OSSMAORATORS
The Final Year
The final year is a excellent transition book for a transitioning pupil although the book focuses on the younger pupil of Nate it really captures how many feel.
Nate really struggles and the way Matt Goodfellow depicts his life really shows the turbulence many people experience.
9.5/10
Warren
Little Bang
This book was everything!
It was the only one I finished and I'm planning on buying my own copy. Sid and Mel were ADORABLE! I loved how much Sid was trying to be the best dad he could and in response, he accidentally ruins his relationship! I almost cried at the end!!! I hope everything turned out well.
I love these characters and story!
Abi
Treacle Town
Interesting book with lots of tension in it.
Hamnah
Glasgow Boys
The dual narrative works incredibly well, giving the story forward momentum with flashbacks providing an effective narrative device to provide perspectives on the past.it also helps the story flow smoother than others as it changes view
ben
Glasgow Boys
I really liked Glasgow Boys as it was a change from the normal lighthearted books I usually read. My favorite scene was definitley when Finley came out to the girls. That was really sweet.
I would say it is my second favorite book I've read for Carnegie.
It was really well written and I really felt for Banjo and Finley.
"It's withdrawl" Broke me a little. The simplicity of that reveal and the sudden understanding is beautifully written. Overall even though I sadly didn't have time to finish it, I absolutley loved glasgow boys.
Abi
Glasgow Boys
OMG!!! Glasgow Boys made me cry. This book relates to me so much. I am in foster care just like Banjo! Everything McDonald said in the book tugged at my heartstrings like nothing I've ever read. Don't get me wrong, being in foster care doesn't always turn out for the best for young people, but this book truly shows how a rocky, ragged road can smooth out at the end. I have big ambitions like Finlay, and have huge struggles like Banjo. Thank you Margaret McDonald.
Layla-Mae
The Final Year
WOW! what a book i got half way through and it was amazing and i loved it
Rose
All That It Ever Meant
I like this book for the perfect explanation of loss and grief
daisie
Little Bang
A gripping story tackling a topic mostly throwned upon or forgotten when choosing a story to talk on this. By the choices of the characters, it shapes real events that could have happened to anyone in ireland at the time. a definant read for all to reveal more on lives
Lylah
Treacle Town
I think this is a good novel and show how to overcome harsh circumstances. it show how con finds a new life outside his home
lilly-paige
Little Bang
in my opinione it is a very intresting bvook that covers ararly coverd topic
william
King of Nothing
King Of Nothing is absolutely incredible! This book just teaches us not to judge a book by its cover. Anton is seen as a thug because of his dad's reputation as a criminal. He doesn't feel respected for anything except being his criminal dad's son. But when he starts at Happy Campers to help his mum with a project, everything changes for the better.
Layla-Mae
Little Bang
most books do not touch upon teenage pregnancy
most books do not touch upon abortion
i love this book due to the subjects being not frequent in books or media
ben
The Final Year
OMG!!! I think this book just sums it up for me. The Final Year is so real! I cried reading this book because I feel that this book just describes the whole of year six for many year six students across the whole country. This book has told my own story in a way I didn't think possible. Thank you Matt Goodfellow for telling the story of many year six students across the UK.
Layla-Mae
All That It Ever Meant
WOW! this book was amazing and I could never put it down. All the characters were really well written overall, thiswas a reallygood book
Rose
The Final Year
i think that this book was written with a lot of sensibility and a lot of comparison which gives the characters relatable features i think that the fact that the book was written in verse helps show the transition in school and the coming of ages. i think that the book also show how school really is with bully's and all it show that school is not an easy period is a child's life and it is struggle and to only educationally but socially as well.
holly
Treacle Town
Treacle town is a book that begins of slow with it drawing you into their lives before showing raw and unfiltered emotions. Through poems, it grips you in all the right ways to build care for all of these characters and their own emotional struggles. By also using a experience like Con's it allows many to feel that deeper connections to themselves through the books words.
