Augustine’s Carnegie Challenge
King of Nothing
“King of Nothing “ by Nathanael Lessore is a book that I was unsure about enjoying when I read the back, but I can say that I did like in the end. It focuses mainly on the power of friendship and talks a little bit about GCSE options and is about the life of Anton who has a high status at his school and likes to get into mischief and mess around in his friend group. He is then forced to go to ‘Happy Campers’ and meets a boy, Matthew, who doesn’t seem like the kind of person Anton would want to be friends with. Everything changes when Matthew saves his life during a camping trip, and he slowly starts to like ‘Happy Campers’ and becomes friends with Matthew. I like how Anton realises that the way his friends treat people at school is wrong after hearing Joshua’s talk about equality. He also realises that being a good friend is better than having a reputation at school. I am happy that Anton’s mum and grandma were able to guide him to the right path and, I think that Matthew was always patient and caring and didn’t give up on being Anton’s friend. I did find that sometimes some parts of the book were slow. Overall, I found the book interesting, and I rate it 3.5/5.
Hannah
Glasgow Boys
“Glasgow Boys” by Margaret McDonald is full of hope and was an enjoyable read for me. It is written with two perspectives – Banjo and Finlay. I honestly thought that the book was about the love story between the boys, but I later realised it was a platonic love. Banjo tries to settle into his new foster home, and I admire him for trying to control his anger and violence, which was a result of his trauma. I think the girl Banjo falls in love with – Alena – really helps him with this by being very understanding and this shows that they have a loving bond. When Banjo was checking on Alena before and after her surgery it made me realise just how much he cares about her. Finlay on the other hand comes from care and starts his nursing degree at university – personally I really liked learning about his training experience. Eventually, Banjo decides to get in touch and apologise to Finlay for their fallout that happened three years prior. The way that Finlay was able to recover somewhat from his suicide attempt made me feel happy and hopeful. I really loved reading about the completely different lives the boys had and how they were always linked, even when they were separated. I loved this book as it was very wholesome, and I would recommend it. I rate it 8/10.
Hannah
Glasgow Boys
Glasgow Boys completely surprised me—in the best way. I picked it up thinking it would be perhaps a romance between the two boys based on the blurb, but it turned out to be something so much more heartfelt and wholesome than I expected. It was still kind of a love story in a way but their own separate ones, but i found the stories linked and were intertwined. The characters felt real and easy to connect with, and the relationships between them were genuinely touching. There's a warmth running through the story that made it hard to put down. I found myself smiling a lot more than I expected, and even the quieter, emotional moments hit just right. It was such an enjoyable read from start to finish, and I honestly didn’t want it to end. If you’re looking for something comforting, character-driven, and full of heart, I’d totally recommend Glasgow Boys. Don’t let the blurb fool you—it’s way better than it lets on.
Trinity
Play
“Play” by Luke Palmer was quite engaging and thought-provoking for me and I enjoyed learning about the different lives, and friendships, of the four teenage boys – Matthew, Mark, Luc, and Johnny – who all like to mess around and participate in reckless activities. The book explores toxic masculinity, friendship, drug use and peer pressure. I especially enjoyed Luc’s unique perspective because he had to deal with expectations, sometimes set by his dad, to prove himself by doing dangerous things. Later, he becomes more self-aware and realises that the choices he made were maybe not the best and tries to improve himself, for example, by mending broken friendships, primarily with Matthew. All four boys have a ‘game’ that they play, and Mark gets involved with one that seems to be fulfilling and rewarding but then switches to a dangerous and manipulative situation – where he becomes trapped. I found that the friendships between the boys changed as the challenges being faced became more apparent in their lives and I think that the different personas of the boys were very effective. I also think that the use of short chapters kept me invested in the plot, but I do wish that Johnny was included more in the book as I think that there could have been a deeper understanding of his life, leading up to the tragic plot twist at the end. I would recommend this book to people in Year 9 and above. Overall, this was a great read, and I rate it 8/10 stars.
