Treacle Town

Treacle Town is an engrossing novel about Connor and his aggressive gang of friends. This novel takes us through how Connor, who was initially unable to resist any criminal activity, manages to escape his brutal town with the help of slam poetry. I appreciated this book, as the back-story was quite original and helped me connect with the main characters and understand how they would be feeling in some situations. I also really liked the mixture of slam poetry, because they were interesting to read, made me get absorbed in the story and made me think about real-life themes such as racism. Overall, even if there was a lot of foul language, I think that it developed the personality of the characters and helped me understand how awful the town or the situation was.

SrishtiHG

4Shadowers

Treacle Town by Brian Conaghan is about a boy called Con O’Neill, who lives in a town torn apart by gang violence, sometimes even leading to death. The story follows Con as he tries to break free from the cycle of violence and tragedy and find a way out of Treacle Town. At first, I found the book a bit hard to get into because it’s set in Scotland and the language took some getting used to. But once I got into it, I really enjoyed it. The book deals with deep and meaningful topics, and I thought it was powerful and thought-provoking. I would recommend this book to readers aged 13 and over, as it covers mature themes and contains quite a bit of strong language. It's a gripping and emotional story that really makes you think.

Isabella

Rainbeau Readers

A really good, hard-hitting book showing the troubles many children face and highlighting how we should not take any support for granted.

Finn

St Kaths

Treacle Town by Brian Conaghan is a novel set in the deprived town of Coatbridge, Glasgow, Scotland. We are introduced to the protagonist Connor O’Neil, who has been struggling with the loss of his mother and his dearest friend Mark, ‘Biscuit’, McVitie. He is also feeling the urge to escape this rabbit-hole of a town, where he is affected by the poverty and uncertainty of lacking a job. His town of Coatbridge is almost a close twin to Maycomb in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, where a day in the town is depicted as being ‘twenty-four hours long but seemed longer’. This portrays the idea that both characters are searching for change to their local towns and shows how they feel uncomfortable in the presence of things that wreck their communities, in this case, racial prejudice and violence. Overall, this book deserved its reputation as a truly interesting story, largely because of how the developed use of inner monologue which shows us what Conor is thinking and further creates queries about the decisions he might make, like his decision to join the poetry group or not. The frequent and, some might say, over-the-top use of foul language conveys how the characters feel about their living conditions and the failures of the council or government. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the lives of people from less fortunate areas of the country. However, the bad language may not be liked by some readers.

Alex

Bookwizards

I really enjoyed this book, because I felt it showed the perspective of people who might not have the privileges that we have today. I felt truly invested in the the character's lives, and wanted them to achieve their goals. I also liked the incorporation of slam poetry, it allowed me to read a different style of writing to what I am used to. Overall, I would highly recommend this book!

Asha

Beauchamp Champs 2025

I really liked the book Treacle Town. It has lots of detail about the town it is set in. The story revolves around Conor and his closest friend, who are part of a gang. We are taken aback by the opening chapter at his best friend Biscuit's wake and funeral. Biscuit has been murdered in a park by a rival gang member and everyone is grieving his loss. Everyone knows who committed the murder but nobody reports it to the police. It is a harsh look at the reality of young boys who are faced with situations like this every day but can't escape their town.

layton

Rebel Readers

Treacle Town is a superbly written book with a multi faceted plot and complex characters. Con is written as a traditional ‘gang’ character who has a complex relationship with his gym obsessed father, but is transported into the world of slam poetry almost by chance, but for the better. The death of Biscuit, while not seen in the book, remains a topical plot point throughout the entire book, being juxtaposed at the end by the death of another character, leading to the book having an almost cyclical structure. While the characters are extremely well written, it can sometimes be a bit difficult to keep up with their dialogue and the different plot lines, but Treacle Town is still a good read in my opinion.

James

Southmoor Storywriters

‘Treacle Town’ is novel by Brian Conaghan about Conor and his gang, who are deeply involved in crime. Conor’s dad and society haven given up on him and his gang. He feels they are left to ‘rot’ and that nobody care about them. No one offers help. They have no future. They are hopeless. When his best friend and gang-mate Biscuit (Mark) is murdered in the park, everyone knows who was behind it but no one dares to report it to the police. Not even Conor. The other gang members want revenge but Conor realises that violence is not an answer and wants to quit. He looks for a way out. Randomly, he lands via a YouTube video into the world of Slam poetry. The author explains well why and how Conor and others get trapped in gang violence and other crimes. Even though I understand that the author used (extreme!) bad language to make the characters sound more authentic, I feel it wasn’t really necessary. (There is constant swearing, literally not a single page without it!) Therefore, I recommend NOT reading the book when you are under 16.

