COMMENDED REVIEW
The Haunted Hills is a thrilling tale that will surely put anyone on the edge of their seats. I very much enjoyed this book about a young boy and his mind. Are the hills haunted or is madness taking hold of Carl? That is the question that makes the book so hard to put down. I did, however at first, find it hard to understand but when I grasped the concept, I enjoyed it very much. We join a boy who is traumatised from a great loss. He is on holiday but something seems to be a miss. Carl is led to believe that he has seen a ghost or is he turning mad?
At first glance this book is a horror story but in real life it is so much more. It is about experiencing loss and letting guilt take a hold of someone. This book touched my heart, I felt sorry for Carl but intrigued by the prospect of the hills being haunted.
– Daisy, All Saints RC School

Carl visits Peak District with his parents, who live in a small ancient cottage. Carl loses his best friend, Jack, in a car accident caused by his friend Ferrari while they are in a stolen car. This incident had a huge effect on Carl’s psychology and gave him some anger issues, such as shouting at his parents, breaking things around the house, and accidentally hurting his parents. Carl’s parents bring him to the countryside with the hope of making him recover from the tragedy that he went through and make him recover from his temper tantrums. Both of his parents are caring, thoughtful and loving toward Carl. For example, when they go to a mall, they want him to accompany them. One day Carl gets lost while walking around the moors where he meets the “lost lad” and his dog Bob. Later on, the lost lad commands Bob to bring Carl home. The lost lad was actually called Joseph. Joseph lived with his mom in the same house that Carl was living in centuries ago. One day Joseph and Bob went on a trip to the moors where they got stranded by snow and died, probably because of the freezing temperature. Carl makes a new friend, April, while working on the farm. April is quite a bossy character and tells Carl what to do although she is never happy when Carl achieves a new goal. April also teaches Carl how to use the equipment around the farm such as quad bikes. Farmer Al, on the other hand, the owner of the neighbouring farm, is a joyful and kind man who contributes to the well-being of the land and has a positive impact on Carl and his parents.
As the story unfolds, Carl struggles with the sense of loss of his friend Jack and has his ups and downs.
While the reader witnesses these deep emotions of Carl, they can’t help but feel sympathetic towards him.
The story is quite touching and easy to follow since the author uses not too many dense words. Also the sentence structures are not complicated and the descriptions are so clear that they almost paint a picture with words.
– Kaan, St Peter’s 8-13

I loved the beginning! I immediately started reading more than I thought I would; since I just needed a book for an English lesson. But no, it was amazing.
I loved the way the author describes settings, people and situations. I felt really sad when the main character’s friend died. There was also a plot twist nearer the end of the story which I wasn’t really expecting but really enjoyed. I also loved that throughout the entire book there were links to his
childhood in the past.
Overall, I found this book very easy to read and would recommend it to anyone who likes reading books with mysteries and who likes to think of ways the book could end.
– Harry, All Saints RC School

Carl thinks that the story that the farmer tells him is true and believes that the lost lad is alive and haunts the hills that surround him. It’s hard to tell but I think this story covers a couple of months of Carl’s life. The unusual thing that happens in this book is that it changes from present to memories from the past. I find this makes the book more interesting to read. The opening of the story was pretty slow but you find out quite a bit about where Carl and his parents are staying.
The main characters in this book are; Jack, Carl and Ferrari aka. Julius. Carl was a very quiet and timid boy who tried to stay out of trouble whereas Jack and Julius were more into trouble and Julius led Jack into more trouble than what he already was in.
The most interesting character was Julius because he liked to stay quiet around Carl and Jack but was more himself around his other friends up until close to the end. I think Carl wasn’t close to Julius near the beginning but got closer near the end. Jack seems to change quite a bit in the book since he was like Carl and then when he got matey with Julius he changed and became a rebel and got into a lot of trouble.
The story was written in first person and it made it feel in between being a diary and actually being there in person. I thought the story was written in great detail and when the setting was described it felt like I was there in the moment! The feelings and attitudes were also described in great detail and their expressions were just like mine. This is a good book since it has a great plot twist and really good vocab. One thing that I dislike is that it takes quite a while to get to the good part of the story. I think my favourite part of the story was when Carl went to the park with a girl named Eva and when they’re there, Jack comes up and scares them, whereas when this happens Carl gets annoyed because he finds out that Jack was spying on them.
I’m not sure on why the author decided to write this story but it definitely was a good story and I would read it again. Before reading this book I thought it would be really scary but once I read it, it wasn’t as scary as I thought it would. As I already know that sometimes hanging with the wrong people can give you bad influences it just shows how bad it can be with how Jack starts to hang out with Julius and he changed a lot from beginning to end.
This book is really good in its own way and it’s the style of books I like but sometimes I like it when the books are wrote in third person. I’d recommend this book more to 10+ because of some of the events that happen. Overall I would give this book a 4.5/5 star rating.
– Manor CofE Academy

