Phil B

I've never enjoyed a war film till I saw this. It's adrenaline fuelled, but immensely moving at the same time. You are on the edge of your seat, partly because of the great acting, but also as it is based on real life, you really don't know which of our heroes will survive. They were insanely brave. Looks great, great music. Best thing I've seen all year. Even better than Inside Man. And that's saying something.

The 'plot' is flat and you know where it's going from the get go. One of those 'inspiring,' 'be nice' stories with loads of everyday detail and flat conversations but no plot at all. I'd say it's written for adults to give to kids, or to study in school for its 'talking point' values. There is loads of yp fiction with an additional needs perspective which have an actual story, where the kid uses their 'super power' to do something, and where the child's 'issues' come out through the story, and are not so centre stage, do-goody. A lot of this is seen through the eyes of 'normal society' and we need more of the child's perspective. Not sure what experience the author has of kids with difficulties. She mentions a kid she saw at an ice cream stand in her acknowledgements, and that's about as deep as it goes.