The Final Year

The Final Year was breathtaking in every way. It shows how the transition from primary school to high school can have a massive impact on millions of people with differing backgrounds and personalities, all over the world. My heart stopped when Dylan fell unconscious from his heart disease. Those two pages were probably some of the tensest pages I’ve ever read in my life. Overall, I am glad it was a happy ending and Nate managed to make another friend in the end.

Matthew B

Ermysted’s

A very sad book with lots of cliff hanging moments waiting to see what happens next.

Frederic

Brooke Weston Book Busters

I feel this book is written in an interesting way. It uses rhyming and slang language a lot. It shows how children can suffer from bullying and how friendships matter in life.

raffertyt

Ermysted’s

The Final Year by Matt Goodfellow Rating 10/10 I love this book it is one of the best books I have read The main character is in his last year of primary school and getting ready for his SATS He has a single mum and 2 brothers His mum is a drunk who spends all of her money on bingo That leaves him to look after his younger brothers He lost his only friend to the person who bullies him

Charlie

KSA Book Wolves

Incredible, this is one of those books where it makes you feel really connected with the characters because once you are in the middle of the book you get to know what they are like and feel like they are one of your best friends. I recommend this to anyone.

Eli S

Ermysted’s

The final year is a very moving and emotional book. It is easily my favourite book that I have ever read. The poetry it contains is very creative and fun. It is my favourite carnegie so far.

sethm

Ermysted’s

Good book about a schoolboy experiencing troubles like his best friend playing with someone he doesn't like and his brother getting heart infection, this book shows us that everything will be alright.

Muyang

Ermysted’s

Discovering the final year was as though I had been walking through my local library like a long street on a cold day, windows frosted. Until I wondered upon a brightened window among the darkness, clear in its view. Reading the final year was like looking through this window and in to the perspective of what many people in Britain today experience. It inspires a new sense of compassion and understanding in those who have many luxuries that most cannot afford. It bridges a gap in our minds, taking across new logical steps. The hopeful and relatable story of the final year humanises the people who most of the time are reduced to a percentage of those in the lower poverty brackets. Truly a wonderful experience.

Theo U

VISTA Academy

It was a very good book. I enjoyed the story telling through poems and i thought the pictures suited the style of story very well. i found it to be a very enjoyable read, although it was sad at times, the ending was very good. The only thing i didnt like was how he talked. Overall, 8/10

Elliott.H

Ermysted’s

An emotional roller-coaster with beautiful literature that i would recommend to anyone. My only criticism is that it takes a while to get into the good bit and the language takes a while to get use to.

Henry D

Ermysted’s

Overall I think it is a well written book and I like the rhyming style. The variation of characters is nice. The writer has tried to cram a lot of material into the book and this leads to it being a bit rushed . It also does not feel complete and could have used another chapter. Overall the storyline is engaging with a feel good ending.

Henry S

Ermysted’s

I think this book was absolutely mind blowing and amazing because it connected with the audience It also helped revive past memories I had in year six . I loved reading it and the suspense keeps the book nearly impossible to close without finishing.

Harshitha

Crypt Bookworms

The Final Year, Matt Goodfellow A poignant verse novel about class, identity and family. Genre: verse novel, fiction. Nate is a ten-year old boy who is in his last year of primary school. As he moves into the next year, him and his best friend are put into different classes. The story explores themes of friendship, social class, parent and child relationships and identity. I really enjoyed reading the book; I'm a fan of verse novels and this form linked well with Nate being a keen reader and poet himself. As a teacher I loved the small criticisms in this book about the UK's Y6 SATs exams and the references to David Almond and his famous novel, "Skellig", which I taught in my first year of teaching. I also enjoyed the working class setting of the story and how Nate felt so inspired by his teacher. It is interesting to read about a working class character living in a deprived area without the stereotypical nuclear family. When Nate's brother gets ill I also found it interesting to see how the theme of family was developed. I really recommend this book to everyone in the group as it might allow you to take a glimpse into a world you are unfamiliar with and I think you will warm to the character of Nate very quickly. 6/7 stars.

