GreatB00ks
Wolf Siren
I enjoyed this book as I found it very interesting how it delved into gender equality and how women are being suppressed. It showed the need for women and men to be equal and to have equal opportunities to be able to thrive and how the lack of balance negatively impacted the village. I also enjoyed the variation of little red riding hood, making it extremely fun to read. The main character Red was relatable and stood up for what she belived in which was very
inspiring.
Ellie
Not Going To Plan
I loved this book so much as i found it very interesting and i liked the way that it was layed out. I liked the way that the characters were all different and their range of believes and the way that it influenced their actions. I also loved the fact that they were listening to kpop whilst ice skating! 10/10
Amelia
Twenty Four Seconds from Now
I think that it was a very insightful book that opens peoples minds to what in reality is not "romance novel" relationships but instead something more closer to home and how everything is in reality. It shows people how nervous and scary new relationships can be and how daunting sex can be. Although the teachings of the book was really in depth and the book was a good read, I sometimes got a bit lost but overall it was an enjoyable read. Thank you to the author for showing people that they are not alone in feeling nervous and that opening up to the people you are close to can only help you.
Ellie
Ghostlines
I really enjoyed this book as it had a very cohesive plot. I found that the sentences were very long but i found that it suited the character well. I loved reading about albies character development and finding out more about the island and their way of life
Amelia
Birdie
This book was okay. I found it intersting to know what African-American children went through.
Phoebe
Ghostlines
This story was a great book as it was a lovely story as i loved the island and the puffins was a great way. I loved the mystery about tildas brother as i really thought he was dead. I would definitely recommend to a friend as i really liked how this book felt magical and i loved the seals.
Emmy
Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
I loved this book, despite it being for a younger audience. The jokes were well timed and funny , the illlustrations added extra charm to the novel and i really really enjoyed reading it!
Amelia
Popcorn
Despite the slow start of the story, i soon gained an interest in the main character's inner mind and his specific perspective on life. His characterisation was nicely complex and felt immersive while reading. I also enjoy the ending of his acception towards his imperfect day.
Chloe
Wolf Siren
I liked this one, especially towards the end when it was more climactic, and i liked the characters, however i wish it got going more
Melissa
Wolf Siren
This book was educational to me for starters as i didnt know about little red riding hood. this can teach us about how partially blind people see the world and how different people see different things. I also loved this book as it talked about and overcome limiting rule over women. It did anger me that women/girls in the village had to wear skirts, but it was counterattacked with the fact that wolves did not attack women. this fact was quite empowering as it gave the view that nature wouldnt harm them or protect them, instead killing those who sought to harm them (men).
Jennifer
Twenty Four Seconds from Now
This was an interesting read because of the use of time. This unique way of writing a book positively differed to other books. Another thing i like about this book is views from a poor neighbourhood, a family members funeral and relationships.
Jennifer
Not Going To Plan
This was a good book for me because of the views of teen pregnancy and LGBT+. It conveys important messages around this which can almost educate children/teens that read this.
Jennifer
Ghostlines
Katya balen has done it again! she has created another wonderful book full of nature and experiences of people. I liked it because of the differnt views from the small island.
Jennifer
Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
This book was not quite at my age but was still an enjoyable read. It had good humour and an interesting storyline, aswell as a few important lessons.
Jennifer
The Boy I Love
This book was more character focused than plot focused overall. It was interesting to read about about Stephen and Danny's past lives and how they ended up in the war. I did like the ending as it was a nice contrast to how tragic war books usually end up. However, it was dissapointing how the plot was lacking in the story.
Chloe
Twenty Four Seconds from Now
I really enjoyed it and found the story quite interesting
Melissa
Wolf Siren
This book was awesome! It was a very good twist on one of the oldest fairytales in existance. I liked the fact that within the book, it was made clear that Red has a visual imparement and was struggling at times to cope with it. I would change the first transformation that Read underwent and i would describe it more and find out how she sees the woods whilst not having perfect vision. I would recommend this book to people who like fairytales but would maybe like to read one of them with a more modern twist. Overall, i loved this book and would definitely recogmend this!!
Phoebe
The Boy I Love
I loved it and it perfecly shows the losses of war and the beauty of love and life
Danuji
Not Going To Plan
I really enjoyed this book. The writing and chapters were set out in a brillant way to ensure an easy read. Marnie was a great character who really grew throughout the book which was really inspiring. I also like how they showed the pressure that was put on Zed and how he overcame it. I love how the book aproached the pregnancy as it taught about how you don't have to go through anything alone. I really enjoyed the and would definetly recommend .
Emmy
Popcorn
I really did not like it, i did not find the story engaging enough, this is definetly a younger read and i couldnt finish
Melissa
The Boy I Love
I loved it
Danuji
Ghostlines
The book was really enjoyable to read. It was easy to get interested in and I particularly loved the mystery of what happened to Rowan and who he was in the beginning of the book. Also, i enjoyed how Tilda came to understand why Rowan did what he did.
Chloe
Wolf Siren
The book provided an interesting perspective on gender roles and inbuilt patriachy. I found it interesting on how despite women being able to do something men can't, they were still treated as lesser people. The whole story was simple to read and continue without wanting to stop.
