Colchester Royal Grammar School

Little Bang
Little Bang was a book that centred around the theme of abortion and teenage pregnancy. It handles sensitive topics such as intimate relationships but is overall an enjoyable read. It has strongly defined characters, and some characters such as Sid develop throughout the book.However, the overall plot and themes are not suited to my taste, sadly.

Tejas

The Things We Leave Behind
The Things we leave behind is a very well-wriiten novel which explores the impact of the anti-immigrant sentiment. The story follows Clem and her half-sister Billie, as they take a tremendous journey from London, trying to escape the regime in London. The complex character of Clem appealed to me, and my only criticism would be the similarity to some other novels. I would recommend this to everyone who enjoys a suspenseful, complex story.

Tejas

King of Nothing
King of Nothing was a very good book which focused on Anton, and his trials and tribulations. I like how this book takes the reader on a journey, from the first gang scene right through to the refuge's grand opening. The characters had sufficient depth and I felt like I could empathise with their various predicaments. The only issue is that this book is a little bit clichéd, and the plot is not very unique. However, I would certainly recommend this book to people, as I found it a delightful read

Manas

Little Bang
When I first heard that this was a book about teenage pregnancy, I had pretty low hopes about it. However, it was overall better than I expected, despite some definite anticlimactic moments, such as the abortion of the baby, as I expected that Mel and Sid would somehow find a way to cope and live their lives with the baby. The stark contrast between the two protagonists elevates the plot and theme of this book, contrasting them and their lives throughout the book. I also liked how Little Bang showed the practical and realistic side of having children, as opposed to unnecessarily romanticising it. Overall, this book is not bad, but the plot and theme is not really for me as an individual.

Manas

Treacle Town
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

The Final Year
I have very mixed opinions about this book. The Final Year did an excellent job at creating a gripping storyline and concept from a simple and relatable setting. However, I did not like the fact that the entire story was written in verse, as I believe some elements would have been better in standard prose writing. The book was also very short, and only took me 1 day to read, so in my opinion, using standard prose in some areas could have lengthened the book and elevated the plot further. Overall, I would recommend this book to some people, but not to those who prefer more structured and complex plot-themed books.

Manas

King of Nothing
Overall, the book is an enjoyable read, and portrays the real life that a person with a reputation must face. It shows how when in a public setting or not, you can never show the true side of you when you have a reputation. But throughout the book, the overall theme of deception is slowly unravelled, and the book shows how just being "cool" and "popular" are not the most important things in life, even if they may seems like so to a teenager. The characters are all very well explained, and overall I would recommend the book to others.

Tejas

All That It Ever Meant
This book was a very thought-provoking and deep read, dealing with complex problems such as loss of family, etc. The main character's story is beautifully narrated, telling a story of grief and what could be salvaged from it. I would personally recommend this book to anyone looking for an unconventional yet interesting read, looking at different aspects and identities of a person.

Manas

The Things We Leave Behind
"The Things We Leave Behind" was a book with a really deep plot, and every page I ended made me want to read more. I could definitely sympathize with the characters in this book, and the political part in this was covered very brilliantly as well.

Yuvan

Treacle Town
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

Play
Play is a book about 4 different boys, namely Matt, Mark, Johnny and Luc. The book shows how innocence in childhood is quickly lost, and about how social status, wealth and all other categorising factors cannot stop the fatal impact of drug dealing, drug abuse and, possibly even fatalities. The story is written in 4 perspectives to shine a light on how different the lives of 4 individuals were. It is a great and moving read, and shows that life is not all that simple.

Tejas

The Final Year
The Final Year Was A very interesting book that showed a true experience of what it is like to go through Year 6 and that even though Year 6 is hard with SATS you can get through it. Overall, I enjoyed this book very much and would recommend to Year 5s and above.

Caleb

Play
This book was fun to read, and did an excellent job of exploring the lives of different boys, with different life experiences and social statuses, which contrasted their characteristics in the book. The book gives a good idea about the dangers of drug abuse and dangers associated with drugs. My only issue with the book is that the ending was quite cryptic and felt a bit jarring, not quite fitting in with the remainder of the book.

Manas

The Things We Leave Behind
This book was a really enjoyable read. The dystopian setting really enhanced the plotline, making Clem's bid for freedom seem even more dire. The whole story and the characters were very intricately created, as opposed to superficial and artificial characters with little depth that are commonly found in books. The story was a genuine thriller, and held my attention until the very end. I would definitely recommend this book, and I can certainly see that this book is worthy of making the Carnegie shortlist!

Manas

Little Bang
DISCLAIMER: SPOILERS AHEAD "Little Bang" was a really enjoyable rollercoaster of feelings and happenings, ups and downs, but the conclusion of the story was ruined a little bit as Sid and Mel parted ways, which is a shame as they had potential to become a good couple (what is the point of nearly having a baby if you're not together in the first place)? The story very nearly followed a cyclical structure, advancing very much forward with the plot before dropping it down to square one, but nonetheless it was a great read while the action was still booming!

Yuvan