HAEC Books and Biscuits Carnegie Shadowers

The Things We Leave Behind
The Things We Leave Behind by Clare Furniss is a powerful and emotional story about two sisters, Clem and Billie, who have to escape their home because their country is falling apart. The book shows how hard it is to be brave when everything around you is scary and uncertain. Clem’s feelings and struggles are described in a way that feels very real, and the relationship between the sisters is very touching. The story makes you think about important issues like family, safety, and standing up against unfairness. Although some parts are slow, the book is meaningful and easy to connect with. I would recommend it to anyone who likes stories about courage and hope.

Kassidee

Play
Play was an OK book. It revolves around 4 boys as they go through secondary school. The book tackled important issues like toxic masculinity, drug dealing and homophobia but was very bleak and is definitely for older readers. The chapters were written from different perspectives and really aided the good character development. The book had brilliant symbolism throughout it, with the idea that the boys are always playing some sort of "games." Time moved too quickly throughout the book and the ending was fairly disappointing. Overall, the book itself was good but due to my personal tastes and opinions, I didn't like it.

Emily

The Things We Leave Behind
The Things We Leave Behind is a brilliant dystopian book that is set in a modern-day England, ruled by an authoritarian government. The book has a gradual build up, so it's easy to understand the setting. The book is written in a unique way with changes between the life of Clem now, flashbacks to the past and an accompanying fairy-tale. This can be occasionally hard to distinguish between, but really aids the story. The chapters are quite long, but all begin with definitions that add perspective and make you think. The characters are well-rounded with amazing development and an accurate description of dementia. The ending was done brilliantly and better than similar books I have read. I definitely recommend this book!

Emily