Skipton Shadows

The Final Year
The Final Year was a very moving and cleverly written book. I don’t find myself reading books written in verse normally, but I’m glad that I gave this one a try. The writing style made the book quick and simple to read, whilst still making it enjoyable and flow smoothly. It also made the book very immersive, as when trying to stop reading, I couldn’t put it down! I also really loved the illustrations and the style that they are in, as they helped to visualise the ‘monster’ living inside of Nate. Overall, I had a great experience reading this book, and found some of the themes very interesting.

Betty

Play
I really enjoyed this book. In the first chapter I found it hard to get into, but that completely changed! I got completely immersed in it after the first chapter. The multiple perspectives were very good as they all tied into each other and were very vivid. I thought you could really tell what they were thinking and feeling. I thought this was an extremely well written book and I loved it all the way through.

Iris

Treacle Town
Treacle town is an interesting story about a boy who lives a life of danger and adventure, and must cope amongst gang violence and the struggle of losing a close friend. I very much enjoyed this book as I found it fascinating to read about his life, and I liked being able to put myself in his shoes. One thing in particular about Treacle Town that I enjoyed was how the author often alluded to Con's (the main character) memories of times he shared with the loved ones that he lost, such as his mother or his friend Biscuit. I liked this because I felt it added a hint of sentimentality to the story, amongst the more serious topics. There isn't much I would improve about the book although I perhaps wouldn't recommend it as much to younger audiences as there is a lot of coarse language, which I didn't mind so much as I felt it highlighted the type of society the characters live in, but others might disagree. Overall though, a wonderful book!

Olivia

The Final Year
This was a quick read but very good. Some of the poems were really beautiful and I also thought it captured Nate really well and made him a realistic character. At first it was hard to get into the verse but I gradually stopped noticing it and focused on the plot. The characters all felt very alive and believable. I also thought it spread some really important messages of family and friendship.

Iris

Little Bang
I thought this was a very well written book and gave a really good insight into what teen pregnancy was like. I specially enjoyed the dual narrative as I thought this really helped show both veiwpoints and how it affected both of them in different ways. This was a very good read, and it was written in a way which really made me immersed in the book.

Iris

The Things We Leave Behind
This book was the last one I had to read out of the eight and at the moment it is my favourite. It was heartwarming and an easy read. I really enjoyed it and liked the twist at the end. Looking back now, I realised how the twist fitted in to the story. I thought the ending was good and I found it fun. I would rate it a 9/10 because the twist did at first confuse me, although it does make sense now. I would recommend it to 8+ year olds because some parts of the book are quite sad.

Amelia M

Play
Play is a good book and I felt that the characters were real and that I could connect with them. I liked how it had dual narrative as it means you can see it from different people's point of view. I also liked how each character had a different font as it helped you to remember who was who, and so you could see that each character is different and yet just as important. The last chapter confused me a bit, but I liked how the book ended with the same line it started with. Altogether I would rate it an 8/10 because I liked the creativity and the story. I would recommend it to 10-14 year olds.

Amelia M

Play
Heartbreaking, heartwarming and hard-hitting, this book perfectly captures the lives of the main characters in the book. The characters are perfectly developed and extremely consistent all through the story, with the speech and actions perfectly mirroring their surroundings and personalities. I found it hard to understand the fact that more than one person was narrating, but the different fonts really helped with that and I quickly got used to it. Definitely worth a read, though some of the themes are very adult.

Immy

Treacle Town
I thought it was a good book, and the story was good, but I didn't really understand what was going on. The ending however was quite sad and I did not expect it. I was glad Con managed to get away from the system though. I would rate it a six because I liked the concept of the story but it made no sense. I would recommend this book to 14 year olds because the language is quite bad.

