Animal Farm Written by George Orwell. Reviewed by Joshua, Age 12

When I first picked up this book, I was not sure that I was going to like it. It is a very famous book and there is much discussion about whether it is suitable for a twelve-year-old to read.

I enjoyed the story, and I thought the illustrations were amazing because they were so detailed, and really brought the story to life. There are double page illustrations that pop up at key moments and this helps you get a better picture of what is happening in your head. My favourite illustration in the book was by far the double page spread in chapter one where all the characters were gathered in the barn. This was a great illustration as there are so many characters it is hard to keep track of all the names.

All the characters had such a range of personalities from hard-working Boxer to lazy, slacking Clover. I did not like Napoleon and the pictures were drawn with such detail that you could see how much of an evil character he was.

Overall, I enjoyed the story, but I do not think I have fully understood the message. It is certainly not just a book about animals taking over a farm, but it was a very interesting read with lots of tension, action, and mixed emotions. Some of the vocabulary used in this book was quite trick and old fashioned which might make this book more suitable for older or more mature readers.