Historical adventure with a difference.
Caleb, a mixed race boy, is left all alone when his father is convicted of theft and sent to the Colonies. He learns to survive in a world where slavery is rife by going to live with his estranged aunt. After he discovers a body on a nearby beach, he finds himself and his family are in mortal danger.
Who in this godforsaken place will help him?
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This book is very good because it is mysterious and it is also very horrific. I'm enjoying this book because I love mysterious and horrific books. Also this book is very engaging.IT IS A PAGE TURNER!
ReplyDelete(Lewis Germain King Harold Academy)
it wasn't too much of a page turner for me but it is mysterious
Deletei'd give it a 3+1/2 star rating not my favourite book but it good
Deleteaimee gbhs
Thanks for the review! It has made me enjoy this book so much and I hope you have a lovely Christmas!
DeleteHell and high water is a fascinating book with lots of adventure and excitement. The way the author created suspense in the book made you want to read on. Its a real page turner and I would recommend it to fans of mystery stories.
ReplyDeleteSo true. This book is really intriguing!
DeleteI'm not really enjoying this book because its not the type of book I would read and its a bit hard to understand
ReplyDeleteMegan GBHS
I don't really like Hell and high water because it is very difficult to understand at the start but I really mystery books so that makes me want to keep reading.
ReplyDeleteEvie GBHS
Hell and High Water is probably the best book I've read, considering the fact that I have never read the genre before. The author is very good at creating mystery, suspense, and rude humor. I can't wait to finish it!!!!
ReplyDeleteThrough Hell and High Water is ahistorical thriller, Caleb the main character is different from everyone else and you can feel the characters feelings through the thoughts contained in the book.
ReplyDeleteThe mystery that embroils all of the characters is a bit tame while the way some characters act is oddly inhuman. This does help us feel like the Caleb by distancing us from the land owners and priest. The relationship with his aunt felt forced while his kidnap seemed slightly bizarre.
The puppets brought the sense that the local inhabitants were under the strings of the nobility. The story line worked extremely well but some of the expression did not. A lot of the narrative produced perfect images some of which would never have happened anyway. The way situations just worked out perfectly limited fear for the characters.
The book did contain fictional places, this made me feel cheated when the Authors note at the end said the story was based about Devon, this brings me to presume Torchester was actually Exeter as the Cathedral, in the book is this is most likely the closest city. The book contained several shocking moments, these changes suddenly turn the whole story around, especially with Caleb’s background.
At the end of the story the end became obvious, though the cliff-hanger was worrying we do not get the pleasing good triumph over evil, the story felt like it overall had all of the ingredients such as; chase scene, controversy, mystery, fun, cliff-hanger, but these did not feel mixed in the right way to make the story run.
Altogether this was still a great read and I look forward to reading more of Landman’s work in the future.
Matthew W. KEGS
7/10
I read Hell and High Water and I would rate it 9/10 because it was really good and exciting. It was, however, a bit slow at times but I think the fact the storyline was so intriguing and easy to read, made up for this. I would recommend it.
ReplyDeleteEve W
Sweyne Park
Although this book has a slow start it has a great adventure story hidden within. It has a strong sense of context and is gripping to the end. 7/10
ReplyDeleteEmma Year 8 Hockerill Anglo-European College
I liked this book, but it took a while to get into. When I finally got into it I enjoyed it - so that is why I only rated it a 6. 6/10
ReplyDeleteOlivia Year 7 - Hockerill Anglo-European College
Hell and High Water is a thrilling page turner, that keeps you reading. It is about a young boy who has to uncover the truth about his lost father, supposedly sunken ships and the mysterious magistrate. I loved the ending, because it was a surprise and kept you reading until the very end. I loved how it was all strung together and nothing was left unexplained.
ReplyDeleteSophie TTC 10/10
Wonderful book. At first I didn't want to read this because the front cover is very dull and dark, but throughout the story I grew to love it. Great storyline. 10/10
ReplyDeleteNick Year 8 - Hockerill Anglo-European College
Hell and High Water was a beautifully written historical novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. The historical relations throughout this story continuously surprised me and I was shocked at the momentous ending that definitely made this book a lot more memorable for me.