8/10
Lylah
The Final Year
i think that this book was written with a lot of sensitivity and alot of compassion which gives the characters relatable features, i think that the fact that the book was written in verses helps show the transition in school and the coming-of-year ages. i think that the book also shows how school really is with bullys and all to show that school is not an easy period is a childs life and it is a struggle not only educationally but socially too.
eva
All That It Ever Meant
I cried reading this: I found myself falling in love with Mati. I couldn't put this book and even read the acknowledgements! I absolutely loved All That It Ever Meant. Thank you Blessing for giving this book to the world.
Layla-Mae
King of Nothing
I really liked this book as it portrayed the behaviour of teenagers really well.
Eva
Treacle Town
wow
this book is really amazing. Alot of language but really a good book
i reccomend this to readers aged 13 and over
Rose
Little Bang
Little Bang was a very compelling novel, it showed the challenges and dangers of the issue of teenage pregnancy and the element of Abortion made the book maintain a level of tension and excitement throughout. The relationship and placement of the Juxtaposition characters elevates the story as the reader doesn't suspect Mel to become pregnant when she is headstrong and focused within her studies. Set in Northern Ireland at a time of varying and confusing abortion laws, the fury of the topic sets in, and as a reader we can experience this first hand.
In my opinion this will win the Shadower's Choice as the book is relatable for a younger teenage audience who may encounter these issues in someway/somehow but I recommend 13+.
Warren
Little Bang
The book was really interesting and as it is about Family, War, and friendship. It follows sixteen year old Clem as she flees her home, all she's ever known, for Scotland. This book can change perspectives on the idea of enthusiasm and make people think of others more as it shows different struggles of a girl.
Hamnah
All That It Ever Meant
This was a really good book and I would really want to read it again if I could it was a really good book . I would recommended it for you to read. 10/10 love it !
Hooriyah
The Final Year
the book like the others has alcohol drug ad neglection/bullying but drugs a twist of the child being in primary
ben
King of Nothing
this was a really inspirational book about the complications of adolesence, repeutation, and a heafty focus on the damage toxic masculinity can have on young people.
Josie
King of Nothing
This was a very compelling read, and I found that the balance between comedy and addressing societal issues quite well-embedded as the author sensitively spread this sort of awareness, making teenagers, like myself, feel seen and understood through reading the story.
Nicole
The Things We Leave Behind
I enjoyed this book as you could really connected with the characters bonds of family and friendship. I especially loved the plot twist ending, I didn't want to put the book down. Overall an amazing novel.
Diana
Treacle Town
im not too sure how i felt about this book as it does have a very distinctive voice however i feel it was very compelling and and felt almost forced to be convinces from the outset of the book although it does outstandingly voice the worldbuilding that makes an almost mesmerizing place with authentic characters. my favourite character was Con because of the journey that he went through which i think was truly just unforgettable.
holly
Treacle Town
im not too sure how i felt about this book as it does have a very distinctive voice however i feel it was very compelling and felt almost forced to be convinced from the outset of the book, although it does outstandingly voice the worldbuilding that makes an almost mesmerizing place with authentic characters. my favourite character was Con because of the journey that he went through which i think was inspiring. this story was truly just unforgettable.
Eva
Play
I loved this book with all the important topics it explores through the characters. By using these people, it inverses me into the life of this world and how drugs and alcohol impact peoples views of themselves. At the same time it drove emotions out of me through the influences of characters like Mark.
A definent must read for young people to learn from.
Lylah
Treacle Town
This book is just wow! Treacle Town just made my brain hurt with the amount of reality. You don't see many books these days that have this level of reality anymore. There are so many books that hint at what world we live in now, but Treacle Town took it to the next level to show readers the real world many live in. I feel that more people should write book like Brian Conaghan's so everyone sees the truth.
