Epsomians

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
This book is one of the weirdest yet funniest books I have read. It follows two monitor lizards, Zeke and Daniel that are hall monitors. At school they get into all sorts of wacky adventures and even a giant pelican robot. This book has all sorts of twists and turns throughout, and even can be read quickly if you are in a rush. I would rate this book a 5/5

Aidan

Songs for Ghosts
Songs for Ghosts by Clara Kumagai is a romantic fiction novel that explores gay love, reconnecting with the past, and the search for identity. The story weaves together Adam’s contemporary life with the diary entries of Kiku, a woman living in early 20th century Japan. As Adam travels to Japan to stay with a host family, he is navigating the aftermath of his mother’s death, a strained relationship with his father, and the pain of a recent breakup. He connects with a friend from his Japanese group and explores a relationship with him. Through this journey, the novel reflects on grief, love, and self discovery. I would rate it 3.5 while it wasn’t something I would normally go for, I still found it well written and deeply moving.

Georgina

Handle With Care
Handle with Care by Louisa Reid I couldn't put this book down - I really enjoyed the storyline and the way it was written from very two different perspectives of the same events. This structure kept me engaged and made me feel like I was in Ruby and Ashley's minds, experiencing their emotions along with them. I also thought it was very clever how the author used the text and layout of the page to reflect the chaos in Ruby's life as her friendship with Ashley falls apart and she deals with the overwhelming emotions of giving birth in a history classroom. Despite the sadness of the ending of this book I thought it delivered a powerful message about the importance of friendship, especially when life becomes overwhelming and overall I really enjoyed reading it.

isabelle

Wolf Siren
I liked the fantasy in this book and I enjoyed the concept of the story. However, I did feel that this book would have been better suited for those in Year 7/Year 8 because I thought the plot of the story went a bit too fast for me and I was often able to predict what would happen next. At the same time, I really liked the message of this book and how Red was never afraid to go into the woods, despite what others thought of it and the connotations that the woods had.

Eleanora

Traumaland
Traumaland is an extremely gripping book that explores themes of trauma and mental health, focusing on how individuals cope with their past. Overall it was thought-provoking and had great emotional depth, making it a worthwhile read.

Freya

Handle With Care
Handle With Care is a deeply moving and emotionally rich novel. The story is gripping and heartfelt, drawing you in from the first page until the end. It explores complex relationships and difficult choices, making it a great read. Overall, this book is thought-provoking and emotive and I would highly recommend it!

Freya

Wolf Siren
Wolf Siren by Beth O' Brien This is not the sort of book I would normally go for but I actually really enjoyed the storyline and the main character, Red. I liked how Beth O' Brien let the reader see things from Red's point of view, especially how she navigates the world while being visually impaired. I also liked how she used vivid descriptions to make the forest more eerie and magical while still subtly linking back to the original Little Red Riding Hood story. It did take me a while to get into the book, as the early chapters are quite slow as the mystery builds. Despite this, I ended up enjoying it overall.

Isabelle

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
This book was very unusual and quite random but I still enjoyed it. When I was telling my friends some of the things that happen in the book they where all extremely curious and asked to read it next.

Arabella

Popcorn
I really enjoyed the style of this book, it was very relatable and funny but there were also moments when it was harder for Andrew. I loved this book and would definitely recommend it.

Arabella

Traumaland
This book tells the story of Eli, who believes he cannot feel any emotions. However, he discovers a club called TraumaLand where emotionally numb people like him go to seek a thrill. There, he discovers something that would change his life, when parts of a past he cannot remember appear before him. This book keeps secrets from you until the ending, where the whole story finally "clicks", which really shocked me. I would rate this book a 4.5/5

Aidan

Handle With Care
I really enjoyed reading the book Handle with Care. I thought the plot was believable, which made it easy to become emotionally involved and want to keep reading. It wasn’t overly intellectual; it felt more like school‑level drama, which made it an easy and enjoyable read. I particularly liked the way the story is told from the first‑person perspective of two different characters. This made the novel more interesting and helped me understand the situation from more than one side. I would definitely recommend this book to a friend, as it is a really enjoyable and relaxed read. I found the ending sad, but I liked that it made me feel strong emotion.

Grace

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
I liked this book because it is humorous but also discussed themes of belonging and self worth. I enjoyed it because it was very random and chaotic at times but still had a clear storyline and message. Overall, I would recommend this book, especially to young people who want a quick, funny book to read.

Charlie

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
It wasn’t the book for me. I think some of the humour was hard to understand, but I can also see its appeal because in our group session when I explained the book to others it sounded quite funny and several other people in the group were intrigued and have now borrowed it for their next read. Bailey

Bailey

Shrapnel Boys
The book is focused on a boy whose mum falls in love with a blackshirt (Nazi) but at the time she does not know what he is or what he stands for. The boy's father was abusive so he has a hunch about Johnny from the start, but doesn't manage to persuade anyone, only for his hunch to turn out to be right. I enjoyed this book.

George

Traumaland
TraumaLand is a dark and gripping novel that follows Eli after a near fatal accident—or so he has been led to believe. Left emotionally numb and stripped of his memories, Eli is drawn to TraumaLand, an illegal club that promises to make him feel again. The story takes a sinister turn when Eli becomes entangled in the life of his old friend Jack, and fragments of the past begin to surface. Secrets unravel, loyalties fracture, and truth becomes impossible to find as Eli realises he cannot trust anyone—not even his family. Josh Silver crafts Eli as a complex and vulnerable protagonist, whose fractured mind and emotional detachment keep readers questioning what is real until the very last page. The gripping plot, strong characterisation, and unsettling atmosphere led me to give TraumaLand a 4.5 star rating, making it a standout choice for fans of psychological thrillers and mind bending fiction.

Georgina

Black Star
I found this book interesting, but also very sad. I enjoyed the element of poetry, as I could dip in and out of the book without having to read full chapters. Overall, it was a very enjoyable read.

Jack