Fiction Addiction

Little Bang
Little Bang is a very graphic book which describes the struggles of a teenage couple who accidentally have a baby and cannot abort it for legal reasons. In my opinion, the author is successful at extracting the reader's emotion and intentionally makes them question about whether abortion is right or not. Overall, a gripping story.

Bulent

King of Nothing
This book is about a kid named Anton who is the king of the school. He and his friends rule the school and the other kids steer clear when they're about. One day in happy campers Matthew, the biggest loser in class, unexpectedly saves his life. They both become really good friends but Anton doesn't want anyone else to see or else he will lose his reputation of being king.

Alisha

The Final Year
I really enjoyed The Final Year. It’s about a boy called Nate going through his last year of primary school, and he’s dealing with a lot his dad’s not around, his mum’s struggling, and school isn’t always easy. The book’s written in poems, which makes it really personal and emotional, like you’re inside Nate’s head. Some parts are pretty sad, but there are hopeful and funny moments too, especially when Nate starts finding his voice through writing. I liked how real it felt, like it could be someone you know. It’s a short read, but it sticks with you. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who likes books that are easy to read but still hit you in the feels.

Angel

The Things We Leave Behind
This book is an exceptional young adult novel that captivated me from start to finish. This excellent novel follows 16-year-old Clem and her half-sister Billie as they embark on a dangerous journey to Scotland in search of safety. One thing that stands out about this book is that is told through Clem's many journal entries, the narrative dines into numerous themes including: family, identity, and many more. I would recommend this book to young adults or teenagers and readers who love to read emotional resonant fiction.

Freya

The Final Year
The Final Year is a gripping book which involves the story of a Year 6 boy, who will soon transition into Year 7. The book talks about the boy's family life and his struggles at school and home. This gripping story takes us through a path of loss and change, which severely impact people's lives. For me, this book was very intriguing to read, and opened a new perspective showing what other people go through, and how it may impact their future. Overall, I would recommend this read to most of KS3. A great book!

Bulent

The Final Year
This beautiful book is about a 10 year old boy and his final year of primary school. It is written as thoughtful poems which tell the story of the boy's life. He experiences the highs and lows of friendships, family life and dealing with his own wild emotions. This is an intriguing book filled with different and unexpected turns. The way it is written reflects a 10 year old very clearly, making it harder to understand at some points, but I would definitely recommend this book to children transitioning from primary to secondary.

Bayley

Little Bang
This book showed us the difficulty of teenage pregnancies and how to deal with it. The characters were well developed and the change of perspectives was done perfectly. The ending was satisfying and the pace was good.

Emma

The Things We Leave Behind
A beautifully written book with a great twist at the end. I think this is my favourite book so far. One thing I would want to improve would be to get the pace of the story a bit quicker. The story was sometimes quite slow.

Emma

Treacle Town
This book was an interesting book about the horrors of gang violence and it involved drugs and murder. Our protagonist is stuck in it all and he just wants to escape it. The psychological nuances and the choice of colloquial language made it a different type of book. This book always keeps you thinking, will he ever escape? It also contained political ideologies and characters with strong racist and cultural views. I would only recommend this book to KS4 or 6th form students.

Akay

The Final Year
This book was not my usual type but it was a decent one-time read. It involves the protagonist Nate, proceeding into secondary school while being separated from his best friend, Packer Smith. He was having a very stressful final year, but having support from his teacher, Mr Joshua. It was quite an emotional book and drew out strong feelings which was quite surprising.

Lewis

The Final Year
This is a coming of age book about moving up to Year 6. The main character , Nate, and his best friend are separated in different classes and slowly move away. When Nate's brother Dylan almost dies, can he keep up? My favourite bit is when they are talking to their teacher at the end as it was really heartwarming. I would suggest this book to Year 5,6 and 7. I really enjoyed this book.

Zach

All That It Ever Meant
This book had a great twist at the end however throughout it it was quite confusing. It took a long time to get to the point and didn't quite make sense.

