Colchester Royal Grammar School
Play
Luke Palmer is an author and poet who makes character-driven, thought-provoking novels and poems with vulnerable themes surrounding masculinity, friendships and elephant-in-the-room topics such as underage drinking and drug-taking. He has been generally commended high for many of his novels, being nominated twice for Carnegies, (in 2024 'Grow') - and rightfully so! His novels have inspired children and teenagers to speak out, changing many readers' minds with his perspective and his talented writing. His fusion of story-telling, hypnotic style and vulnerable topics isn't for everyone, and it's only gone more hard-hitting since Grow (2021), a story about a 15 year old boy lost in his place in the world. 2 years after, in late 2023, he released 'Play'.
I was a bit lukewarm on the blurb when I first read it, but I read the first 2 pages, and the intriuging writing dragged me into reading the full novel. It was safe to say that I had no idea what I was expecting when I first dived into this book, which was worrying, yet exciting. Seeing an author try to push away from normal book standards and explanation is something that isn't seen often enough, and I think this is what Luke was trying to push.
When I was reading this book, I noticed the core elements of an average story weren't completely gone, though it seemed like that at first glance; you can still see clear structure and relatively clear plotline throughout the entire novel. It made me wonder what age group this was directly for. But still, the push is still clear, masculinity, friendships and LGBT+ themes are much more prominent than in something you'd see in Harry Potter or The Hunger Games. (Unrelated, but the Hunger Games are outstanding.)
I haven't read Grow yet so I can't compare Play to that novel yet, but from what I've seen Play seems to have the core elements of Grow, but they're fed in vastly different contexts - this one a 4-boy friendship with realistic character chemistry and Grow more of a one boy relationship, setting in a time where his parents have died. In the first 2 pages you can see that Luke is coming off more abstract and cryptic with more mysterious themes, words popping off the page and bursting with animation!
Honestly, this book is full of personality.
Luc's life (the 'aggressive' kid who is always pushing forward and loves to compete in sport) is pressurising, yet the pressure seems to fall off him like water. Luc is immediately presented as pushing himself too hard, as being arrogant, and not caring about others, yet he doesn't see that in himself. Luc's perspective presented a more different take than I'd genuinely expect from a sporty person, with an interesting plot line from him, and a character development that seems incredibly realistic. Even from a person who is almost the complete opposite of Luc, I often understood why he was doing the things he was doing, and how who he is affects that. This is my least favourite perspective, though -- sometimes I found him unlikeable, and, while the second half of his POV is great, the first half seemed a bit dull and uninteresting. Overall a great perspective, though.
Matt has a very interesting perspective! I love this take on masculinity and pressure for doing well. It's very original, despite, as you may have noticed, using the foundations of school stereotypes. Behind Mark I found his perspective the most interesting one; however, I may be a bit biased because he's probably the one I can relate to the most. I love the way he views the world! To add, everything that happens to him is very realistic and feels exactly what would actually happen if this book was real. You really get attached to this character, man. And that's even better for real life situations as he's LGBT and I think having a character which many people can strongly relate to will re-inforce these rights. Happy Pride month, by the way!
Mark. This is the sole focus of the story really, and it's done very well. While I was reading his PoV, I noticed the most atmosphere and literary techniques being used. Mark's story really is based the most around mystery and has the most narrative happening -- I would be inclined to say that Matt's is more focused on emotions, Mark is more on story. I won't spoil what happens but once you begin reading, I can promise you you won't stop on this PoV. It's masterfully done. I also noticed that most of Matt's story really begins towards the second half, the first half is more so short plotlines or preparing for larger plotlines. They're both interesting, but I would like to say that the second half is... more interesting. My favourite chapter is probably the train chapter or the 'untouchable' chapter.
Johnny... has one chapter in the whole book. And it's the last one. Probably my favourite one as well; what a lovely high note to be ending one. Throughout the story you're never really sure what Johnny's truly up to, and it all happens at the end! Luke's hypnotic writing style from the beginning appears again, and it feels like you're in a trance. I won't reveal anything though, because I want whoever is reading to experience the same thing I did!