Layla-Mae
Play
play by luke palmer was a book full of emotions as we see a group of friends changing throughout the years. From building dens to using drugs there was never a dull moment in this book in my opinion the parts that stuck out to me were when one of the characters came out as gay and how he told his friends which is a very nerveracking thing to do and I would recommend reading this book
Noah
Play
It was a really good book and I really enjoyed it and really want to read it again. This was the best book I have ever read. 10/10 love it.
Hooriyah
The Things We Leave Behind
I could not fully engage with the book due to the unrelieble narrative of mixture of memories. I did find the writing was well structured to tell their own stories but I could not fully inverse myself into the thing it was trying to explain.
Lylah
Treacle Town
strong language, drug taking, violence, sectarianism, suicide, death, murder, mental health, knife crime. all subjects that the book touches upon I find it rare that a book can touch on one of these subjects
willom
King of Nothing
I enjoyed the diversity and emotional connection between the characters as it helped you connect with the story. Personally this was one of my favourites.
Diana
The Final Year
WOW! I loved this book so much it was so many poems made up into 4 stories. The author wrote the story to the point where I couldn't put it down at all.
overall I rate this book a 10 out of 10
Rose
Play
one thing i really liked about this book is how short the chapters were as i feel it made the book easier to read as well is the dialogue made me feel like i was in the book and the characters in the background the themes of male friendship and males in general gave me a new view on how i feel about the world of today and how males were treated in olden times and their loss of the innocence although i did not like how the characters had to face hard consequence's after making hard choices that they didn't really want to make think they were undeserving of those consequences
holly
Play
one thing i really liked about this book is how short the chapters were as i feel it made the book easier to read as well is the dialogue made me feel like i was in the book and a character in the background, the themes of male friendships and males in general gave me a new view on how i feel about the world today and how males were treated in olden times and their loss of innocence although i did not like how the characters had to face hard consequences after making hard choices that they didnt really want to make i think they were undeserving of those consequences.
eva
All That It Ever Meant
I'm not sure what to feel about this book. It was alright. The grief was shown well and I liked the plot thread with the spirit but there were a few things that made it hard to read. The tone felt very bland. I couldn't hear much emotion in the voice. I also found the story very confusing and I got lost at a few points. In general, I wouldn't read again as I struggled to read it at all.
Abi
The Things We Leave Behind
SPOLIER ALERT!!!!!!
Wow! I have been reading novels of this size since I was six and never have I ever read a book that has made me cry so. Clem is sixteen. The leader in this dystopian life is interviewing people of different races, nationalities and ethnicities. those he thinks are inappropriate are either deported back to their home countries or sent to a detention camp until they can be deported.
Claudia is Clem's stepmother. she comes from a Jamaican origin family but she was born in England. She was interviewed and got arrested a week later early in the morning while getting Clem's younger half-sister, Billie, dressed for school. dad was at work at the time so Clem had to call him. over the next coming days, riots started happening as more and more people heard about the situation.
Layla-Mae
All That It Ever Meant
I didn't get the chance to finish this book due to revision for a speaking exam, but from what I read, Mati seems like an extremely intuitive girl and meticais invokes mystery around their character, I still cant figure out whether they are an ancestor or not!
Josie
The Things We Leave Behind
there is alot of civililsation in london when a girl called clem is hiding a dark secret.
the re is a girl who tells her story life adventures
keagan
Treacle Town
Treacle Town is very compelling with an advanced use of language and controversial meaning not for the faint of hearted. I would recommend 13+... The book explores themes of gang Violence and how Con' O' Neil's represents this theme is beautiful, you have to feel large amounts of Empathy for this character but also hate when the gang carries out illegal activities showing how Brain Conagham has depicted this heavy theme well. This is further amplified by the vicious cycle of violence and how he can't escape his 'trap' almost, highlighting the harsh realities of growing up around this environment. Raw and Heavy we have to feel sorry this gang trapped in a battle between their friendship and deep rivalry. A pivotal ending is crucial in portraying the harsh decisions whether to stay trapped or break and I think his final choice is very bittersweet and a nice way to close the book.
