Book Reviews
The Christmas Cracker
“What a super book. I got for my 7 year old daughter. She enjoyed every minute of it and read the entire book in one day! Fabulous present for any young reader.”
"Amazing book! This wonderful book can't be put down once it has been picked up, all Finn O'Shea adventures have made me laugh, an amazing, exciting and enticing read. Great jokes from the crackers!”
“‘Cracking’ Christmas Read! Brimming with magic, mystery and action-packed adventure, 'The Christmas Cracker' is a must-read for children during the festive season and beyond.”
“Marian Brennan’s latest instalment is a feel good Christmas edition of the Finn O’Shea series set in Greystones, Wicklow - the perfect combination of kid-friendly drama and suspense, sleuthing, problem-solving and science and technology. Can’t recommend this book enough - my 7yr old demanded we read it in one sitting and no doubt we’ll be re-reading it in the run up to Christmas and every Christmas for many years to come 🤩🎄🎅”
“The adventure continues, with lots of twists and turns. You’ll love the challenge of trying to solve the mystery…I won’t spoil it for you. If you enjoyed Marian Brennan’s previous books, you’ll definitely love The Christmas Cracker!”
“A really fun story full of Christmas magic and well-written riveting investigation, that had me glued to the book even as an adult! I loved the features of Irish phrases and places tied into the many twists of the story, and the playful illustrations are a perfect addition!”
“A team of dedicated sleuths must stop the Greystones Grump from ruining Christmas. Atmospheric, fun, action-packed with a twist at the end that you won't see coming!”
“‘The Christmas Cracker’ is a great Christmas themed adventure story. It has a mystery to be solved, humour, heart-warming moments and a good ending, which all make for a good story.
It would make a perfect Christmas present for any child aged 6- 10 years old. I bought it for my 9 year old grandson and I am sure he is going to love it.”
The Inventions of Finn O'Shea
My son LOVED this book!
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"My 10 year old son is not a big reader - but he loved this book! He reads a chapter every night - the font is fairly big and very easy to read. He loved it so much I have ordered him the next book in the series!"
Michelle O'Connor, UK
A fantastic read
"This made my 7 year old laugh out loud. He really enjoyed it and he keeps coming up with his own inventions now. His favourite Finn invention was the rocket!! Highly recommend, my son couldn't put it down."
Nicola Checksfield, UK
My 8 year old could not put this book down!
"This book was the perfect mix of science and adventure. My son could not put it down and has asked for more books in the series."
Anonymous reviewer, US
What fun!
"My girls loved this adventure - great read for budding scientists!"
Ross KJ, Canada
A Great Read!
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"My 6 year old loved this first book in the Finn O'Shea series. A really enjoyable read, would recommend."
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Miss T, UK
Finn O’Shea for World Book Day!
My 8-year-old loved the first edition of this book so much that he dressed up as Finn O’Shea for World Book Day 2020! Enough said really, but here is his review in his own words:
“Finn is a 7-year-old genius and I like his wacky inventions! The book is very good and I like the bit where Finn electrocutes someone with his invention (one of them)!”
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Jo M, UK
Brilliant book!
"This book is exciting, funny and relevant to a boys life! Brilliant!"
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Carmen, UK
A must-have for budding scientists.
"A brilliant book for young readers, their parents and grandparents! It beautifully captures the joy and stimulus of learning and experimenting, and learning from the experiments in order to achieve."
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Chris C
Astro Fiasco
Amazing
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"It was amazing, I was really wondering what was going to happen next, it made me excited to read more, I loved it.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes adventures."
Jenny, aged 9
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"I loved that Jenny disappeared to her room with this for the afternoon and came down (mostly only for meals) brimming with snippets of science and adventures (i had to catch up at bedtime with a quick plot summary). A lovely book that really grabbed her attention. Doesn’t talk down to kids and is ambitious in the level of scientific knowledge imparted mid story. Can’t wait for book three!"
Jenny’s mum, UK
Here's my 10 year old son's thoughts after finishing the book.....
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"There's no other word for it, a masterpiece, an outright masterpiece (I better explain to him what 1 word means!). Jokes are brilliant, story-line amazing. I can't wait for the next book."
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David M, UK
Brilliant!
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"My Daughter absolutely loved this book, she read it in one sitting! She can’t wait for the next one to be available!"
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Oliver, UK
Great imaginative story!
"We loved the first book in the Finn O'Shea series and this next book was just as good. A beautifully imaginative story, encouraging children to dream big!! Would recommend. Lovely illustrations also."
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Miss T, UK
Awesome Space Adventure for Clever Kids!
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"What a wonderful fun and exciting read - this book had me on the edge of my seat as I read it to my niece and nephew - A fun read for kids and one that the adults can enjoy too!"