Amelia M

Play
Personally, this book isn’t like what I normally read. This made it exciting and different. Although it wasn’t my favourite book, I still enjoyed it and was able to escape into the world of Johnny, Mark, Matt and Luc. I enjoyed the different perspectives of each character and how references were made throughout the book to the start or something previously said. This made the plot believable and consistent; also making me want to continue reading. Additionally, ‘Play’ covers some darker topics that I don’t usually see in books, therefore creating awareness and understanding about these themes. The ending of the book was very deep and left me thinking about time and the different paths you take in life, it also nearly had me in tears because of what happened to Johnny. Overall, I found ‘Play’ to be enjoyable and was easily immersed into unfamiliar perspectives and experiences.

Betty

The Things We Leave Behind
Overall, I really enjoyed ‘The things We leave behind’. It was hooking and hard to anticipate what would happen next, especially the ending. This made it fresh and enjoyable to read. The ending is very sad, however the book shines a light on darker topics, like death and extremism, it also made me think. Additionally, the book hits close to home since it’s based in London and makes the story more believable. The plot follows Clem, a teenage girl from London. She is a strong and likeable character who has to deal with grief and loss. Her interactions with other characters are very moving and her emotions realistic. It is different from many books I’ve read before, which I love to see.

Betty

The Final Year
It was an interesting and unique read. I enjoyed some parts of it but I found that the pace was a bit too fast for me. However, it was a nice and easy read because of the poem format. I would recommend this book to 8-11 year olds.

Amelia M

Glasgow Boys
Wow!! I love, love, loved this book! It was heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time. I loved how fast paced this book was and how you could feel the emotions of the characters. I could read it all over again with ease. I highly recommend it!!

Immy

Glasgow Boys
This was a heartfelt book about love and friendship. I felt this was very emotional and well written. The dual narrative worked very well, but I felt first person present would have given an even better insight into their feelings, and third person present tense was a little clunky to me. Still, that didn't stop this from being an amazing book which really highlights what family means and the character development is great. This was an insightful and emotional read.

Iris

The Final Year
It was ok but I didn't really like the verse layout. Also, I couldn't really relate to the book that well.

Charlotte

All That It Ever Meant
I enjoyed the ending and massive plot twist, but I didn't quite understand who Meticais is but I liked the fact that only Mati could see and hear him and that they had that special bond. I would rate it a 6/10 and would recommend to anyone between the ages of 8 and 14. Altogether it was an interesting read and it kept me hooked.

Amelia M

King of Nothing
I think this book was very good. I thought Anton was funny and he was definitely likeable to me. It was easy to read because of the jokes and how they used modern language so it really felt like Anton was realistic. I thought it really drew you in, because Anton was hilarious and I really enjoyed Matthew's uniqueness. I think it dealt with serious issues in a good manner: it kept it funny but did deal well with the issues.

Iris

King of Nothing
This book was amazing! I loved how the book was about change, something that people may struggle with a lot. It's comical and almost like it's based on a real story. It helps us to understand different people from different societies and backgrounds. There may not be as much visual description but the written style is readable and the pace gives the reader space to think about the book and to further reflect on them. The book is about the 'king' of the school and his group of friends who are all struggling with something. But then all things go down hill and he's stuck in a mess, between friendship and title, which one will he choose?

Muqaddas

Little Bang
I was a bit wary when I started reading it, because I was worried it would have some alarming content but it was actually quite PG. I found the story had a good pace and I enjoyed the fact that it was a dual narrative because it shows both of their perspectives and I think that is quite cool. It was quite an easy book to read and once I had started reading it, I didn't want to put it down because I wanted to know what was going to happen. The original idea was quite good and I am impressed the author came up with it. I was able to feel the characters emotions and I felt that the author had kept the characters quite consistent throughout the book. The characters felt real and I enjoyed the interactions that the characters had. I would recommend this book to anyone over the age of 12 and think that if you read it you would really enjoy it. Altogether I think that it was a really good read.

Amelia M

The Final Year
I really liked The Final Year. I loved how it was very easy to read as it was a verse novel and how easy it was to get into the characters head as it was in first person. There was a lot of action some of which was good but some of it did make me cry... It was very emotional and I felt like I was there. The way the character Nate was portrayed in my opinion was brilliant as I could really feel his emotions and it was quite easy to follow his journey. It captured me and I felt like I could read it for hours.