Eric

Beauchamp Champs 2025

I found this book a bit heavy on the language. Often books contain the odd spot of language but this was very intense. If I were to offer this book to anyone I would say adults/older teenagers as some of the content is not for younger people. However the story was good I would just have written it with less language.

James

SHS On The Same Page

Treacle Town was a hard-hitting, quite emotional read which took me through the twists and turns of Con's troubled and unpredictably devastating life. Everything in this novel is well-crafted from the character's names and nicknames that represent their characters to the intertwining and clashing of their motives in this rough dangerous town. This sense of hopelessness continued until the end of the novel which left me slightly hopeful yet mostly saddened at the fate and future of these characters.

benjaminr

Ermysted’s

This book was pretty good. It started well, then slowed in the middle but I really enjoyed the end. It really made you feel for Con when he finally broke through the 'treacle'!

Wilf

St Kaths

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

Colchester Royal Grammar School

Treacle Town is a very good book that shows the effects of being involved in criminal activity whilst trying to get out of it at the same time. The book does have quite a lot of swearing/foul language throughout so this does need to be read by someone mature enough and who doesn't mind this type of language. The language used is necessary as it comes directly from the main character and shows the life he has and is living. The characters' lives were described very well and it shows the challenges that some people have to experience. Overall, I found this book very interesting and has made readers aware of these hard topics. This book is an 7.5/10

Yagna

The WH shadowers

Hanzalah

Ermysted’s

This book is a moving book, starting with the death of Con's best friend, Mark(Biscuit). It touches upon the death (suicide) of Con's mother and drug and alcohol misuse, but has gang violence and toxic masculinity as the larger problems for the protagonist. It introduced me to slam poetry, which before I had not heard of. on the other hand, however, it uses more swears than are really necessary, with the book dragging on a bit from the swears and the book was slightly depressing. I have seen other reviews where they have said that the Glaswegian dialect was confusing, however, I did not find this a problem, as long as you know the context it is used in. I would not recommend for readers who do not like to read foul language but it is good for young adults and older. 6/10

Elijah

VISTA Academy

Biscuit is in a box. The box is a coffin. The coffin is in the living room of Biscuit's house. His friend, Con, looks at him and thinks about the life that led him there: unemployment, drugs, an empty future, gang violence and social media-driven petty vengeances. Con's mate Trig isn't going to stand for the video that their rival gang, the Winhill Fleeto, have posted online, celebrating Biscuit's murder: he wants revenge. Con just wants out. Out of the cycle of tit-for-tat violence. Away from people like Trig. Away from his intense father - a bouncer using an intense bodybuilding regime to shield himself from his grief at his wife's suicide. Con's Mum’s suicide. Away from a town that seems to drag him back as he tries to get out, a town that sticks to him even when he thinks he's pulled himself clear. A ‘treacle town’, as his great friend Biscuit used to call it. Down a YouTube rabbit-hole one night, Con chances on a clip of a performer on a stage in Glasgow. Slam poetry: young people skilfully putting into words the things Con's been desperate to say. He sees a chance of escape. But can he overcome all of his fears? Of the mockery and scorn of his Dad and his friends? Of the very idea of standing up and exposing his thoughts and feelings in front of an audience? Of taking a risk on a new, exciting life away from his ‘treacle town’? I loved this book. Con’s world is not one I’m familiar with, but Brian Conaghan really seems to capture Con’s voice as narrator and the voices of the young people in it. That means there’s A LOT of swearing. In fact there’s so much swearing that I didn’t really notice it after the first few pages, it’s just one of the authentic features of the intense, dangerous setting of the novel. I really rooted for Con and understood why living in his world was so difficult and escaping even harder. Even though Trig’s an idiot and Con’s Dad’s lifestyle makes for an oppressive, claustrophobic home environment, I felt sorry for each of them, too. There’s tragedy in ‘Treacle Town’ and hope too. Highly recommended. *****

Mr Hodgson

Ermysted’s

I really enjoyed this book mainly because of how they mixed both English writing and Scottish slang. I think it made the book a lot more interesting to read. I would recommend this book to teenagers as it contains some controversial and challenging context that require higher levels of maturity. The characters' lives were described very well, developing on the challenges that some people have to experience. Overall, I found this book very interesting and has made readers aware of these hard topics.

