JGHS Carnegie Reading Group
Not Going To Plan
This book was powerful, educational, and a very important read. The subject matter was very serious and heavy, but the author tackled it in a way which felt realistic to teen experience. It was also written well, and I liked the use of creative formatting in some places however the fact it was written in verse felt slightly unnecessary at points. My main criticism would be that while the messaging and themes were extremely valuable, the actual pacing and plot fell off a bit. However I still think everybody should read it and it was important and I think people could learn things from it!
Maddy
The Boy I Love
While I enjoyed the WW1 setting of the book, I found parts of the story to be quite boring and lethargic. The protagonist, Stephen Wraxall, had a strong, well-developed backstory but with very little personality. He had few character traits which made it difficult for me to root for him. Danny was slightly more nuanced, although neither of them had a dynamic character arc. However, I loved the slow-burn romance, which is difficult to achieve in a setting like this one. I also loved the LGBTQ+ representation, which is
especially important in historical fiction to recover the lost narratives of people like Stephen and Danny. Overall, I enjoyed the setting, the representation and the romance, but disliked both characters as well as some of the slower-moving aspects of the plot. I would rate it three stars.
Abby
The Boy I Love
It’s a topic that's never talked about. It’s taboo. We don’t like to think about LGBTQ+ people in history because we don’t want to think about how they were treated and we don’t like to talk about war because it’s depressing and makes people feel uncomfortable. But The Boy I Love mixes both these themes together in a book that makes you smile, cry and leaves you feeling bittersweet about everything. It’s a powerful story delivered in a way that feels accessible for everyone, no matter if you identify with the LGBTQ+ community or not. Whilst the message was sorely needed, especially on a wider scale, often times I felt the pacing falling flat. The romance was very well done and I do admit that slow burns are hard to achieve in stand alone, but the pacing was uneven and sometimes confusing. I also feel like Stephen’s character arc didn’t hit very well but that would be difficult to achieve given that there was no reason given for Stephen to change as a character. I feel similar for Danny’s character development because, again, there was no catalyst to kickstart his arc. Overall, this book has a strong message and it delivered it beautifully. Love is love. The characters however were one note. I’d give the plot 4 stars but the characters 3. I think, for the entire book, I would rate it a 3.5.
Sofia
Twenty Four Seconds from Now
24 seconds from now is a heartwarming story about a teenage relationship. I thought the theme of the book was tackled quite well and the characters and their relationships felt well thought out. Overall, I would give this book 4/5.
Alice
Birdie
This was a lovely book which I think my only criticism is that it was short, which meant that bonds between characters didn’t have much time to develop. I did also really enjoy Birdie’s character - she felt very realistic. This was definitely a book for younger readers, but I thought it was nonetheless well-written and had important subject matter, with meaningful messaging.
Maddy
Ghostlines
Very interesting, I love how the reader is introduced to the island at the same time as Albie.
Jamie
Wolf Siren
I think that “wolf siren” is an amazing book about growing up, finding out things about yourself, and being amazing even though you have a disability.
Amazing
Jamie