Customer reviews
Ailsa age 14 wrote:
Following the success of Nicola Morgan’s previous books (my personal favourites are ‘The Passionflower Massacre’ and ‘Mondays are Red’), ‘Deathwatch’ is a thriller set right in the heart of Edinburgh, concerning an ordinary teenage girl, an obsession with insects, and a sinister stalker. Being an Edinburgh schoolgirl myself, I found the character easily relatable, as it would be to many teenage girls across the country. The subtle introduction of the many different possible stalkers that are being considered throughout the book keeps the reader interested and keeps them thinking whilst reading this gripping novel. What particularly fascinates me about this book is the realism of the mistakes that the heroine makes; she displays too much information on easily hacked networking sites, something which many teenagers do and feels irritated and often ignores her parents’ rules about walking home at night, which many teenagers can relate to. This left me and would leave many other young readers wondering whether, in not so exceptional circumstances, they would be susceptible to the same sequence of events that the heroine of this novel experienced, and kept me reading right to the very end, to see how this heroine, who was not so unlike myself, fared in this chillingly psychological novel.
Alison age 14 wrote:
Deathwatch is a very topical and gripping book. It is easy to relate to the main character, Cat, as she is an ordinary girl who lives in Edinburgh. The story puts everyday problems into perspective as Cat faces real dangers and life-threatening situations. The book is very well written, and allows the reader to understand and sympathise with Cat. Along with the thrilling chapters of the book, parts of Deathwatch are full of mystery and suspicion, humour and drama. Deathwatch contains many gripping scenes and cliff-hangers that make it impossible not to turn the page. The novel was very enjoyable to read as it kept the reader guessing till the very last chapter; as all great adventures do.
Jane age 14 wrote:
Deathwatch was a thrilling book that I couldn't put down.
Deathwatch, set in Morningside, Edinburgh, follows the life of Cat, a young and talented athlete, destined for great things; but Cat begins to question what she really wants in life. Whether she wants a life that revolves around her training or to have a normal and simple life. As she begins to re-evaluate her life Cat begins to suspect she has a stalker and this terrifying experience makes her realise what she wants in life.
Having a stalker was always a thing I thought that only happened in films but Nicola Morgan managed to make the stalker and the way they followed Cat realistic and not far fetched. Nicola Morgan also managed to capture and depict the emotions and the way Cat was thinking as she was being stalked in such a way that I somehow empathised and understand how Cat was feeling and this made the book a very gripping story to me and a book that I couldn’t put down.
There are a few characters in the book who you suspect throughout the book could be Cat’s stalker but right until the moment the real Stalker was revealed I could not decide who I thought was the stalker. All the way through the book I found myself on the edge of my seat in anticipation of finding out who the stalker was and when it was revealed it was a great surprise and a great twist in the plot. This is a great book and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Mhairhi wrote:
Deathwatch is based in Edinburgh and it’s about a girl called Cat McPherson who is being stalked. Cat is a very sporty girl and is training to become a professional athlete. She trains nearly everyday in swimming and running and has started fencing also. I liked this book as it was very well written and I couldn’t put it down. Cat is just like every other teenage girl. I can relate to Cat with her teenage problems, etc. In the end everything ends well and everyone ends up happy and safe. Her ex-boyfriend, Danny is also a easy character to understand, with family problems and an average teenage life. His brother is schizophrenic and Danny and his uncle have to help his brother with his illness.
Astrid wrote:
DEATHWATCH is an exciting, interesting novel. As it’s about a teenage girl facing everyday problems, I found it easy to relate to her and understand her. We follow her through school, friend and boy troubles which many of us have all experienced ourselves. The only difference is she’s being stalked. Nicola manages to introduce the possible suspects without giving away the answer, which keeps you reading on. I have read many of Nicola’s other books and I definitely think this is one of her best. Although it would relate to most teenagers I still think it would be enjoyed by a large age group anyway. I really enjoyed it and would seriously recommend it.