Emma

King of Nothing
I loved this book. It was full of humor and made laugh at some points. The character development is very noticeable and overall the book was just really great

Emma

The Final Year
The final year is a very realistic story about a boy named Nate, in his final year of primary school, facing challenges including his anxiety that may be coming from his problems at home with his mother, but also from the fact that he is not uniquely rich in comparison to his classmates. Nate’s mom works extra shifts, as they don’t have a father, but also gets home every night late and drunk so all the responsibility for his younger brothers (Jax and Dylan) falls on Nate. One day when Nate woke up there was a surprise and something changed with his youngest brother Dylan that could haunt him for the rest of his life.

Basia

The Final Year
At the start i thought I wasn't going to like this book because of its format however as it progressed I had a much better view on the book.

emily

Little Bang
'Little Bang' was a fun enjoyable read; the writing style was good as well as the story line. Mel and Sid made great protagonists as the contrast each other really well. However, one thing I did not like was the pregnancy aspect as I think it is a bit inappropriate for my age group. But overall I did really like the book and it was definitely worth the read.

Sophie

The Things We Leave Behind
I wasn’t too sure if I liked it at the beginning but I was definitely enjoying it towards the end. The start didn’t really catch my attention and keep me engaged but I was left shocked at the insane plot twist I never saw coming. This book left me with a bittersweet feeling because Clem didn’t end up alone but she did lose some important people on the way.

aleena

All That It Ever Meant
This book is a beautiful story about family life and the struggles and chaos of the characters' family. I love the detailed and thoughtful metaphors used throughout the book, perfectly describing the girls emotions. The use of flashbacks and memories were slightly confusing at some points but added a lot to the characters and their personalities. The descriptions put into the settings and the characters made it easy to picture the story and made me feel more involved. I recommend this book to people who enjoy reading meaningful and multi-layered stories about real life experiences and how different people cope.

Bayley

The Final Year
‘The Final Year’ by Matt Goodfellow is the story of a boy in year 6 told through free verse. It follows Nate’s experiences as he navigates challenging circumstances and growing up. I loved the way the author used poetry to show Nate’s emotions charging the book with power and beauty. The free verse helps to create variety making this book entirely unique. Some moments in the story were tragically sad making the book eye opening about profound truths in society. There are illustrations at key moments in the texts to depict the view of Nate’s friend Caleb as well which help to tell the story from a different perspective. This story was moving and provides a good insight into other’s lives.

Elizabeth

The Things We Leave Behind
‘The Things We Leave Behind’ by Clare Furniss is a thought-provoking and moving dystopian novel. It has strong messages about racism and refugees, along with other issues in today’s society. The story follows Clem - a young girl - and her journey to find safety and peace away from her home. I enjoyed the way the narrative moved from a fairytale style of writing, conveying the story through a fantasy to the startling and harsh reality of Clem’s experiences. I found the ending of the story confusing, as it was slightly unclear what was happening in the plot. I think this story is an important read and challenges young people to think about what they can do to make the world better.

Elizabeth

Play
Play is a gripping novel that explores the lives of four teenage boys as they navigate the challenges of growing up in a small town. The story delves into themes of friendship, identity and issues like drug use, toxic masculinity and the search for belonging. Each chapter offers a different character's perspective, providing a deep understanding of their individual struggles and choices. I loved how each character had different font writings, expressing their personalities and actions(e.g. bold or neat). I recommend Play to KS4 students who are interested in realistic stories which tackle complex social issues.

Yagmur

The Final Year
The Final Year is a powerful and emotional story told in verse. It follows a boy named Nate as he goes through his last year of primary school, dealing with big changes in his life. He faces challenges at home, pressure at school, and the fear of growing up. My favourite part is how Nate uses writing and poetry to express his feelings-it's truly moving and honest. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys real-life stories about friendship and family. It is also a quick-read - but also meaningful and stays long with you after you finish.

Yagmur

King of Nothing
King Of Nothing is a gripping book about a boy called 'Anton', who misbehaves in school with his group of friends and is forced to volunteer at a community project called 'Happy Campers' where he becomes friends with a quirky boy at school called 'Mathew' who saves his life. The book teaches us a lesson that we shouldn't always have to follow stereotypes, but should instead be ourselves and pick our friends carefully. Overall, this book was very enjoyable to read with an important lesson, and I would recommend it to others in KS3.