ReplyDeleteThe obvious diversity between the characters was brilliant and made this story come to life mentally. Caleb had always worked for his father and when something happens to him, Caleb's father, he is sent to live with his aunt. I really enjoyed experiencing Caleb's development throughout the novel as he learns new things and meets a variety of people. Some friendly and others devious and cruel. However, throughout this book Caleb overcomes his fears and faces not what is easy, but what is right.
The fascinating historical settings all added to the mystical sense that is received through the story; in particular the chapters near the end of the book.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and found the plot riveting and exciting. I would rate this book 10/10 and it is hands down one of the best books I have ever read.
Molly, Year 8, The Sweyne Park School
I didn't think this book would be very good but once you get a couple of pages in, it will keep drawing you back in and you won't put it down.
ReplyDeleteAlysia GBHS
This truly was a gripping book, and the suspense kept me on the edge of my seat, saying "Just a page more to myself" until I finally slumped in exhaustion. This book really brings to light how racism ran rampant in Caleb's time, and how hard it was for a non-white person, and indeed a female, to rise in the social hierarchy and overcome the challenges of life. I also liked the fact that Tanya Landman used Thomas Benson as the antagonist's henchman, as it references the great scandal that he pulled which involved shipping goods.
ReplyDeleteLewis, Y7, KEGS
I found the book "Hell and High Water" a very gripping tale and it didn't take very long for me to finish it as I couldn't put it down. It made me think about how hard it may have been for Caleb, with his father dead and with everyone treating him so differently just because of his skin colour. I admire the the fact that Caleb kept going all through those tough times and I wish I could do that too. I would rate this book 9/10 and would recommend it to everyone.
ReplyDeleteSofia Barker CCHS
This book was about a confused boy named Caleb who set out on an adventure to try and stay/save his father and its an amazingly intriguing book!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite character was Caleb, because he has a strong and honest heart which nobody else has. The characters definitely felt real to me and they were as if i was there too and i could smell, hear,see,feel and taste all of my surroundings.
I could smell the bitter air. I could almost always hear the birds chirping or animals/nature making a noise. I could see the distraught look on Caleb's face. I could taste the salty taste that you get when you have a cold because the weather there was always terrible. I could feel the highs and lows of Caleb's adventure.
The story definitely kept me guessing. My favorite part of the book was when Caleb met his auntie, i don't know why but it made me feel like he had someone, but that soon changed as i read on! I think the sad scenes were written particularly well. The book actually made me cry but it didn't make me cry in a bad way at all! The story gripped me and kept me turning the pages.
All in all, i think that it was a truly amazing book! I would happily give this book a 10/10.
Isabel Curle. TTC Thorpe Campus.
My rating of this book would be 10/10 it was definitely different to all the other books in the Essex Book Awards. My favourite character is Caleb because he is very determined to find out why his Pa died. My favourite part of the book is the theatre part where he mistakes his name 1...2...3 and then he gets it right on the 4th go.
ReplyDeleteJodie.A Boswells School
In my opinion, I enjoyed this book - especially during the second part when the suspension of Caleb's father's fate! It was incredulous when Caleb was exiled, had to live with his auntie due to being an orphan and coping with survival. I also am impressed about the fact that Tanya Landman used a character position from Boy X and River of Ink: Genesis - a male protagonist and a female deuteragonist. I give this 10/10 and I wonder if ALL the books have that same trait!
