OSSMAORATORS

The Final Year
I found the book ideal for KS2 readers. In terms of engagement, the allusions to Skellig were brilliant. The way that the text was written gave the book an authenticity that was refreshing.

Julie

Little Bang
I absolutely loved Little Bang. It’s one of those books that doesn’t just tell a story, it starts a conversation. The way it explores women’s rights over their own bodies whilst aiming the book at young people, is both powerful and necessary, making it a brilliant book for sparking discussions in both Ethics and PSHE. Reading it took me back to my own teenage years, reminding me of the book that first broke down my barriers to reading, though frustratingly, I still can’t recall its name! Little Bang reconnected me with that teenage version of myself, the whispered conversations with friends, and the unspoken worries that came with growing up. But beyond nostalgia, it also highlights the harsh realities of teenage pregnancy in a way that feels raw and real. This is exactly the kind of book I want on the shelves.

Maddox

The Final Year
I found Nate's story in the last year to be very emotional. I related to Nate when his best friend left him and he felt alone and left behind as I have experienced that a lot in my life. I felt a personal level of connection to Nate in his fight against the Beast and his lonliness in school and the feeling of being lost in his situation. This level of connection I felt with Nate made the book seem more real as I worried for Nate and his family. Nate's little brother Dylan was one of my favorite characters as his sweet innocence at the begining of being a young boy with no real idea of what's going on around him, playing and having fun without a care in the world reminded me of my childhood before my nan was diagnosed with Cancer. Joyfull, carefree and young. This made his hospitalisation hit hard for me. Thank you for reading my review of The last year, in conclusion I loved it.

Abi

The Final Year
Personally, I thought this book was really well written, especially since I love books that are written in the stanza format. The main character I thought was really dynamic because despite being calm on the surface, he struggles with his 'Beast', on top of all the struggles that come with exams at the end of year six, as well as friendships and family life. Mr Joshua reminded me of my primary school teacher when I was in primary school, and Dylan was so wholesome.

Josie

The Things We Leave Behind
The things we leave behind is very confusing and it has lots of written perspectives the main themes of this book were: Family bonds and Loss and memory. I really would recommend this book if you love books that go back to places. The book was a little bit confusing but really good I was shocked when I read the plot twist and the siblings sound like they have a good bond. I felt like i was in the book myself and i could never put the book down.

Rose

The Things We Leave Behind
This book was written in lots of perspectives and not in traditional linear narrative, this did make it slightly confusing, but its theme was very good with a great tone set from the first page. We understand the great relationship between Billie and Clem evident from the get go. Reminisce from the past also pops up through the book making it very heartfelt, however this is contrasted with extreme authoritarian views which underlies the book. Clare Furniss obviously has great ideas and is plentiful of storylines but I believe the book could be slightly more concise focusing on just Clem. Overall a good book, however I would say it's a challenging read. 7/10.

Warren

The Things We Leave Behind
The Things We Leave Behind by Clare Furniss is a very confusing novel as you cant follow the story, it stars with one thing like a party then goes to a swimming pool. The story isn't very gripping as was said before its very hard to follow. I believe that the writer had a busy mindset and didn't have a set plotline of what they were going to do with the story. We have said that we are very unlikely to read the book again. Overall it wasn't really interesting however if it was more clear on what the writer was intending then i would enjoy it more but it was really confusing.

Briana

The Final Year
I quite enjoyed this book, mainly due to the stanza format, as I have a passionate love for poetry. the story was really relatable according to the other members in my group, however I felt as though it was really wholesome, rather than relatable (just my personal experiences). I felt it was a little slow burning, but regardless it is a really nice, and easy read.

Layla

Little Bang
i think the book was an interesting read and very enjoyable . i loved how emotional the book was

evie

King of Nothing
it was an ok book but I had trouble getting into the book as the flow of the writing kept getting disrupted by the slang language references and short chapters

william

The Things We Leave Behind
the things we leave behind by Clare Furniss is a very confusing novel as it takes you through a journey that doesn't really have an ending and for me the story is not a very gripping one as you cant really follow the story. In my opinion the scene with the homeless girl and the café sticks in my head the most as it is one of the most emotional parts and is a very memorable part of the story. My thoughts of the author is that she has a very busy mindset and didn't have a clear idea on where the story was going and i wouldn't read another book by this author

Noah

Glasgow Boys
through out the time that i read the Glasgow boys i found that i could not catch on to the plotline of this story, i personally did not enjoy the fact that this book has to be read with a bit of an accent ,however i found the power of identity striking and i enjoyed the humour of the characters and liked how relatable the characters are.

eva

Glasgow Boys
during the time I read Glasgow boys I enjoyed the book as the style matched the perspective of what the them and time period the use of mixed classes in the boys form one of a foster background and one from a lower class point of view. the book explores the point of view through Finlay and banjo the point of identity of the world around them.

holly

Little Bang
It was okay, but not my favorite book. The story was kind of interesting, but I feel like it could have been better. I just didn’t connect with it as much as I hoped. It wasn’t bad, just not really my thing!

LEWIS

King of Nothing
The book was okay, I found the story slow and I found it difficult to get into and the story in the beginning wasn't as gripping, but it gets better throughout the book. I liked the language used as it connects with younger audiences

Tiegan

The Final Year
The plot and storyline of the book was not only relatable, but emotionally arousing and intriguing. The anticipatory flow of the plot also made the book more interesting and grabbed my attention as a reader too. The story and development of Dylan kept me on my toes, as well as waiting for the 'Beast' to arise in Dylan. Overall, Goodfellow truly captured the attention and sympathy of the reader and if I had the choice, I would read another novel that he has written.

Nicole

Little Bang
It was a very mature book to read as it is about sensitive topics such as abortion, I liked how it went into detail about certain things and openly talked about sex and things like that.

Eva

Little Bang
i found the book interesting because having a baby at 16 is a bit young but happens a lot especially in schools. I also found the book enjoyable because it talks about the aspects of growth and development of life.

Delia

The Final Year
I liked this book as it was an easy read and easy to follow along with. However I think this book would be more suitable for a primary school setting.

lilly-paige

All That It Ever Meant
A breathtaking story tackling grief and culture with a family with a variety of ages. Although this book is not my normal read I did enjoy the ideas it tried to display with its rich storytelling and unique characters. I would highly recommend others to give this a go in order to learn from such an author's pieces.

Lylah

Little Bang
I think that the book was an exciting read which intrigued me to read more and more. I liked how it shows Mel's emotional growth and development throughout the book and how she matured as the book went on.

daisie

All That It Ever Meant
I personally did not like this book. It took about the fight between Chichi and her father constantly and I know it was one of the major points of the book but it bored me to the point I did not finish it. The writing style was also a bit off for me. There was short chapters which made it easier for finishing on them and not reading one chapter for ages but they were so short to the point there was lots of chapters and it felt tiring constantly starting new ones and trying to finish the book.

Layla

Glasgow Boys
Personally, I don't believe that this was a good book. I struggled to understand the plot and I didn't find it engaging.

Faith

Little Bang
I really like this book, already I think that there is no other book that can top this one. I really enjoyed the part when the moment of realisation kicks in and Sid and Mel realised that she was pregnant when she was vomiting in the toilets.

Dylan