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Karen
Funny, suspense filled twist of a giraffe’s tale
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"Astro Fiasco is an action packed story that takes Finn and fellow heroes on an unexpected expedition through which they discover how friendship, curiosity, ingenuity and determination can conquer huge distances, solve riddles and produce tons of laughs."
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Anonymous reviewer, UK
Fabulous sequel feeding a passion for adventure & STEM
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"Really enjoyed reading it to my Son - he’s 4 and was gripped! Lots of twists and turns - a lovely sequel & addition the adventures of inventor Finn OShea :)"
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Geraldine
Digiboy
It’s my favourite book - even better than Harry Potter!
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”It was an enjoyable book -really fun to read! I enjoyed it more than I expected and if you look on the back, you can see Cosie the dog! it was a book full of twists and turns! Finn started with 1 friend and soon he had 4."
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From Sophie (aged 9):
Kept us gripped!
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"This is the third adventure about Finn O’Shea I’ve read and they are all brilliant.
I really like the setting, it was amazing imagining being in the control room at the beginning and it was fun thinking about being inside a real video game - I really felt like I was there.
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I loved how I really didn’t know what was going to happen next."
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From J (age 10)
Another really fab read
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"My daughter demolished it in an evening and talked about it for weeks. As well as the fab adventure we love how these books don’t make the world of science and technology complicated or scary and let kids genuinely imagine themselves doing amazing things.
Lovely book - can’t wait for the next one."
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Cassy
Recommended Read: 101%!
“These books keep on getting better! How does she keep coming up with such brilliant ideas! This entry in the Finn O’Shea series has such a clever plot, with twists and turns that keep you hooked till the last word! It was amazing and I would recommend it to anyone who likes crazy fun action stories!”
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Tom (age 10)
Lovely book, and part of a clever series!
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"Lovely book, and part of a clever series - wonderful way to engage kids in STEM subjects with a fun and engaging twist!"
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Karen
Another action packed edition to the Finn O’Shea series!
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"Another fab addition to the Finn O’Shea Series - Digiboy will appeal to kids and parents alike for its age appropriate action oriented adventures embedded with STEM & messages around keeping kids safe online!"
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Geraldine
The Mystery Code
Our son couldn’t put this book down
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"My son just finished this book and told me it was “annoyingly good”. What do you mean by that, I said. “It was so good, it’s annoying that it had to end”!"
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Andy Walford
So excited for another adventure
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"Ordered this for my son, who has loved the first 3.
The following is his review:
An amazing adventure which follows Finn and his friends, it’s always exciting and suspenseful with every page. I love the introduction of the new characters and the unique illustrations. There’s always something to learn and this book does not disappoint. Already looking forward to the next adventure."
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NI
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A very enjoyable read.
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"My 10 year old daughter is an avid but discerning reader. She won't finish a book if she doesn't like it! She flew through this book and really enjoyed the elements of suspense and fun throughout. She said she'd definitely recommend it."
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Louise Flanagan
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Love this series!
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"The adventures of Finn & his friends are always so good!! Team work, kindness & good fun! This is a lovely Christmas present for any young person who loves to solve a riddle & a mystery! Not to be missed as a holiday read this year!"
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Karen
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Our favourite instalment of Finn O’Shea Adventures to date!
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"The Mystery Code has it all - adventure, pirate treasure, cayaking and STEM - set in the seaside town of Greystones, Co. Wicklow. We read it in 2 sittings and my 6yr olds question at the end was when will the next book be ready?! #WeloveFinn0Shea"
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Geraldine
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Another great instalment of Finn O’Shea’s adventures.
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"The mystery code continues the story of Finn O’Shea, an Irish boy. I could hardly put this book down. It’s perfect for ages 5-11 or maybe older for readers who remember Finn from his previous adventures. This charming story keeps readers captivated with fascinating plots and high stakes. I would certainly recommend this book as well as the rest of the series."
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Jenny (age 11)
"Delighted to see another episode to this lovely series. Great characters that feel like old friends for my daughters at this stage, adventures that keep them turning the pages and science on the side so they are learning and normalising tech concepts too. A great read."
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Cassy
Set in Greystones, Co. Wicklow, Ireland
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"My children both absolutely adored this instalment of Finn O’Shea’s adventures - this time in Greystones, County Wicklow, Ireland I can’t tell you how excited they were to ride the train from Bray to Greystones and squeal with delight as they relived scenes from The Mystery Code live looking out the window at the inspirational setting of another stellar book in the series for kids to engage. A MUST READ for all kids who live locally, as well as the rest of us who love to visit Eire!"
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Jo