The John Mason Shadowers

The Things We Leave Behind
'The Things We Leave Behind' by Clare Furniss is a literary MASTERPIECE! It takes you on an emotional roller coaster full of plot twists and uncertainty; plunging you down to the depths of despair in some chapters and yet able to soar to joy in the most unlikely of places. The story follows sisters Clem and Billie as they become refugees, having to flee from England due to a new authoritarian Prime Minister, Toby Knight, whose discriminatory views and law enforcement tear their family apart. Their aim is Wales to live with their Grandpa but the journey is tough and when they arrive, it seems Knight has a grip there too… The pair have to overcome many challenges from capsizing boats to living in hiding and throughout the book, Furniss’s clever writing style really puts you in the shoes of these refugees, from the perilous journeys they take to the hostility directed at outsiders, a remarkably relevant topic in today's world. Overall, a powerfully moving novel able to bring me to tears, many times, but definitely ranks in the top 10 books I have ever read. A true work of art. I recommend it to any reader who is 12+ ( due to the hard to bear topics). 10/10

Hope

All That It Ever Meant
This book is a vibrant tale of loss,sadness and happiness. Weaving in traditional and modern themes in a wonderful way and I could hardly put it down. But it is truely well written

Sophia

All That It Ever Meant
'All That It Ever Meant' by Blessing Musariri was a true to life story of loss and bereavement that follows 14-year-old Mati and her grieving family as they travel from England on a road trip to Zimbabwe after their mother died. Mati is joined by her father and siblings, who have started arguing and fighting, but also by a weird ghost or spirt called Meticais, who only Mati can see and talk too. I found that I could relate to Mati's way o thinking and I love seeing how Chichi, her sister, and her dad's relationship changed and grew throughout the story. but I did find it a bit hard to keep up as it flickered between past and present a lot but generally speaking it was very good and I would give it a 8/10.

Violet

The Things We Leave Behind
'The Things We Leave Behind' by Clare Furniss was a rollercoaster of emotions. It is about the journey that Clem, a 16 year old girl, and Billie, her little half-sister take, trying to escape the terrors of England and flee to Scotland. It is also about Clem trying to make sense of the harsh realities of her past and how she grieves. It starts gently but very powerfully and definitely leaves you on the edge of your seat and almost immediately you feel like you have known the characters for years. By the end of this book I had so much sympathy that the emotional, unexpected plot twist near the end made me tear up. I absolutely loved this book and I would give it a 10/10!

Violet

King of Nothing
'King of Nothing' by Nathanael Lessore was a very complex but cohesive book on the gritty realities and hardships of the modern society. It includes many deep life lessons and talks about many important themes. And although at the start I found the language was a bit cringey, as the story progressed I started to warm up to it and it became quite funny and at many points I defiantly laughed to myself. I think there was a perfect balance between humour and sadness and I loved to follow Anton as he grew and learned what was really important in life. One of my favourite parts was the ending as it was very satisfying and I could not put the book down. Overall this has been one of my favourite reads in a while and I would give it a very solid 9.5/10!

Violet

The Final Year
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, especially all the amazing and interesting images! I loved Nate and the relationships he has with his teachers. I also loved the structure of this book and the way the paragraphs are formatted. The only thing I would change about this book is the length of the 5th part. I think it would be easier to manage if it was split up. I loved the poem stanzas and wish some of them were longer. A very uplifting read, loved every second! would recommend.

Hannah

Little Bang
Little Bang — Kelly McCaughrain This book really opened my eyes about how hard it would be to raise a child ,it’s not just getting them to school on time and making dinner , you have to do so much. I really felt Mel , the way she was treated by her class mates , family and friends and I felt the most for her when she was at the airport all alone , scared and feeling ill, I couldn’t imagine.

Ava

King of Nothing
It was a really good book because I really liked the wording and the jokes was nerve-wracking. It was a roller coaster of emotions. It was definitely one of my favourite books ever.

Rohan

Glasgow Boys
I really enjoyed this book and watching both characters grow and develop. What I especially loved was their intertwining storyline and how everything slowly started to make sense, and I could connect the dots. I feel Banjo was a relatable character and I liked how his past problems were presented to me as a reader. I liked how the parts about the character pasts were added to the book. However, with their being a lot of characters it was hard for me to remember who was who and sometimes I would have to look back in the book to figure out who was being talked about. I also think it would help if some of their names didn’t sound so similar. I liked how Banjo was so worried for Alena when she was in the hospital and didn’t show up for work. I love how Banjo feels and shows his emotions either way too much or not enough. Overall, this book kept me hooked and was enjoyable.