Rose

All That It Ever Meant
'All That It Ever Meant' is a wonderful book, filled with emotion, adventure, and great storytelling. It is about a girl and her family who go on a road trip to Zimbabwe after a great tragedy that happened in their home, but along the way, the main character meets in my opinion an 'unlikely friend' who no one else can see, but she begins to open up and share her grief with them. My favourite thing about this book was the way you can really get into the mindsets of the characters (especially the main character), and really feel the emotions and grief they are feeling after the tragic incident that occurred in the family. I also thought some moments were quite heartwarming, and really expressed the struggle of being a single parent. I don't think there was much I would improve if I was the author. It was a lovely read and the words stuck with me. Some parts were perhaps more for older readers, but it is an enjoyable read for younger audiences otherwise.

Olivia

The Final Year
When I first picked up the book, I was slightly sceptical of how enjoyable I would find it because I knew it was written in verse. However, I am very, very glad that I started to read it - I was completely hooked by the end of the first couple of pages! The characters were very realistic and you felt that you were experiencing the highs and lows. At first, I found it difficult to get used to the style of the dialogue, but I got used to it quickly and it was used to enhance the themes and styles of the book. Although the themes weren't relatable to my life, I enjoyed reading about them - I think it helps with understanding what other people I know might be facing or might face in the future. I found it a heartwarming and gripping read and thoroughly recommend it! My favourite book so far!!

Immy

King of Nothing
I really liked this book because of the plot and of how much action there was. I also liked the atmosphere the book made because I felt I was there and experienced it all. I enjoy the fact that you can probably relate to the main part of the story. I also enjoyed the fact that you don't stay on one thing for more than a few chapters. Because it moves about so much, it keeps the story flowing and not jamming up the story.

Charlotte

Little Bang
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would when I looked at the cover. I like dual narratives in books, I feel that it helps you to understand the characters more and I thought that it may be a little bit old, but I would say it was suitable for different ages. Overall, I would recommend reading this book.

Mia

Glasgow Boys
This is my favourite book so far, it is heartfelt and I really enjoyed the book. I thought that the Scottish dialect was interesting and made it seem more realistic. I also liked the dual narrative and how you read from both the perspectives. It wasn't really the style of book I normally read, but I'm glad Idid because I loved it.

Mia

King of Nothing
I enjoyed the book and think it was quite a fun and easy read. I think the author did a great job with this book because a different book he had written I didn't enjoy as much so I was worried I wouldn't like this book but it was actually really good and I was immersed in it and was disappointed when I finished it. I recommend it to everyone!

Amelia M

Glasgow Boys
It was a heartwarming book and was filled with great descriptions. I really enjoyed following the characters journey throughout the book and enjoyed the ending greatly. The book is quite easy to read and the Scottish dialect is quite cool and it make the book feel real. The original idea was amazing and I think that the author did a great job in coming up with the idea. I would recommend this book to 12+ because there is a bit of bad language in there. Altogether I really liked it.

Amelia M

Little Bang
This is a really intense book, based on abortion. A really good idea for the book. I could use more of a plot twisting ending and about the pregnancy happening, but overall it was an amazing book. It is readable and the descriptions are very imaginative like you were really there. Overall, I will give it a rating of 7/10. A fantastic book.

Afreen

The Final Year
This was a lovely book. I really liked it. The concept of the book was alright and it was fun to read. And it was readable. Though I wished they did not leave the book on a cliff-hanger, but overall it is a fantastic book, full of love and emotion.

Afreen

King of Nothing
King Of Nothing is a fantastic book, it has such a funny, sarcastic plot. I love this book, my rating is 9/10. It is readable, witty and funny. It does have some minor violence in it but it is all part of the theme/genre, crime and thriller. My overall judgement is that I absolutely love this book, it is amazing!

Afreen