JGHS Carnegie Reading Group

The Boy I Love
I really enjoyed some aspects of the book; the historical setting was immersive and engaging, and worked well as a vehicle to explore the themes of the book. Although the book focused on a historical time period, I didn’t feel disconnected from the characters or plot, and the overall messages of acceptance are still very much applicable and relevant today. I sometimes found the writing style somewhat heavy handed, and I thought some parts were overly explanatory, which could make the book feel a little awkward at times. There were also some characters and relationships that could have been developed further if the book was slightly longer. Although the book seemed to be written for a younger audience, the subject matter was a little heavier than you would expect, which distracted me at times, but overall I think this is a useful book for it’s representation of LGBTQ+ people, particularly in historical contexts, and it is definitely a good book for kids to read to raise awareness about and normalise these themes.

Tara

The Boy I Love
The boy I love is a stunning standalone by William Hussey. It starts with the struggling Stephan, who is still mourning the loss of his best friend-and Lover – Micheal, who has recently died at war. But everything starts to change once Stephan meets Danny, cool, charismatic, and totally unprepared for the war that he has chosen to fight. Stephan decides to follow the unexpected tug of determination that tells him to protect Danny. But the feeling he starts to discover, may be even more dangerous than even the war at hand.

Lottie

Twenty Four Seconds from Now
24 Seconds From Now was a heartwarming experience to read. It was sweet, funny, serious and very touching. I loved the character of Aria and loved how they expanded her delicate home life. They had heavy themes but they explored them in a humorous way. In way of cons, I thought that this sometimes didn’t suit the actual plot. I didn’t like the character of Neon however. Some of the other characters felt very one note. The character was written in a way that felt he was trying to be too relatable and it fell flat. I would rate the book 3.5/10 due to nice plot but the characters often felt like stereotypes.

Sofia

Not Going To Plan
Not going to plan was a compelling, heart warming read on a subject that really doesn’t get enough attention. I really warmed to the characters in this book and I really liked the contrast that they provided each other. I enjoyed the way the book was written (in verse) as I thought it was really clever. However I did feel at some points it became unnecessary. Overall, this was a 4/5 read and I really enjoyed the ending in particular as u thought it was a nice way to finish the book off!

Alice

Wolf Siren
I really enjoyed reading this book, I quite liked the plot and the nature and fantasy aspect of the story.

Audrey

Birdie
Very good plot, but the progression could have been faster.

Amna

Wolf Siren
Very good book, and I really enjoyed the plot.

Amna

Ghostlines 
Very good story, I really enjoyed reading it. However, I was not fond of how the italics were used.

Amna

Not Going To Plan
This book was powerful, educational, and a very important read. The subject matter was very serious and heavy, but the author tackled it in a way which felt realistic to teen experience. It was also written well, and I liked the use of creative formatting in some places however the fact it was written in verse felt slightly unnecessary at points. My main criticism would be that while the messaging and themes were extremely valuable, the actual pacing and plot fell off a bit. However I still think everybody should read it and it was important and I think people could learn things from it!

Maddy

The Boy I Love
While I enjoyed the WW1 setting of the book, I found parts of the story to be quite boring and lethargic. The protagonist, Stephen Wraxall, had a strong, well-developed backstory but with very little personality. He had few character traits which made it difficult for me to root for him. Danny was slightly more nuanced, although neither of them had a dynamic character arc. However, I loved the slow-burn romance, which is difficult to achieve in a setting like this one. I also loved the LGBTQ+ representation, which is especially important in historical fiction to recover the lost narratives of people like Stephen and Danny. Overall, I enjoyed the setting, the representation and the romance, but disliked both characters as well as some of the slower-moving aspects of the plot. I would rate it three stars.

Abby

The Boy I Love
It’s a topic that's never talked about. It’s taboo. We don’t like to think about LGBTQ+ people in history because we don’t want to think about how they were treated and we don’t like to talk about war because it’s depressing and makes people feel uncomfortable. But The Boy I Love mixes both these themes together in a book that makes you smile, cry and leaves you feeling bittersweet about everything. It’s a powerful story delivered in a way that feels accessible for everyone, no matter if you identify with the LGBTQ+ community or not. Whilst the message was sorely needed, especially on a wider scale, often times I felt the pacing falling flat. The romance was very well done and I do admit that slow burns are hard to achieve in stand alone, but the pacing was uneven and sometimes confusing. I also feel like Stephen’s character arc didn’t hit very well but that would be difficult to achieve given that there was no reason given for Stephen to change as a character. I feel similar for Danny’s character development because, again, there was no catalyst to kickstart his arc. Overall, this book has a strong message and it delivered it beautifully. Love is love. The characters however were one note. I’d give the plot 4 stars but the characters 3. I think, for the entire book, I would rate it a 3.5.

Sofia

Twenty Four Seconds from Now
24 seconds from now is a heartwarming story about a teenage relationship. I thought the theme of the book was tackled quite well and the characters and their relationships felt well thought out. Overall, I would give this book 4/5.

Alice

Birdie
This was a lovely book which I think my only criticism is that it was short, which meant that bonds between characters didn’t have much time to develop. I did also really enjoy Birdie’s character - she felt very realistic. This was definitely a book for younger readers, but I thought it was nonetheless well-written and had important subject matter, with meaningful messaging.

Maddy

Ghostlines 
Very interesting, I love how the reader is introduced to the island at the same time as Albie.

Jamie

Wolf Siren
I think that “wolf siren” is an amazing book about growing up, finding out things about yourself, and being amazing even though you have a disability. Amazing

Jamie