Chlo
Popcorn
The idea was good but i personally did not enjoy since i think it is more childish and i couldnt finish it. I also found some pictures not enjoyable, overall 4/10
Melissa
The Boy I Love
Well written with a good storyline
Ellie
Popcorn
I find this really hard to say but i could not finish this book. I think that it was mainly aimed at younger children.The writing was very immature and i feel like lots wasn't explained and the alzheimers was quite disregarded. But i think if you are a younger audience who struggles with anxiety this is for you .
Emmy
Twenty Four Seconds from Now
I didn't really like this book: the layout of it, going from the present to the past and then at the end returning to the present day, didn't really stick out to me. Even though it's an interesting layout, it would've been even better if it started out as the past, then gradually going to the present day.
Tarja
Popcorn
I hated this book. He went into no detail about the fact the main character's gran has Altzhimers. The whole book was written in a very childish way and there was next to no deatail about anything throughout the book.
However, there were some acpects that i believe some younger readers may potentially enjoy. The consepts were put into language that young readers would be able to understand and would not be freaked out.
Overall, i would not recogmend this book to people unless they enjoy kids books kr were a young reader themslve.
Phoebe
Birdie
It was a nicely paced story that was easy to understand. Though I believe the issues presented in the book should have lasted until the end of the story rather than split into two parts
Wolf Siren
Wolf Siren is a story about Red, a 13 year old girl, who was always going off into the woods. She figures out that she can summon wolves and even change into one. But it all goes wrong when Caragh, the village's woodcutter, dissapears deep into the woods. I enjoyed reading this book because it showed feminism, when the men weren't allowed into the woods to avoid the risk of getting hurt by the wolves, and the fact that it is a remaster of the famous childrens' fairy tale "Little Red Riding Hood".
Tarja
Ghostlines
I really enjoyed this book! I relate to the character's way of thinking and speaking which is probably why I enjoyed the writing style and didnt get bored and liked the complete ending, overal 8.5/10
Melissa 🐧
Not Going To Plan
This book is about teenage pregnancy, consent and abortion. I liked this book as it tells the story of Marnie getting pregnant without her consent, and does everything she can to try and abort the foetus.
Tarja
Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
I quite liked this book as it was quite funny and childish. It's about 3 friends going against the evil Pelicarnasus in their school. It's about friendship, working together but also bullying. I would recommend this book to anyone aged 7+.
Tarja
Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
This book was very young. I disliked the overall plot of the book because it didnt make a huge amount of sense. The plot was confusing, especially the story of how France actually ended up on his knee, as the author didnt go into a lot of detail on how his ancestor got cursed in the first place. I also disliked the fact that his friends could suposedly shoot fire from their sashes just because they were hall monitors. I believe that there was also a tiny bit of discrimination within the book, because the hall monitiors were all monitior lizards. I think the book would have been better if they had different animals as hall monitors as this would have promoted inclusivity more and show young children that anyone can do anything, and it does not depend on multiple factors, like where you come from or the colour of your skin. The book was definitely written for the age range that the rating said it was for and as a result it was not my cup of tea. It could have been made more appealing to older kids if they dive a bit deeper into the storyline more so that people can get some backround information. I also "zoned out" while reading it and did not pay the upmost attention to what was happening and who had done what. Overall, i would not recommend this book to someone unless they were very young themselves or had a younger sibling who they could read it to. Somebody who would enjoy this book would be a person who has a thing for childrens books and likes a clear at times but mainly confusing storyline. I would not be recommending this book to my friends for their own reading pleasure.
Phoebe
Wolf Siren
I liked this book overall and I thought the message about feminism and nature was very powerful. Also the fact that even young children can read the book is especially positive since most young girls around the age of 10 often experience identity issues, especially around puberty. I also liked how nature was linked into all this and how it showed the message that nature protects people who take care of each other
Danuji
Twenty Four Seconds from Now
This book failed to keep my complete interest. Despite the context included in the story being very detailed, there was too much. It felt like reading a school textbook on the history of the development of schools. The book would be easier to read in a chronological order.
Chloe
Popcorn
Popcorn was an intersesting read for me as it showed the experiences of a young person having anxiety. I enjoyed it as i have not read many books like this. It was also important how the book included a family member with dementia. It was nice to see how the boy coped with his experiences.
Jennifer
The Boy I Love
I loved this book so much due to the mixing of history and queer representation! However, i did cry (in public, unfortunately) in the end (no spoilers dw). Anyway, i could honestly reread this multiple times but if i could read this without knowing what happens next, i would.
Zosia
Birdie
I really liked this book as it showed what it was like in the past, and how the main character showed careness to the horse when others couldn't. This would be a perfect book for readers aged 9 or older who love animals (especially horses), and would do anything to protect them and show their love for them.
Tarja
Not Going To Plan
I was skeptical at first but it got really interesting quite quickly. I think it gave a new perspective on teenage pregnancy and i enjoyed the story and the way it moved. The art in it was very creative and i like when books have a deserving ending and all the protagonists are happy.
Melissa
Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
I cannot properly review this book as it is unsuitable to me. The story is better suited to a much younger audience.
Chloe
Ghostlines
Well written with a beautiful story
Ellie
Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
It was a great book and cleverly written with illustrations throughout that really added to the story
Ellie