9/10
Warren
Treacle Town
I was in the middle about this book. A character called Connor has lost his best friend due to gang violence in Glasgow and is now grappling with the desire to take revenge versus the yearning to be living a different life. This is a gritty story about friendship, families, grief, hope and much more. Brian Conaghan paints a vivid picture of a city where there seem to be no prospects for young men and the strength that's needed to grasp an opportunity to escape.
It contains confusing language so I wouldn't recommend for young children.
Jayden
The Things We Leave Behind
I enjoyed how this book explores the political dystopian theme within the book. this book showed me how fast a society can change do to the human consequences of anti-immigration. it was astonishingly interesting and had me hooked until the very last page.
holly
All That It Ever Meant
The book is quite an emotional rollercoaster but the writer keeps you hooked as you read on. The writer captures the essence of grief, helping the reader relate to the story
Nicole
The Things We Leave Behind
this book had me on the edge of my seat every second i read and it really changed my views on the political side of the book which shows the human consequences of anti-immigration and how quickly a society can change completely.
Eva
Play
SPOILER ALERT!!!!!
I found Play very interesting because it told four different stories in one big story. Each boy had their own game that led to different consequences. but what got me most was Johnny's perspective of looking at the world. he told readers to think of time as the tip of a pyramid and then the point of a needle. he said the tip of the needle cuts through time like scissors and paper. he said when he was falling from the lamppost he imagined that the hidden treasures in a pyramid are like the different secrets of the world hidden in time, forgotten to the world the moment a person dies. Mark sold drugs to earn money to give himself the life of luxuries that his single mum couldn't give him. Matt's game was building dens with Johnny and then knocking them down again. Luc was constantly pressured by his dad to push himself to breaking point. in the end, when Johnny died, it bought the three other boys closer together after so long of falling apart.
Layla-Mae
Treacle Town
Had a lot of potential but honestly fell short for me. As I'm reading this for a Carnegie shadowing group, I constantly was thinking about how young people will perceive this. My main issue was with all the language, I understand that it's a regional dialect aspect, however I do feel that it slightly limits the potential audience as younger readers may feel uncomfortable reading it. I liked how it addressed issues of toxic masculinity, just felt that some of the language was excessively strong. I didn’t enjoy the book because I didn’t understand the dialect. It made it hard for me to find the story in amongst the words. However, it must be fantastic for people who do use this language verbally to see themselves represented on the page. I liked the character of Con and there was strong development there but there were echoes of Long Way Down and On The Come Up that kept making themselves known as I read the book which distracted me.
Faith
The Things We Leave Behind
I found this book very entertaining the second time I read it. the plotline was very amazing i would really recommend this book to book lovers who enjoy to read thrillers.
Rose
The Things We Leave Behind
I really enjoyed this book and it was a bit confusing at the start but then I started to really understand what it was about and its really good to read this book so you know how important it is to learn about this subject. You should read this book its a 10 out of 10.
Hooriyah
Play
I like the books style subtlety giving signs of drug addictions and male violence. my personal favorite part was at the beginning when they were building a fort as it shows the characters personality
ben
Glasgow Boys
I enjoyed this book as it explored many subjects like LGBTQIA+ and displayed how you don't know what someone goes through like depression and PTSD
Diana
Treacle Town
good book, recommend reading.
Briana
King of Nothing
I enjoyed reading this book because it was from the perspective of a teenage gang member who "ruled" the school and the text also involved slang phrases and words that I found funny as well. Overall, the plot was also pretty good.
Hamnah
Play
This book did not disappoint, a stunning book I have never seen a book as well written as Play, what was really key to me is how the Harsh themes are presented they are not overexaggerated out of existence, the themes have been carefully explored while the reality of them still revealed. Mark, Matt, Luc (a great and unique spelling) and Johnny really brought lots of emotion out into the book which I definitely did not expect.
Please Read Play, I assure you'll thoroughly enjoy it.
