Blake Book Buddies

Create Group Magazine

All That It Ever Meant
Very original idea and cleverly written. I enjoyed this book which had a good pace, kept me interested in the family and the main character even when things got a bit surreal. I liked the way the action went backwards and forwards in time as the family travelled closer to their destination in Zimbabwe. The reason they are going there and the way the narrator tells the tale without giving much away about herself all become clear in the end and you don’t see that coming too far ahead. An impressive book with a lot you could discuss going on inside it. I would seek out more by this author.

Treacle Town
Great idea for a story. Loved the idea and the characters, especially Nails. It was eye-opening and sad to hear about the lives of teenagers in Glasgow’s poorest housing schemes in the 2020s. It doesn’t sound like things have improved for them in the past 50 years, which I hadn’t realised. I liked the beginning and the ending best. I think the main body of the book could have used some serious pruning and restructuring as it became a bit like wading through treacle itself. Also, for the non-Scots, a glossary and a bit of background detail? An interesting read but not an enjoyable one.

The Things We Leave Behind
I was interested in this 90% of the way through but the ending felt rushed and it wasn’t satisfying which I think books for children and young people should be, It is dystopian but not very. You can see a possible future like the one described just around the corner. This made it intriguing to read. I liked the part when they stayed with the Grandpa - that got very folk horror in tone but the whole book didn’t hang together and felt disjointed. I also didn’t enjoy the interjections of the fairy tale which ran alongside the main story and began skipping them. Not my favourite anyway.

Little Bang
An AMAZING BOOK help understand the struggle that young people deal with being pregnant and young parents alongside the relationship between Mel and Sid development. Highly suggest reading this alongside suggesting this to a friend who love book that have a look on the life being pregnant.

King of Nothing
This is a lovely book despite tackling some tough modern themes - misogyny, social deprivation and a parent in prison for example. All is handled deftly by the author with lashing of humour and heartwarming plot twists throughout. It is extremely funny and still feels like a children's book which I personally think contenders for the Carnegie Medal ought to do. This year's shortlist feels heavily weighted in favour of upper teenage fiction but this one is perfect for year 8 or 9. There are themes of friendship, acceptance, bullying and getting to know yourself as you mature. It's a feel good read, great story, and of the five books I have read so far, this is my current top choice and highly recommended as a good book.

Play
This was a gripping read. I was fully immersed in the characters' young lives, which were everything you probably wouldn't want your teenage son's to be - drug-taking, hanging around the streets, 'making out' with a string of girls, failing at school, negative male influences. Phew! This is an insight into the modern lives of streetwise teens and not for the fainthearted. The author is a secondary school teacher so I'm sure this is a realistic portrayal of some teenage boys experiences. The story keeps switching from boy to boy, written in the first person and that can be confusing - you need to keep a straight idea in your head about which is which, but this becomes easier once you get into the plot. Although each boy is very different, their bonds of friendship are very strong. My favourite character was Matt, who is gay, and the least rebellious of the four. Particularly convincing as a character was the father of Mark - a narcissist of a dad and the ongoing damage done to his son though his expectations and bullying was tough to read. This book is not appropriate for younger teens and although a satisfying read, certainly not an uplifting one. Beautifully written and well worth reading though. I found it almost unputdownable.

Glasgow Boys
I loved this book and the Glasgow setting really made it. The two main characters are fully realised and convincing, especially Banjo. The gritty, articulate honesty of the Glaswegian character shone out of him. It’s a great story, all about relationships of all kinds and the discovery of the importance of love - the ability to give it and receive it. I will certainly seek out other books by this writer. Definitely a strong contender for the award I’d say.

Little Bang
I really enjoy the difference personalities Mel and Sid and because I feel like relationships who have opposite personalities work well together and make a good story. I also love the trope "trouble maker x dork" because their personalities clash but in a good way, if they had the same personality they would be quite a boring couple and wouldn't capture the readers attention.

Little Bang
I think this specific book is very eye opening to lots of different teenagers and and adults all round the world since this book opens the eyes of teens or young adults that either thinking of doing something similar experiences or have done it, also the love dynamic between Mel and Sid are very common since it could relate to the younger audiences.

Little Bang
I’ve read up to chapter 3 and the book is good but also confusing when switching between Mel and Sid. The plot of a the story is also confusing as on one page it talks about a relative and their coin and then it changes to talking about time travelling.

Little Bang
I’m in chapter 9, I have quiet enjoyed the journey (SPOLIER ALERT IN CHAPTER 9) I believe that never of the parents like wach other at all

The Final Year
Well this was a great little book. I loved it and it made me smile and cry. Without giving away too much, because some of you might want to read it, it is a story of a boy’s tough last year at primary school. Nate navigates his way through a new class, new teacher, losing an old friendship, finding a new friendship and most of all, a huge family crisis, helped along by his ability to get his thoughts and feelings down on paper in the form of poetry. The whole story is told through his poems and it was a very nostalgic read for me as I spent 12 years working with this age group in primary school and it was all very true to life. The author used to teach at primary too and the details of life in a Year 6 classroom were spot on and very heartwarming. I loved the character of Mr Joshua and know that many schools contain such heroes and it’s not just in fiction. Also, I enjoyed the references to David Almond’s books, particularly Skellig. I always enjoy books that mention other books within them, and in this case, there was lovely use made of DA’s famous story. This is the third shortlisted book I have read and I’m tempted to say, they just keep getting better and better! This one is quick too. You can swallow it whole - it took me an hour.

Little Bang
No spoilers: I finished the book - a very satisfying ending, with hope for the future. Each character's emotional journey was resolved but the author cleverly acknowledged there is no straightforward answer to the question of allowing abortion. I even think that this book would help persuade strong believers who are either pro/anti choice that there are so many variables in each individual case, that it is impossible to stand in judgement of other people who decided to take this course of action. Apart from this serious central message, I enjoyed the way the plot unfolded, the well-drawn characters and their relationship between each other. Definitely a recommended read. 7/10 from me.

Little Bang
I am up to Chapter 10 and these are my thoughts so far. I'm enjoying the book - especially the text version. (I found listening to the audio version was too slow, though I'm not a particularly fast reader.) I like both central characters who, though they started out the stereotype good girl/bad boy, quickly developed into more nuanced versions of themselves. Without spoiling the story for anyone - at this stage in the story, there is tension between the young people and their families whilst the two of them are still learning new and surprising things about each other. Everyone is on a steep learning curve. The author is good at developing everyone's characters in a pacy way so they become rounded and believable. This makes it is less easy to predict where the storyline will end up which keeps the reader's interest. I like the premise of the story and its Northern Irish setting. The theme is topical, even though the story takes place in 2018. Battles for change, once won, are usually quickly forgotten and the rights of women to have control over their own bodies and to abortion has recently been removed in parts of the United States so this book is a reminder that we shouldn't take rights for granted. It is an easy read and I'm looking forward to how the plot unfolds.