Hannah

Little Bang
Little Bang by Kelly McCaughrain is a thought provoking novel which covers the debate and different views on abortion. It is set in Northern Ireland in 2018, when abortion was illegal, which presents many challenges and questions throughout the book, especially considering the fact that it was legal in other parts of the UK, such as England. The story follows 16 year old Mel, a religious goody-two-shoes known to be top of the class, and Sid, the polar opposite, almost flunking out of school, who after a party on New Years Eve, where they end up pregnant, face multiple challenges: from telling shocked parents to figuring out how their future will turn out, now Mel thinks university is out of the question and Sid is juggling jobs. This cleverly written novel swaps between Mel's point of view, often spotted with physics references or as if she were talking to “Little Bang”, and Sid’s, more sweary yet still almost as worried as Mel’s thoughts. Overall, I loved this book; although its main focus can be a difficult topic for many people, Kelly McCaughrain presents many varying opinions on abortion through the different characters, showing how their belief systems or their surroundings impact their judgement on the topic. A 10/10 for any teen reader ( due to swearing and references that may be deemed inappropriate for younger readers)!

Hope

The Final Year
The Final Year is an emotional roller coaster of Year 6, as Nate struggles to control the beast inside. His best friend ditches him for his enemy and they discover that his little brother has a complex heart disease. Nate knows that this year will make him or break him. But willl he make it through his final year?

Sophia

King of Nothing
Anton is king of the school. everyone is scared of him but when nerd Matthew saves his life he questions if he is doing the right thing with his life. And when his dad is released from prison and wants to meet him Anton doesn't know what to think. Does he want to ditch the gang and be himself or will have to keep himself under wraps forever?

Sophia

All That It Ever Meant
All That It Ever Meant is a very well written intriguing book,you won’t be able to put down! Even though Mati seems like a quiet character she is really quite observant and sees things that most people don’t see. She has so many stories to tell but no one who she feels is willing to listen. When she meets Metacais they get her to slowly open up about her life. I really like the way the story not only goes into detail after the death but before the death as well, it really makes you think and realise how hard it must have been for them and how it changed and impacted their family forever; Mati describes how her mum never felt a true sense of belonging although she lived between two cultures. It helped me to understand why they chose to roadtrip across Zimbabwe and why it was important to their family.

Adele

Play
‘Play’ by Luke Palmer is a complicated yet pleasing book about the reality of growing up into manhood and how hard it can be. One of my favourite things about this book is that you get a huge impression of who Johnny (one of the four main characters) is without hearing from his point of view except from the very start and the end and the way he can’t pay attention in class but is extremely perceptive of all his friends and noticing things others didn’t. Although it was subtle, I also loved the way Luke changed fonts for each different character as it made it easier to remember whose perspective it was. Overall I love the realism of the book and I would give it a 8.5/10.

Violet

The Final Year
I found ‘The Final Year’ an amazing book because I loved the poem verses. I found them really easy to understand and read. The story is about a boy called Nate and his transition into year six . My favourite character was definitely Mr Joshua (Nate’s Teacher) Because he is always smiling, laughing or singing songs. I don't think they needed to add when Nate's younger brother had a heart attack but It definitely was a plot twist that had me grabbing onto the edge of my seat. To truly get the most of this book you have to read ‘Skellig’ by David Almond because the understanding of skellig makes the book more meaningful and you appreciate the links between them.

Philippa

The Final Year
I found ‘The Final Year’ an amazing book because I loved the poem verses. I found them really easy to understand and read. The story is about a boy called Nate and his transition into year six . My favourite character was definitely Mr Joshua (Nate’s Teacher) Because he is always smiling, laughing or singing songs. I don't think they needed to add when Nate's younger brother had a heart attack but It definitely was a plot twist that had me grabbing onto the edge of my seat. To truly get the most of this book you have to read ‘Skellig’ by David Almond because the understanding of Skellig makes the book more meaningful and you appreciate the links between them.

Philippa

King of Nothing
I found ‘King Of Nothing’ a very interesting read. It's about a boy called Anton who thinks of himself as king of the school until he suddenly finds a weird friendship with the loser Mathew after joining a cringy club because of his mum. Anton realizes that respect and fear are completely different things and turns a new leaf. My favourite character was Mathew because of his bubbly personality and goal to make everybody happy. The book had a brilliant plot and got me on the edge of my seat at some points. I particularly liked how the author added in slang so it connects with younger audiences and makes the book feel more realistic. I really liked this book I would rate it a 9/10

Philippa

The Things We Leave Behind
I really loved this book as it was beautifully written and an experience to read. My favourite part was when Clem and Claudia are in the end living by the sea and Mischa contacts her. The most surprising part was when you find out that Billie (her sister) was actually killed at the protest and she has been imagining her sister with her the entire time. I loved it and I rate it a 9.9/10

Sophia