Wyedean School
Little Bang
Little Bang was incredibly compelling whilst being informative of the countless social and political pressures on people in N.Ireland during the conflict surrounding the change of abortion laws. Little Bang also engaged my emotions really well, especially fear, joy, anger, confusion and bittersweet happiness as though I were part of the story too.
Rose Miles
Play
Play gave me a valuable insight to the lives and struggles of boys my age. I also felt, as a girl the treatment of the female characters was recognisable and resonated with me. The cyclical narrative was
carried out very well and felt intriguing and satisfying. I also felt that the family dynamics seemed real and true to life.
Rose Miles
Play
I liked Play a lot, it was nice to see the boys over the years and how they changed as their story lines developed. I think it covered an important set of topics and I liked how it ended getting to see some of their futures before they've even happened.
Daisy
Little Bang
I really liked little bang, it taught me a lot I didn't know and covered very important topics, especially at the moment. I liked Mel and Sid's developments and how their lives changed so much for better and for worse. It is one of few books (and topics) where there isn't an obvious answer and ending so it was interesting to see the different arguments and their choice in the end and how it affected them.
Daisy
Treacle Town
I liked Treacle town, it was slower to begin with but then I read the second half in two sittings. I liked the story, character development and the cyclical nature of the ending. I think the sweary language will deter adults from encouraging children to read it which is unfortunate as it is an important topic and a very good book.
Daisy
All That It Ever Meant
I liked All that it ever meant, it was interesting to see the dynamics of the family and how they all coped with the grief. I enjoyed seeing their trip and the ending was good but I predicted it but only because I recently read another book with a similar ending. Overall a good book and nice to have a shorter read, it was the perfect length
Daisy
Glasgow Boys
Wow! Definitely my favourite of the bunch so far, and I think this certainly has a shot at winning.
I love this! This book tackles heavy topics like drug dependency, fear of abandonment and more, but it doesn’t weigh you down too much. It’s a very enjoyable read; learning about Banjo and Finlay’s lives apart and slowly piecing together their pasts makes their reunion near the end so climactic and well deserved.
I also really liked that, despite the relationship between Finlay and Banjo being the main focus of the story, it isn’t forced into being a romantic one. I feel like too many stories about relationships will only focus on romance, when there’s plenty of potential for a great story with a platonic relationship at its core, as demonstrated here.
Speaking of romance though, the two couples in this work exceptionally well. The dynamics between Banjo & Alena and Finlay & Akash are so well written! Both of the couples fit together so well.
The characters are also really well fleshed out and consistent! They’re flawed enough to be human and interesting, while still remaining likeable. The first person perspective certainly helps this — even when the characters make poor decisions, like Banjo’s picking fights or Finlay’s self-isolation, it doesn’t seem jarring or out of character because we get to see their thought processes. It doesn’t make them seem unlikeable, because it seems like something the characters would reasonably do based on their experiences and personalities. Banjo grew up surrounded by violence, so it’s now a twisted source of comfort for him. Finlay has been abandoned by too many people too many times, so he can’t let himself get close to anyone again out of fear of losing them.
This doesn’t just apply to the main characters either, even more minor characters like Kyle or Banjo’s adoptive parents have this same level of consistency.
One little detail that I really liked seeing was how Banjo’s Scottish accent becomes more pronounced when he’s angry or emotional.
Finally, after reading about some of Margaret MacDonald’s life, it’s no wonder how she managed to craft such a believable and real world and story about such hard-to-tackle topics. Obviously you don’t have to have experienced something to be able to write good fiction about it, but I think it certainly made a large impact on the final product. Will definitely be on the lookout for more by her!
Overall, a fantastic read. I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in it! Certainly a potential winner.
Sofia
Little Bang
I liked the dual narrative and how the book showed the perspectives of both main characters, also it was a realistic scenario with understandable outcomes, and for a touchy topic I think it was handled well and respectfully.
Molly
The Things We Leave Behind
Engaging - confusing at times, a little cliché, and some story arcs felt incomplete - but engaging.
Alice
Glasgow Boys
Glasgow Boys was such a heart-warming story which took you on a journey of grief, remorse, healing and love. I really enjoyed learning about Banjo and Finlay and their different experiences and struggles. This book show a lot about what it’s like to run away from your past but also the importance of love and family.
Ruby
All That It Ever Meant
I loved the plot twists in this book but I have to admit that I was a little confused with the different perspectives of each chapter.
Nancy
Treacle Town
I enjoyed Treacle Town, and although I was bewildered at the content in the first few pages, I soon understood and began to appreciate this book.
Nancy
Play
Play was a really nice book, I enjoyed the multiple perspectives and the writing style.
Nancy
The Final Year
The final year was a surprisingly good book, very interesting and sometimes sad. I loved how it was written and the reference to the Skellig in the front cover. I recommend.
Nancy
The Things We Leave Behind
I loved The Things we leave Behind. I loved the family dynamic that Clem had, it was really sweet to see. The plot twist was really shocking and it would have made me cry had I not been in school. It was interesting to see how the world slowly shifted into paranoia and what could occur if such events did happen. I would highly reccomend it.
Daisy
The Final Year
I really enjoyed The Final Year. I read it quite quickly. I loved the brothers' conversations, his teacher Mr Joshua and the illustrations were lovely too. It's a sweet read about family and difficulties with friendships and finishing primary school. I would love to read The First Year when that comes out.
Daisy
King of Nothing
I loved reading this book, it was very engrossing and I had my nose in it for the whole weekend. I loved how this book carries themes of masculinity/ toxic masculinity, changing ways, and unlikely friendship. It made me laugh and cry, and both at the same time. This book definitely deserves more recognition.
Nancy
Little Bang
Little Bang was an extremely interesting read, tackling the difficulty of being a pregnant teen and struggling to manage. I liked how this book highlights the pressure from society that teens are looked down on for their choices.
Nancy
The Final Year
Very good! I really enjoyed it. The story was very enjoyable and the illustrations really added to it.
The twist around the middle of the book really caught me off guard — I almost cried at one point!
This is the first book I’ve read for the shadowing but I have a feeling that it’s not going to win. It’s not “out there” enough in my opinion. I would love for it to win but I don’t think it’s going to be the best one shortlisted.
Sofia
Play
I loved it but some parts just didn't feel real, and some parts made me cry.
Dora
The Final Year
I loved this book. It really hit my heart as it reminded it as my personal experience. Loved it would definably read again.
Dora
The Final Year
I loved The Final Year. I thought it was convincingly realistic and heart-warming. I can't wait to read The First Year when it comes out in May. As a teacher, the teacher character was everything a good teacher should be: supportive, consistent and kind. This could be the winner!
Lucy