Hannah
All That It Ever Meant
The book “All That It Ever Meant” by Blessing Musariri is a meaningful story that left me a bit emotional. It is about a girl, Mati, who is heading to Zimbabwe, from London, with her family after her mother’s death and explores grief, love, loss and forgiveness. Throughout the book, we see the effect of Mama’s death on Baba and especially Chichi – who starts drifting away from Baba, by being rebellious. I like how it focuses a lot on the character development of Chichi – who we surprisingly discover is Caroline. Chichi starts to realise that Baba’s rules and restrictions were to keep the family together and to protect her. Mati meets a mysterious spirit called Meticais who gives wisdom and guidance so she can understand her identity and grief. I thought that the beginning was slow paced, and I was confused with the fact that Mati never talked about her grief for her mother that much - the plot twist that she had passed away was unexpected for me – but it made sense at the end. Overall, I would rate this book a 3/5 stars.
Hannah
The Final Year
I really enjoyed this book because I think it reflected the difficulties and emotions that a lot of students might feel in year 6, “the final year,” of primary school. This meant I enjoyed it because it meant that it was a story that was easy to relate to and reflected the changes within year 6 and on the way to secondary school. Furthermore, I liked this book because of the way the author used the verse format, for example he uses spacing between words really effectively to affect the pace of the reading, which made the book feel more immersive and fun to read. Along with the good pacing of the book, there is an included sense of build-up to events, as seen with Nate’s younger brother not feeling so well before his incident, which is nice as it adds a slight sense of foreboding that makes the book more captivating and entertaining to read. Added to this, the plot was well-constructed and made sense – the order of events was not confusing and meant that the book was easy to follow. For these reasons, I really enjoyed the final year, and would definitely recommend it to year 6 and 7 readers.
Jonathan
All That It Ever Meant
I found All That It Ever Meant to be a disappointing and frustrating read. From start to finish, the story felt emotionally hollow and painfully slow. The characters lacked depth, personality, and relatability—I never felt invested in their lives or struggles, which made the entire experience feel pointless. The book attempts to explore themes of grief, identity, and growth, but it handles them in a way that felt superficial and forced. The narration often meandered without purpose, and the writing, while technically competent, lacked energy or originality. I kept waiting for the plot to offer something meaningful, but it never delivered. The tone came off more as self-indulgent than profound, and it was difficult to stay engaged. I genuinely had to force myself to finish the book, hoping it would eventually click, but it never did. Ultimately, this book failed to move me or hold my attention—and I wouldn't really recommend it.
Trinity
The Final Year
"The Final Year" by Matt Goodfellow was an absolutely amazing read that I think packed a lot of emotion into a fairly short verse book. It focuses on the main character, Nate, his two younger brothers, friends, teachers and his Mum and Auntie San. Though at first, I wasn't used to the colloquial writing, I loved that it captured the real voices of children in Year 6, and the verse format of the book made it seem like Nate was narrating the book like an internal poem, so that you’re taken into the mind of an aspiring writer. The book has some more serious undertones, and although many other books featuring young characters portray them as naïve, Nate is shown to look after his brothers and cope with his feelings in a mature way. I like that his emotions were personified as “The Beast” and we often see him trying to “tame” it. I also think that by introducing topics such as medical complications or poverty through the lens of a Year 6, readers in that age group (Pre-teens) can better empathise with such situations. Nate’s a great role model for younger children to look up to, as he uses things such as breathing techniques to regulate himself and talks to responsible adults, like his teacher, to ask for advice. I thought is was interesting that the author was a primary school teacher, and so would have witnessed similar experiences to those in the book first-hand. Perhaps Mr. Joshua was inspired by himself, as he was very encouraging towards Nate's interest in writing, and seemed to hold a love for literature too. I also felt that the illustration complimented the book well! I would give it an 8.5/10 overall.
Vanessa
The Things We Leave Behind
A great read! In the beginning I found it to be somewhat confusing/difficult but after a while the book became clear and enjoyable. I loved how realistic the book feels due to the very real possibility of a similar world being out future. I enjoyed the emotional and realistic way that the book showed the struggles and pain that refugees go through and the resilience needed for both the people and their families in a world incredibly similar to our own in many ways. My only criticism of this book would be that throughout the story it can become somewhat confusing, in some instances requiring the reader to repeat certain pages which can reduce one’s incentive to continue, although nowhere near to a problematic degree. 4/5 stars
Johannes
The Things We Leave Behind
I absolutely loved The Things We Leave Behind. From the very first chapter, I was completely hooked. It’s one of those rare books that grabs your attention and doesn’t let go—I honestly couldn’t put it down. The writing was smooth and engaging, and the story moved at just the right pace to keep me interested the whole way through. One of the best parts of the book was the plot twists. Just when I thought I knew where things were going, the story would take a completely unexpected turn. The twists weren’t over-the-top or unrealistic—they felt natural, but still shocking in the best way. They made the reading experience really exciting and kept me guessing until the end. What also stood out to me was the psychological depth of the story. The book really explored how Clem deal with trauma, guilt, and the weight of past decisions and experiences. It got into the minds of the characters in a way that made them feel very real and . gave the story an emotional and thoughtful layer that went beyond just an interesting plot. The characters were well-developed and easy to connect with. Each of them had their own struggles and secrets, and watching how those things slowly unfolded over the course of the book was both heartbreaking and satisfying. It felt like the author really understood people and how complex emotions can be. Overall, The Things We Leave Behind was a very memorable read. It had everything I look for in a good book: an engaging plot, meaningful themes, emotional depth, and surprising twists. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys stories that are not only entertaining but also make you think and feel. It’s the kind of book that stays with you even after you’ve finished it.
