2024 Student Prizes

Harriet from Manor CE Academy, for her review of Running with Horses:

Running With Horses is a heart-warming novel about love, overcoming fears and the friendship of “Rabbit” and Joe. The dramatic start to this book is a dream depicting a silvery mare running from an unseen danger. It sets a rather intense undertone to the book and is, to some extent, establishing a theme that recurs in the rest of the thrilling narrative.
This next paragraph brings us onto our main protagonist, Rabbit. After witnessing the brutal murder of his father, Rabbit now loves with his single mother near the coast in a small town called East Ferry. After his father died, Rabbit found himself unable to talk, at least for a short time, which is where he got his nickname. His best friend, Joe, helps even out this quiet characteristic because he talks enough for both.
Their happy relationship takes a dark turn when Joe offers to show Rabbit a “dead horse”. Along the way there it becomes obvious from the way Joe is nervous that something is not right. Upon arrival they find Billy, Joe’s gangly older stepbrother acting maliciously towards a man trapped in a deep pit.
This book was written in first person, an important decision on the writer’s behalf, as, at least from my perspective, it improves every aspect of the overall telling. All the settings were described in a way that really helped paint a picture of where the people were. The depth of feelings and attitudes is remarkable, almost as if I knew all the characters.
This is a wonderful novel with clear morals and an underlying sense of love. The way the story unravels from there shows the author’s clear understanding of the story and skill as a writer. I would recommend it to any young readers as an opportunity to try something new.

Sophia from The Joseph Rowntree School, for her review of The Ministry of Unladylike Activity:

I recently finished reading “The Ministry of Unladylike Activity ” by Robin Stevens, which was a captivating and thrilling read. The story is set in the 1940s during World War II, and it offers an insightful glimpse into the lives of evacuees during that time. What I loved most about Robin’s writing style was her ability to vividly describe each scene, making it easy for me to imagine myself right there in the story.
The characters in the book, Fiona, May, and Eric, were incredibly well-developed with intriguing personalities that were brought to life through Stevens’ writing. The themes of mystery, action, adventure, and drama kept me hooked from the beginning until the very end, and the many plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the book.
I particularly enjoyed how the protagonists explored the mysteries in-depth, providing multiple possibilities for who the culprit could be. This left me with much to contemplate as I tried to solve the murder myself. After finishing the book, I was left with a strong desire to read more, which is a clear indication of how much I enjoyed this novel. Overall, I would highly recommend “The Ministry of Unladylike Activity” to anyone looking for a thrilling and well-written book with amazing characters and a captivating storyline.

Henry N. from All Saints Catholic School, for his review of Lily Grim and the City of Undone:

Lily Grim and the City of Undone is a captivating journey into a world filled with magic, mystery and unyielding courage. Set against the backdrop of the sprawling city of Undone, the narrative follows Lily Grim, a young protagonist with a heart as brave as her determination is strong.
The narrative is woven with intricate details creating a vivid tapestry of the City of Undone and its inhabitants. From the bustling streets to the hidden alleys, readers are transported into a realm where magic thrives and secrets lurk around every corner.
What sets Lily Grim and the City of Undone apart is its rich character development. Lily emerges as a relatable yet resilient heroine, grappling with her own doubts and fears whilst navigating the challenges laid before her.
The plot unfolds with a perfect balance of suspense and intrigue, keeping readers on the edge of their seats from beginning to end.

Lucy from St Peter’s, for her review of Lily Grim and the City of Undone:

This novel follows Lily Grim on her absolutely incredible adventure. The book starts with a bit of background on lily: she lives in an old, second-hand shop with her guardian Gabriel in the city of Undone. Lily doesn’t know where she came from, or who her parents really are. All she knows is that in Undone there are the Undoners and the Others, and the Undoners are “protected” by the master and his great lion.
As we delve further into Lily’s ever-growing character during her adventure, she meets allies such as Dekka, Parmo and Tawni, but she also meets enemies, both those obvious to her and those hidden right under her nose. As the adventure unfolds we discover the true colours of the Master and his connection to Lily. Will she be able to escape the clutches of the Master? Will she save Gabriel and figure it all out before it’s too late? You’ll have to read it yourself to find out!
I really enjoyed this novel once it got going, but I felt it was quite slow to start. Despite this, I felt Ruffell tied the characters together quite well and the plot just kept me guessing at each turn! This book is very descriptive and tells each character’s story well, but I would definitely like to know more of the backstory of some of the less prominent characters, such as Jonah and Parmo.
Overall, I would give this book 3 stars and would recommend this book to people who love mystery and a fantasy, slightly gothic adventure to embark on!

Annabelle from Millthorpe School for her review of Finn Jones Was Here:

I like the premise of this book, and it is very good, but I also think being masked by humour. It is very good and I extremely enjoyed it, but I feel that with a storyline like that it could’ve been made more interesting by adding in some more emotion throughout the book rather than just the end. My favourite character from this book is Finn: even though we don’t have any scenes with him throughout the book, as he and Eric are the main focus of the book he is frequently mentioned. I like this character because I find him inspirational. I find this because even when he is dead and nobody is ever going to see him again, he has made a huge impact. His best friend is still in awe of him long after he is gone and he has completely altered Eric’s life for the much, much better. If I know that even one person still is inspired by me and pushes themselves out of their comfort zone because of me, even when I’m not there, then I will know that U have done well in life and that is why I admire Finn Jones’s character so much.
One of the many things I really liked about the book was the ending. I think that telling the readers that Finn actually wasn’t alive without making the quality of the writing much worse or making the storyline come to an abrupt and unsatisfying ending would be very hard, but it worked very well and I felt like the story had actually ended.
Overall, I think this is a brilliant book and I thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend it to anybody.