The way this book describes trauma is genuinely great; it doesn’t belittle the main character or dumb what happened to him down. It’s not amazing, and it’s quite on the nose, but that works for a younger audience. Ferrari is my favourite, as he is his own person and the main drive (no pun intended) of the story, making terrible but real mistakes and getting Carl’s friend killed. 
It did kind of drag on for a bit, and as the book went on it became slightly irritating reading over and over again about Carl’s trauma and stress, but I didn’t really mind.
The descriptions in this book are beautiful – my favourite part was the recounting of the holiday in Cornwall – I’ve been to that area, and that passage in the book really brought memories back.
There really isn’t anything else to say about this book. It sits very comfortably at a 4.5. I’d recommend this to 10/ mature 9/8 year olds.
– Lilah, All Saints RC School

Carl, a traumatised young boy, is taken to the Peak District by his parents, after a devastating accident. There he is haunted by his troubled past while making new mysterious friends and finding the courage to move on.
I really enjoyed this book because I found the descriptions especially heart-warming. Furthermore, I enjoyed how Carl is constantly reminded of his past as it gives the book an eerie undertone, making me as the reader feel empathy towards the characters. As the story developed, I also really enjoyed reading about how Carl questions his reality multiple times because the story then engages with the reader, also making them question Carl’s reality. At the end of the book, I also liked reading the backstory of the Lost Lad because it then cleared up if he was real or not.
The story flowed really well however, I felt that it would have been better if there were more emotional changes as throughout the book, the emotion was the same – sad.
Overall, I greatly enjoyed this novel as it is a heart warming story about loss and healing, so I have therefore decided to rate this 4.5 stars.
– Suhani, All Saints RC School

COMMENDED REVIEW
Berlie Doherty’s book, The Haunted Hills, is told from the perspective of Carl, an archetypal young boy coping with the fallout of a major tragedy: the loss of his best friend.
As the book progresses, we follow Carl’s trip to the Peak District as part of his parents’ plan for his recovery, however unforeseen changes occur as an eerie mystery slowly begins to unravel surrounding the old ghost tale of The Lost Lad. While Carl works through his new turbulent emotions he must figure out if the surrounding hills are really haunted or if his grief is clouding his judgement.
The Haunted Hills is beautifully written with a recurring metaphorical motif of the highlights and struggles  of adolescence. The way in which this book is structured creates a steady reading pace that allows the reader to be completely immersed into the narrative. It explores the intense emotions that come with loss and grief while reflecting the strength of adolescent friendship. It’s truly a profound and enjoyable read. I give Berlie Doherty my highest adulation for this book and fully believe that it is the perfect read for children of school age to immerse themselves in.
– Amanda, Vale of York Academy

I liked this book a lot. It was an easy, haunting read about a boy named Carl. Carl had recently lost his best friend when his parents take him to a small cottage in the Peak District. The story develops with Carl as you find out more about what happened with his best friend, and as Carl becomes more and more comfortable with thinking about his loss. I love how you see Carl recover and become happy again. The author’s writing style is very smooth and time just slips away while you read. I would have loved to learn more about the Lost Lad, although the story at the end was helpful. Overall, a great and well thought-out book.
– Arabella, St Peter’s 8-13

The Haunted Hills is about a boy named Carl who travels to the countryside with his parents to cope with the loss of his best friend, Jack. But strange things are happening on the moors, and Carl must discover what’s really going on while facing the truth and accepting that his friend really is gone. The events of the story are set in an ordinary place but come with a
mysterious twist. I found that those events flowed really well together making a captivating read.
The main character was Carl but there were lots of others who were essential to the story. His parents were concerned and trying to do the best for him, his new friend April struggled with her own problems and all Carl’s flashbacks feature. I think their raw emotions made the story even better.
The story was written in first person which helped show Carl’s feelings better. Although the characters weren’t described in much detail, the scenery was, which meant I could imagine the whole thing more clearly instead of constantly going back to the people. I thought it was a great story! My favourite part was probably one of the flashbacks of Carl and Jack as they added more emotional depth to the book.
While reading I couldn’t wait to turn the page and find out what happened next. When I finished the Haunted Hills I felt a good sense of accomplishment. I learned from the book that grief is hard but sometimes you have to remember in order to move on. Compared to
other books I’ve read it’s more interesting and parts were more relatable as well. I would definitely recommend this book to others who enjoy something a bit more spooky. 4 stars!
– Manor CofE Acdemy