Gemma wrote:
‘Deathwatch’ is written by the award winning author, Nicola Morgan. Deathwatch is set in the peaceful city of Edinburgh, where an unsuspecting teenager lives , Cat McPherson. Cat is a sporty and out going person, who knows all about the pressures of competitive competition, who is pursued by a mysterious stranger. I really enjoyed reading this book, it kept me on seat the entire time. This book is a really page turner. I think that teenagers will thoroughly enjoy this novel because they will be able to relate to Cat.
Priya wrote:
Nicola Morgan’s new novel ‘Deathwatch’ takes us through the story of a teenage girl living in Edinburgh who suspects she is being stalked. ‘Deathwatch’ is an amazing read because it is one of few books that manages to keep teenage readers interested right until the last sentence. Nicola Morgan manages to make the main character, Cat, easy to relate to, a job that not a lot of adults could achieve. It teaches teenagers to be thinking about their future, friendship and to not be too generous with details posted on the internet. I am sure anyone who reads ‘Deathwatch’ will agree that it is a real page turner.
Zoe wrote:
I read Deathwatch in only one day as I found it so exciting. It’s all about the average girl with an average life, who suddenly finds out she is being stalked for no reason that is her fault. The story is totally gripping and impossible to put down. Nicola’s way of telling the story makes it irresistible yet easy to understand and relate to. The book is set in Edinburgh, which makes the main character, Cat, easier to empathise with her as she is my own age. In my belief, this book is one of Nicola’s best and I’m sure you will love it! My favourite part of the book is the end, when all is revealed, but I’m not going to give it away as it’s so good! Deathwatch is a real page turner and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it!
Nicola’s way of telling the story makes it irresistible yet easy to understand.
The story is totally gripping and impossible to put down.
Anon wrote:
This is another excellent novel by Nicola Morgan. She manages to capture the emotions and character of Cat, a teenage girl who has a very good life; middle-class, a nice house and loving parents. She does well in school and excels in sport. The characters are well introduced and their personalities are individual and defined. Each has a connection to bugs which is the main theme of the book.
The events that take place add to the suspense and an exciting end, in which Cat has to run for her life.
I very much enjoyed reading this well-written novel and I would recommend it to all teenagers.
Emily wrote:
I found ‘DeathWatch’ an extremely exciting and unique novel. I have read several other of Nicola Morgan’s books and my high expectations were not disappointed. I really enjoyed ‘DeathWatch’ as a novel, especially the central character. There are very few books about teenagers that I have enjoyed as they are a hard writing style to capture but Nicola has managed it exceptionally well. This book managed to both capture my interest and keep it and I hope Nicola continues producing great books.
Caitlin wrote:
Deathwatch is an amazing book about an ordinary teenager in Edinburgh apart from the fact she is being stalked. Cat McPherson is a character that all teenagers can relate to and the problems she faces, other than the stalker, are problems that many teenage girls can relate too. The book also raises the important issue of how much information should be given on internet sites. The book is exciting and well written. The stalker aspect in the book makes it thrilling and means that you end up reading Deathwatch constantly until you have finished it. I would happily recommend it to anyone.
Alana wrote:
“Deathwatch ” has all the ingredients of a perfect teen thriller. Cat is an up and coming athlete and everyone thinks she has it all; big house, well off parents, great friends, popularity and a budding career ahead of her – what could possibly go wrong? Well, apparently a lot! Cat has Fizz, an internet site, which for teenagers is the forbidden fruit because most parents disapprove of it. One day, when she’s on, she starts getting “followed” by a stranger with an image of a spider as his display picture. This for Cat is horrendous; she has a fear of all insects. When the boy won’t leave her Fizz friends list, she expects it to be her ex-boyfriend Danny trying to creep her out, but she couldn’t be more wrong….
Soon she realises there is an unusual face at her training sessions . Could it be a talent scout, the coach of a rival club or her stalker?
Deathwatch will keep you hooked from start to finish to find out who, from the many suspects, the stalker is.
Kerry wrote:
Deathwatch is an amazing story that made me want to keep on turning the pages