Young Quills reviews

Riddle of the Runes by Janina Ramirez was the 2019 winner in the Young Quills 6–10 years category.
Find out more about the winning entries here

Harman’s review
What happens? Did you find the plot interesting?
In this book there is this girl (Alva). She goes out in the night. She wanted to be an investigator like her uncle Magnus. Yes, I did actually find it interesting. Even though I don’t like Vikings, I still found it interesting.

Who are the main characters?
Alva, Uncle Magnus, Fenrir, Hraj, Brianna, and Sigrinn.

Who was your favourite character? Why?
I like Fen because he is really brave and he is really wise.

Did you like the book?
I would say I would give it a 4/5 because I’m not really that much of a Viking person but I know there are other people who would like it.

What was your favourite part? Why?
My favourite part was in Chapter 3 because I read the title of it, “Then there were none”. It sounded so interesting and I liked it.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
I would recommend it to a friend who likes Vikings because I don’t really like Vikings, but I have a couple of friends that do.

Star rating ★★★★

Livi’s review
My favourite character is Alva because she is very daring, brave, and kind to animals. I think she is very inspiring because she puts herself first to ensure safety and she has a lot of ambition. It is very enjoyable and fun to read as well as solving mysteries with Alva. It also has historical events such as Vikings and kidnaps. I would definitely recommend this book.

Raneer’s review
What happens? Did you find the plot interesting?
Alva runs through the forest with her wolf, Fen. There is a kidnapper on the loose and she wanted to investigate.

Who are the main characters?
The characters are Fen the wolf and Alva.

Who was your favourite character? Why?
My favourite character is Fen because he is so cool.

Did you like the book?
I liked the book because there was a lot of detail and action.

What was your favourite part? Why?
My favourite part is when they find the treasure.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
Yes, I would because it is action-packed and there are so many adventures.

Star rating ★★★★

Isabella’s review
I had high hopes for this book, a historical fiction with a young female protagonist, usually something I would love to read. Sadly, I didn’t enjoy the book as much as I thought I would. I found the plotline hard to follow and the mystery was very bland. This is why I am giving this book zero stars.

Charlotte’s review
I found this book very interesting and well-written. It had a good element of mystery in it and explained what life was like as a Viking within the story, not a forced description like some other books. The story was both a fantasy but also something that could have happened in Viking times. I would recommend this book to a 9 – 13-year-old because it is quite an easy read, but nevertheless gripping. Riddle of the Runes could be improved by a comedic aspect. I would not read a book of this type again because I prefer different styles but it was a good book and an interesting read.

Star rating ★★★★

Francesca’s review
Main characters: Alva is a young girl who wants to be a detective. She is adventurous and eager to do anything. Fenrir is Alva’s pet wolf. Alva rescued him when he was a puppy and his mother had died. He is loyal and warm-hearted. Magnus is Alva’s uncle. He also wants to solve the mystery and with his pet crow, Hraf, he is (almost) invincible. Magnus is strong-willed and tough.

Summary: Riddle of the Runes is about a girl called Alva who is investigating the murder of a man. Whilst doing this, she stumbles upon a clue that leaves her wondering about her Viking father, who left her when she was young. Was it actually murder? Or was it just a plot to let Alva and her family solve the riddle of the runes and find her father?

Conflict: In the book, Alva and Uncle Magnus are looking for clues to how the dead man was murdered when they find out that their family friend, Ingeld, was the murderer.

Solution: As Ingeld was a friend, they decide to not tell anybody, and to keep it to themselves. Alva and her family also think that Ingeld is more useful to them alive than he is dead.

Setting: This book was set in the north of England, in the fictional village of “Kilsgaard”, in the age of the Vikings when people read and wrote in runes and spoke in Norse.

Claudia S-S’s review
Riddle of the Runes is a simple, easy read. It was too fast-paced for me and I also found that the characters don’t have many different personalities. It also has quite a simple plotline, which made it was quite dull to read. I would recommend this to a younger audience (for example, age 10) because it is quite simple. I also thought there were no unexpected turning points throughout the book. I would give this book three stars.

