KECHG Shadowers
All That It Ever Meant
All That It Ever meant is a coming-of-age novel about a teenager called Mati, who travels with her grieving family from London to Zimbabwe after the sudden death of her mother. As they navigate emotional distance and cultural disconnection, Mati is guided by a spirit named Meticais, who helps her confront her family’s pain and her identity.The story reveals a powerful twist about memory, perspective, and how we process loss. I would recommend this book.
Rheem
All That It Ever Meant
All That It Ever Meant is a thought provoking story of family bonds and imagination. The plot twists at the end are cleverly set up and overall, it is a really intriguing book.
Ruqayya
The Final Year
Matt Goodfellow's thrilling verse book, The Final Year, follows ten-year-old Nate's last year of elementary school. As Nate balances the pressure of SATs, a broken friendship, and life as a young foster child in a family that is struggling financially, the book shows his emotional challenges. The story which offers an honest representation of the children's determination, awareness, and quiet strength, is both heartbreaking and hopeful. I would reccommend this book to younger readers.
Rheem
The Things We Leave Behind
The things we leave behind is a touching and heartfelt book about topics like grief, family and healing. While this book is a simple read, Clare furniss amazingly captures these topics which was refreshing and exciting to see. overall, this was definitely one of my favourite books and I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for book recs!
Maryam R
Treacle Town
Treacle Town is a powerful story about friendship, poverty and standing up against injustice. The authors writing is raw and honest and really captures the voice of a teenager trying to make sense of a harsh reality. it's short, but intense and overall I would highly recommend this book.
Maryam Rafi
Glasgow Boys
Glasgow Boys is a compelling, intense and emotional narrative filled with friendship and deep emotional bonds. It's dual perspective is gripping and leaves readers unable to put it down. 10/10.
Ruqayya
King of Nothing
'King of Nothing' is a humorous coming-of-age novel exploring concepts of friendship, identity, and unexpected bonds. In this novel, Anton develops a friendship with a less socially accepted classmate, Matthew. Through a sudden incident, Matthew saves Anton's life, and Anton begins to rethink his decisions and reputation to confront his old ways. This is a truly inspiring book exploring loyalty between friends and the relatable but witty and funny characters in an entertaining but insightful story.
Rheem
Play
The Play is such a heart breaking and captivating read. The book features four friends: Mark, Matt, Luc and Johnny. They each had their own font which made it easier to distinguish between them. It captures the realities of adolescence and growing up. It was definitely a gut wrenching book and at times I felt a lot of sympathy for some of the characters. I would definitely recommend this book for students in Year 9 and older.
Rida
Glasgow Boys
This is by far my favourite book of all—a heartfelt novel of raw emotions showing the troubling journey of two growing characters navigating the pathways of Glasgow, yearning to matter in a world that has overlooked them after their rocky childhoods together. They find their way through university conditions, school incidents, and the discovery of certain relationships that heal their past trauma. I would 100% recommend it as it shows the unexpected stories of two boys in their youth against stereotypical narratives of perfect growth.
Rheem
King of Nothing
King of Nothing is an amazing book which kept me engaged the whole way through. It combines humour and deeper themes to make the story witty yet poignant, and immensely thought-provoking. It's the best book I've read in a long time.
Ruqayya
Glasgow Boys
If I had to describe this book in 3 words, I would say: emotional, suspenseful and eye-opening. This book really showcases the struggles that foster children go through. The way McDonald displays two different view points allows the reader to understand both Finley and Banjo creating a deeper connection between the characters and the readers.
Aisha
The Final Year
This is such a heartwarming verse novel about friendships, family, relationships and school. The poems within the book really help the story to resonate with the readers. Overall, it is an emotional and touching - but also fun - book which I would highly recommend.
Ruqayya
All That It Ever Meant
"All that it ever meant" is a great book that is in the perspective of a 14 year old girl named Matiponesa. It captures the raw emotions felt by her and her family after the death of their mother. It also captures the hardships of moving to a new country in such a difficult time for them. At times, I felt that some of the character s could have been more developed. Overall, I think that it is a great read and I would definitely recommend it.
Rida
The Final Year
This book is a beautifully written verse novel that captures the raw emotions of growing up, navigating friendships, and facing personal struggles. I absolutely loved how the book explores themes of family, identity, and resilience, making it a deeply moving and relatable read. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a heartfelt story.
Farishta
Play
This book is a gripping exploration of masculinity, friendship, and the harsh realities of growing up, making it a book that truly resonated with me. I wholeheartedly recommend Play for its powerful themes and emotional depth—it’s a book that lingers in your mind long after the final page.
Farishta
Play
Play is a gripping and poignant novel which explores themes of growing up, peer pressure, and the struggles of adolescence. It is very thought provoking and insightful as to the lives of four teenage boys from a point of view which leads the reader to connect and empathise with the characters on an emotional level. Overall, this is an excellent book.
Ruqayya
Glasgow Boys
Glasgow Boys by Margaret McDonald is a powerful, emotional novel about two teens, Finlay and Banjo. It’s beautifully written, capturing the pain and hope of broken families, friendship, and identity. The dual perspectives make both boys feel real and relatable, and the Glasgow setting adds authenticity. I’d definitely recommend it—especially for fans of character-driven stories that don’t shy away from tough topics.
Nailah
Treacle Town
Treacle Town is a raw, coming-of-age novel set in Scotland. It describes the life of a teenager meddling in gang violence, poverty, and personal loss. Con struggles with the urge to get revenge after his friend Biscuit is killed, but he also longs to get away from the depressing atmosphere around him. A spark of hope and a possible way out of his situation are provided by his discovery of slam poetry. I definitely recommend this book to adolescents.