ReplyDeleteFaraz Gul, KEGS
I absolutely loved this book good job Tanya Landman! Your book hooked me and it didn't let go. I love the action packed story and the characters deep backstory and their development as time went on. I would recommend this for people 12 and over and I rate it 8 out of 10
ReplyDeleteby Erosan at TTC
this book is my 5th Essex book awards book and I am really enjoying it I hope that anyone else reading this book likes it to
ReplyDeletebryher ttc yrs 7
This book was a real thriller for me. I enjoyed all the little white lies along the way and what people made of them. The mysterious way the author told the story was intriguing and exciting. My favorite character was Caleb because he played a huge part in uncovering the truth about his father, who his family truly were and who was telling him lies. He took on a lot of challenges and faced every dilemma he came across. AS this is my 2nd Essex Book Awards book I think this is the best so far and I really hope the others are as amazing as this one. I rate this book 9/10, as it's genius story-telling has made it a passionate, adventurous story. Well done to all the team that made this enjoyable book.Thank You!
ReplyDeleteAnna White
Boswells
Hell and High Water
ReplyDeleteHell and High Water was a great book for me to read. This was a fairly old story, not one about modern day. I can tell this because it had puppets in the street and old docks with people living near the docks. Lots of old taverns and slang language was mentioned as well. To be honest, the book was a bit boring at times as it dragged on, but when it got to the parts about Caleb’s father; ooh they were exciting!
This book was all about finding out the truth. It got you thinking how in modern day, this would be a serious crime and the criminal would be found out pretty quickly from all the technology.
My favourite character was Caleb because he played a key part to finding the truth. Although he was a bit slow at taking the bait at points, he was very intelligent and processed the problems very well. He followed his nose, which led him to a terrible accident at sea, but also made him find a new piece to the puzzle. He sacrificed a lot of opportunities for business to find the truth about a deceased father. From this book, you could tell that Caleb was very close to his father, even when his father died. You could say that the bond became stronger when Caleb found out the truth because it meant he cared a lot about how his father died and who he was.
My favourite scene was when the body washed up on the beach. All of a sudden, a lot of mysteries could become a story and lots of questions could be asked. The body was described in detail, some of which you needed to remember to understand the rest of the story.
One of the things I would change is that Caleb could have been a bit better at fitting in with his distant family. It seems like he was attempting not to fit in rather than the opposite!
Anna White
Boswells
Yr 7
Hell and High Water is an enthralling book.
ReplyDeleteIt began with us learning about the relationship between Caleb and his Pa. This had the potential to become boring and irrelevant but I think Landman was able to keep it just the perfect length for it to remain engaging and she very vividly built up the relationship between the two characters so it was easy as the reader to imagine such a father and son duo existing.
After Pa gets sent to prison, we get taken on an actually rather interesting description of Caleb's journey to find his aunt. It is understandable that some may consider this part rather tedious, and to a certain extent it did seem slightly pointless in regards to both the plot and developing Caleb's character, although I for one found it amusing if anything.
In my opinion, the character dynamics between Anne, Letty and Caleb were not as well portrayed to us as Caleb and his Pa's relationship was as the characters' actions seemed slightly forced but I certainly don't think that it was overall disappointing. I found the scenes slightly awkward reading them through for the first time, but in hindsight, we can understand each of the character's motive and we are able to see how their actions fit in place with their mindset at the time. This made the latter part of the book more interesting and fulfilling.
As we finish the exposition and go into the middle of the book, we start seeing the elements of mystery and thriller shine through. The book encaptures both, having a solid plot which never becomes bland. There are times when it runs into the realm of being cliché, such as the romance between Letty and Caleb, and the infiltration of Sir Robert's home. There were also parts which struck me as being unrealistic such as Caleb being rescued, the survival during the storm and enslaved workers (why would the rich gentleman not find it more feasible to simply hire his own men to, much more effectively build the quay?). Overall, despite these facts, I was kept engaged and never felt as if the book was running out of steam.
The ending ended on a high note in terms of tension. There was very little time for the resolving of all the key issues, they all happened in a short space of time resulting in it feeling rushed. In terms of the actual quality of the ending, I thought it was fine. I expected it to happen but that isn't necessarily a bad thing, instead I thought it was a comfortable finish to an overall delightful book.