5/5.
Warren
Glasgow Boys
This was the best book I have ever read but I wish that l could lose some of my memories and I could re-read it so I wish but I can't. Also l would like to recommend it to other people . Hope you enjoy!
Hooriyah
Treacle Town
Personally I didn't really like this book because it was hard to understand the concept of the book as of the language used in the text. Also the usage of heavy language made it a bit heavy to the story
Diana
King of Nothing
It was a really good book and l loved it. If I lost my memories l would definitely read it again it was the best book I have ever read.
Hooriyah
The Final Year
I found the book ideal for KS2 readers. In terms of engagement, the allusions to Skellig were brilliant. The way that the text was written gave the book an authenticity that was refreshing.
Julie
Little Bang
I absolutely loved Little Bang. It’s one of those books that doesn’t just tell a story, it starts a conversation. The way it explores women’s rights over their own bodies whilst aiming the book at young people, is both powerful and necessary, making it a brilliant book for sparking discussions in both Ethics and PSHE.
Reading it took me back to my own teenage years, reminding me of the book that first broke down my barriers to reading, though frustratingly, I still can’t recall its name! Little Bang reconnected me with that teenage version of myself, the whispered conversations with friends, and the unspoken worries that came with growing up. But beyond nostalgia, it also highlights the harsh realities of teenage pregnancy in a way that feels raw and real.
This is exactly the kind of book I want on the shelves.
Maddox
The Final Year
I found Nate's story in the last year to be very emotional. I related to Nate when his best friend left him and he felt alone and left behind as I have experienced that a lot in my life. I felt a personal level of connection to Nate in his fight against the Beast and his lonliness in school and the feeling of being lost in his situation. This level of connection I felt with Nate made the book seem more real as I worried for Nate and his family.
Nate's little brother Dylan was one of my favorite characters as his sweet innocence at the begining of being a young boy with no real idea of what's going on around him, playing and having fun without a care in the world reminded me of my childhood before my nan was diagnosed with Cancer. Joyfull, carefree and young. This made his hospitalisation hit hard for me.
Thank you for reading my review of The last year,
in conclusion I loved it.
Abi
The Final Year
Personally, I thought this book was really well written, especially since I love books that are written in the stanza format. The main character I thought was really dynamic because despite being calm on the surface, he struggles with his 'Beast', on top of all the struggles that come with exams at the end of year six, as well as friendships and family life. Mr Joshua reminded me of my primary school teacher when I was in primary school, and Dylan was so wholesome.
Josie
The Things We Leave Behind
The things we leave behind is very confusing and it has lots of written perspectives the main themes of this book were: Family bonds and Loss and memory. I really would recommend this book if you love books that go back to places. The book was a little bit confusing but really good I was shocked when I read the plot twist and the siblings sound like they have a good bond. I felt like i was in the book myself and i could never put the book down.
Rose
The Things We Leave Behind
This book was written in lots of perspectives and not in traditional linear narrative, this did make it slightly confusing, but its theme was very good with a great tone set from the first page. We understand the great relationship between Billie and Clem evident from the get go. Reminisce from the past also pops up through the book making it very heartfelt, however this is contrasted with extreme authoritarian views which underlies the book. Clare Furniss obviously has great ideas and is plentiful of storylines but I believe the book could be slightly more concise focusing on just Clem.
Overall a good book, however I would say it's a challenging read.
7/10.
Warren
The Things We Leave Behind
The Things We Leave Behind by Clare Furniss is a very confusing novel as you cant follow the story, it stars with one thing like a party then goes to a swimming pool. The story isn't very gripping as was said before its very hard to follow. I believe that the writer had a busy mindset and didn't have a set plotline of what they were going to do with the story. We have said that we are very unlikely to read the book again. Overall it wasn't really interesting however if it was more clear on what the writer was intending then i would enjoy it more but it was really confusing.
