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Little Bang
Little Bang by Kelly McCaughrain is an interesting, thought provoking book—I loved every page! The story is a dual narrative told from the perspectives of Sid and Mel, two completely different characters who come from completely different backgrounds. Mel: a studious girl with catholic parents and a love for physics and outer space. Sid: a wannabe rockstar with a fierce single mum and horrible grades. The story starts with the blossoming, sweet romance of the two main characters. However this is all changed with an unexpected twist: a pregnancy that no one saw coming. Distraught and doubting everything Sid and Mel weigh out their options, keep the baby and give up their dreams or get an abortion in a country where it is illegal. Of course everyone has their own opinion on what the two lovers should do. An upcoming vote on the changing of the law means everyone is talking. Teachers, parents, peers, doctors and friends all have something to say about the matter. But surely, it should be Mel to decide? The baby is growing inside of her after all, doesn’t what she wants matter too? So… can Mel make up her mind before it’s too late? I won’t spoil this novel for those still to read it but I will say that I was happy with the ending. Before reading this book I knew little about the subject at hand. I knew the definition of the word ‘abortion’ but that was about it. Reading this book really made me realise the sheer amount of problems that this topic causes for society and of course—more importantly—for women. It shocked and horrified me when I discovered that during this time in Ireland (2018) the prison sentence for abortion was longer than it was for a rapist. After I finished this book I did some extra research and discovered that currently, abortion is illegal in 22 countries and many states in the USA. I know that there can be many reasons that a woman might need an abortion and I believe that if I was in their place I would want to be able to have a choice. Even though this book was centred around the topic of abortion I think other themes were apparent too, such as choice and feminism. The fact that not all woman want to be parents is something that not everyone understands. This point is discussed quite a bit by Lucille, Sid’s feminist, single mother who had Sid when she was quite young. Lucille talks about the fact that when women are pregnant people tend to be extremely nice to them. However as time goes on and the pregnant woman becomes a mother to a young child, things start to change, people give you looks if your child cries too much, or if they misbehave. This of course gives off a very different message, the one that says, “we want you to have the child but you have to control them and keep them in line.” In the end I am so grateful that I have read this book and I feel it has been a really beneficial learning experience for me. I strongly recommend that you give this book a read! Not only for the exquisite writing style but for the thought provoking questions too!

Alice

Little Bang
Little Bang, by Kelly McCaughrain, was an incredibly important and wonderful book which I enjoyed a lot, but more importantly made me challenge my views and really think about the many issues presented in the book, such as abortion, motherhood, and sexism, among others. It presented a brilliant way to explore multiple perspectives on these issues, with the perspectives cleverly set up to work as part of the plot. The characters were all well-developed and felt very real, and never felt boring. Each character brought a whole new way to think about the book, which is something that enhanced my opinion on it. The book disturbed me just the right amount - it was both enlightening and frightening to know there are many young teens like Mel who are struggling with pregnancies. The way this book made me think, not only about the forefront ideas but about all the other aspects that come along with them, was amazing. I even learned a lot about abortion law and the criminality associated with it. I felt so glad that Mel made her own choice at the end of the book. Overall, I think an unbelievably good book needs an exciting and well-crafted plot, realistic and compelling characters, content which opens your mind in ways that we need but don’t always receive, and beneath it all an underlying message of humanity, morality, and ethics. This book had it all.

Maddy

All That It Ever Meant
All that it ever meant by Blessing Musariri was a heartfelt, beautifully written and powerful novel about loss and culture. It talks about the challenges of immigration and the feelings of belonging and acceptance. The book follows the character of Mati, a 14 year old girl whose parents were born and raised in Zimbabwe. After the death of her mother, Mati and her family embark on a road trip across Zimbabwe, as a chance to spend time together and recuperate after their loss of a loved one. During the trip, Mati is visited by an unusual spirt named Meticais. Meticais helps Mati get over her grief by talking to her about it. As the story moves along you begin to feel a connection with the characters and you start to sympathise with them. Whether it be Chici, the oldest child who feels like she was her parent’s biggest mistake, Tana, the loveable youngest with the love for nature, Baba, the father, grieving the loss of his wife, or Mati, the main character trying to understand her situation. All of the character in this book were relatable and interesting. This book was a lovely short read and I hope others will enjoy it as much as I did.

Alice

The Things We Leave Behind
The Things We Leave Behind, by Claire Furniss, was a dramatic telling of refugee Clem’s story as she navigates the challenges of an oppressive government and a journey she has to make while caring for her young sister Billie. The book imagines London as a setting in which an actor has risen to power, possessing misguided and damaging opinions, leading to the unfair arrest of many innocent civilians. When Clem’s stepmother is arrested, and the city is truly thrown into a state of turmoil, she is told to flee with Billie to her grandfather’s home, in the north of the country. Eventually, she makes it to Edinburgh, where the English political reign doesn’t reach, and begins telling her story to a social worker there. Beautifully told and fantastically executed, The Things We Leave Behind illustrates some of the very real problems facing refugees today, opening our minds and forcing us to think. With multiple chronological viewpoints within the story, we as readers discover more only when Clem’s decides to tell us: it’s as if we are the social worker in Edinburgh, being drip-fed details - but we gain a deeper understanding through Clem’s narration of her time in Edinburgh. With a story told by Clem to Billie woven through chapters, presenting a fairytale outlook on the events, each aspect of the book adds and adds to the development and plot. I enjoyed this book a lot, and the plot twist at the end had been set up brilliantly and was satisfactorily clever way to enhance the story. Overall, I would recommend!

Maddy

Play
This is a highly compelling and interesting book. I definitely feel like I’ve gotten to know the characters throughout reading this book. Would definitely recommend.

Mary

Glasgow Boys
Glasgow Boys by Margaret McDonald follows two boys, Finlay and Banjo, living in the Scottish city of Glasgow after being in the care system for many years. The two main characters have very different personalities that definitely shone through in their respective chapters; Finlay’s chapters were much more concise and easier to understand while Banjo’s chapters included a lot of swearing, which highlighted his tragic backstory. I loved that the author didn’t sugarcoat anything or tell a watered-down version of life in poverty, deprivation and the care system, and that the characters were very well-developed. Although you couldn’t relate to them unless you have faced the same challenges they have, you could fully grasp and understand their situation. The book explores themes like loss, identity, masculinity and forgiveness. The only thing I would change about this book is that I wanted more interaction between the main characters throughout the entire story, rather than just at the end. I also wanted a clearer ending, however on the other hand it might have been better if it was left for the readers to fill in the blanks. Overall, this is my favourite Carnegie book I have read, and I would definitely recommend it to a friend.

Abby

Glasgow Boys
Glasgow boys by Margaret McDonald is a truthful, heart wrenching story about trauma and the effect it has on us. The story is told from two perspectives: the perspective of Banjo and the perspective of Finlay. Both of the boys have had experience in the care system and are trying to start fresh. For banjo that means finishing high school and for Finlay it means training for his nursing degree. However with unsolved conflict from the past still looming over, the two boys find it hard to forget. But as the story continues and relationships emerge, the boys begin to step out of their bubbles, things start to change. They start to change. I really enjoyed this book and the way it was written, each character had their own personality and skill set yet they both were connected. I thought it was pure and reflected well on the way people going through difficulties similar to Banjo and Finlay would feel. I would very much recommend this novel and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Alice

Alice