One point I do however feel the need to bring up, is with regards to this book history. Having read many of the other comments on this blog, I see that lots of people share the same sentiment as me that the historical and factual inaccuracies bothered them. However it seems that some were hugely offended by this. While I would have preferred it if Landman had been more technically accurate, I do accept that this is a work of fiction and in all honesty, this fact did not significantly lessen my enjoyment of the novel.
Jeshua, KEGS
Hell And High Water was my favourite book in the EBA series (Essex Book Awards)! It was thrilling, imaginative and mysterious… There are many words you could use to describe this novel but I would choose to use AWSOMELY AMAZING (two words)… The start was very engaging, it caught a hold of you and urged you to read on. The relationship with Pa and Caleb was dragged out quite a bit but I think the author realised that, hence the drama with Pa’s body, missing ring and the plot against the landlord. I’ve never read much of the fictional historical genre but to me this book was a game changer. The description and vocabulary was almost perfect to my liking and I just generally love the book.
ReplyDeleteI would rate this 10/10
Aidan_Boswells
Hell and High water had a complicated and mysterious plot. Each part brought new suspense and tension and a different clue which brings you one step closer to solving the mystery. An unexpected twist in the plot is the sudden romance between Caleb and Letty. Overall I thought this was a clever and well-written book. I would recommend this to anyone! 8/10
ReplyDeleteFrances.H Boswells
Wow. I am still completely and utterly in awe of this incredible book. It kept me gripped from the first chapter, with it's great and thrilling mysteriousness. I was lost in this historical drama, engaging me more by the second. You could clearly see how close Pa and Caleb was, it truly captured the meaning of family and how people have to work for survival. Later on a body is found and Caleb is convinced it is that of Pa's. The author brilliantly showed how hard the loss of a loved one is - especially when there is a whole village thinking you're a complete outsider! The relationship between Letty and Caleb, was by far my favourite, as they complimented eachother's personality's perfectly. i rate this a 10/10!
ReplyDeleteMaisie, Sweyne Park
This is a brilliant book. I loved all the descriptions, and the way the author painted a picture inside my head was incredible.
ReplyDeleteI must admit that when I started this book, it was a little boring. However, when Pa was convicted of stealing (wrongly) the plot started to unravel superbly, revealing secret after secret to the reader. My favourite scene was when Letty and Caleb were in the Bishops palace, and they discovered the truth about the parson. However, the bit at the end where the rent collector was hanged was also very powerful. 10/10, a superb book
Sam P, KEGS
Hell and High Water for me was a really interesting book with history and drama mixed into it. At first it was a bit dull but when I continued to read it, the plot expanded into an entirely different story filled with Caleb feeling completely helpless but nevertheless he persevered and achieved justice. This book is filled with emotion which makes it so interesting. I normally read action books so reading mysteries is a new concept to me but this was a great introduction to the mystery books! I also love the huge plot twist during the book. It really took me by surprise! I must say, I would recommend this book to teenagers but no-one below the age of 13 due to the language used. I rate it 8/10.
ReplyDeleteEashwar B King Edwards VI Grammar School
I enjoyed this book a lot, I found it has an intriguing story with many twists. Everything was against Caleb even the way he was born. Yet Caleb's resilience and continuous faith in his father was amazing and emotional. This book was great and I;m glad you show the oppression to add to the book. Not just oppression between the races but also between the classes. I would give this book 8/10 it is mysterious, intriguing and has an amazing plot.
ReplyDeleteAston Vine MHS
Hell and High water is was an amazing book and included my favourite genre of mystery! All the mystery in the story compelled me to read on as Caleb uncovers the lies to find the truth that has been hidden from him all his life, the twists and turns and plot twists within Caleb's journey to find out the whole truth even kept me thinking after I put the book down of: "Who could've done that" and "Are they even telling the truth?" (not to give anything away). The emotion within the story really struck me and stuck with me because of the heartbreaking sadness and confusion that Caleb faced and had to deal with alone for the first time with all the harsh and bitter comments spat at him, and that one moment on the beach...
