Norwich High School Bookworms
Little Bang
I read about half but couldn’t finish it I found the way it was written quite boring and very boring but the plot line seemed alright but not great over all not very impressed. Not my cup of tea!
Alexandra
King of Nothing
Found it very, very funny the nod to women’s rights wasn't subtle but effective.
Alexandra
King of Nothing
As with several of the previous Carnegie nominated books I have read, ‘King of Nothing’ was not the genre of book that I would usually choose to read. However, I did enjoy it.
Firstly, I thought that the messages spread in the book (for example, awareness of the impact of misogyny) were very important. There are not very many books about this based from the male perspective which I have come across before, so this was very interesting. I found some of the characters quite likeable, including Rochelle and Anton (the protagonist)’s Grandmother.
Despite this, I often felt quite annoyed at Anton, because even after realising that his group of friends were very sexist, and a bad influence, he continued to be friends with them/be influenced by them for quite a long period of the novel. I also thought that his outlook towards his friend Matthew (up until the end of the book, where they became best friends) was very callous, since he continued to consider him to be embarrassing even after realising the ‘cool’ figures in his life were in fact terrible role models.
Despite this, I did like the book, particularly because of the underlying themes and messages. Overall, I would rate it 3/5 stars. It was an enjoyable yet thought provoking read, with some elements that also made the book more tragic but realistic.
Verity
The Things We Leave Behind
I often enjoy dystopian fiction, therefore, I really liked ‘The Things We Leave Behind’.
I felt like the main plot vaguely corresponds with themes in George Orwell’s ‘1984’, only aimed at a slightly younger audience (the book still contained many upsetting scenes, meaning it is not suitable for young readers). I found this to be interesting.
I also liked the idea that the characters are journeying around the country together. This made the novel page-turning, since I was excited about where they would go next, and who they would meet. It was also very suspenseful as Clem and her younger sister were attempting to avoid the authorities.
Finally, the plot twist at the end was very shocking, yet fascinating. It placed the protagonist in a very different light.
Overall, I would rate the book 4.5/5 stars. The characters were fascinating, and the combination of adventurousness, suspense and sadness was, in my opinion, perfect.
Verity
The Final Year
I really enjoyed reading ‘The Final Year’, especially since it allowed me to reflect on my own journey through Year Six.
The protagonist, Nate, is quite likeable since he enjoys writing poetry (I like doing this too!) and is very compassionate and empathetic, especially towards his younger brother who has to go to hospital.
I liked the format of the book (it is written in lyrical verse), because it made it easy to read. Despite this, the storyline was relatively heavy at times. Finally, I liked the ways that the author attempted to make the book seem more realistic. As an example, Nate’s class study the novel ‘Skellig’ by David Almond, which is a real book.
Overall, I would rate the book 4/5 stars. The main plot was interesting and thought-provoking, and the manner in which the book was written was mostly unique.
Verity
Treacle Town
I personally thought that the plot of the book was very interesting, because I have not seen nor read many novels based in ‘treacle towns’ before. Thus, it was very eye-opening to the struggles people face whilst living in areas like Coatbridge (the town the book is predominantly based in), yet also how the stereotypes of inhabitants there are not always true. Some of the people around the protagonist, Connor, result to violence to resolve problems (like his frenemy Trig). Despite this, throughout the book, Connor realises that he does not like this attitude towards life, thus tries to escape into the world of Slam Poetry. I liked this aspect of the story, but thought that it was introduced too late in the novel. Connor and his friend Nails only went to one Slam session in the book, when I think it would have been more interesting to watch Connor’s poetry skills develop throughout numerous visits.
Finally, be warned that the book is very sad, with multiple deaths occurring. I do think that these were an important aspect of the overall storyline, however, so were definitely necessary. Due to this, it was quite a heavy read.
Overall, I would rate the book 3.5 stars. It was not the kind of novel I would normally read, but I did find it very thought-provoking.
Verity
The Final Year
I like the illustrations of the Beast and how he overcomes them. I enjoyed the poems and style of which it was written and how short a read it was. The subtle use of his mum being an alcoholic and bingo addict. I think the author perfectly summed up year 6 in the year 5 section of the book.
Alexandra
Wolf and Bear
4/5 stars.
I really liked how the colours showed emotions. The illustrations were very detailed and added to the book. The effect of the song being a rainbow was really nice.
Camilla
Wolf and Bear
I thought the use of colour to express the character's emotions was very well done!
You could see the way the "shadow" grew darker with Bear's (blue) mood while Wolf remained in the light - A good visual for younger readers.
The use of colour to illustrate Wolf's howl was also a well considered choice, as it again illustrated how Wolf's "song" broke through Bear's darkening shadow and lead him back to the light.
Miss Smith
Wolf and Bear
I like the illustrations, especially the wolf singing scenes!
Alexandra
Wolf and Bear
I loved the way they used colour to show emotion. At the start it is all light, and then Bear becomes blue and then it all becomes dark to show Bear's depression. Then at the end it becomes light again as Bear's depression fades away and they are happy again.
Violet