The High Storrs Shadows

Treacle Town
Treacle town was a relentlessly powerful novel that humanised the people stuck in systems and cycles that constantly try to crush them . Through the medium of slam poetry, Con discovers the innate strength to try to change this, and tear himself out of the cycle of violence and hatred and fear, to create a new story for himself, his friends and his family. I would highly recommend this book, and couldn't stop re-reading the poems in it!

Zoë

The Final Year
I wasn't a fan of the format of it but thought the idea was there and eventually I got into it and begun to enjoy it towards the end.

Max

Play
This was a very enjoyable read with an overall great storyline and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Max

King of Nothing
For me it had the same issue as 'Steady for This' and didn't really work for me, BUT I think that this type of book can be brilliant as it encourages people who are familiar with the language used and wouldn't normally read to read.

Max

All That It Ever Meant
Again, I am writing this review a while after reading the book. The characters are what I most remember, and I really like the exploration of the relationships between the different family members, and the way they develop over the course of the novel as they try to process their grief. I also enjoyed the dynamic between Mati and Meticais, with their banter and storytelling. Meticais was wise, and a guide to Mati, passing on their wisdom.

Zoë

The Final Year
I'm writing this review quite a while after I read the book, but the emotional impression it created is still imprinted on my mind. The novel was raw and emotive, but at the same time every part contained a great depth of meaning. I found the relationships between the siblings beautifully crafted, exploring the themes of loss and hope in a subtly powerful way. I also thought the voice of the teacher and the way he was there for Nate when things got really tough exemplified how connection helps people keep on going through everything.

Zoë

The Things We Leave Behind
I believe this book deserves to win the Carnegies as it is has the message to always keep going. It also has gripping scenarios with plot twists that will make you cry.

ishka

Glasgow Boys
I really enjoyed this book, and I could hardly put it down when I was reading it. The character were fully formed and alive from the very beginning, and even thought I don't normally like dual narratives, it did work in this work, portraying their contrasting characters. I also liked how their link was brought in in the middle of the book and not at the end, because it helped you to make links yourself and enjoy the build ups. I loved all the different types of friendships and relationships and how the characters managed to overcome their difficulties and enjoy life together. I especially liked the ending which brought them all together in all senses. Highly recommend this book.

Mabel

Treacle Town
Personally I struggled slightly with all the slang and swearing, but the cyclical nature of the book was clever, and seemed very real and harsh. The escape that Con finds from the seemingly inescapable cycle of violence is Slam poetry, and it was lovely to find out that his murdered friend had also found this release. There was a strong message in this book as well as being quite a good story.

Mabel

King of Nothing
I think this book covered a number of very important themes in a serious but accessible way. I found it easy to read, and some parts were funny. I did find it difficult to understand some of the slang, and didn't really like the way it was written, but I think it just wasn't really my style of writing. The character development of Anton and his friendship with Mathew was very predictable, but also satisfying and emotive.

Mabel

Play
I thought Play was well written and I did not see the ending coming at all. However I found the beginning a bit confusing, as we passed four years in about three pages, and I kept getting mixed up between the narrators. As the book went on it steadied out a bit and I did get quite invested in the characters, but I thought all the drug taking and drinking got a bit repetitive. My favourite part was definitely Mark's artwork, his drawings and sculptures, and I would have liked to have known what happened to them. I feel that at the end there were lots of loose ends and stories which were never properly explained, which I suppose is unavoidable with so many narrators, but was quite annoying and a bit frustrating.

Mabel

All That It Ever Meant
I enjoyed the natural parts of this book, the descriptions of wildlife and Zimbabwe, and some of the characters. However I was slightly confused throughout by the Meticias, as I wasn't sure if this was supposed to be taken literally, as a dream or as a metaphor. I suppose this was sort of explained by the ending, but that meant I didn't understand some of the book before the end. I also wasn't keen on the ending, which I thought was a bit disappointing and almost like the author was really trying to get a surprising twist in. However I did enjoy the style of writing, and how the different characters coped with their grief.

Mabel

The Final Year
I thought this book was very emotive and sensitive, portraying Nate going through his last year and all the challenges that he must face. I was slightly disappointed with it, because so many people had recommended it that I thought it would be fantastic, and it was not quite as good as I thought. I also think it is a better book for younger years to help them with their feelings and introduce them to well-written verse novels. Overall I don't think this book was amazing, but it was an easy read and had relatable interesting characters.

Mabel

The Things We Leave Behind
'The things we leave behind' is quite an interesting book. I was enjoying it at the start, but felt as it went on it had quite a jerky plot and some things didn't really flow very well. I think there were some great characters such as Clem's best friend, and I did quite enjoy the parallel fairy tale even though I feel that it wasn't really needed. However I really did not like the twist at the end, as I felt that it meant the whole rest of the book just doesn't really make much sense. I also got a bit confused with what actually happened and what didn't, especially when Clem was talking to her counsellor and telling stories and half truths. I think the idea could have been a good one, but it just wasn't developed in the best way.

Mabel

Little Bang
I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was sweet, funny and kind, as well as portraying the characters and their different views and opinions in a very sensitive way. I thought there could have been slightly more on the build up in their relationship, as it was very sudden and jarred the plot a bit. However it also made me aware of many facts around abortion, and made me think about things I have never considered. I also think that the plot could have been developed slightly more, as not very much seems to happen in the middle section and it gets slightly repetitive. But overall it was enjoyable and I would recommend reading it.

Mabel

Play
This is an amazing book with a great ending (I am not going to give a spoiler though - read it for yourself). I thought that Matt was the best character until the end when it suddenly changed to the "quietest" character (again no spoiler) . A definite winner in my book. I would not change it in any way.

Franklin

Treacle Town
I am afraid I can not give a serious review as I could not finish the book and found it very hard to read. But from what I read I thought that if I had finished it - it could have been good but the way it was written made it hard to get through.

Franklin

All That It Ever Meant
This is a great book and I think it should be a book suggested to people who like a good plot twist. It feels like everything is perfect until a specific point which changes the book completely and changes the pace.

Franklin

The Final Year
A great book - one of the few written in verse that I have enjoyed. I find verse hard to read sometimes because it is a very different style of writing than I am used to. It was very easy to follow. It almost had me in tears at the ending! Great book - an automatic recommend.

Franklin

The Things We Leave Behind
I think that this book starts well but from the start of 'Lost', it gets a bit confusing and is hard to follow. It is really well written with an interesting dystopia theme. I think the transition between the sections should have more context so you understand what is happening in between.

Franklin