Trinity
The Final Year
I thought The Final Year was okay overall. It wasn’t a book I particularly enjoyed, and at times I found it a bit boring. The pacing felt slow, and I struggled to stay fully interested in what was happening. There were definitely parts that felt like they dragged, and it made me feel like I just wanted to put it down. However, there were a few moments that stood out emotionally. One of the most powerful parts was when we thought the little brother had died—it was sad and brought a real sense of shock and emotion to the story. Even though I didn’t love the story as a whole, some parts of it were a bit relatable. The way the characters dealt with pressure, relationships, and uncertainty about the future did reflect things that I think a lot of people feel in real life, especially during important times like the final year of school. That relatability gave the book a bit more meaning for me, even if I wasn’t completely into the plot. In the end, I wouldn't say The Final Year was a favourite of mine, but it did have its moments. I appreciated some of the emotional depth and realistic elements, even if I didn’t fully enjoy the experience of reading it
Trinity
The Final Year
The final year
'The Final Year' is a book about a young boy called Nathan Wilder, Nathan is in year five about to transition into year 6. This book shows the harsh reality many young people go through such as single parents so overwhelmed by their own problems that they can’t really focus on giving their own children the attention and care that they need. Although Nathan’s mother is able to provide a home for her children, she isn’t able to provide proper meals or enough time to look after every one of her children this leaves Nathan to look after and care for his two younger brothers and personally, I think that no young child should carry the responsibility of looking after their younger siblings. Nathan has two younger brothers, one is 8 years old and is called Jaxon, the other brother is called Dylan and he is nearly four years old in the book. I personally really enjoyed this book as it has a few Skellig references, I really enjoyed the book Skellig and I enjoy the way David Almond writes so the small references really added to the book. In the book I really like the way that Nathan’s anger is represented as a beast I feel this is a really good way to symbolise how the more you keep your emotions bottled up the stronger they get. Overall, I really enjoyed this book.
Morgan
The Final Year
I really enjoyed reading “the final year” due to the constant emotional twists and turns which I found made the story engaging and fun to read. Nate’s struggle with friends really emphasised the emotional struggles that a student of his age may have to navigate due to difficulty with friendships or in Nate’s case family struggles with money too. Later in the book, the medical emergency involving Nate’s brother created a rather surprising scenario which left me quite surprised but also added to the interest to finish the book and see whether he would survive. This also being my first time reading a book that is written in verse made this a particularly interesting read given the different structure and wording which really helped to show/ emphasise Nate’s feelings and situations in a way that I haven’t encountered in many books. Would definitely recommend this to a year 6 or 7.
Johannes
The Final Year
Wow. ‘The Final Year’ was a wonderful book! From just looking at the front cover, I knew it would include Skellig references because of the wings that you can also find on the front cover of Skellig. The subtle illustrations in the book were incredibly effective, mixed in with the verses. I have never read a verse book, and thus, being the first book of this kind that I have read, the format truly fits with Nate, as he loved poetry. The verse format makes the book seem more childlike and more well-suited for Nate. Adding on, the childish font and the way some words in verses are spread out, or randomly dotted on the pages really lets us capture Nate's emotions and legitimately puts us in Nate’s shoes. The story was also incredibly emotional, and I love how he addressed his anger issues as ‘The Beast’ because I think that some people would relate to Nate. I also love how from the beginning, the setting and the story following on Nate's brothers having all different family circumstances, or Nate having to take care of his brother because his mother was drunk most of the time, I liked how it could be very relatable to some people in certain situations. Also, what impressed me was the student-teacher relationship that Nate had with Mr Joshua, as Mr Joshua was a very cheery teacher, who loved listening to Bob Marley songs and really took his time to understand each child that entered his classroom, which is an important aspect of Nate's wellbeing. Overall, I would recommend this book to any transitioning children from year 6 to 7 (or teachers), children with anxiety or anger issues, or children who have difficulty reading - because the verse format was somehow easy but interesting to read, and I would rate it a 7.5/10.
