Only Human

Review: Reading group tackles Gareth Roberts' new novel.

We had a huge response to our request for school reading groups to review the latest batch of Ninth Doctor novels.

We gave copies of Gareth Roberts' Only Human to Emma, Abdulsalam, Victoria, Thomas and Yvette - the Year Six Reading Group from Ysgol Pen y Bryn, Colwyn Bay - to assess. Here are their thoughts on the latest adventure for The Doctor, Rose and Captain Jack Harkness.

Note - contains some plot spoilers.

What's it about?

Incredible! A Neanderthal man is discovered living in the 21st century! Could he be linked to the mysterious Chantal and her experiments to create a race of beings that will wipe out the human race?

Was it exciting?

Oh yes! The whole group thoroughly enjoyed the book.

Victoria: "Though it starts off a bit slowly, we all agreed that the adventure soon picks up with the appearance of the Neanderthal man in present day Earth."

Abdul: "We also agreed that our favourite moment was when one of the characters (Tina) has her head bitten off by the "creature with the 6 fingers and one thumb (the Hy-Bractors). I'd love to see how they'd do that on that telly!"

Emma : "I loved the way they the Hy-Bractors listened and paid attention to the Doctor when he ordered them about. The Doctor was taking no nonsense when everyone else seemed to be scared of them."

Favourite characters?

Yvette: "I love The Doctor and Rose, by a clear mile! The way The Doctor teaches Rose about history and how small changes in the past can be disastrous is very clever."

Victoria: "We all liked Chantal, she was an enjoyable character, and we loved what she did to Rose's head..."

Emma: "Chantal wasn't your typical baddie. I actually thought she was very funny!"

Thomas: "I can't believe that The Doctor watches Carry On films! They must have a wide selection of DVDs in the TARDIS!"

Abdul: "I didn't think there was enough of Captain Jack in the story compared to the TV stories. A great deal of his story is told through his journal which slowed the pace of the story down a bit."

Was it scary?

The team were in full agreement on this aspect.

Thomas: "Not scary as such but more like gruesome, like the scene involving Tina and another one involving a brain being taken out of a head."

It seemed that the boys reading the book enjoyed these gruesome scenes more than the girls. Indeed, Victoria couldn't sleep well after reading one particular chapter!

Was it funny?

Yvette: "Captain Jack making a distraction at the beginning of the story was funny – running around naked!"

However, the team agreed that the humour was few and far between, or may be they just didn't get the jokes.

Emma : "Older children might get the references to UK Gold and stuff but we maybe too young."

Abdul: "The Doctor had some funny lines, like when he compared his sonic-screwdriver to a hat-swapping finger."

Anything bad about the story?

The team were not keen on the journal and data record entries – they found that it slowed that pace of the story.

Thomas: "I really enjoyed it. I managed to read the book in three evenings, which must be a record, and certainly impressed my mum!"

In conclusion

Very enjoyable.

Victoria: "It felt like a typical Doctor Who story starring Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper. The creatures were cool and were described with enough detail to imagine them clearly in my mind's eye."

Abdul: "I would definitely recommend it to anyone as a great read."

Yvette: "The best thing is that us girls enjoyed it just as well as the boys. Rose is great, and her scenes with Chantal were cool."

Star Rating 4/5

bethany
Fantastic! Really good! My favourite period of Doctor who was with capt.Jack so i really enjoyed it. I loved it when Rose had to marry the cave man! I felt sorry for him when she ran away!

Patrice Breanne Alexander
I absolutly loved it! I read the book in three days! It's a bit of a blur, but it was fantastic!

bethany
it was brill 10/10

caleb
it was the best doctor who book yet!

viki cooper
i loved it, great characters, and i especially liked the bit where Rose got decapitated and her body was in the cupboard, brilliant, atleast a 9/10

Harry Brown (10)
10 out of 10 for deffinet

Rachel
took two days two read but i found myself being part of the story

Oliver Greville (10)
I hope that cat felt all right…

Nicholas Sutton(11)
Anazing book! Well worth a read

Lewis
I read this book in 2 days. Its great when it mentioned F-Zero!

Katie
Wow, from all these messages it sound really cool; Doctor Who books are definately going on my Christmas list!

