Tests! How we all hate them. In Aramanth they control your life: do well and you may move up a district, do badly and your whole family suffer...

The Wind Singer is the first novel in the Wind on Fire trilogy written by William Nicholson. The action takes place in the walled city of Aramanth, where a family of misfits dare to rebel against the, "perfectly fair" system. My first impressions of this book were not good; the writing was plain and simple, the plot was different yet uninteresting and coincidences were far too common. However, first impressions are not to be trusted as I actually thoroughly enjoyed it.

Despite being several years over the target age I still found it a fascinating read. Yes the language was simple, but described the situation so perfectly, why bother using fancy language when simple words work just as well. The plot may have lacked punch but was constantly moving from one obstacle to another, one tricky situation followed by a very coincidental rescue. The constant action allowed the plot to progress even further in a more captivating direction. Each plan and scheme made sense and was believable, even the wilder ones seemed uncomplicated.

This book is highly readable, it is aimed at children in school years 5-8, but teenagers of higher ages can still appreciate it. Even if you do find it a struggle keep going, it will be worth it when you read the next two books in the series.