Plumites

King of Nothing
I loved this book and I loved the twists and turns. I especially loved watching the main character change throughout the book. My favourite bit was when the main character stood up to the bullies. Overall it was amazing!

Florence

Little Bang
This was a very good book! It was very interesting and told me new information which I didn't know existed! It had an emotional roller-coaster all through the book. Although the middle of the book was just very slow and nothing really happened. There wasn't really much description and I found it boring. I struggled to get through that bit, but once I had it was very good. Overall, I would recommend!

flicka

The Final Year
"The Final Year" was an absolutely amazing read. Easy but emotional, funny but heart-wrenching, it has all I could ever ask for in a book and more. The character development was phenomenal, and I loved how all the characters, however minor, still had unique personalities. It was both relatable and fiction, which is a good quality in a YA book. After seeing the cover, I was ABSOLUTELY NOT expecting such a serious yet funny book. Poetry/verse wasn't really my kind of book until I read The Final Year: an outstanding book from an outstanding author. Definitely 10/10, would read again.

Arthur

The Final Year
'The Final Year' is a book that creates a rollercoaster of emotions. At times it can be happy, but at others it can be moving/sad. I really enjoyed reading this book because it teaches the reader a lesson about the importance of family and how life can change unexpectedly. The book is not set up in the usual way, it is a verse book showing the voice and feelings of Nate (the narrator and main character). My favourite character is Nate, because he is a young boy who shows compassion about his family and friends. He talks openly about his struggles in school and at home. This could be useful in teaching the reader the importance of speaking up about any problems they are facing. I found the setup of the book harder to read because of the unusual way it it is written. Overall, if I was rating this book I would award it 9/10.

Oliver

Glasgow Boys
I absolutely loved reading The Glasgow Boys. It was one of the most relatable and emotionally honest books I’ve come across. The story felt incredibly gritty and raw, portraying real struggles in a way that didn’t feel sugar-coated or forced. Compared to other books I’ve read, this one stood out because of how true-to-life the characters and their experiences felt. I saw so much of myself in Finlay—his thoughts, insecurities, and the way he tried to navigate his place in the world really resonated with me. That strong connection made me sympathize with him deeply and understand the choices he made, even when they weren’t easy. His character felt like someone I could know—or even be—which made the story hit even harder. Another thing I really appreciated was the inclusion of LGBTQ+ representation. It was done so naturally and respectfully, and when I realized there was something developing between Akash and Finlay, I couldn’t help but start giggling—I was so excited to see that part of the story unfold. Their relationship added even more depth to the book, and it made me feel seen in a way I don’t often experience in fiction. Overall, The Glasgow Boys wasn’t just a great book—it was an important one. It’s one of the best books I’ve ever read, and I know it’s going to stay with me for a long time.

Ellie

Little Bang
I really enjoyed Little Bang because it shows what could happen and its also a pure emotional rollercoaster. My favourite bit was when Sid was repairing his life and he was enjoying it. Overall I love this book and would recomend it to keen readers.

Florence

King of Nothing
I really enjoyed reading this book. At the start it was a bit slow to get going but then I couldn't stop turning the pages. My favourite character was Rochelle because she always looked out for Mathew . Overall this book was exciting, funny, heartwarming and a blast to read!

Susannah

Glasgow Boys
Glasgow Boys: I think Glasgow Boys had a very slow start and really started getting more intriguing from around page 70 into the hundreds and really went downhill at points. I have to say the second swimming pool scene was a massive heightening in the roller coaster of emotions and drama. It wasn't the most exciting book I've read but I really liked that there was a little index at the back for all the non-scots out there who didn't really get the slang/language that Margret McDonald executed extremely well in this sort of book. It was confusing at times and I probably wouldn't read it again but it definitely entertained me for a good two weeks. Overall rating: 6.5-7.5 / 10

Ayla

King of Nothing
This book was amazing! I loved how emotional the story got at times, and how Anton deals with things that are thrown his way. I also love how real it feels, how it seems like the characters could literally jump of the page and into real life! I think it bears a good resemblance to a teenager's life; friendships, drama, school. Sometimes the story was a bit boring, though, especially at the start as I found it hard to get into. Overall, I think this is an amazing story, and I would definitely recommend this to one of my friends.

Tomalyn

The Things We Leave Behind
I really enjoyed this book because the journey which the main characters (Clem and half sister Billie) was quite intense and exciting to read. They had a dangerous journey to Scotland and Clem faced a disaster while traveling across the sea. Although Billie is quite different to Clem, I think they work together well as a team. Towards the end of the book I think it got more exciting although there were no parts of the story which I didn't like. I would really like a second book or a part 2 so we can see more of the characters.

Abigail

Glasgow Boys
Glasgow boys by Margaret McDonald is a realistic fiction book. In the book we get introduced to Banjo, he is in a foster family and has a short temper, making finishing his last year of high school difficult. Then we have Finlay, who having recently come out of the foster care system, is struggling to get his nursing degree and finding it hard to find work. The book is about Banjo meeting new people and he gets into a fight on his first day, but when he starts a job he meets a girl he loves, she is Alena and they work at a café together. Throughout the book you can see Banjos character develop in to a less aggressive person after being around Alena . The rest of the book is about Finlay writing an essay for his degree and managing to fit in work, Finley at the start of the book is a very anxious person, but when he meets Akash, Finlay feels he is the only person he can be himself around. I liked the book because you could read one person's perspective at a time, I also liked being able to read about two characters that are completely different to each other. What I didn't like about it was I thought Finlay and Banjo would be together in the book but all we see is they have one conversation at the end. I expected more development on their friendship. Overall, I think the book was very good and would recommend to a friend because of the plot and engaging characters.

lily

Play
I really liked 'Play' because the first person point of view really let the story go into more depth with emotions and thoughts, while still continuing the story. I especially liked that the ending was fast but not rushed (and that it made me cry a little). I thought all the characters were really well developed, however, the start of the story seemed to have something happen, then jump forward in time, making it quite hard to follow (despite adding a believable backstory to their friendships). Overall, I give 'Play' a solid 9½ out of 10 because I really loved the story and the way it covered the core issues.

Arthur

King of Nothing
I must admit, I didn't think I was going to enjoy this book, it just wasn't my sort of read, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was like a coming of age book with Anton having to deal with his identity, who his true friends are and his own masculinity. It is funny, sensitive, sad, happy and all done in a thought provoking way. A great book. 9/10

Mrs Symon

The Final Year
The book was really good as it hooked you to the characters and you start to imagine their lives with every poem with their ups and downs. You also feel strongly to anything that happens to them and I love the fact that they made a point that everything was going to be alright and work out in the end which shows that there is always light at the end of the tunnel. My rating for this book is 10/10

Kai