Victoria’s review
I really enjoyed reading this book because of the tension in the plot throughout. In parts when the pressure built up it sent a chill down my spine as I read. My favourite character was Alva but Fenrir was amazing too. I didn't really dislike any of the people in the book but Sigrunn was my least favourite because I thought that she was a bit creepy. The storyline flowed really well and it had interesting details from the real Vikings (e.g. the sacrifice). During reading it, I did learn a few Viking runes on the way and there is an alphabet chart in the back. I thought that it was a very good book and I would definitely recommend it to my friends.

Madison’s review
I think both girls and boys from age 8 upwards would enjoy this book.

I enjoyed that when they started the mystery, her uncle, Magnus, let Alva help him and through the story they have worked together great. Also when they asked Alva’s mother Brianna to help, she didn’t let them down. After they had found what they were looking for, they realised her missing father, Bjorn, had brought them closer together, so from then on they always worked together and that was the bit I mainly enjoyed. Also I like that Alva had the best pet in the world, Fen the wolf (Fen is short for Fenrir).

The part I didn’t like was when her mother Brianna ignored Alva and her uncle for a very long time.

I would rate this book 10 out of 10.

Emmy’s review
In my opinion, this book is interesting but I feel indifferent about it. I am not amused by some parts of the story. It is not a bad book, it is just not my style, yet I think it would be an exciting read for people who likes mysteries. My favourite character is Fenrir (Fen) because he is a very noble and obedient dog and he is very loveable. Even though this was not my favourite book, I would still recommend this to people if they like to learn about the Viking past.

Oliver’s review
I would not recommend this book for ages 8 – 12, for it often over describes one singular subject for pages at a time. This book is suitable for 13 – 16 year olds, for its mystery can be solved with medium effort. This book, for me, was of poor quality and its story is too plain like 1830s plays – there was a bad king, a good knight killed the king, and they lived happily ever after. I’d give this book a 4/10 rating.

Michael’s review
I didn’t really like this book as it would usually over describe one thing and some of the sentences didn’t make any sense to me.

I would recommend this book to people who can read very fast and understand what it is trying to tell you because that was very hard to me. I would also recommend this book to people to people from around 12 – 16.

I would rate this book 2 ½ out of 5.

Katie’s review
The plot: There is a girl called Alva and she really wants to investigate. All the time.

The characters: I really liked Alva because she is really adventurous and nothing holds her back from investigating. I didn't like Uncle Magnus because the author described him as a kind of selfish person.

Did you learn anything new about the past? I learned that Vikings had huts because I just thought that they had tents.

What made the history of the time it was set in interesting to you? I liked it because it was interesting to find out what it would be like to be a Viking.

Was the plot exciting, thought-provoking, serious, light-hearted? Well, I think it was serious and light-hearted because Alva could feel lots of emotions like sad, happy, and angry so I felt a bit like that goo.

What stands out most? I think standing up for yourself stands out because when her mother and uncle hold her back she shows them they are wrong.

Would you recommend it? I would recommend this book to people that like a mystery at the end of a chapter.

Fin’s review
The plot: Alva is a Viking girl and she has a wolf called Fenrir. Her father has gone out to sea and hasn’t returned. He has hidden his treasure and Alva, Uncle Magnus, and Brianna try to find it. Ingeld is also trying to get the treasure and he has kidnapped a monk and a knight.

The characters: I think Alva is interesting because she is very adventurous and strong, she is also very smart. I didn’t like Sigrunn because she was very mean and at the sacrifice, she started mocking Alva.

Did you learn anything new about the past? I learned that the Vikings used runes and symbols as a language and that monks cherish ancient bones.

What made the history of the time it was set in interesting to you? I thought it was interesting because it was set when the Vikings were invading England and Scotland.

Was the plot exciting, thought-provoking, serious, light-hearted? The plot was very exciting because they were trying to find the treasure and also catch the criminal.

What stands out most? Alva’s pet wolf, Fenrir, stands out because I wouldn’t think of a wolf as a pet.