Evie

Logs

I thought that Treacle Town was a great book to start the Carnegie journey. Firstly, I loved the cover as I felt that it conveyed the book perfectly in an easy to understand way. The book follows an evocative path of devastating lows and hopeful highs. Personally, I really enjoyed the slam poems as I felt that they reflect society in some ways. The only thing I didn't enjoy was the Irish slang as some of it was hard to make sense of. Overall, I really enjoyed Treacle Town as it was cleverly written and extremely realistic.

Liam

Bookwizards

I did not enjoy this book. Whether it was the constant swearing or the Scottish dialect with no glossary, I found this book to be extremely slow-moving and boring. It seemed to wait until the end for anything to happen. The only thing I really enjoyed was the change in Con's character as he gets more into slam poetry as it was interesting to see him pull away from his life and move on to another path. Overall I would not recommend this book to other people my age.

Lucian

Ermysted’s

Treacle Town shows a viewpoint not really shown before, showing gang violence in Glasgow. I really liked the inclusivity in the book: Nails being lesbian and the different backgrounds, like Wee-Z. The message is put across vey powerfully, and Biscuit's funeral is vey poignant. I like how it shows that there is always a way out, but doesn't belittle the issues like some books, starkly showing the consequences of continued violence through Mark's death.

Edward L

Ermysted’s

Treacle Town. This book is very exciting , enthusiastic , and adventurous. I really enjoyed this book as it is all about a group of boys who are living in harsh conditions in their town that have happened by a gang of other boys and have to figure out who is tearing apart their town and making it be how it is . This book is a coming of age novel and I would give it a 7/10 rating .

River

Kingdown

it was really good! I feel as though it could do with a better ending- the characters like mark/biscuit at the start had a really bad turn but wee z just gives me a laugh because of his nickname. I mean this book really enters the modern day now like all the slang kids use nowadays. I rate it 9/10- probably the best book I've read in a while yet I do want to warn any young readers there is some strong language but it is based in a British/Scottish gang rivalry.

Dylan

Kingdown

This book takes place in modern-day Scotland, in a poverty-ridden “Treacle Town”. The reader follows a teenage inhabitant of this town, Con, shortly after the murder of his friend, ‘Biscuit’, as he struggles with his position in society. When he discovers “slam poetry”, he finds a glimmer of hope that, if pursued, could lead to his escape. This book carries a powerful message about the inequality in our society and the violence and discrimination faced by the less privileged. While I wouldn’t recommend it to younger audiences due to strong language and sensitive topics, I would absolutely recommend Treacle Town to young adult readers because of how it handles said sensitive topics.

Anna

LGGS Shadow Questers

Treacle Town is a powerful book which employs a viewpoint that often goes unexplored - that of a teenaged gang member from an underprivileged background. This makes the book really interesting, and there are several emotional parts which make us feel sympathy for the characters. Overall, this is a really great book which I would definitely recommend.

Ruqayya

KECHG Shadowers

This book is one of the best I've ever read. It's definitely for older people (because of the swear words) and it has a lot of dark turns. The poetry is quite nice and the idea of Con's mum committing suicide adds more to the story. The fighting, murder and bloodshed in the book is perfectly balanced with the poetry and the characters being nice to each other. Overall, an excellent read with a brilliant storyline.

Noah

Southmoor Storywriters

I have mixed views when considering ‘Treacle Town’. On one hand it is a gritty, down to earth and quite depressing depiction of life in a Glasgow suburb, among a group of unemployed and alienated gang members. Their life is hopeless, drug and alcohol fueled, punctuated by acts of extreme violence along the sectarian divide of the city. Their language while sounding genuine here, is generally unacceptable in a wider society. Particularly when depicted in a book aimed at teenagers. We have of course seen this before from this author with ‘When Mister Dog Bites’. That is a book that never made it onto the shelves of my school Library because that type of foul language is simply not tolerated in that environment. This I fear will be another. The Glaswegian dialect is another issue. On the other hand I found the relationship between Con and his father as the most interesting aspect showing how it changed when there is a death in the family prior to where we, as readers, join them. There is an uplifting tone to save the novel near the end but it comes at a terrible cost. It reminds me of the Robert Frost poem ‘The Road Not Taken’ as Con too takes the path less travelled and that ‘made all the difference’.