HETTIE
I'VE READ A BIT AND I LOVE IT

Amy (11)
That's the funniest book I've read in ages! Chantal is very enjoyable, but you could REALLY hate her! Captain Jack teaching Das how to live in the 21st Century was so hilarious, especially when Das wanted to fly to Balamory! Overall, so fantastic I can't rate it highly enough.

xzyra rose
wow i loved it. it gave a howl new look at human nature. it made me think maby thats what the doctor sees in humans.Loved the bit where chantel was diceting the doctor, it made me want to run in there and stop her and shout at him to wake up, oh no.thought the thing about the pills controlling human emotions was trying to say something like humans can allready make anti depressents maby this is where it ends.fantastic.

Zoe
This book is BRILLIANT!!! I was gripped from start to finish! There wasn't a dull moment in this book, it was... GREAT!!!

joey
i thought it was smashing and creepy at the same time. a definate five star!

kane stephen taylor
this book is the best book ive got no wait the only book ive got

Eposina
I've read it's great. Great book, Gareth Roberts has one heck of an imagination.

Patrick
Worst of the set so far... Gareth Roberts falls into the trap of listing as many popular culture items as he thinks people will find cool. Character of the Doctor and Rose not well done. Can't imagine any incarnation saying "Tough titty"... almost as bad as his NA novels.

Jordan Lewis Ashton
It is absolutely great. Thank you for publishing it. ITS GREAT

matthe tracey
I think I will be looking out for the next three books because im realy enjoy monsters inside

Nathan
Great. I think Gareth Roberts could do better. Out of all the six books ( The Deviant Strain, Only Human, The Stealers Of Dreams, The Clockwise Man, The Monsters Inside, Winner Takes All, I rate it the 3rd best. Three cheers for Gareth Roberts

Marcus
I thought the journal entries were quite funny... The bit at the end was good outside the TARDIS with Rose and the closet.

S.P.
Why would the Doctor need DVDs to watch Carry On films? He could just take the TARDIS back to the 1960s and watch them in the cinema!

charlie
Great book i read it in less than two hours because I couldn't put it down!

Robert Smith
I agree with Manuel Lopez! More 8th Doctor books, less of this Ninth Doctor stuff!

mat
i loved this book and stealers of dreams but again the weakest book in the ninth doctor's adventures come from Justin Richards, although the deviant strain was a vast improvement on the Clockwise Man

Carys
that souds like a brill book i'm ggetiin it tomorrow along with the other 2 deviant strain and the stealers of dreams

Lizzie
i have read da first four books and dey r mint! cant wait 2 read da nxt 1

suki
BRILLIANT BOOK I COULD'NT LEAVE IT DOWN BRING OUT MORE OF EM

lk cool
good book realy it was good. nice range of charectors and monsters.

Jessica Holdway
I loved all the other books and i am looking forward to this one as well!!!!! At leasti know what i want for my birthday.....

Jake McMahon
I've got the first three: they were brill! Can't wait for the new set. I hope they bring out a captain jack series of books.

Tobias Loftus
When will it come out in Austrailier?!! Sounds Good!! I've read winner takes all and that was one of the best books i have read

Dom
It sounds like a o.k book, but will it be o.k for my 9 yearold dauhter?

andrew
sounds like a great book i can't wait to right

Matt
Doctor who is amzing i'm sure the book is to

Georgina
Sounds like a fantastic book! I've already reserved a copy in my school library!

dk
wow. an interesting storyline. really cool. personaly i love it

John Byatt
I've read the first three books, and they're brilliant. Now I'm looking forward to reading the three new ones.

Manuel Lopez
More 8th doctor books!!!

Jane
I really like the sound of this new book and now i cant wait to get my hands on it!

Thomas Matthew Shaw
The books are fantastic

Damian Jeremiah
More reviews like these please. Its wonderful to hear the new young fans impressions of Doctor Who in print.

Jake Heath
I have got all 3 books and my favorate one is the monsters inside because the Slitheen are in it.

Michael
I have just started reading the book and its fantasic already!!

AJ
Brilliant Book! A creepy beginning where you are told that a cat is chopped up and re-arranged to create a type of frankenstein. I agree that the journal entries slow the story down a bit but it is brill! 4/5

Jon
Genius idea, BBC Books! And thanks for all the reviews, kids. I'm looking forward to it even more now.