The High Storrs Shadows

Create Group Magazine

Not Going To Plan
I thought the way the book was set out was really interesting, and I liked that the story had 2 different perspectives. I liked the characters and the way they were presented. However, I think the verse made the story a bit tricky to follow in some places as the story moves quite quickly, and the ending didn't feel very satisfying as a result, as it finishes abruptly.

Eleanor

Ghostlines
In terms of crafting, language use, atmosphere and setting, this is definitely one of the best books on the list this year for me. However, again like many books this year it is aimed at much younger readers. As a result, parts of the plotline (moving from city to country, unlikely friendships) were not original. But the setting was, and all the nature description and imagery throughout this book was fantastic. (Especially loved the puffins!) I was slightly confused on the title of 'Ghostlines', as these weren't really a major part of the story, and when they were referenced I don't feel they fitted with the rest, because they were a 'magical' element which jarred with the other more realistic parts of the book. In addition, I really disliked the use of italics instead of speech marks. It interrupted the flow of the book and didn't add or relate to anything. But overall, I thought this book was really well crafted for its age category, and I would definitely recommend for younger readers.

Mabel

Not Going To Plan
This is definitely one of the books I most enjoyed this year because it was aimed at older readers. The characters were engaging and original, and I loved how the friendships evolved and changed. I am quite specific about which verse novels I like because they can quickly become confusing or overly concise, but I thought this one was done very well. However I would say the plot and themes are definitely very unoriginal and overdone in teen/YA books. I also liked the almost parallel story of their GCSEs, which coincided with the main story in a very clever and sophisticatedly managed way. Overall I would definitely recommend this book as a good enjoyable read, although it is one of many teen pregnancy narratives now.

Mabel

Birdie
For me this is clearly a book for younger readers, so I can see how it was written to appeal to them, but for me the book seemed to make complex issues overly simplistic. I don't feel the development of the characters was very realistic - I don't think inherent racism in a community would have been cast aside that quickly. In addition, the plot was not, with the exception of the mine, very original, although the familiar story of a child saving an animal against all odds may appeal to young children. The setting was something I thought was well portrayed, although I found the colloquial language use quite inconsistent, which confused me slightly and detracted from the book's flow. Overall I think it could be a very successful children's book, but for older children/young adults the themes and characters were very simplified.

Mabel

The Boy I Love
I appreciated the imagery, description and historical accuracy in The Boy I Love, however I found the romantic elements and the characters not quite as engaging. But I was particularly gripped by the Battle of the Somme, as I felt the writer was very effective in creating the tense and terrifying atmosphere. Clearly it was all leading up to that battle, which removes some of the mystery and suspense if thought the author was trying to create, as it was such a well known event. In addition, I didn't enjoy the epilogue, it felt a bit 'tacked on' and didn't fit very well with the rest of the book. I think the author was trying to add on a quick happy ending, but I don't think it was ultimately successful. I didn't really enjoy it, but I can see how other people might.

Mabel

Twenty Four Seconds from Now
24 seconds had an interesting structure that I had never seen before, and overall it worked quite well, revealing solutions to earlier questions neatly and satisfyingly. I also liked the new perspective of the boy in a love story which isn't so common, which helped elevate what I thought was not a very original plotline. The book was easy and enjoyable to read and the characters felt immediately alive. Although I wouldn't read this book again, it was much better than I had originally anticipated, and I would recommend it as an easy-read teen romance.

Mabel

Wolf Siren
I thought this book was a great original idea, I usually love books based around fairy tales. It was easy and enjoyable to read, with characters which were quite well developed in their personalities, backstories and relationships. However there were parts where I felt it got a bit slow-moving and repetitive, and I disliked the ending. I feel that her sister was killed just to give the ending a twist and a 'sad ending' - I don't think it helped elevate the plot any further. Overall I did appreciate the writer's use of language and original ideas, so the ending was a disappointing finish to a enjoyable book.

Mabel

The Boy I Love
I was intrigued by this book; it was one of the three books in the shortlist that I would consider reading outside of the carnegies. When i did read it, I shot through it in just over 24 hours, very different to the last carnegie book I had read, which took me three weeks 😅. This book was sweet and romantic, but not without its darker side. When (spoiler alert) Percy died I almost cried, it was so sad. Not to mention that they cannot live out their lives together because of the ignorance of others. I really liked this book, and i will probably be voting for it. Just one piece of criticism though: there does seem to be a power imbalance. I know this is necessary for the plot, but still, and also it is a little pervy when Steven watches Danny go for a swim. I know you have a crush, Steven, but give him some privacy!

Arianne

Ghostlines
Ghostlines was not a book I was really looking forward to reading, and it did take me half a book to get into it, but once I did, I actually began to appreciate it. Its writing style was very believable as a young girl, and i found the way of doing speech cool and unique. But one thing I didn't find believable was how the beloved, kind, loyal big brother didn't even try to reply to her messages. I understand that he 'didn't know what to say', but honestly, I think that in real life he would have at least said something, even if it was inadequate. However, this is just my opinion, and i know he had a lot of teenage angst going on. All in all, this wasn't my favourite book (though it is probably in the top 3 so far) but it had its moments, and i enjoyed Tilda's journey. 3 stars.