Mr Hyde

Marshland Readers

I think this book does a mediocre job at conveying the message of people living in environments such as the one Treacle Town is set in. Firstly, in efforts to convey the style in which the characters' personalities represent, Conaghan uses an unnecessary amount of foul language, which could have worked in the right contexts, but throughout the book these words are littered in places that didn't require the excess emotion. Although understandable that the author tried to show how a group of 18 year olds would talk, it feels forced and not at all natural. The story of the book itself is very grim, and I could not get myself to enjoy the first 2/3s of it. It tackle the very important theme in gang life of action and reaction; in other words: revenge. The book follows an 18 year old unemployed man living in his dad's house, and follows his thought process through his realisation of a better life. The theme of revenge ripples through the whole book, and is due to a conflict between two Scottish gangs. The main character finds his way out of this never-ending cycle, at the expense of some of his friends. He learns that violence is not the only way out of a fight. Forgiveness is. Overall, I have mixed feelings for the book. Its story is good on the whole, once it picks up, but the writing style is very off-putting if you're not ready for it. Good book.

Muadh

Ermysted’s

This book was really interesting as it came from a perspective I haven’t explored before. I found myself really invested in the characters as they had many sides and you could see how they changed during certain events. I won’t spoil the ending however I think it is a really effective one. My only criticism is the language because I couldn’t understand what they were saying but after my first chapter I got the hang of it and it isn’t a bad thing because it further built up the characters.

Phoebe C

Herts and Essex

This book is a perfect representation of kids trying to be wannabe gangsters in current times

Connor R

Ermysted’s

I think that this book is very thought-provoking and emotional. It explores deep and intense themes that are not hidden, but also not overbearing. I really like how poetry and verse is included, albeit SLAM poetry, and I think it allows the reader to connect more with the plight of Con as he tries to forge a new path for himself. I like how dialect is used and not ignored; it is very reflective of what real life must be like for these people. Nothing in this book is glossed-over, making a clear impression on the reader. This is a book that is not easily forgotten, and that I think has an outstanding story, that draws you in right from the start.

Merryn

Diary of a Wally Kid

The book was a overall accurate facinating tale, that resonated with the more obscured side to our british isles, i found it compelling and emotional .although i found certain aspects of the language and mannerisms to be a bit overdone although this may be intentional. the only other issue i found with this book was that the first dozen pages seemed a bit dry and uninticing but overall the book was marvelous and really showed what one can achieve even if the situaution was not perfect.

edward

SHS On The Same Page

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

Colchester Royal Grammar School

An incredibly written novel by Brian Conaghan which excellently explores challenging themes such as gang violence and loss. This book is for older readers looking for an absorbing yet heartbreaking novel.

Lizzie

Presdales Carnegies Reading Group

This book is depressing. I know that is what is supposed to be, but the opening scene is genuinely heart wrenching. I really enjoyed the slam poetry aspect, but at times I struggled to see where the plot was going or how the conflicts and relationships would resolve. Overall, once you can abstract from the swearing and sometimes not understandable dialect, it is a fascinating novel that sheds a light on the problems faced by so many.

Zac

CGS CAKE Club

I Found this book to be very powerful It has a lot of tough emotions and is very tragic even in the first chapter. I liked the poetry used in the book and connor's journey into the world of slam poetry. However i found some of the language used a bit hard to read and it took a while for the plot to move along. Overall it was a good book with lots of raw emotions.

Yusuf K

Ermysted’s

Gurman

Lionheart25

I thought that the beginning of treacle town was very slow, and it took a while to get better, but when it got better it was good. I think that the moral of the story was that no matter how deep you are into gang life, you can get out, and that gang life is dangerous. I think this because both biscuit and trig die, which shows it is dangerous, and he gets a job which shows there is a way out.

James W-B

Ermysted’s

Treacle Town by Brian Conaghan is a powerful and emotional book. It is based in a small but threatening village where Con and his friends have a very important decision for their future: stay or go. After losing important people in his life, Con can't bare it any longer and has made up his mind, but it won't be easy. I particularly liked how the book was slow and going one step at a time, forcing the story to build up as you read. This made me want to read along more quickly to find out what happens next. My favourite part was near the end when the book rounded up all his life and turned him into a different person as compared to from the start. The thing I disliked was the wording of the book and how the author used language that 18 year old Con and his friends use to try and fit the theme. The language was good comparing it to how the characters would speak but, overall, it made it harder to read. Overall, I think this is a good book for people aged Con's age our experiencing the same type of things. I would recommend this for readers ages 14 - 19 and I would give it 7.5 / 10.

