Review by Kimiko, Maidenhill School, Gloucestershire  
I really enjoyed this book. Usually, I don’t like reading historical books, but I thoroughly enjoyed Thunder Struck. I couldn’t put it down. The cover and the blurb introduced the setting (1071AD) but didn’t give any spoilers. I hope this book is/will be part of a series. I would definitely recommend this book to people who like a fantasy tale with history woven beautifully into the plot. I really liked the character development and the unexpected plot twist. I learned about the battles of Hereward the Wake during William the Conqueror’s reign.  A perfect mix of historical accuracy and fictional storytelling. 

Review by Annabelle, year 10, St Mary’s RC High School 
Overall, I found Thunder Struck a very interesting book! I really enjoyed reading it and would love to read more books similar to this. The character I found the most interesting was Lightfoot. He automatically stood out as a character because of how he is introduced through Freya’s mother’s hallucinations which is pretty ominous. He never says something up front to Feya she has to figure out what he means mostly by herself. Freya doesn’t want to trust him at all in the start of the story but by the end, which is unfortunately a bit late, Freya very much trusts him. 

A character whom I didn’t not enjoy was Torfida, she was just evil. The first interaction Freya has with her includes her killing a man, which I think is a pretty intense first impression. The more the story goes on the more Torfida’s frustrations grow at not being able to find the stone which results in her being more violent and horrid. So, I certainly do not like her. 

Although I already had some prior knowledge of this time period, I definitely learnt a bit more about it. I didn’t know people cut off the ears of their enemies! I really enjoyed the parts where old English was used, it made the whole situation feel more real. While reading, I felt I could very roughly understand some words, but I had no clue most of the time. I just found it really cool that the author put in the time to get the words and phrase accurately down. 

I found the time period it was set in interesting because mostly because of Norse myths but also how different it is from the modern day. I found the plot very exciting, especially towards the end. I think this definitely had an effect on how enjoyable the book was, I don’t think I would have enjoyed a book set in this time period if it was slow paced or if I didn’t have sort of fantasy element to it. I think the fact that there is a character from a modern setting helps me understand what it would be like to be in that time period. 

This book has definitely inspired me to learn more about Norse mythology! The myths mentioned in the book are incredibly interesting, so I wonder what other stories could captivate me. I would definitely recommend this book to other students, especially if they are interested in more mythology-based history. The plot is very enticing, and I think a lot of people would find It quite gripping. The only part of the book I didn’t really enjoy was when Freya kissed Prydyn. When reading it I felt really embarrassed for Freya, it felt awkward. However, in the end it makes sense why she did it and I like the explanation for her crush of Prydyn.