Review by Izaak
This book is a really good book because it really puts you in the shoes of a crewmate on the HMS Forgetmenot during [the Second World War]. I like how it gets straight into the action and doesn’t stop but I also like how every chapter ends on a cliffhanger which makes you want to read on and find out what happens next. Finally, I love how it has humour when it is a really serious story.

In conclusion this book is a historical, funny page turning book that is suitable from years 5 to 6 but it could be a challenging year 4 text. Also, it has all its facts and statistics meticulously researched. 

Review by Emillia
Arctic Star is set in the winter of 1943 following 3 Royal Navy recruits on their first mission at sea during the Second World War.

I’ve always been fascinated with the 1940s and World War Two in general but what made it all so interesting to me was the way of life and the thoughts and ideas that surrounded everything.

I love looking at the way people used to think and dress and act which is probably the reason I liked the book so much. It showed how the three main characters (Frank, Joseph and Stephen) went through their emotions while out at sea and it showed how they deal with loss and trauma.

I also liked how there was so much suspense in the book. I never wanted to put it down since I always needed to know what happened next.

However, at first I didn’t quite get caught up in the book. When I first started reading I was getting bored and I didn’t like the fact that the same word kept repeating over and over again.

Other than that I have no complaints with the book. Showed the harsh conditions of working in the navy in WW2. I thought it was one of the best historical fiction books that I’ve read and I’m happy I continued to read it.

Review by Elric
Arctic Star is set during World War II, in 1943. It follows the life of a young Royal Navy serviceman, Frank, and his friends, Stephen and Joseph, as they serve on ships sailing as part of the Arctic Convoys. They were a very likeable group! However, some of the characters were not so likeable, such as Captain Whitaker, who ordered the drenching gear to be used and nearly killed Stephen (who miraculously survived) when the HMS Forgetmenot was hit by a torpedo. The plot stood out to me and was thoroughly serious and thought-provoking due to its realism. I found out that there were many convoys to Russia and that they faced loads of danger from German weaponry and ships patrolling the waters on their route. There was a part I did not like (the torpedo hitting HMS Forgetmenot), this is because 83 of the ship’s crew were either dead or missing. I would like to recommend this book to others as there is very little awareness of the British servicemen aboard the Artic Convoys, and how they bravely served their country and helped the Allies win the war. 

Review by Amir 
This book was excellent. I found the character of Steven very interesting because he acts as if he’s telling jokes all the time. Also, I liked Joseph because he liked Russia and some of my family come from Russia. It was very sad when he froze to death.

The book taught me a lot about the Second World War, especially what happened at sea during the war. I was surprised because at the end, the German boat was surrounded and sank. I loved the fighting and adventure in the book. It was an exciting plot but it was also serious because there was a lot of fighting. Steven and Frank survived and they were the only ones off the whole boat to do so. I was particularly struck by the German ship sinking and the sad section when the HMS Forgetmenot sank and Joseph died.

I learned lots about World War 2 from the book, in particular, about U boats, the bombings of Plymouth, and the Navy. I really liked it all and I think anyone of any age who is interested in learning about the war would like this.

Review by Sol
5 stars. Arctic Star was a great book with an engaging plot. The characters were well thought out and the storyline was interesting, especially as it was not set in one specific place, but it travelled around with the characters. I also enjoyed the references to the real life Arctic convoys, that risked their lives to get resources etc. It was a great book with a brilliant plot.