Horsham BOok HUNTers
Twenty Four Seconds from Now
I really liked this book, I thought the writing was really good and although it isn’t a book I wouldn’t normally read it was still a great read. The first few pages were slightly confusing but once I got past them and into the real story I understood. I also liked how this book had the right amount of details when talking about more mature subject e.g sex and childbirth. This book was also really good because the sister of the main character explains how a friend was wrong on how you should have intimacy with a girl the first time.
Natalia
Popcorn
Popcorn was a super engaging, fast-paced book which is filled with comedy and real-life emotions, targeted at younger readers to relate to and enjoy. Although I wouldn’t recommend it to most adults or teenagers, I do think it’s a must read for younger beginner readers wanting to start reading books, especially ones about people’s life and experiences. 4/5.
Dexter
Ghostlines
The contrast of a new boy coming to the island and the unfamiliarity with him and the island and the island with him and the attempts to grow into the island throughout the book is intriguing
Tristan
Not Going To Plan
It’s a powerful book about gritty real-life issues, which are often shunned in society, so it’s intriguing and new. I enjoyed it, and would recommend it to people who are passionate about the subjects or seasoned readers.
Amelia
The Boy I Love
I loved the opposing narratives of Stephen’s becoming more advanced in the army while also rebelling against authority and societal expectations. The evil characters felt slightly exaggerated, but the book as a whole was evidently well-researched, well written, and unputdownable towards the end.
Sophie
Not Going To Plan
I found this book really funny, and I really enjoyed the story. I like how it talks about two people, from their perspective of the story, and their thoughts / opinions. I also like how it’s based on a similar story.
Ella
Birdie
Birdie was a good read. It covers the ideas of racism for young minds and I started to really feel the emotions of the characters. It wasn’t my favourite book.
Olly
Not Going To Plan
I loved the conclusion of the book, with the wildly different perspectives of four young characters all intertwining together in a bid for respect and understanding. The dual narrative technique and the arrangement of the text felt dynamic. A powerful read full of important topics.
Sophie
Twenty Four Seconds from Now
The characters were beautifully written and felt alive and animated from the start. The book as a whole was an inspired, genuine and funny read, and felt intrinsically human; even the sense of detachment from time that is created by the ‘24 seconds, minutes, hours’ motif felt similar to the strange feelings and memories that resurface to someone’s brain when they are nervous. I was slightly confused by Neon’s willingness to be friends with the horrid, lewd character who gives him a lift to school, but possibly this is because the target audience is older.
Sophie
Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
This book was hilarious, from chapter 1 I was hooked! It had me laughing nearly the whole way through - while it was funny it did have some serious moments which I think helped balance it out, but overall it had me wheezing and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would totally recommend it to someone who likes 13 story treehouse or David Walliams or Roald Dahl
Natalia
Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
I found The Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody to be an absolutely hilarious book. I personally couldn’t put it down once I started reading. This book was such a thrill to read and had me laughing the entire way through. Overall, I believe that it’s an absolutely brilliant read. 10/10 would recommend!
Caoimhe
Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
Reading Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody was a great use of my free time. I read this book during one of my hardest challenges in life and this helped me zone out. This book reminded me of the Loki books but just in third person it is a great book to read if you like the Loki books. Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody briefly covers a few life lessons like how you act like your parents and also even if someone is being rude or winding you up, violence is not the answer, but the main lessons of this is about bullying. The illustrations were amazing and really helped me get a good image in my head of what’s going on. I would recommend this book for people from year 4 and above.
Olly
Wolf Siren
Wolf siren had an interesting world and themes that told messages of real world issues through a magical fantasy setting and made you consider how the people of an isolated village would act and why whilst incorporating the fantasy elements of a living forest and the contrast of the wolves danger but also warm familial embrace that they provide to certain individuals intrigued me. My only issues are the pacing of the book which threw me off slightly and the simple characters who seemed to be only binary good or bad
Tristan
Twenty Four Seconds from Now
This book was one of the most perfectly heart aching experiences I have ever had the pleasure of reading; it was written in such a way that a teenager could relate to the simple tasks that the characters experienced. Yet the pure devotion and love that is displayed throughout this book is captured so nicely and in such a realistic way. Such a beautiful book!
Bethan
Wolf Siren
I found the characters strangely empty of actual life or interest; it made the book feel more difficult to get stuck into, because there were so many named characters that were all either kind or unkind, with maybe one exception, but no real unique traits of personality. The story had real-life meaning that I understood but could not connect with.
Sophie
Not Going To Plan
Initially, I wasn’t a fan of the layout as it made it hard to focus on the main theme of the story and I couldn’t get into the book. However as I kept reading, the brilliant concept of two teenage worlds that were so fantastically different yet so similar was refreshing and great to read. Such a beautiful book, would recommend.
Bethan
Not Going To Plan
I really enjoyed this book. I like how the author wrote the relationships between the characters and how they wrote the plot I didn’t really like the format of the text I found it unique but I found it was unnecessary and made reading the book a bit frustrating other than that I think the front cover is creative and demonstrates what the book is about. Overall I did enjoy the story
Vikki
Wolf Siren
Such a great book - it shows how human fear can make people judge very quickly and easily - it also shows the power between men and women which we can relate too as it has happened in our history. The female main character discovers something about herself which she finds hard to understand but with the help of the woman around her, she gets through it. This book also shows how sexism can and still is around, even in fiction.
Natalia
Ghostlines
This book was such a comfort read. It’s full of wonders of what people can get when living on an island - it also shows how losing someone you love can be hard on your family and people around you. One of my favourite bits was when the main character did not give up trying to show the new boy how great the island can be.
Natalia