Arianne

The Boy I Love
I enjoyed 'The Boy I Love' much more than I thought i would. Although it is quite similar to the type of books I would normally read, I was initially put of by the cover (sorry person who designed it) as I felt that it was very cheesy. I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but lets be real, it is definitely less likely that you will read a book if you don't like the cover, as it is one of your first points of connection with the book. Anyway, I did end up enjoying this book. It was captivating, exciting, moving, and I ended up reading it all in less then 24 hours. Although i liked it, I have two pieces of criticism: 1. It was very sweet and lovely when Stephen and Danny were reunited at the end of the book, and it was very romantic, but I feel that it would have been more effective if they had never seen each other ever again. 2. I know that for the purpose of the storyline, Stephen had to be a higher rank than Danny, but the power imbalance was not very good ,especially when Danny has to call Stephen 'Sir'. In conclusion, this was a worthwhile read and I would give it a 7.75/10

Ilsa

Twenty Four Seconds from Now
Personally, I enjoyed the book, but thought it was quite uneventful and slow paced. The layout of going back in time was a bit confusing, and I felt the characters were lacking a bit of depth at some points. overall I would probably give this book a 3/5

Remae

Not Going To Plan
This novel felt very real. I thought it was a well written novel about the convoluted and messy process of abortion, the complexities of friendships, and how to live with differences of opinion. I liked the interactions between Zed and his mother the most, and how they ended up dedicating time to reflect and talk to each other so they wouldn't just get stuck in their own thoughts. (spoilers here sorry!) Zed was my favourite character. Even though he had dedicated himself completely to the physics marathon, he ended up messing it up trying to help out Marnie. In the moment, it was excrutiating for him being in that exam hall and unable to concentrate. But after, he was able to make the best of his situation, knowing that he had been able to help his friend through a really difficult situation. His sense of justice made him an immensely likeable character, and unlike the way autistic boys often used to be portrayed, as apathic and heartless.

Zoë

Wolf Siren
As I read this book, I felt it resonate with a younger wilder version of myself that I hadn't really thought about in the past few years. When I was a kid, me and my friends used to pretend to be wolves in the forest, calling ourselves 'the wild things' and causing good natured havoc. I was also really interested in menstruation around this time, as it was before I got my period (10 or 11 years old) I was reading loads of books about it and thinking of it as this kind of personal, powerful and mysterious thing that I knew I would eventually get, and would mean that I was moving onto a new stage of growth in my life. I think Wolf Siren is a very powerful novel. It explores complicated and painful familial relationships amidst finding your own identity and learning about who you are and what you believe is right in a society that may not agree with you, or push you down because you look or think differently.

Zoë

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
I thought this book was brilliant. It was unapologetically direct about how people are different from each other, which can lead to conflict when people are cruel and ignorant. It approached neurodivergence, class differences and race in a manner much in the same way as children, who are often just curious and accept people for who they are. I liked the characters, especially Miel as he had a strong sense of self that acted kind of like an anchor for his friends. Even though he ended up making mistakes, he apologised and acknowledged them, which gave his character a level of maturity that I liked in contrast with some of the others. Even though it ended in a way (the final battle) that I myself as an older reader wasn't really interested in, the story contained themes and characters that definitely kept me hooked throughout. I enjoyed the way we left off Zekes' story in the end, I think that last bit was written really well.

Zoë

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
I enjoyed reading this book, I thought the way it dealt with bigger themes in a way younger children can understand was nice. I also thought the illustrations were really good. As an older reader, I found the book quite chaotic at times, but overall I enjoyed the original ideas and the story.

Eleanor

Ghostlines
I really liked this book as I loved the way the setting was described, and I had a very vivid picture of Ayrie in my head. I enjoyed the story. Initially I wasn’t a fan of the dialogue being in italics rather then speech marks, but I think it works with the style the book is written in.

Eleanor

Not Going To Plan
I enjoyed Not Going To Plan. This was the second time I've read this book and I felt it was much better this time round. I really like books written in verse, and this was no different, with its unique and interesting structure that was a conversation between the two principle characters, Zed and Marnie. It was also very thought provoking and I love Marnie's GCSE art project. My only criticisms are that I didn't understand what 'screen printing' was (although that just might be because I'm not very good at art 😅) and I think it would have been even more interesting & challenging if we had heard the arguments for and against abortion equally compelling and thoroughly. Overall, this is a good read and I would give it 7/10

Ilsa

Wolf Siren
I really liked this book, the adaptation of the fairytales were really interesting. I thought the characters were compelling, and I really felt like I was there with them in the book. The themes were handled well, they never felt forced into the story. The only part I didn’t enjoy so much was the ending, which I felt was a bit unnecessary, although it was still well-written.

Eleanor

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody is a book focusing on a young lizard boy and his willingness to stand up to bullies. I think this is a really surreal way to tell children to stand up to bullies as Patrick Ness uses animals instead of humans. Another part making it feel surreal is how Zeke has the entire nation of France on his knee. All things considered I would recommend it to a younger audience i.e. Y5-Y7 but it may not be something I suggest to anyone who is Y8+.

Franklin

Twenty Four Seconds from Now
It was fine. It was sweet and mildly amusing in some places but the story was a little bland for my taste. The structure was interesting but the plot was, albeit heartwarming, boring.

Ilsa

Twenty Four Seconds from Now
I was pleased at first to read this book, as it is exactly the kind of book I would normally choose to read, and despite its unique structure, which I enjoyed, it didn't really seem particularly different to all the other romance books I've read. It was an enjoyable read though, and I especially liked aria's name.

Arianne

Birdie
The pacing was good, and there was no point at which I was bored with what was happening in the book, but, although obviously it was awful when she faced racism, I felt no connection with the characters or the story. The only time the book made me feel emotional was when the horse 'died' but then it was magically ok again just so there could be a happy ending! I know that makes me sound really grumpy, but I feel it would be more effective if he stayed dead (Sorry Mr Duke!)

Ilsa