Academic Readers

Popcorn
It was fine. I know it's not really for my age group but I had a good chuckle. It was very digestible and I liked the concept of the main character having anxiety.

Wolf Siren
I enjoyed the spin on Little Red Riding Hood but this version didn't really resonate with me, however I think it covered societal issues quite well. 6/10.

Elizabeth

Twenty Four Seconds from Now
This book isn't something I would normally read, but I enjoyed the plot and the concept of going back 24 seconds, minutes, hours. I would give this book a 5/10.

Elizabeth

Handle With Care
Handle with Care was a great book, my favourite thing about it was that it opened straight with the action - I was immediately gripped by Ruby's story. I think this book handles some of the concepts really sensitively. I also liked the ending but it was a bit unexpected, I think it perfectly tied the book together. I have no idea why this book isn't on the shortlist!!

Elizabeth

Not Going To Plan
I liked this book, I found it interesting how it was written in verse, I think the structure of the text really added to the chaos of the storyline. Having the book written from both Marnie and Zed's point of view really helped bring their story to life. I would recommend this book to teenagers.

Elizabeth

Handle With Care
Handle with care is a heartbreaking novel that really comes to life as you read it. You feel Ruby's pain with her from the start, and have to watch the others in her life add to that pain, whilst feeling powerless that you can't help her. I have never had such an emotional reaction to a book as I did this one. At points I wanted to scream at the side characters for being so oblivious to Ruby's suffering. The whole book had me on tenterhooks, wondering what would happen next. I would recommend this novel to anyone who loves an emotional story, crying with characters and a book you can't put down.

Lucy