Rockwood Reads

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Twenty Four Seconds from Now
This book follows 17-year-old Neon, as he is seen to be intensely nervous before being with his girlfriend. The book then moves back in blocks of time from 24 minutes, hours, days, etc. In doing so, the story reveals the history of their relationship over the past 2 years. The book shows a view of male sexuality that focuses on his feelings and emotions, rather than typical male bravado - with humour to engage readers and make it more relatable, rather than awkward. However, I did think the reverse structure of the narrative could be confusing to some readers - going back in time, rather than forwards, which can seem quite disorientating. Also, I found the quick pace made the story feel less detailed, meaning the reader may not know everything that is going on. Overall, I thought it was an interesting way to present a 'romantic' narrative and would give it three stars out of five (***).

Rayan

The Boy I Love
The story follows Lieutenant Stephen Wraxall, a 19-year-old soldier fighting in World War One. Returning to 'the front' after an injury and the loss of his first love, he meets a new soldier, Danny, and feelings develop for him - but he is someone who he can only call a 'friend' in public. The novel follows the progression of their relationship, both publicly and privately. It is a story set in the past, with a message that transcends time. William Hussey writes in a way that captures the attention of the reader and we feel for the characters and the situations they are in. It never felt like the book was dragging on, which was a good thing, the pace of the story was well-maintained - although the war scenes were very fast-paced, but this could be to reflect how it felt to be in the moment of battle. Overall, I thought this book had an important message and found the book very engaging - I would recommend it to other readers. ***** (5 stars).

Hasher

Ghostlines
The story follows a young girl who lives on a remote island, she spends her time exploring the wild coast and watching the birds, until she discovers an abandoned boat and the secrets it holds. This is a book about nature and solitude and finding the magic in the world around you. I really liked the beautiful and descriptive language the author used for the island and the ocean, it made me feel like I was actually there. I also enjoyed how the story felt mysterious and exciting when the boat was discovered. One thing I did not not like was that the book was rather short and I wanted to know more about what happened to the characters. Also, sometimes the pacing felt a bit slow - with a little too much description in places. Overall, it was a haunting and lovely story that makes you think - I would recommend it to other readers (5 stars *****).

Hooriya

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
'Lizard Nobody' is about a lizard called Zeke and his friends, Alicia and Daniel (who are hall monitors). And things go wrong when Zeke gets his job revoked. In the book, I really enjoyed the fight between Ms. Pfister and Zeke, which I enjoyed because I liked how Zeke defended himself, but also fought back - trying to keep his reputation. However, I did not like how Pelecarnasus was being mean to Miel (the blind bird). I also did not like how simple parts of the story were - it was a bit like a fairytale (which have a certain type of resolution at the end). Overall, I would recommend this book for kids - it was really nice and I enjoyed it. **** out of five stars.

Hashim

Wolf Siren
The story follows a 14-year-old Red Riding Hood, living in a quaint little village in the forest. She loves traversing the woods, and despite the danger it possesses, she travels through it anyway. Red soon discovers an 'enigma' within the deep history of her village as the plot becomes thicker than the forest's tree line. I adored the adaptation of Red Riding Hood presented in this story, adding a sparkle of imagination to the original tale. The characters were well developed and the narrative was easy to follow - with the main ideas being understandable and a treat to read overall. Despite its strengths, however, I did feel that towards the end more could have been done with the character of the Mayor, as well as Red's siblings. I also felt that the ending seemed quite rushed and felt a little hollow, with scenes shifting a little too fast. Overall though, I thought it was an amazing book, which I would absolutely read again. (Four stars out of five ****).

Habiba

Not Going To Plan
The story is about a girl called Marnie, who is kicked out of school because of a 'relationship' she has with a boy called Zed and she ends up becoming pregnant. The story follows the actions Marnie takes in dealing with this news. My favorite part of the book was when Zed dances like he is from the 1980s, I found this part to be hilarious. I was not too fond of the character of Jessica, who was bullying Zed and attacks Marnie. I think this was a decent book, and quite hilarious in parts - I would recommend it to other students (***** out of five).

Subhan

Popcorn
I really think this is beautiful and funny story - the bit with the ketchup bottle was hilarious. I liked how the main character kept messing up - it was so random. The only part of the story I didn't enjoy was the character of the bully (I am not sure if the character was really needed, but I understand why they were there). Overall, I thought the book was amazing and I would recommend it to others. ***** (5 stars).

Ayaan

Hashim

Ghostlines
The book focuses on the protagonist - Tilda, who lives on an island called Ayrie. When a new boy comes to the island, Tilda has to take on a forbidden adventure... When reading the book, I enjoyed how adventurous the storyline was as we followed Tilda - seeing her develop and meet new people, such as Albie (who she had a strong connection with). However, I found the vocabulary in this book to be limited - perhaps better suited to younger readers (I did not find it that engaging for a 'Young Adult' audience). For example, in the opening of the book, the author uses many lists, which I found somewhat repetitive and boring. Overall, I would give this book 2 stars out of five, as I felt it was aimed at a younger audience (**).

Medina

Wolf Siren
Wolf Siren is a fantasy retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, except she has an unknown connection to the magical forest, from where her grandmother disappeared from years ago. Then she needs to confront the corrupt Mayor, while keeping her own secrets safe, in order to save the community. Overall, I quite enjoyed how this is a coming-of-age story, but is twisted to explore the themes of femininity, misogyny, and going against the oppression and corruption of the powers-that-be (represented by the Mayor). I didn't enjoy how 'Red' had no companions on her journey, yet her closest loved ones are the people who want to report her to the corrupt Mayor. However, this did result in creating sympathy from the reader - wishing that 'Red' had someone to trust and rely on. I loved this book - I would recommend it and read it again. (**** out of five).

Aleena

Twenty Four Seconds from Now
This book is about a teenager, named Neon - thinking about love, relationships, and an important moment in his life. The book follows his thoughts and feelings, as he decides what to do. The story mainly takes place in a short period of time, focusing on his thoughts. Overall, I liked how real and simple the story felt, the writing was honest and easy to understand, but still very meaningful. The main character's thoughts felt very relatable, especially about relationships and growing up. I also liked how the book focused on emotions and decisions. However, sometimes the story felt a bit slow and did not have a lot of action - there were parts where not much happened, which made it less exciting. Also, the story was very much focused on one key moment, so it didn't really explore other parts of the character's life. Final thoughts: I thought it was a good and thoughtful book about growing up. **** (Four stars out of five).

Romeesa