Beacon Thursday Book Club
Popcorn
Throughout the book, Andrews's anxiety is represented as a popcorn kernel
being put under pressure until it pops-I found this metaphor really
interesting. The book explained a lot to me about what it really feels like to
have mental health like this. This book was an extremely interesting as I had
never read a book from the mental health category awareness before. I liked
how the Author managed to weave so much drama in one day at school and I
can empathize with Andrew over how it must have felt.
theo
Not Going To Plan
I quite enjoyed the plot line as it can be very relatable for children in the late teens, because it includes representation of consent, alcohol, vaping etc. I really liked the way it had been written in verse as it came across as very impactful and the contrast between the two characters was very interesting.
Ivy
Twenty Four Seconds from Now
i didnt love the writing style but the plot line and ideas were really unique and interesting.
Ivy
Wolf Siren
While it is really positive to include themes of disability, feminism and menstruation in stories, I felt this one did not portray it well. The disability felt like tokenism, and there was way too much about periods. I did not connect with the character at all, because Red, despite being 13, acts in a childish and immature fashion. There was plenty of drama, twists and turns so this book may appeal to reader who enjoy this kind of format. I would give this book 1/5 stars and recommend it for ages 12+
Lottie
Birdie
Animal lovers will like this book, and so will people who like stories set in the past. It had a confident storyline with plenty of twists and turns, although at times these were a little predictable. This book effectively portrayed racism in the 1950 sensitively and well.
I would rate this book 3/5 stars.
Lottie
Ghostlines
Year 6 English teachers around the country will love this book as it is a great example of how to use SATs writing techniques. It is full of similes, metaphors and every noun has abundant adjectives! The storyline was actually good, but the writing style made me feel like I was reading the English texts found in the SATs reading paper. For some people this book will be very enjoyable, but it was not quite to my taste. I would recommend it for ages 8+ and give it 2.5/5 stars.
Lottie
Popcorn
I found Popcorn an enjoyable read, as I felt drawn to the characters, and could relate to them. I loved the humour in this story as it lightened what could be quite a dark and depressing book. Although this story was dealing with some very challenging issues- for example OCD and severe anxieties- it portrayed them really accurately as something we can’t get rid of but can help, and also the extreme challenge of living with
Alzheimer’s. I liked the writing style as well, and would recommend this book highly. However, I have also read Rob Harrel’s other book (Wink) and I did prefer it to this one, because I felt it had a better and slightly less complex storyline.
Overall, I would reccomend this book for 10+ and rate it 4/5 stars.
Lottie
Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
This book felt very much aimed at a 7-9 audience or for those who particularly love stories about anthropomorphic animals. At the age of 12, I found it did not really appeal to me because the improbability of it all was just a step too far. The characters felt difficult to relate to, and some of the names felt unnecessarily complex for the target audience.
Having read “A Monster Calls” by the same author, I had high hopes for this book. However, this story felt like a huge departure from the style I had previously enjoyed.
I would give this book 2 scores: for younger children- 3/5, and for an older audience- 1/5
Lottie