Tenbury Page Turners 26

Wolf Siren
This was the first book from the shortlist that I read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Wolf Siren by Beth O’Brien is a fantasy novel that is a dark fairy tale retelling of the classic story of Red Riding Hood. It explores themes of feminism, belonging, family dynamics and embracing disabilities, difficult subjects, but this story is beautifully written and very atmospheric. I thought it was an imaginative retelling of the classic fairytale with a dark twist but ultimately an optimistic ending with a community coming together.

Julie

The Boy I Love
The novel brings out the waste of war, and the strength and hope that love can bring. The book’s title and it's eye catching cover show that the relationship of Stephen and Danny will be central to the story but it is also a thoroughly researched, powerful depiction of trench-life. It's a thought provoking read for young people today about how people who were forced to live, work and fight together, of the deep bonds that grew from those experiences, and of the daily dangers that they were forced to endure. The ending could be read as maybe a bit realistic as Danny would have been unlikely to survive but it leaves on a message of hope.

Julie

Not Going To Plan
I Personally think that Not going To Plan is an extremely strong contender this year. From the real and relatable themes of not fitting in or being mistreated for your differences, to the statistics, facts, and logos inserted into the book to help people struggling through a similar situations; Not Going to Plan is a highly relatable novel that encapsulates teenage life and the struggles with teenage pregnancy. I also enjoyed the fact that, despite their obvious differences, Zed and Marnie really bounce off of one another and compliment each other very well. I also loved their banter between each other and how, through the verse style, you can see each characters point of view. I found the verse style of writing extremely interesting and also the word art allowed me to visualise the situation Zed and Marnie were in and their opinion. Overall, I loved this book, the readability of it, and also the content!

Finnley

The Boy I Love
The boy I love was a very interesting book about the war. I also liked how it showed how people would really be treated as a gay person in WW1. It wasn't just accepted as normal back then and was seen as a terrible thing.

Milly

Ghostlines 
I would give this book a 7 out of 10 as throughout the book there are a lot of themes present like friendship and belonging. It clearly shows how the characters build and become friends as the story goes on.

Daniel

Ghostlines 
After hearing some more negative views from my classmates I did not have high hopes for this book, however it surpassed them greatly. I loved the gradual increase in the characters relationship. And also the realism and the relatable struggles they both went through. I really enjoyed this book.

Oliver

Wolf Siren
I think Jason Reynolds Twenty Four Seconds From Now is a humorous and authentic story. It explores the consequences of becoming a teenager including love, vulnerability, family and friendship as well as trust. I believe the use of reverse chronological order backdating to the first day they met and the inclusion of Neon's inner thoughts and mental anxieties and struggles involves the reader in the book. I found this very effective. Overall i thought this was a thouroughly enjoyable informative book,teaching of the realities of growing up and that its ok not to be 'perfect'.

annie

Not Going To Plan
I think that the book is very good, I especially liked how the characters were developed. I also think that it's a very good book for teens as some may also be going through similar things and might relate to the book. I love how it was written and think it was really easy to read.

Sophie

Wolf Siren
I found that it was a very slow start and it was challenging to get into, even though by the end it got more interesting, it was very slow pace throughout. While the story was based on a fairytale it was a bit far-fetched for me. The book did stay on something for a while even though you see changes in the characters and their development throughout and how easily they can change.

Jorja

The Boy I Love
I loved the historical accuracy and description. I found the romance wasn't fully explored but it was very full-on at the end

Josh

Twenty Four Seconds from Now
I would give this book a 7/10. It has a range of themes. I like the fact that it is going in reverse which shows how the characters' relationship builds over time. I found it quite realistic and believable.

Daniel

Not Going To Plan
I really enjoyed reading this book, the layout of the verses was really easy to read. The relationship between the characters was heartwarming and also shows a divide in students between their interests and beliefs on different topics. It can show real life issues and school problems between friends and foes. It can show teenage themes and problems that come with it. Overall it was a really good book to read with real life situations and how the characters over come them and can also show people who might be struggling or afraid of any of the themes that the book contains, that they it can be overcome.

Jorja

Not Going To Plan
I thoroughly enjoyed this book .It explores many intriguing teenage themes and ways to conquer complex life situations . I like the structure of the writing and how its laid out as it makes it engaging and draws you in to keep reading more .I believe the idea in the book is excellently explored. The inclusion of the contrast between the beginning and end of the book and the developing relationship with Marnie and her mother is rather heartwarming.

Annie

Twenty Four Seconds from Now
I really enjoyed this book the original idea of the story line was described in the book really well. It was a easy book to get into and draws you in. It goes at a nice pace where there is not to much going on at once and it does not stay on one thing for too long giving a nice variety of information and detail, whilst also giving enough to show the relationship developing between all the characters. It ends with a very nice and sweet ending making the whole storyline come to a credible close.

Jorja

Popcorn
I would give this book a 4 out of 10 as I didn't really like this book. Although there are a few themes present, I didn't enjoy it as it stayed on things for way too long which I didn't like. I didn't like that the whole book is set in one day as the pace is really slow. I also think that there should be more themes present within the book as it heavily focuses on anxiety and panic attacks.

Daniel

The Boy I Love
I found the book very interesting and I loved how it explored areas of LGBTQ as its a very sensitive topic for some people, especially since it was set in 1914 where people were not allowed to be interested in the same gender. The plot was thrilling and exotic and the history in the background is very well written, I especially love how their love grows as the story goes on, and its very chaotic at times, this story is very good and I'm sure many people will find that the book is very helpful in certain areas and will love to read it as it may be relatable for some. The style of the book is one to enjoy, the plot is slow and easy to read, which is very nice for our short attention span readers.

Sophie

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
Even though this book is short and targeting younger audiences, I thoroughly enjoyed it! it reminded me of the 13-story treehouse series, so if you're into that I highly recommend. You really bond to the characters and it is very comedic!

Josh

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
I would give this book a 7 out of 10 as I think it explores many themes like friendship, teamwork with a hint of humour. I think the pace of the book is good and it does not focus on one thing for too long. However, it can go quite fast in some parts. The book has a range of characters which all have different personalities which you can relate to.

Daniel

Not Going To Plan
This book uses a very interesting style of verse, immersing you within the story. It covers great topics and how to deal with them and I like how at the end of the book there are lots of links to support anyone going through these issues, showing how considerate the author is!

Josh

Popcorn
I thought Popcorn was a brilliant and very original idea and especially liked the pressure building and then 'Popping.' However, in my opinion it is slightly too drawn out and in between the catastrophes there is lots of awkward small talk and it feels like a drawn out and boring read in some places. Furthermore the ending is sweet and wholesome but I think it wasn't very credible. However apart from these points, overall it is a good book portraying a relatable state of mind for a lot of people.

Oliver

Wolf Siren
I loved how this book introduces a huge twist on such an iconic fairytale! I found the plot very hooking and I kept wanting to read on. Personally, I found that the story was very easy to read, however it remained extremely interesting throughout, I didn't deem it as predictable. I loved how it exposes the political Issues within a patriarchal society, and explores how important the most disrespected people are to maintaining order in a society. Overall, I found this book to be quite interesting and fantastical and a great original idea, crammed full of metaphors and gripping ideas! I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys this type of story.

Finnley