Briana
The Final Year
I quite enjoyed this book, mainly due to the stanza format, as I have a passionate love for poetry. the story was really relatable according to the other members in my group, however I felt as though it was really wholesome, rather than relatable (just my personal experiences). I felt it was a little slow burning, but regardless it is a really nice, and easy read.
Layla
Little Bang
i think the book was an interesting read and very enjoyable . i loved how emotional the book was
evie
King of Nothing
it was an ok book but I had trouble getting into the book as the flow of the writing kept getting disrupted by the slang language references and short chapters
william
The Things We Leave Behind
the things we leave behind by Clare Furniss is a very confusing novel as it takes you through a journey that doesn't really have an ending and for me the story is not a very gripping one as you cant really follow the story. In my opinion the scene with the homeless girl and the café sticks in my head the most as it is one of the most emotional parts and is a very memorable part of the story. My thoughts of the author is that she has a very busy mindset and didn't have a clear idea on where the story was going and i wouldn't read another book by this author
Noah
Glasgow Boys
through out the time that i read the Glasgow boys i found that i could not catch on to the plotline of this story, i personally did not enjoy the fact that this book has to be read with a bit of an accent ,however i found the power of identity striking and i enjoyed the humour of the characters and liked how relatable the characters are.
eva
Glasgow Boys
during the time I read Glasgow boys I enjoyed the book as the style matched the perspective of what the them and time period the use of mixed classes in the boys form one of a foster background and one from a lower class point of view. the book explores the point of view through Finlay and banjo the point of identity of the world around them.
holly
Little Bang
It was okay, but not my favorite book. The story was kind of interesting, but I feel like it could have been better. I just didn’t connect with it as much as I hoped. It wasn’t bad, just not really my thing!
LEWIS
King of Nothing
The book was okay, I found the story slow and I found it difficult to get into and the story in the beginning wasn't as gripping, but it gets better throughout the book. I liked the language used as it connects with younger audiences
Tiegan
The Final Year
The plot and storyline of the book was not only relatable, but emotionally arousing and intriguing. The anticipatory flow of the plot also made the book more interesting and grabbed my attention as a reader too. The story and development of Dylan kept me on my toes, as well as waiting for the 'Beast' to arise in Dylan. Overall, Goodfellow truly captured the attention and sympathy of the reader and if I had the choice, I would read another novel that he has written.
Nicole
Little Bang
It was a very mature book to read as it is about sensitive topics such as abortion, I liked how it went into detail about certain things and openly talked about sex and things like that.
Eva
Little Bang
i found the book interesting because having a baby at 16 is a bit young but happens a lot especially in schools. I also found the book enjoyable because it talks about the aspects of growth and development of life.
Delia
The Final Year
I liked this book as it was an easy read and easy to follow along with. However I think this book would be more suitable for a primary school setting.
lilly-paige
All That It Ever Meant
A breathtaking story tackling grief and culture with a family with a variety of ages. Although this book is not my normal read I did enjoy the ideas it tried to display with its rich storytelling and unique characters. I would highly recommend others to give this a go in order to learn from such an author's pieces.
Lylah
Little Bang
I think that the book was an exciting read which intrigued me to read more and more. I liked how it shows Mel's emotional growth and development throughout the book and how she matured as the book went on.
daisie
All That It Ever Meant
I personally did not like this book. It took about the fight between Chichi and her father constantly and I know it was one of the major points of the book but it bored me to the point I did not finish it. The writing style was also a bit off for me. There was short chapters which made it easier for finishing on them and not reading one chapter for ages but they were so short to the point there was lots of chapters and it felt tiring constantly starting new ones and trying to finish the book.
Layla
Glasgow Boys
Personally, I don't believe that this was a good book. I struggled to understand the plot and I didn't find it engaging.
Faith
Little Bang
I really like this book, already I think that there is no other book that can top this one. I really enjoyed the part when the moment of realisation kicks in and Sid and Mel realised that she was pregnant when she was vomiting in the toilets.
Dylan