Adel's review:

I really liked this novel, which was written by Katharine Orton. It’s about a 12 year old girl named Lina who has never been free. She was living in a camp that was located in Russia. Lina and her best friend escaped

and faced many challenges on their way to freedom. There was also lots of magic involved.

One of my favourite characters was Tuyaara because she would do anything for her friends and family even sacrifice herself for them. She helped Lina overcome many challenges and helped them no matter what. She was really brave.

The book was full of different scenes since they used lots of magic to transport themselves around the world, which sometimes can be hard to keep up with but it made the reader want to keep reading since they would want to know what happens next and where the characters will go. The book was set during World War II and it showed how badly people were being treated - even young children.

I would recommend this book to people aged between 10-13 and it would help you understand more about the conditions during the World War II era.

Pola's review:

Nevertell follows the story of eleven year old Lina, a girl living in a prison camp in Siberia. At her time, Russia (then called the Soviet Union) was under Stalin’s reign. From what I read, I think the story takes place around the 1940s. With a historical time and setting as base, Katharine Orton creates an intricate story saturated with magic. Describing the world around Lina with the most precise detail immerses the reader into the snow-covered plains. The reader feels the freezing air of Siberia and tastes the sting of frost in the air. This story is written beautifully and is enjoyable. I learnt about Stalin and how his secret police would imprison people so that there are no possible threats. I learnt how the Russians were then not allowed to imagine; fairytales were banned and magic was unmentionable. They did not want people to have ideas of their own, but to simply follow orders and live calmly, not causing any trouble. Many were taken away to camps, whole families arrested for a mere rumour.

This novel did have many interesting facts. However, it was hard for me to fully understand what life was like because this story has so much magic. Fantasy and fairytale are not really my favourite genre but I must admit it does give another dimension to the novel. I think there could have been a bit more history and a bit less magic but it depends on the reader. I prefer historical novels that are realistic fiction. I think it made me understand Soviet Russia better, but I would like to know more about what everyday life was like for an average citizen. Nevertell was set in a prison camp so the story follows those in it. I liked the characters as they were all unique. Particularly, I was drawn to Old Gleb, an old man that always supported Lina and helped her run away. He is so gentle and kind, I find him one of the most likeable characters. In my opinion, Katharine Orton follows the inside journey of her characters very well. I was interested in the story of Russia as I haven’t learnt it before and I find it really compelling and important. The plot was exciting but quite childish and light-hearted. It also had some more serious and chilling moments, which I find somewhat a strange mix. If it hadn’t had that bit of eeriness and obscurity, I would’ve recommended it to older primary students. I think it was written for readers younger than me (I am 14), so I would recommend this book to year 7 and maybe 8, it depends on the reader.

To conclude, this book was beautifully written with facts about Soviet Russia, but it was written in a lighthearted, slightly childish way which makes it a light read. It had a lot of magic which is not my genre but it was a pleasurable read and offered a bit of diversity to the books I usually read. The author’s way of writing was very fascinating; I particularly liked her description.