The Feast of the Drowned

Review: Stephen Cole's new book.

One of a batch of three new hardback novels from BBC Books, we sent copies of Stephen Cole's Doctor Who: The Feast of the Drowned to the Year 7 Reading Club at Tanfield School in Stanley, County Durham.

Here, some members of the group (Martin, Chris and Callum) give us their thoughts about this new adventure.

What was it about?

The brother of Rose's friend Keisha dies when his ship sinks in mysterious circumstances. His ghost returns to London, and the Doctor, Rose and Mickey have to save him from the 'Feast of the Drowned'. Then ghosts of his shipmates appear to their relatives too.

What were the characters like?

Martin thought that "the Doctor was his usual self, not frightened, even if the ghosts were a tough nut to crack. Anne was a great character but lost her temper at Mickey a lot - nothing different there then!"

On the other hand, Callum wasn't too sure about Anne: "I thought Anne was quite mysterious because she didn't want to talk to anyone near the start of the book. She was also horrible to Mickey."

What were the group's favourite bits?

Callum reckoned that this was "practically the best book I have ever read!" He went on to say that his favourite part was "when Jay came back as a freaky ghost. The Doctor was his stern self and he still loves his chips like Rose."

Chris's favourite part was "the Doctor fighting the ghost", but for Martin, the best bit was earlier on when "the ghosts came back to warn the relatives."

What was the group's least favourite bit?

Martin didn't like the bit where Crayshaw was having a meeting with Anne.

Scores out of 10?

Callum awarded The Feast of the Drowned 9; Martin thought it deserved 9 and a half, and Chris felt that it deserved top marks - 10 out of 10.

With thanks to the pupils of Tanfield School and their Head of English, Sue Walker.

Send us your comment now. We'll publish the best on this page.

B. Havrey
Really, really good! It was a bit confusing but it was really cool! I got really worried when Rose 'drowned'. Brilliant!

willtheman45
really clever,pretty scary but monsters come 2 early in book and i dont wanna know about keisha and mickeys relationship!this is dr who not eastenders!!!

shannon
i think it is apsolutly fantastic even im a big fan of doctor who there should be bilons of doctr who bookes.

Emma
this bk rocked! Rose is my fave character and all the bks r amazing!

erin
i really enjoyed reading this book and quickly became engrossed in reading it. The characters get properly developed and its just alover great! 10/10

Abbie O'D
Loved all of it so much mistory and suspence covers this book, I mean how are you supposed to stop water? thats going to be difficult. I would recommened it to all doctor who fans aged 12+

Justine
this book was amazing and whoo David Tennant he is the best doctor even he is so funny ,enigmatic and emotional.and good looking. this book was full of adventure and life well ghosts but never mind

Becca
This book was fantastic!!!! It was quite chilling and daunting aswell which made the story even better!!! 10/10 for definate!!!!

Ruth
A really great book!Very gripping but also very funny in parts!

Matt
Best book in time and space

bailey & maisie
This book was great. if any one doesn,t like it their clearly mad. we loved every word and think the author should write more doctor who books

Kate
OH MY GOSH!!! This book was far better than any i've ever read...which isn't many but still great book and a big well done to stephen cole for making to so good! :D

Amy McGregor
An excellent book, i would read it again! I love the bit where The Doctor and Vida are in the tug and the Doctor says, " You secretly believe me or you think i'm cute" It so funny

bethany
this book has got to be one of the best books ever never mind 10/10 i give this book 100/100 i loved it

jamie
i thought the book was great and i loved reading every single word of it.Ihope more good books are on the way

niamh
i got it on cd it is fantactic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Queen Victoria
Fantstic, Brilliant, Excellent, Fabulous, First-class, Marvellous, Outstanding, Smashing, Superb, Tremendous, Wonderful. A discription of this book. This is the best on out of all of them! It was great!

AJ
Very good book. Could not stop reading!

Laura
Quite scary but utterly FANTASTIC! The characters were sooooooooo lifelike I could imagine meeting these people in the street! I LOVE THE TENTH DOCTOR!!!!!!!! He's more funny and sarcastic than the 9th, he's great!!

jo
when i first read it i could not put i down i really got into it i have read over 10 TIMES since igot i cant wait for the new 1s. Steven Cole ma best right now. D.W is the best thing on t.v and on books!!!!!

Kat 14
Very good 9/10. Timescale was a bit odd? I thought some parts were a bit cheesy but all together a very good read.

Jack bool
This book was great. In the story I liked it when Jackie punched the taxi driver. That was really funny to me. this book gave me a cold shivvering feeling going up my spine. This book was 'FANTASTIC'!

Belinda Wright
i have to say this book is one of the best i have read this year alone it combines all of the television doctor onto paper with the fact that the imagination is used to its fullest exent as a reader of all sort of fantasy books i think this deserves twenty out of ten

Ann
i'm going to be calm. because if i SHOUT i might get angry. first of all THERE IS NO WAY THAT THIS BOOK EVER DESERVED TO LEAVE THE TWISTED IMAGINATION OF THE WRITER! I COULD WRITE A BETTER BOOK WITH OUT PENCILS, PENS OR ANYTHING ELSE NECCESSARY TO WRITE ATALL! how many times was the word cute said? and why, WHY? did the sister call the ghostly apparition of her brother 'babes'? SHES JUST MET SOMEONE SHE THOUGHT WAS DEAD! SHES SHOCKED, TRAUMATISED, AND SHE SAYS 'BABES'?! its just so STUPID! this won't be published, its bad publicity. but the shows so good, it deserves good books.

clare
i loved every bit of it! the doctor and rose where just like they are on tv. it also helps now that doctor who is off air! My favourite bit was the ending! My favourite line was i'm so happy for Mr and Mrs Moth.