Bulent

Little Bang
Set in Belfast 2018, where abortion is illegal, Mel who has never been on date falls. Head over heels for high school drop out Sid. When a romantic first date turns into an unlucky turn of events Mel is force to choose between her religion and her future. I loved this book. It inspired many questions and conversations that my friends and me explored. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/five stars.

Tilly

The Final Year
Nate’s life is already complicated but when his best friend finds a new best buddy he feels betrayed. Unfortunately, his life is about to get a lot harder. Can Nat keep it all together while his youngest brother, Dylan, is rushed into urgent care? I really liked this book however the only comment I would make is that I would have liked to read a few poems from Dylan’s perspective. ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ ⭐️/ five stars.

Tilly

The Final Year
This book is about a kid who is in the last year of primary school.He is facing tough issues throughout his year,including a disaster that strikes with his little brother,Dylan.His final year becomes a nightmare when he loses control of his anger.This book was really good because it made me realise how hard other people's life is.It was really interesting and entertaining.I would recommend this book to people over 13 because of the content.

Alisha

Treacle Town
'Treacle Town' is a good book but the language used is definitely not suitable for teenagers. However, the language went really well with the story, setting, and characters. I liked the poetry aspect but not the gang violence and the impact it had on the characters.

Sophie

All That It Ever Meant
I hoped that this book would be interesting and a fun read however, I was slightly let down by the last 100 pages. The only bit I personally liked was the first 10 or so chapters. I also liked how the first chapter is able to hook the reader in to the story.

Sophie

The Things We Leave Behind
The Things We Leave Behind is a fantastic book regarding the story of a child who is separated from her family due to the growing police state regime and unrest in London. It teaches us the consequences of a dictatorship and constant surveillance, while also having an emotional impact. It is a brilliant story which I enjoyed, and would recommend it to KS3 readers.

Bulent

The Things We Leave Behind
A beautifully written story with a lot of emotions throughout it. It was a bit difficult to grasp at the start but once I'd read a bit I got really into it. The plot twist is heartbreaking and I almost cried. I would definitely read it again!

Emma

The Final Year
I thought this book was full of different emotions and packed with action.It contrasted feelings in life and was a great read.I would strongly recommend.

John

The Things We Leave Behind
I think the book was very nice and heartfelt. I really felt for Clem with what happened to Billie because it can be hard to deal with loss. I also like how Clem and Billie had to move because of the corrupt government as it helped show the element of adventure. I think that showing more of the backstory of Claudia and more into Clem's life at the end of the book would be good. Apart from that it was a really good book.

Angel

The Things We Leave Behind
I thought the things we leave behind was a lovely book. It had an intriguing storyline and the connection through characters were expertly planned. I loved reading this book and I would recommend it to lots of people.

Emily

The Final Year
It was a very captivating book. The writing itself was very easy to read and follow along. I really enjoyed it and would definitely read it again!

Emma

King of Nothing
I really enjoyed this book as it made me think about school and how important it is to make sure you choose your friends wisely , as they could make you do things you know isn't right. Another reason why I found it interesting was because of the humour in the book as it made me laugh several times. Overall , I really liked this book and bet you would too.

Malaika

The Final Year
'The final year' by Matt Goodfellow was a book I was sure I wasn't going to like ; I was wrong. I love the writing style, illustrations and layout of the book: these factors overall made the book more enjoyable to read. I also liked Nate's story and how he overcomes all the challenges and obstacles that come his way, and what he gets as a result.

Sophie

Play
'Play' by Luke Palmer was a book I did not expect to like but am glad I do. I really enjoyed the stories this book follows however, I was not a big fan of Mark. I found the writing style to be quite fun to read ; I also enjoyed how every protagonist got their at least one chapter from their point of view. My favourite bit was the beginning because of how all the characters were introduced. Overall I really enjoyed the book and I am sad it is finished.

Sophie