The Positively Last Performance

By Geraldine McCaughrean

1. I enjoyed the book because it was very mysterious and there was a twist which happened near the end.

Gracie visits a royal theatre by the sea but it has not been used for years. Ghosts have made residence in the theatre and nobody can see them, that is for Gracie.

The twist is very emotional and different feelings run throughout the book.

I personally think that it didn't teach you a lot considering it is a historical book but everything is based on a real seaside town and Geraldine spoke to people living there to find out what it was like in its hay day.

I would highly recommend this book to children aged between 11 and 14 because it has mature language and interesting vocabulary which younger children may not understand.

By Jessica

2. This fictional story is set in the 21st century in the seaside town of Margate (but the author has changed the town's name to ‘Seashaw' due to the book being fictional). Even though no one knows it, the town's theatre, The Royal, is home to a vast amount of ghosts. There's Miss Melluish, the Victoria librarian; William T, the artist from 1789; Shadrach, the WW2 soldier and many more. However, nobody alive can see them, apart from a girl called Gracie Walter. Whatever it takes, it is up to her and her council-working family to save the Theatre from demolition. Gracie knows that this will mean that the ghosts can stay safe in their rightful place.

Personally, I really enjoyed this book and I couldn't put it down. It's unpredictable and I like the way the author structured the story. There is no main character - everyone is fairly mentioned throughout the story. The descriptions are very emotive and authentic, so it almost feels as if you're there. I honestly can't think of anything negative to say about this story.

I would recommend this gripping read to older children or adults who like jam-packed, surprising stories. It took me just over two weeks to read, so it is a fairly long book, but it never gets boring. I think Geraldine McCaughrean should write more books like this one as I really enjoyed it. I'll definitely look out for more of her books in the future.

By Bethan



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