War -a short story by Dara Ryan

War. The single worst thing ever created by man. To the
masses, those who do not see it first-hand, do not truly
experience it, war is just a board game, a way for the
presidents and ministers and chancellors to settle a petty
dispute. To those people an army is just a number, a solider a
faceless uniform. To those people war is just another thing to
be noted down for the history books.
But then there are those who do go to war. The delusional
ones go willingly, dreaming of grandeur and glory, of fighting
for their country, of medals and endless celebration. The
sane ones are forced; they dream only of a quiet life. I was
not one of the sane ones.
Even the most delusional recruits are changed by war. To a
solider war is a terrifying thing. Each second is a year, a year
of nothing but darkness and deafening noise. And you pray to
God each of those seconds isn’t your last. And God doesn’t
always answer those prayers. I realised that quick enough.
The ones who survive are considered the “lucky ones”. I
certainly wouldn’t call myself lucky. No matter how much
praise, recognition or medals I get, it will never be worth the
atrocities I saw and the scars they left me with.
To the masses, those who do not see it first-hand, do not
truly experience it, war is a battle between good and evil.
There is no good or evil in war.

There is only death.

Book Review by Mark Henchion: The Enemy by Charlie Higson

By Mark Henchion

Genre: Horror/Adventure/Post-apocalyptic thriller

Audience: Young Adult

The Enemy is a post-apocalyptic horror novel. The book takes place in London after a worldwide sickness has infected everyone over the age of 13, turning them into something akin to voracious, cannibalistic zombies. These bags of rotting flesh mindlessly roam the streets looking for their next meal, the kids. The surviving children must figure out what cause the outbreak but more importantly, how to survive.

I enjoyed this book because it was extremely exciting and difficult to put down. The age of the characters made it easy to relate to. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. Goodreads gives the book an impressive 4 ½ out of 5. In terms of comparable novels, if you have read these books, you may like this title, or vice versa:

  • Out of the Dark by Gregg Hurwitz
  • The Suspect by Fiona Barton
  • The Merciless by Danielle Vega
  • The Passenger by Lisa Lutz
  • Ten by Gretchen McNeil
  • The Cherub series by Anthony Harrowitz

The New School by James Connolly


My new school is big and new
Every morning the grass is laden with dew
And when the bell rings for class,
Everyone vacates the grass
 
I become a nervous wreck,
“Did I bring the right books?I forgot to check”
The screech of chairs and tables,
And teachers connect their cables.