Would you recommend it? Yes, because it is a great book and I think my friends would like it.

Ben R’s review
The plot: It’s about a girl called Alva who finds a stone with symbols on it like this. Her uncle was confused about what they had found. They had to cross a sea to get to a shack to find something.

The characters: I like Alva the most because she’s creative and calm, sweet and smart. I don’t like Uncle Magnus because he’s mean and suddenly kind.

Did you learn anything new about the past? No, not really.

What made the history of the time it was set in interesting to you? Because it was set in Viking times.

Was the plot exciting, thought-provoking, serious, light-hearted? The plot was exciting and light-hearted.

What stands out most? The thing that stands out is the blurb because it describes what the book is about.

Would you recommend it? Yes, I would recommend it to other people because it was really interesting.

Josef’s review
The plot: After finding the runes, Alva goes on a thrilling quest to find out what they mean. Alva, her mother, her uncle, and her trusty wolf go to the places which mean the most to them. In the end they find their father’s hidden treasure.

The characters: The character I found most interesting was Fenrir. I find this character interesting because he behaves like a human even though he is a wolf. The character I really didn’t like was Bjarke because he killed people.

Did you learn anything new about the past? Something I learned about the past from this book was that English monks had bones which were worth thousands of pounds.

What made the history of the time it was set in interesting to you? The Viking theme of this book was interesting to me because I haven’t read many Viking-themed books.

Was the plot exciting, thought-provoking, serious, light-hearted? The plot was provoking and exciting.

What stands out most? The thing that stands out for me is that Alva’s dad had gone away with a friend and his friend came back but not him.

Would you recommend it? Yes, I would recommend this story to any age group.

Isabel’s review
Characters: Alva is interesting and so is, in an odd sort of way, Sigrunn! Alva is an investigator in the making. Sigrunn is just creepy!

Did you learn anything new about the past from this book? That Vikings are total barbarians!

When was the book set? What made the history or the time it was set in interesting? In Viking times (and strange Christians).

Was the plot exciting, thought-provoking, serious or light-hearted? Yes! The person who murdered is Brianna’s (mum’s) friend’s husband!!!

What stands out most for you from the book? The suspense!!

Would you recommend it to other pupils? Yes! It’s so exciting and has a fantastic twist in the tale!

Any other comments? 8 out of 10 stars.

Julia’s review
Characters: I found Fenrir most interesting because he is amazing. He goes ahead of Alva and protects Alva. I didn’t like Hraf because he is just weird.

Did you learn anything new about the past from this book? I saw the Viking alphabet and I know what the letters look like.

When was the book set? What made the history or the time it was set in interesting? It was set in the Viking times so it has Viking letters in the book.

What stands out most for you from the book? The bit that stands out is when Fenrir saves Alva.

Would you recommend it to other pupils? Yes, because it is amazing! It’s a really cool adventure. To solve a mystery.

Any other comments? 8 stars out of ten.

Miranda’s review
Characters: I found Alva most interesting because she was adventurous and inquisitive. I didn’t like Sigren because she was just…plain creepy.

Did you learn anything new about the past from this book? I learnt about the average lifestyle of an average Viking.

When was the book set? What made the history or the time it was set in interesting? The book was set in Viking times. This was interesting because things were simpler and different then.

Was the plot exciting, thought-provoking, serious, or light-hearted? The plot was exciting because of the suspense. The mystery made me want to keep reading.

What stands out most for you from the book? The independence and bravery of Alva and her uncle’s justice.

Would you recommend it to other pupils? I would because it is very descriptive and exciting.

Any other comments? 9 out of 10 stars.

Aiesha’s review
What I liked: I liked Riddle of the Runes because, unlike other books, it has heroism in it. It was also a very interesting book with lots of information about the Vikings so if you do not like history but like reading it can be a good way to learn.

What could have been improved? The book could have flowed better because it started with a problem and there was no real build-up. Also, there could have been less problems because it was hard to keep track of them all.

Overall: Overall, the story was quite intriguing and it made you want to read on. Four and a half stars.