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Luke's video itself on the Carnegies website is very introspective and thoughtful. It makes me enjoy the book even more, and I think everyone should watch it after you've finished, even if you didn't like the story. But while I did see some negative reviews or neutral opinions on this novel (I wasn't feeling too crazy about the book going into it), I found that most people's reception on this book, from what I've seen, was very positive. The storytelling is great, the design is great, the form is great, the descriptions are great, the chemistry is great, the realism is great, and above all I was looking forward to every PoV after the previous one. I never felt any disappointment, and that's a hard thing to master.
Because this book is pretty fantastic, right? It's mind-bending, thoughtful, open and pulls all punches.
I love this direction Luke is taking since Grow, and judging by the new poem set that he's released recently, it seems to be going even better! #poetry
This seems to be one of the best ones, if not THE best of books that I've read which are on the stranger side. Utterly dynamic, versatile, layered, detailed... I think of a new adjective every time I think of this book.
I'm thinking a light 10/10. And to answer the question on the second video, I think a dodecahedron -- it looks complex but it has order.
P.S. I know you like only had to write one paragraph, but I just really wanted to give this book justice (and feed my critic brain in department 11). You might see that it's a bit rushed, though.
Luka
All That It Ever Meant
The book was well-written and thought-provoking. The characters are emphasised with their distinctive personalities. The intense emotions throughout the book were very well explored. The ending was very surprising, and the tension was thrilling. However, the overall plot and build up were a little disappointing. Overall, the characters are very nice,but the plot did not excite me very much.
Tejas
Glasgow Boys
Glasgow boys is a book which explores the care system for children without suitable parents. It is narrated by the two main characters, Finlay and Banjo. In my opinion, the book was very slow, and failed to draw me in. The themes have a lot of possibility, but the book is merely a mundane read.
Tejas
The Final Year
The final year was a book centering around the turmoil of year 6. The book has many dramatic scenes, but overall, the plot is slightly underwhelming. The fact that the play is in verse is rather unappealing to me, and so the book was overall not very well-suited to my taste.
Tejas
Little Bang
Little Bang was a book that centred around the theme of abortion and teenage pregnancy. It handles sensitive topics such as intimate relationships but is overall an enjoyable read. It has strongly defined characters, and some characters such as Sid develop throughout the book.However, the overall plot and themes are not suited to my taste, sadly.
Tejas
The Things We Leave Behind
The Things we leave behind is a very well-wriiten novel which explores the impact of the anti-immigrant sentiment. The story follows Clem and her half-sister Billie, as they take a tremendous journey from London, trying to escape the regime in London. The complex character of Clem appealed to me, and my only criticism would be the similarity to some other novels. I would recommend this to everyone who enjoys a suspenseful, complex story.
Tejas
King of Nothing
King of Nothing was a very good book which focused on Anton, and his trials and tribulations. I like how this book takes the reader on a journey, from the first gang scene right through to the refuge's grand opening. The characters had sufficient depth and I felt like I could empathise with their various predicaments. The only issue is that this book is a little bit clichéd, and the plot is not very unique. However, I would certainly recommend this book to people, as I found it a delightful read
Manas
Little Bang
When I first heard that this was a book about teenage pregnancy, I had pretty low hopes about it. However, it was overall better than I expected, despite some definite anticlimactic moments, such as the abortion of the baby, as I expected that Mel and Sid would somehow find a way to cope and live their lives with the baby. The stark contrast between the two protagonists elevates the plot and theme of this book, contrasting them and their lives throughout the book. I also liked how Little Bang showed the practical and realistic side of having children, as opposed to unnecessarily romanticising it. Overall, this book is not bad, but the plot and theme is not really for me as an individual.