ReplyDeleteBecause of the grabbing and amazingly well thought out plot of an incredible mystery I rate this book 8/10 and before I read this I thought it would be one of my least favourites... I very was wrong
Sam.Love The Sweyne Park School
Hell and High Water was an excellent book. At I thought that this book won't be for me as the mystery genre isn't my favorite but after a few pages I was totally into it. I was so cough up in the story i lost track of time. At every page there was turn that made you want to read more. I would rate this book a 8/10 because it was very well written.
ReplyDeleteAleksandra, Davenant Foundation School
Hell and High water is pretty good. Although it is set in the past, I can see how it relate to this year. I would rate it a 7/10
ReplyDeleteAkshay A KEGS
I loved every minute of it!! When Caleb got kidnapped I really wanted to know what happened!! I was worried that Letty's father was bad even though he had been a really good person all along!! I was so sad when Letty's father died and wanted to just change it all!!! I just loved the plot of the whole book in general, the fact that Sir Robert was a bad person and that he took off Caleb's father's finger to make sure identification was impossible!! I rate this amazing book a 10/10 GBHS
ReplyDeleteThis was not my favourite book overall. The actual storyline was great but the structure ruined this book.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to give it a 3/10. This is just my opinion but this book was not enjoyable.
Matthew Year 8 - Hockerill Anglo-European College
I loved this thrilling and adventures book ;I thought it was very compelling but sad. I would say that it was a very well written storyline , with Caleb finding that his dad was in Prison and then to live with his Auntie ( which he soon found out was his mother!). By using his Dad's old puppets , he manages to survive and find out what happened to his father - who could he trust ?
ReplyDeleteI loved this book and what give it 10 out of 10
Kate DFS y8
This could possibly be my favourite out of all the Essex Book Award Books, partly because of the fast paced and thrilling storyline and partly because of the amazing description that made you able to visualise the scene very easily. The twists and turns just made it that bit more captivating for me, such as the sudden turn in Caleb and Letty's relationship; the rapid twist to Caleb's pa; and how the whole plot's mood changed without warning. They made the book so intriguing that I was sad when it ended as I just wanted to carry on with Caleb's story.
ReplyDeleteIt was a fantastic book and for that reason, I am going to rate it a 9/10 just because it didn't end on the happy note I expected, with Benson being hanged, but apart from that, it was amazing!
Olivia, Year 8, DFS
My first thought of the book was that it was a massive adventure. But the gist of the storyline was well written. the unforgiving area where the body was found was unexspected.
ReplyDeleteFrancesca ttc
hell and high water was a good book it always kept you guessing and it made you think about who was behind everything amd it was thrilling. I really enjoyed this book as it was fun to read, I couldn't put it down.
ReplyDeleteI rate it 8/10
Willow
I have just finished this book and would probably rate it a 8/10. I have hardly ever read this grenre before so I thought this book was quite good start. It took a while for me to get into the book, but once I did, I really enjoyed it! When they start discovering little details about his fathers death, it was really interesting and finally started to become a page turner. I would recommend this book to people that don't really read this genre, so that they have a good start. The other thing was that I thought the end was a bit abrupt...
ReplyDeletePLEASE WRITE A SEQUEL!!!
Daisy GBHS
I really didn't like Hell and high water. I gave it a zero because i didn't like all the swearing the hanging the killing and it wasn't a real page turner.
ReplyDeleteKarin Ellwood boswells academy trust school
I loved Hell and highwater.At first i didn't really like it, but then i was gripped when calebs pa was arredted for theft.from there i was gripped..
ReplyDeleteMia C Sweyne Park School
I liked hell and high water. it was very gripping. 10/10
ReplyDeleteRosie TTC
Hell and High Water was a very interesting book - a sort of historical detective/mystery/action book. The historical setting worked very well, though I would have liked the book to explore the corrupt Parliament theme that was mentioned a little more. The plot twists shocked me, however I felt they were a little repetitive. The characters were brilliant and I really felt sympathy for Caleb. The ending was chilling if a little disappointing - I thought that there would be a global scheme that Caleb would uncover. Despite this, Hell and High Water was a really emotional rollercoaster of a novel.
