*Shortlisted

Review by Scarlett, Thomas Telford School, Shropshire
Where the River Takes Us is a thrilling adventure set in the Welsh valleys in 1974, where four friends go on a quest to find a mysterious beast and earn a reward. The book follows Jason, a thirteen-year-old boy who lives with his older brother Richie, who is in trouble with some dangerous people. Jason hopes that finding the beast will solve their money problems and keep them together. Along the way, he learns more about himself, his friends, and his history.

I really enjoyed this book because it was full of suspense, emotion, and friendship. The author created realistic and relatable characters that I cared about and rooted for. The book also taught me about the hardships that working-class families faced in the 1970s, such as the three-day week, the power cuts, and the lack of opportunities. I did not know much about this period of history before, but the book made me curious to learn more. The plot was exciting and thought-provoking, as it explored themes such as loyalty, courage, and identity. The book also had some light-hearted moments that balanced the serious ones, making it a fun and engaging read.

I would definitely recommend this book to other students who like historical fiction, adventure, and friendship stories. It is a book that will make you laugh, cry, and think. It is also a book that will inspire you to follow your dreams and stand by your friends, no matter what. Where the River Takes Us is a book that will stay with you long after you finish it.

Review by Jack, Marriotts School Stevenage
When I read Where the River Takes Us, I was amazed with how good the description and the beginning of the story was. It was better than I expected it to be. My favourite character was Jason because even though he is going through a tough time with almost being separated with his brother, he is still so joyful and such a good friend. I learnt that even though you might not be able to reach your goals, keep trying. I think that would be a good overview of this book. When I read the blurb, I knew this was going to be a good book. I would definitely recommend this to other readers because this book is just amazing in quality.

Review by Saul, The Kingston Academy Surrey
The book ‘Where the River Takes Us’ is set in Wales in the 1970s. In this time the government isn’t receiving enough coal and oil, so people are working 3-day weeks with smaller wages. It was also interesting to see the amount of freedom the children had. Without a second thought they were allowed to go on a camping trip by themselves, walking multiple miles.

Of the characters in the book, I found Jason and Catrin the most interesting. Jason is an orphan and lives with his older brother who pays the bills. Generally, you don’t find a character with such an interesting backstory and having such a difficult life to go through. I found Catrin interesting because she comes from a more privileged background than the other characters but is just as, if not stronger than the other characters and more capable.

I personally didn't like the character Dean. You don’t get much about his background and plays the role of the bully/rival in the story, he doesn’t have a specific personality that stands out and is really just there to serve his role rather than have any character development or be likeable at all.

From reading this book I found out that people had to ration their electricity since they couldn’t use it whenever they liked.

I thought that the plot of the book was thoughtfully put together, adventurous but also fun and comedic at times. It includes quite heavy themes such as being an orphan, money troubles and dealing with stressful event, while also keeping it heart-warming and fun. After all, the targeted audience is children.

By reading this book, I learnt a few phrases in Latin which I didn’t think I would. For example,” Nemo Resideo,” which means ‘leave no one behind.’ I also learnt about the rations as I previously mentioned and how miners would go on strikes at that time.

One thing that I didn’t like about the book was the lack of detailed descriptions. I always like it when in books they give descriptions of the setting, so you get a good grasp of the characters surrounding but, in the book, you don’t get much of it. There could also be more advanced words to go with the descriptions.

I would recommend this book to other pupils in my year group because I think it touches on certain topics that you don’t see in other books and give some insight into what the 70s was like in Britain. Not many children’s books touch on topics in the same way as this book does.