Author & Illustrators
I can entirely see why this book was garlanded with awards. It is a beautifully written story (originally in Welsh), told in two voices, Dylan and his mother. Each voice is starkly different, experiencing the world differently. The nebulous End, is explained but left deliberately vague and is all the more menacing for that.
The story forces you to think about what you might do if the worst happened and the end of life as we know it appeared on the horizon. It might be an awful time, and yet it is also an extraordinary time, allowing both mother and son to experience things as they never would otherwise. This is a dystopian novel with a difference, because although it contains literally world-shattering events, it is remarkably calm and low-key in tone and surprisingly uplifting despite the tragedy.
It is a story that will stay with me for a long time. The content, themes and language of the book are best suited for mature KS3 readers and above.
This is an interesting and feel-good story, which, although it centres around a love of football, is so much more than that.
Sam is obsessed with football – in particular Aaron Ramsey, from the Welsh national team. He lives with his parents and younger sister, but money is tight, family life is marred by arguments, and his Dad, Huw, is secretly illiterate. Huw is also football-mad and when he is signed as a player by local club Peniel, the future looks brighter and home life becomes happier.
Tragically, after a very successful debut game, a terrible injury cuts short Huw’s fledgling career and an awful sadness seeps into the family; Sam’s way of escaping his dad’s depression and his own anxieties (that he nicknames The Bad) is by immersing himself in Aaron Ramsey videos. Home is quiet and unwelcoming. Then hope arrives in the form of a Wales vs England game at Cardiff and a force-of-nature friend who gives the family something to aim for and makes Huw consider his choices.
The story has clever hook lines at the end (and even at the beginning) of chapters to keep the reader eager for more, plus themes of anxiety, friendship, bullying, resilience, mental health and educational struggles. There’s definitely enough to interest those without a particular interest in football too. I enjoyed it.
review
Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:
Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:
Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?
Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?
Would you recommend the book for use in primary schools?
yes
Curriculum links (if relevant)
Curriculum links (if relevant)
Any other comments
Any other comments