Elisa
The Final Year
The Final Year is a great verse-format book, full of uplifting and saddening moments, expressed through emotive writing that grabbed my attention and made me want to read on. It follows the life of a boy, Nate, going into his final year of Primary school and preparing for his SAT tests. We learn that Nate lives with his Mum and two energetic, younger brothers, living in a state of poverty. This book gives us an insight on the challenges Nate faces, with friendships and responsibilities, but also of the accomplishments made in the process of overcoming them. I admired Nate’s perseverance and hope during his struggles, especially when he was trying to control “The Beast” within him, which is an emotion all of us can relate to, and for never giving up. Nate receives a lot of support and reassurance after something tragic happens to his youngest brother, Jax, and encouragement from his teacher, Mr Joshua, and they develop a bond where there is trust and guidance. Mr Joshua encourages him to start writing as a coping mechanism, which really helps Nate express and understand his emotions through words, and I think this is a compelling journey of self-growth. Also, a classmate, Caleb, who Nate resonates with through the book “Skellig” soon becomes his kind and understanding friend when Nate experiences a tense situation with his best-friend, ‘PS’, who was allocated to a different class for the final year. I like how the angel wings from the book “Skellig” incorporate the deeper ideas of finding peace and light after overcoming hard times and suffering. This book has many twists and turns, which fuels the suspense and curiosity of the reader, and the ending makes me really want to know what happens in the next stage of Nate’s life! Overall, I think this book was very enjoyable, I would recommend it to Primary school leavers and Year 7’s starting secondary school, to understand fully, as it has many deeper connotations. I would rate it 4/5 stars.
Hannah
The Final Year
The Final Year is a story that follows Nate, a year 6, through his final year at primary school and shows how he combats struggles that many people can relate to.
The book explores many themes such as bullying, financial instability, friendship issues, and grief. Many children in the target audience will have experienced these before, making the book relatable or helpful, as it can teach them how to deal with difficulties going ahead. It also can help children in year 6 with transitioning from the safety of primary school to a new environment.
I think that all of the themes in the book work well together, as viewing everything from Nates perspective and witnessing his struggle creates a sense of tension and buildup of stress for the reader, almost as if we are experiencing everything ourselves. The book also challenges many stereotypes and perspectives that are commonly held toward people in Nate’s family’s situation, as it shows how people often have to deal with a rough or unstable upbringing.
The story is narrated by Nate, who has a large amount of responsibility for someone of his age – he takes care of his brothers and is exposed to many things he shouldn’t have to experience at 10 years old. His mother is usually drunk after losing money in Bingo, but the author makes it very clear that she does love her children very much, and is just very bad with money.
As the book is written in first person, it can feel to the reader as though they are inside Nates head and are witnessing his private moments, especially since he occasionally includes a poem he had been working on, and mentions that he would never share it with anyone. He is encouraged to convey his emotions into words by his new teacher Mr Joshua, and his friend Caleb, who becomes his closest confidant after he falls out with his best friend, PS.
The narrative and style of the book is very informal and personal, particularly when Nate’s youngest brother Dylan becomes ill, and Nate struggles to comprehend what might happen to him. The style of the words and verses are very closely linked to the themes and emotions in the book, as the rhythm and layout reflect the events at each point. When read aloud or performed, this novel would be a very emotive piece as there are lots of ways to change the flow to help convey the messages or themes the book contains. The Final Year is a mixture of poetry and something akin to a diary, and at times can be entertaining, thought provoking or even tear inducing.
When I began the book, I was quite sceptical and struggled a lot with the way Nate narrated, but I now see that it is an essential part of his character, and I understand why he was the main character in the story. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone from Year 5 to Year 8, or anyone who struggles to read large amounts of text. There is quite a lot of depth and important messages in this book, and I think it can be both educational and supportive to children going through this transitional period in their lives.
Elizabeth