JoJo!
I loved this book and is great for people who are interested in the navy and cotor who. It was just great and kept you guessing till the end!

mmm
The book was brilliant. In one month, I managed to read it atleast 3 times, my mum and dad kept telling me to put the book dowm for atleast a minute. I couldn't! that book was too good!

Stuart
I can't believe what I am reading because me and my mum who have read all the books of Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant agreed that it was about the worst book we had ever read repeat the WORST

Alison
This could have been an episode of the series. Once started - I couldn't put it down! 10/10!

Stephen Wallis
Getting this on audio is well worth it. Not only do you get an excellent reading by David Tennent but the author as well. Great value

Emily
Wow. what an awesome read. couldn't put it down.

megan cumming billie pipers biggest fan
this is one of the most scariest doctor who books when i read doctor who books i feel like i am watching them they are as the doctor says"fantastic"

Ruth
Really great book!They had the Doctor's personality just right.

Emma
I thought the book was brilliant and had brilliant twists and turn you just didnt know what was going to happen next.

CyberScott
Maybe it's because I am used to the Virgin books that I've found all the new series books to be left wanting. They are not bad but I think that the BBC has made a mistake in dumbing down the books for the younger audience. I can understand it but don't agree with it. Perhaps the BBC should look at the possibility of producing junior editions of the books thus allowing the more adult versions ala Virgin to be maintained.

nikki
i think the book is absolutley ace it only took me 1hour to read it i just couldnt put it down i was so excited just find out what was on the next page i could read it over and over again and it still wouldnt bore me!!!

gemma 9
this book was brilliant i have been reading it about 4 times or 5 or 6.

SC
Got the audiobook - read by David Tenant. An above average TV spin off novel.

moll
10/10 best book evr

lauralie
i've read all three and i love them all so much!!!! i think it took 1 day to finish...once i picked it up i couldn't put it down! 100/100 for all 3!!

Patrick Amarant
I thought it was really good 9/10. It was much darker than the thers and aimed more to older readers, unlike those other two tenth doctor books which were aimed at primary school kids.

just me
the feast of the drowned is an amazing book it had a great plot and the ghost things were FREAKY!

Joshua Fox
I give the book 10/10 because I like the way Stephen cole has connected the characters like Keisha,Roses best friend, is Jays brother who is part of the feast at the begining

Liam Banwell
It was immense! Better than Harry Potter! 110%! It was hard to put the book down!

Bethan
Best doctor who book by far 11/10 i loved it i could just imagine those slimy monsters in the Thames.

theo murphy-dunn
exellent! Bravo! Very good! I espcially liked how at the begining where Jay got grabbed by something under the water and they didn't tell you what it is.10/10!

stacey
Best book I've read in a long while, the characters are exactly the same down to a T, I couldnt put it down the second it was bought I started to read it. I even attempted the inpossible task of trying to read in the car! but nothing could stop me anyway awesome read I cant wait for the next batch to come out i'm even doing my english coursework on the book!

Molly Dixson(10)
This book is brilliant!absolutely amazing!11/10.It was so good it felt as if I was in the book.It is my favourite David Tennant book.I love him! The characters of the doctor, mickey, keisha, rose and jackie are brilliant.

Sam Belfitt
I thought this was the best book of the three all though all were good. After I had finished reading it, I had to read it again (and I never read books for a second time)!

Lucy
This book was great 10/10, i liked the bit where they first saw the ghost and the Doctor said he only had enough chips for three! A brill read!

Edmund
Amazing! too short though...finished in about an hour

Xara Nickell
I thought that this book was brill. I really liked the bit where Jay hugged Rose so that she could see the Doctor and mickey

Emily
i liked the bit at the end when the doctor was saying that the chips cost a tenner a portion in the dustijek nebula

Sam B.
I really enjoyed this book! It was interesting learning about Keisha and Mickey's relationship! Brill book!

david
this book's really good, I like the ones set in Rose's time. The Doctor's character was shown well.

Shaun
i though it was an excellent book and probably my favourite David Tennant book so far. i hope there are more books like this coming along soon.

James
I thought it was an OUTSTANDNIG book, a fantastic read and one you can NOT put down. Don't read it before you go to bed, its chilling!

Eoin McAndrew
I absolutely loved the book and it even had a Torchwood reference in it, like the rest of the TV series!

Tom (14)
I thought it was good; as good as any of the episodes on TV! I could just imagine those creepy monsters and their eyes!

Dom
A flawed Gem. Not as good as the stone rose, but still a good read. 7/10

david
fantastic book 10 out of 10

Neil
this book didnt look very exciting from the cover and blurb but i found, to my surprise, the best and certanly the scariest of the three books. it combines horror and humor together and has the best past adventure referances, even a Torchwood one. i give this book 10/10

Peter Hatfield
At last a tenth Doctor book not aimed directy at primary school children. A recommended read.

Pete
I really enjoyed this book - although it was a lot darker than most of the others in the series! It felt a lot more like classic Doctor Who. A cracking read though, if a little dry in places sometimes...

ed
brilliant book!!! 10/10 (finished it in 5 hours!)

Andrew Wyllie
This book was amazing it was gripping, and more importantly a good laugh and the Doctor, Rose, Mickey and Jackie were there usual brilliant selves

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