This book was wonderfully written and although I found it quite slow in the beginning, once the book started to grow more and more exciting, I found it hard to put down. This book amazingly represents grief and trying to move on while still remembering the past. Carl is visiting the Peak District with his parents to help him move on after a tragic event. This books switches from present to past, making me feel as though I was Carl and was reading an old diary or experiencing flashbacks of the 13th of March – a date that would haunt me forever. We learn about this “tragic event” as we read on, experiencing the bittersweet character development, as Carl experiences some unexplained events.
I was expecting a more supernatural horror, however the book still gave off eerie atmospheric chills. I found that the book also leans towards representing mental health and how some people still blame themselves for doing the right thing. Carl blamed himself greatly for the death of his closest friend, even though it was not his fault and he did the right thing in the situation he was in.
A hooking story, which may provide comfort to some, I recommend this amazing read.
– Olivia, All Saints RC School

The Haunted Hills opens on the protagonist of Carl, his mother, and his father, heading to the Peak District for a break. They come to a small cottage that has hundreds of years of history. As he spends time away from the city, Carl learns about the “Lost Lad” and begins to slowly be able to recover from the “accident”.
This book doesn’t portray the easiest of plots, but Doherty’s form and style of literature makes up for this factor and manages to compel the reader with her descriptions of the beautiful landscape. Although he seems miserable and distant, Carl does appear as a sympathetic figure and this comes across very well. With a set of forgiving parents and a kind school, he finally comes to terms with his feelings and manages to shake off those demons. For me, the ending where a sorry teen rocks up at the last minute doesn’t seem convincing, as he confesses as the victim.
Although some things could be improves, Doherty does know her way around words to make reading this book a very enjoyable experience that I just wanted to read one more page of.
– Alex, St Peter’s 8-13

I found this an interesting book. It tackles the problem of loss, and difficult friendships, and finding new ways to cope. I liked the story’s transition between the memories of the narrator and the present day. I think this was a good way for the reader to get to know the narrator and the other characters. The story is about a boy named Carl, who is on a break in the countryside, trying to deal with the loss of his best friend. While he is there, however, he becomes convinced someone is watching him and that there are ghosts out on the moors. I like how the author has blended a sad story and a ghost story together, creating a not altogether frightening, but rather a poignant book about dealing with trauma and letting go of painful memories.
I enjoyed it and would recommend it.
– Lucy, Bootham School

In this book, we read about a boy called Carl who is staying in a cottage on a farm. At first, he gets lost on the hills, only to be redirected by a mysterious figure with a dog. When he gets back, after a night’s sleep, the owner of the cottage, Al, tells the story of a lost boy who had a dog and Carl’s suspicions are raised. However, this boy lived and died 100 years ago. The story followed Carl as he tried to recover from a loss that had completely shaken him. Obviously, this was not a fiction book and, for that reason, many of the events, like the coming and coming of ghosts were included. The story started almost straight away with suspicions of ghosts, meaning that you didn’t get bored at the start. Then, these suspicions were raised until the very end.
The main character was a boy called Carl, who had recently suffered from an event that would change his life forever. Carl was a very emotional character who could be easily upset, whereas his friend Jack liked living life on the edge. The characters’ appearances weren’t described in any detail though Carl’s emotions were. The character that I found most interesting was a girl called April, who helped Al on the farm. She was very secretive about herself and her past, which made me question her. However, she opened up towards the end.
The story was written in first person, with Carl as the narrator. This was crucial because that meant that you could see what happened through his eyes. In order to set the scene, the setting was described in detail, making it a little bit of a scary read! I found it was a really good story due to the plot line which was worth telling! I think my favourite moment was when Carl was enjoying the hills on the mountain in the roaring wind and rain! It perfectly showed how nature is always in charge! I think that the character of Al’s wife was labelled as suspicious at the start but the idea was never followed and I didn’t consider her to be secretive during the story.
At the end of the book, the writer said that this plot line was inspired by a hill in the Derbyshire Peak District and I think that the author was inspired into writing this story because of it. After reading it, I felt as if it showed that the power of nature can soothe you if you’ve been through something that you feel you will never get over. Compared to other books that I’ve read, it was much scarier and it wasn’t the sort of book that I would pick off a shelf. However, I really enjoyed it and it was nice to have a change! I think that it’s important to say that some of the topics in it were quite deep and unsuitable for younger children like how Carl lost Jack. I would definitely recommend this book and read another by the same author, Berlie Doherty. My star rating for it is a 4 out of 5.
– Manor CofE Academy

Wow! This book pulls you in. It will haunt you. It haunted me. It’s haunting me. I liked this book, it just haunted me while reading it.
– Annie, St Peter’s 8-13