Hisham N

Ermysted’s

This was a very moving book, gritty, raw and full of emotion. I am transported to treacle town and I feel as I am there right with with Connor. The author is very talented.

Lyra

Pittville School

This novel is powerful and packs a punch. Con's inner conflicting thoughts and emotions are portrayed in such a convincing way. Allowing the language and dialect to wash over me, I became immersed in Con's world and the empathy I felt for him and the other main characters grew as their stories unfolded. Willing them to make the right choices, I was utterly gripped to the very end.

Rachel

Bilbo Baggins’ Bookworms

It was an interesting read but some of the Irish dialect was a bit confusing. The scene changes were sometimes quite abrupt but altogether I thought it was alright, but not as good as some of the other books I've read recently. However it got better as it progressed.

Livie

St Kaths

'Treacle town' was a book that if I saw on a book shelf or in a shop I would probably not pick it up. Not because the book is bad (it's fantastic) but because I don't typically read this genre. I'm so glad I got the chance to read this book, learning about some of the pressure and experiences people go through relating to gang violence was something I enjoyed because I'm not as educated in the topic. As I read the book I got to discover more and more about Con's struggles with his best friend Mark's (Biscuit's) passing. How his friends are always telling him 'do it for Biscuit'. I really admire Connors resilience to them saying this (although at times he may crumble and give in) I think them saying this really makes it harder for him to cope with the grief and struggle of his friends passing which is why SLAM poetry and some of the connections he makes with it is so vital for his character development. In addition, I like the idea of starting off the book with everyone at Biscuits funeral- this made me want to learn more, want to know how he died. It felt like I was there- in the moment. Overall, I enjoyed this book however some of the foul language and slang is ,at times, unnecessary and also a bit confusing. Finally, I would rate this book a 6/10

Libby A

VISTA Academy

This was a tragically heartbreaking yet beautiful book, written in the unique style of slang language. The present tense, as well as the style used, gave the book a very raw and real feel, encouraging empathy in the reader and expressing a perspective on gang violence and disadvantaged areas that is too rare in literature. The world of slam poetry as an escape echoes previous winner The Poet X, as the book shows how it allows young people to convey their emotions in a world where they are constantly told not to. The examination of father-son relationships also deepens the novel, as well as discussions of suicide and the breaking down of toxic masculinity. There are a lot of swear words used, but they are not generally used in a way offensive to the reader.

Eve

St Kaths

it was a good book and it got a lot better at the end.

hasan i

Ermysted’s

Treacle Town is about main character Con - he is trapped in his town, surrounded by gang violence and occupied with the constant thought of his best friend Mark 'Biscuit' McVitie, who has been murdered. He needs to find a way to get out, and when he discovers slam poetry, it presents itself to Con as his perfect escape route. My favourite character was Con, because he was resilient - throughout the book he was pressured into doing things he didn't want to do, and even though sometimes he gave in, towards the end of the story he made a decision and stuck with it, refusing to let anyone change his mind. I also liked the fact that some scenes were written very well. For example, at the start of the book at Biscuit's funeral, the atmosphere and mood were described in such a way that I felt as if I was there in that moment, feeling the grief and guilt of his friends and family. However, I think that there didn't have to be as much swearing or foul language, while it may add to the story and make it more interesting, Brian Conaghan could have used different words that potentially might not be as offensive to other readers. I enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to young adult readers who like learning about challenges some individuals face in different parts of the U.K or other countries.

Emma M

VISTA Academy

This book made me confused as it used many slang terms and inappropriate language. However, I enjoyed how the author wrote about a difficult and avoided topic of gang violence.

Meri

Pittville School

I didn't really like this book as much because there is a lot of death and sadness in the book such as when Connor's mum kills herself. There's also a LOT of violence and gangs and also a lot of people wanting revenge for the loved ones they've lost.

Abigail

St Cath’s Shadowing

I’d rate Treacle Town a 7/10. The story was quite enjoyable, with interesting characters and a good plot that kept me engaged. However, I found the language a bit difficult to understand at times, which made it harder to fully get into the book. While I liked the overall story, the writing style wasn’t my favorite. Still, it was a decent read, and I’d recommend it to someone who doesn’t mind more challenging language.

Bassit

Ermysted’s