a small 14th book which does bring up a few more questions but overall I was happy with The End.