Norwich School Carnegie Shadowers

Play
Play, by Luke Palmer, is a gripping book written beautifully through the eyes of four different boys playing games as they grow up, from making dens in the woods, all the way to navigating challenges in the outside world. While the book deals with more adult and difficult themes, it ultimately delivers a powerful message about friendship, choice, and the consequences of our actions. The characters were my favourite part of the story, as Luke Palmer goes into depth about their lives, how their minds work and their relationships with the other characters. The characters developed very well, and it was good to see each of their different personalities get stronger as the story goes on. Play is written from different perspectives for each boy, and whilst in other books this could be confusing, it is easy to understand in Play because Luke Palmer uses a different font for each. The end of play is beautifully written and heart-breaking. As Johnny falls, he remembers what happened to each of the boys, and it’s written in such a vivid way that it sticks with you. The whole scene makes you pause and think, even after you’ve finished. Overall, Play is a book that sticks with you, even after you have finished it, and it is definitely worth reading if you are ready for more difficult themes.

Martha

The Things We Leave Behind
I really like the book but I found the start was a bit confusing as it kept switching between times and people. It took me a bit of time to understand it but when I got into it I really enjoyed it. I like the relationship between clem and billie and I liked the second mother role she played with billie. I liked billie's mum and thought she was a clever character throughout. There was lots of dialogue but I liked that and thought it added to the story. I quite like war stories and it wasn’t too much war but had a factor of war to it. Billie dying was definitely a sad part near the end of the book but overall I really enjoyed this book.

Alexa

The Things We Leave Behind
This book was honestly at the start a bit slow which led me to be a bit confused but as I read on I realised it was in three parts. As I read on I grew to see the sisterly bond between billie and clem especially when Claudia gets taken billie clings on to clem which clem seems to think it’s annoying but I think it’s sweet. One of my thoughts throughout the book was that clem’s stories and writing is really poetic and beautiful and it really eases and soothes with the process overall this was a good book that I enjoyed reading

Lucy

King of Nothing
I did not have a very high expectations for this book purely because I usually pick a book I want to read from my bookshelf at home , which is a bit stupid i know but it's true . However my experience was completely different to my expectation of this book. I usually struggle to follow with all the characters but for this book I found it really easy. It was always clear who was speaking and how they were feeling . By the time I got to the end I was thinking to myself that it was all over and it was a happy ending, but all I have to say is WOW WHAT AN ENDING it took me by surprise completely. At one point I even wanted to speak out loud and tell Anton that he was making the wrong choice . In conclusion I really loved this book and recommend end it to any one else who is looking for a book to read .

NOLA

King of Nothing
When I started reading King of nothing I knew that it was not my type of book. For, example I prefer books with a futuristic twist to them and characters who have a lot of free will and slightly confusing backgrounds. However, in king of nothing the theme was teenage experiences and feelings towards others. The book is centred around a teenage boy named Anton who is forced to join a club called the ‘happy campers’ after getting in trouble in school. The ‘happy campers’ however include an annoying character called Matthew who unexpectedly saves Anton’s life and from then on is helped by Anton to find him a girlfriend. My least favourite bit of the book was when Kehinde (One of Anton’s friends from his group) gets angry at Anton for not answering his calls and then Anton not telling him why. Although I did not like this book I still think that it was sometimes funny and interesting. I would give it a 4 out of 10.

Finn

The Things We Leave Behind
"The Things We Leave Behind" by Clare Furniss is such an amazing book! I really liked the plot as I found it very interesting with different intriguing twists. I also really liked the characters, especially the main character as I love how she is ready for adventures yet has a sense of danger around her. The theme of the book is migration and politics, which is happening a lot around the world, so it basically reflects what's going on in the real world. The style was fantastic! Long, detailed sentences that also include a sense of humour! Overall, I think "The Things We Leave Behind" is a fantastic book, really well written with an exciting plot and awesome characters!

Bayden

The Things We Leave Behind
I really like this book and the way it was structured. I like how it switches between the girl, her sister and the witch and how Clem’s telling the story. I liked all the characters and especially Billie. The thing that made this different from other stories is how it has a happy ending, but we lose a character. It made me think about the book more.

Issi