Manas
Treacle Town
Treacle town is a miserable, depressing book about one of the most overused topics in fiction. It is the most boring book that I have read so far, and fails to capture any of depth that the main characters have. It is a very shallow book overall, and the only good thing about it was that it was short. I would not recommend this to anyone.
Tejas
The Final Year
I have very mixed opinions about this book. The Final Year did an excellent job at creating a gripping storyline and concept from a simple and relatable setting. However, I did not like the fact that the entire story was written in verse, as I believe some elements would have been better in standard prose writing. The book was also very short, and only took me 1 day to read, so in my opinion, using standard prose in some areas could have lengthened the book and elevated the plot further. Overall, I would recommend this book to some people, but not to those who prefer more structured and complex plot-themed books.
Manas
King of Nothing
Overall, the book is an enjoyable read, and portrays the real life that a person with a reputation must face. It shows how when in a public setting or not, you can never show the true side of you when you have a reputation. But throughout the book, the overall theme of deception is slowly unravelled, and the book shows how just being "cool" and "popular" are not the most important things in life, even if they may seems like so to a teenager. The characters are all very well explained, and overall I would recommend the book to others.
Tejas
All That It Ever Meant
This book was a very thought-provoking and deep read, dealing with complex problems such as loss of family, etc. The main character's story is beautifully narrated, telling a story of grief and what could be salvaged from it. I would personally recommend this book to anyone looking for an unconventional yet interesting read, looking at different aspects and identities of a person.
Manas
The Things We Leave Behind
"The Things We Leave Behind" was a book with a really deep plot, and every page I ended made me want to read more. I could definitely sympathize with the characters in this book, and the political part in this was covered very brilliantly as well.
Yuvan
Treacle Town
Treacle town was a disappointing read. I found it really depressing from start to finish, and felt that the use of profanity, etc. was much in excess. The characters, in my opinion, have little to no depth to them, and the storyline was quite mundane. The only positive I would give is that it gives a realistic portrayal of the negatives associated with knife crime and other atrocities. Overall, I am very disappointed with the quality of this book, and will not be recommending it to others.
Manas
Play
Play is a book about 4 different boys, namely Matt, Mark, Johnny and Luc. The book shows how innocence in childhood is quickly lost, and about how social status, wealth and all other categorising factors cannot stop the fatal impact of drug dealing, drug abuse and, possibly even fatalities. The story is written in 4 perspectives to shine a light on how different the lives of 4 individuals were. It is a great and moving read, and shows that life is not all that simple.
Tejas
The Final Year
The Final Year Was A very interesting book that showed a true experience of what it is like to go through Year 6 and that even though Year 6 is hard with SATS you can get through it. Overall, I enjoyed this book very much and would recommend to Year 5s and above.
Caleb
Play
This book was fun to read, and did an excellent job of exploring the lives of different boys, with different life experiences and social statuses, which contrasted their characteristics in the book. The book gives a good idea about the dangers of drug abuse and dangers associated with drugs. My only issue with the book is that the ending was quite cryptic and felt a bit jarring, not quite fitting in with the remainder of the book.
Manas
The Things We Leave Behind
This book was a really enjoyable read. The dystopian setting really enhanced the plotline, making Clem's bid for freedom seem even more dire. The whole story and the characters were very intricately created, as opposed to superficial and artificial characters with little depth that are commonly found in books. The story was a genuine thriller, and held my attention until the very end. I would definitely recommend this book, and I can certainly see that this book is worthy of making the Carnegie shortlist!
Manas
Little Bang
DISCLAIMER: SPOILERS AHEAD
"Little Bang" was a really enjoyable rollercoaster of feelings and happenings, ups and downs, but the conclusion of the story was ruined a little bit as Sid and Mel parted ways, which is a shame as they had potential to become a good couple (what is the point of nearly having a baby if you're not together in the first place)? The story very nearly followed a cyclical structure, advancing very much forward with the plot before dropping it down to square one, but nonetheless it was a great read while the action was still booming!
Yuvan