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That Reminds Me by Owusu Derek

Rating: 4 Stars  Themes: Psychological Fiction, Mental Health Thoughts: I picked up this book as I thought the blurb had an interesting premise and seeing it was an award winner I thought it would be well worth a shot and I wasn’t disappointed. K tells the story of his life to the African God of stories, sharing a difficult story through honouring his heritage. K himself is such a complicated individual and as we see his difficult childhood at the beginning we can understand how the troubled child can develop into a struggling adult. I did enjoy seeing his relationship with P develop from caring for a baby brother into 2 men trying to navigate adult life and the ways in which mental health struggles can force a divide between families. This book may be short and each chapter split so that it can be jumped in and out of as needed but I absolutely devoured this one and only put it down as needed (sleep got in my way of reading it all in one sitting). Favourite Quote: “My body require...
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Liberating Belsen: Remembering the Soldiers of the Durham Light Infantry by David Lowther

Rating: 3 Stars Themes: Non-Fiction, Holocaust Thoughts: This is something completely different to the Holocaust books I have read before but I found it in my library and it being about local history piqued my interest. The beginning of the book is mainly around the history of the war and the Holocaust itself which I mainly knew but the paragraph all about the men DLI themselves was new and interesting and set the scene perfectly for them to be at Belsen. The book is very educational and I really liked the amount of references and further reading that was provided at the end for each different thing so I can learn more about the DLI and Belsen specifically without having to go hunting for their specific resources.  Favourite Quote: “Never forget the six million who died in the Holocaust. If we forget, it may happen again.”
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The Arrival by Shaun Tan

Rating: 5 Stars Themes: Graphic Novel  Thoughts: I have never read a fully illustrated book before now but this one absolutely amazed me. I found that the illustrations were amazingly done and absolutely stunning, so despite there being no words I didn’t feel the pages lacking. I liked that those whose reasons for migrating we saw were all for different reasons as it highlights multiple reasons why someone may feel the need to go in the real world. I also liked that the man had gone and work in order to save enough money to bring the rest of his family as that’s what I always think seeing single male migrants but hearing comments by some online shows me how rare that realisation is. I must admit I don’t think I 100% got the little animal type friends but they were soo cute I don’t mind.
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Remember Me by Estelle Laure

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Dystopian Fiction, Young Adult Thoughts: Remember me is sweet and heartbreaking in near equal measures. At first I have to admit I had no clue what was going on and felt like I was learning what had been happening alongside Blue which is interesting. Blue has some amazing friends and their conversations make me think of the friends and banter I had at that age (especially surrounding exams and revision). I sweat chapter 14 is the longest chapter known to man (112 pages) but it makes perfect sense as it allows us to learn all that Blue had erased without it being broken up and feeling disjointed. The ending being how it is allows for a little reader interpretation as to whether it is to be a happy ending or more heartbreak for Blue but I’ll imagine that the retrieval goes like they hoped.  Favourite Quote: “Real life isn't always as shiny as the memories we wish we had, but it is real and that's the important part.”
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Night Shift by Debi Gliori

Rating: 4 Stars  Themes: Mental Health, Graphic Novels  Thoughts: Night Shift is stunning in its simplicity. It manages to convey the feelings many with depression feel and I think when I was just becoming a teen this book would have helped me explain my feelings in a much better way than I felt able to. The illustrations are also simply done but also absolutely stunning and their staying black and white aside from the hint of fire resonated with the dark feelings often described in depression and low mood.  Favourite Quote: “Night skills: the ability to survive inside my own darkness.”
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Stay a Little Longer by Bali Rai

Rating: 5 Stars Themes: Short Story, Teen, Young Adult Thoughts: This book is such an emotional rollercoaster. Starting the book with the death of Aman’s dad is an emotional hit straight off and it’s sweet seeing her take Gurnam in as a paternal figure as their friendship develops, we get the feeling the hole in her life is a little smaller with him there. I also liked that there were complexities in Gurnam’s life as so often in younger books like this it’s the kids with all the problems and adults are seen as almost immune so seeing Gurnam working through his past and Aman’s dad also working through grief is great to remind young readers that adults can have things going on in their heads too. I started to have an inkling of Gurnam’s secret and I’m glad it was done as it is an often overlooked topic that everyone should consider, especially among religions other than our own. Favourite Quote: “I get low sometimes, I feel numb like there's nothing inside me. But being around your l...
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Thing by Chris Prowling

Rating: 3 Stars Themes: Teen, Quick Read Thoughts: This could be a good introduction to the horror/supernatural style book for teen readers. The book itself feels a little short, and I could have definitely enjoyed it being a little longer but I appreciate it's a good way to get teens back into reading with short books. The illustrations are great and really hammer home just how creepy Thing is.
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