Laura

Carnegie Literary Circle

The Final Year, Matt Goodfellow A poignant verse novel about class, identity and family. Genre: verse novel, fiction. Nate is a ten-year old boy who is in his last year of primary school. As he moves into the next year, him and his best friend are put into different classes. The story explores themes of friendship, social class, parent and child relationships and identity. I really enjoyed reading the book; I'm a fan of verse novels and this form linked well with Nate being a keen reader and poet himself. As a teacher I loved the small criticisms in this book about the UK's Y6 SATs exams and the references to David Almond and his famous novel, "Skellig", which I taught in my first year of teaching. I also enjoyed the working class setting of the story and how Nate felt so inspired by his teacher. It is interesting to read about a working class character living in a deprived area without the stereotypical nuclear family. When Nate's brother gets ill I also found it interesting to see how the theme of family was developed. I really recommend this book to everyone in the group as it might allow you to take a glimpse into a world you are unfamiliar with and I think you will warm to the character of Nate very quickly. 6/7 stars.

Mrs Copley

Carnegie Literary Circle

The Final Year, Matt Goodfellow A poignant verse novel about class, identity and family. Genre: verse novel, fiction. Nate is a ten-year old boy who is in his last year of primary school. As he moves into the next year, him and his best friend are put into different classes. The story explores themes of friendship, social class, parent and child relationships and identity. I really enjoyed reading the book; I'm a fan of verse novels and this form linked well with Nate being a keen reader and poet himself. As a teacher I loved the small criticisms in this book about the UK's Y6 SATs exams and the references to David Almond and his famous novel, "Skellig", which I taught in my first year of teaching. I also enjoyed the working class setting of the story and how Nate felt so inspired by his teacher. It is interesting to read about a working class character living in a deprived area without the stereotypical nuclear family. When Nate's brother gets ill I also found it interesting to see how the theme of family was developed. I really recommend this book to everyone in the group as it might allow you to take a glimpse into a world you are unfamiliar with and I think you will warm to the character of Nate very quickly. 6/7 stars.

Mrs Copley

Carnegie Literary Circle

I’d probably rate The Final Year a 4/10. While it touches on important themes like family and friendship, I found the story slow and not very engaging. The free verse style didn’t really work for me, and I didn’t connect with Nate as a character. There wasn’t enough action or excitement to keep me interested, so overall, it just wasn’t my kind of book.

Bassit

Ermysted’s

This book is about a boy who doesn't want to go into year 6. After he figures out his best friend is in the other year 6 class he feels useless. He feels even worse when one morning he finds his friend walking to school with the school bully. After being given a note book by his teacher he finds his passion for poetry. he finds he can show his emotion through poems. He feels in a good position until his Brother drops dead. But that's what he thinks. He is actually alive and has a really big heart condition. He is really sad until he starts to get better. Over this period his friend notices how mean he has been and they are now friends again. At the end of the book his brother is well and he has his best friend back.

Billy C

Ermysted’s

This was a lovely book. I really liked it. The concept of the book was alright and it was fun to read. And it was readable. Though I wished they did not leave the book on a cliff-hanger, but overall it is a fantastic book, full of love and emotion.

Afreen

Skipton Shadows

Light-hearted and emotional. Really brings out the struggles some people go through.

Arlo

Crypt Bookworms

This is just a wonderful book which gave me a lump in my throat and ultimately a feeling of hope. Matt Goodfellow manages to capture what it is like when the carpet begins to move uncontrollably beneath your feet, how it can make you react and who might be there to pick you up when you fall. I loved Nate's mum and 'Auntie' San, even with all their flaws, as I felt they were highly relatable to many. The home may be chaotic but it is full of love and this story shows how family isn't always just your blood family. Nate has a best friend, Parker, who he has known since nursery, two brothers and an absent father. In the mix we also have Mr Joshua, a new year 6 teacher, who has taken the time to understand the children entering his classroom. I loved him just because he notices things, but there is so much more too. He plays guitar, he puts on Bob Marley, he writes poetry, the mums all blush and giggle when they see him and, most importantly, he only gets cross when he needs to. I also appreciated the brief appearance of librarian, Karen, who works in the public library where Nate spends a lot of his summer holiday. She, too, is a noticer. She encourages Nate to keep reading and so he spends much of his time in the school library (which is sadly but realistically without a librarian) and starts to enjoy poetry. All these positive interactions help Nate to control what he calls The Beast, the anger that he has worked so hard to control. I won't spoil the book by explaining what causes the beast to return but it is an emotional book which made me cry repeatedly and for many different reasons. Sometimes from sadness, other times from happiness and hope. Since reading this book I have recommended it to anyone who works with children, to parents who are transitioning children to a new school or class, and to children who struggle with anxiety - or not. I think it is a must read.

Donna

St Joseph’s Book Besties