Rheem
Play
This is an incredible book. I love how relatable it is in the world we are a part of, drugs are a problem that need to be addressed and I love how the author approaches them in this book.
The cyclical nature of the book creates a lovely ending and leaves you feeling satisfied and fully engaged. I could not put this down, It was just TOO good.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested, I also think this would be a good book to read in school as maybe a year 9 or 10 group read. This book, although very tragic, does outline quite a few key topics of discussion that most students are either passionate about or struggle to talk about.
Amelia
The Things We Leave Behind
The Things We Leave Behind is such a beautiful and emotional book which leads us to think about the things we take for granted and the importance of family bonds. Themes of love and corruption are explored in this book, and it has a shocking and poignant plot twist. I would definitely recommend it.
Ruqayya
Treacle Town
Treacle Town by Matt Goodfellow is a gritty, gripping verse novel that dives deep into themes of poverty, family, and resilience. Through the eyes of Jamie, we see a tough world softened by moments of hope, poetry, and quiet strength. I thoroughly enjoyed the novel because of Goodfellow’s lyrical style which brings raw emotion and realism to every page, making this a powerful, unforgettable read about survival and finding light in the darkest places.
Nailah
The Final Year
The Final Year by Matt Goodfellow is a powerful, emotional verse novel that captures the raw intensity of friendship, grief, and growing up. Told through poetry, it follows Nate as he navigates the turbulence of Year 6, dealing with change, loss, and finding his voice. Goodfellow’s writing is honest, heartfelt, and deeply relatable, especially for readers on the cusp of big transitions. A moving and beautifully written story that lingers long after the last page.
Nailah
Play
The Play is a fantastic book, featuring 4 protagonists, Johnny, Luc, Matt and Mark, who are best friends growing up each with their own unique perspectives during their adolescence. I particularly enjoyed the aspect of them having their own fonts, further capturing the essence of their distinctive ideas of masculinity. The book was really interesting and I would definitely recommend it.
Abihanoor
The Things We Leave Behind
The Things we Leave Behind, an adventurous book I found intriguing, left me fascinated by the heart-touching story of a refugee girl who find a place to live desperately. On a personal note, I found this book breathtaking-however, the plot twist at the end was very unexpected and left me with a great deal of sadness!
Zaynab
The Final Year
The Final year is quite a heart warming book which captures the feelings and emotions of a boy named Nate who feels alone due to his circumstances and anger issues, until the people around him ensure him that he is not alone. It is also quite interesting as the book is written in poetry form, which makes it quite impactful to the readers.
Rida
Glasgow Boys
I really liked this; especially towards the end. One of the reviews said it was like reading your heart on a page and at times it really was
Aanya
Glasgow Boys
This book was a great read. I love how it uses double narratives and has a glossary at the end of the book for words spoken with accents.
Eva
King of Nothing
King of nothing follows the life of a boy named Anton, who was a school bully and was forced to join an activity group where he befriends Matthew. This turns out to be an unlikely friendship as they are polar opposites. Overall, this book was very entertaining and I enjoyed it very much. I would recommend this to anyone looking to read an entertaining book.
Maryam Rafi
Little Bang
Little bang is powerful story that follows two teenagers who are dealing with an unplanned pregnancy. It was very refreshing to see a book targeted to younger audiences on the topic of abortion. Overall, I am happy with the main characters' decision and would definitely recommend this book.
Maryam Rafi
Little Bang
Little Bang is a rivoting book describing the journey of handling pregnancy from a young age without the ability to terminate. An aspiring musician with a single feminist mother impregnates a science enthusiast with devoted Christian parents. They challenge external pressures and perspectives and ultimately decide on the outcome of the pregnancy. Would recommend.
Rheem
The Things We Leave Behind
After reading this book, I was lost in thoughts. I knew that refugees had hard lives but I never imagined how hard. Hearing Clem's story and her point of view made me feel as if I was her and it was really interesting to be manipulated by the author into thinking and feeling a certain way. To describe the book in three words, I would say: interesting, gripping and overall amazing!
Aisha
Glasgow Boys
Glasgow boys is a heart-breaking story of two boys who grew up in care and is about their lives overcoming their past trauma and the reconnection between the two. This book is full of emotions and is beautifully written. A solid 10/10!
Thushara
Treacle Town
Treacle Town is a powerful book which employs a viewpoint that often goes unexplored - that of a teenaged gang member from an underprivileged background. This makes the book really interesting, and there are several emotional parts which make us feel sympathy for the characters. Overall, this is a really great book which I would definitely recommend.
Ruqayya
Little Bang
Little Bang is a riveting book that influences the reader heavily to sympathise with Mel. Towards the end of the book, I found myself on a rollercoaster of emotions, however I was completely satisfied with Mel's decision and the ending. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Little Bang.
Nailah
All That It Ever Meant
This book was very touching and emotional to read. It blends the reality of grief and supernatural beings into one. A great read, would recommend!
Eva
The Things We Leave Behind
This is a gripping, dystopian novel alternating between Clem's recounts of her escape as well as her therapy sessions in Scotland. It shows the close relationship and bond between Clem and Billie as well as the fragility of society. I would definitely recommend this book.
Rheem
The Final Year
A heartwarming and heart wrenching book. The perfect balance between family, grief and friendship. Would 100% recommend this verse novel.
Eva