ReplyDeleteRating: 7/10
Oliver C, KEGS
Reading this book was extra ordinary. It was different but in a good way. It was set in the eighteenth century. A boy called Caleb lives with his poor, single parent who is a puppeteer. His father runs a small puppet show, to earn just enough money to live. Soon his father is accused of robbery, just because he is poor and needs some money. This book is full of adventure, mystery and inspiring characters.
ReplyDeleteSarah
Brentwood Ursuline
OK so I've only just started this book and at first I thought that the start was a teensy bit boring. BUT THEN I realised that that part was quite important. I have just got to the part where they are going to un dig the grave. That is going to be quite interesting but also sad because I think it will be Caleb's Pa. Rate so far:6/10
ReplyDeleteAbi Quaye, Year 8
MOulsham High School
I really like hell and high water so far yet I haven't finished it yet I am about 3/4 of the way through. however so far it has been amazing! it isn't something that I would typically read because I have always thought of these types of books to be boring and too slow yet this book isn't! I love how Caleb is of another race and that along with the main plot he also has the sub plot of dealing with that in that time period. the detail is great and the fact that Caleb likes to sew and Letty is the strong character is something I really like as it isn't stereotypical and is another kind of sub plot in the story. I would rate this book 7.5/10 in total.
ReplyDeleteLucy, Moulsham high school.
This book is a bonafide 10/10. From the very beginning I was spellbind by the twisting story-plot and cliff hangers. My favourite part was when Caleb's father was arrested for theft; from then on the story interested me even more, I didn't even know that was possible! Come hell or high water, awesome book reference there, I would absolutely read it again, if I hadn't already done that five times!
ReplyDeleteSierra Kargbo Chelmsford County High School for Girls.
I would recommend this book to 12+ because in some stages it can be deep and intense. It took a long time to get into this book because it was very detailed, but once I passed part 1 I couldn’t put it down!
ReplyDeleteThere was a very interesting plot in this story. Caleb (the main character) found his dad washed up on the shore dead! Him and letty go on the hunt to find out why his dad died and to persuade the bishop to believe that it is his dad who washed up on the shore. The plot of this story left me guessing, every chapter was getting better and I wanted it to carry on.
My favourite character was Letty (Caleb’s cousin) she helps him through his hard times and is excellent at punch and Judy shows. My favourite part is where letty and Caleb got married it warmed up the atmosphere and was like a fairy tale ending. I also liked the part where letty and Caleb found out they were stepbrother and sister. I didn’t like the part when letty and Caleb found out both of their fathers were dead.
I would rate this four stars out of five because it waseventful and never boring.
Mia.Toombs, GBHS
Hell and high water is a thrilling novel by Tanya Landman and is one of the best books in this year’s EBA. The story is an excellent book full of pages that you just won’t want to stop turning. I would recommend hell and high water for children about 11 upwards and I for sure would read the book again.
ReplyDeleteThe plot of the story is very simple; a boy called Caleb lives with his dad in a typical seaside town. Every morning it smells of fish and all the other food the market has to offer for the day. Caleb’s dad is a puppeteer and does Punch and Judy shows for everyone who lives there. Then one day Caleb’s father is wrongly accused of stealing money and the punishment is death. And that’s where Caleb’s journey begins. To get his father justice.
By Tom Wilkinson, GBHS
Hell and High water by ‘’ Tanya Landman,’’ is an interesting book with a lot of intense moments.
ReplyDeleteThe story is about a dad and his son that are the owners of a
Punch and Judy stand and that is the only way for them to make money.
WB GBHS
Hell and high water is a very intriguing book and at the start, it was quite mysterious and different and in the middle, it was sad and made me happy all at the same time! And at the end it was a great book and I wanted to do nothing more than to crawl into the book and hug Caleb. I would give this book a 9/10.
ReplyDeleteIsabel Curle. TTC Thorpe campus!