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Teen & YA Book Reviews
Boyfriend Material
Alexis Hall, pub. Sourcebooks
A few years ago Alexis Hall wrote and published Boyfriend Material. This was followed by Husband Material and, which will explain the reason for reviewing two books already published, Father Material is coming to bookshops very soon. For those not familiar with this series, just as I was only a couple of months ago, this is ideal reading for the top end of YA, crossing over into adults. These books provide a glimpse into what might sound like but really isn’t, a very adult and responsible life. They provide laugh-out-loud humour and very definitely romance. The latter comes, eventually, as you might guess from the titles of the books, but it is very much a comedy of errors as Luc and Oliver navigate the minefield that is being an adult, having a job, keeping said job, following along with the crazy ideas of friends and so much more. If this all sounds like the type of reading material, you enjoy then I can guarantee you will love reading these books and getting to know this pair.
It all begins with the need for a fake boyfriend so that Luc doesn’t lose his job. He has a vital role to play when we first meet him. He is working for a charity, as a fundraiser, to save the very important dung beetle. A series of mishaps has led to him finding his job on the line unless he can clean up his act and how better to do that than with fake dating a very respectable barrister. Oliver is everything Luc isn’t, something which makes these books even more hilarious, they are almost enemies-to-lovers, but they are very much a comedy of errors that Shakespeare would have been proud of! The fact that author Alexis Hall can maintain the comedy elements alongside the serious matter of being boyfriends before moving into being husbands territory is testament to his skill as a writer and I for one cannot wait to find out what happens in the next book!
Louise Ellis-Barrett
Husband Material
Dead Straight Line
Malcolm Duffy, pub. Zephyr
Malcolm Duffy’s novel, Dead Straight Line, is a gripping Young Adult novel about two boys who play a game to end teenage boredom, but with dangerous consequences. Rory is a rule-breaker and a risk-taker. To end his teenage boredom, he invents a game called Dead Straight Line, where the objective is to get home without straying from a straight line, which includes trespassing through private gardens and properties. When his friend Eliot plays the game, it results in a serious accident which leaves Eliot with serious injuries.
Duffy's novel is thought-provoking, as it explores the contrast between choices and consequences. It is an especially topical narrative, given the tendency for young people to now be drawn in by reckless dares and stunts in exchange for social media fame, and how a single decision can lead to devastating events.
Rory is depicted throughout as a kind boy who would wish no harm on others, so the reader may find they become sympathetic towards him. Although dangerous, there is an apparent injustice that the rumours about his innocent game lead ultimately to him being dis-owned by society. He is left to deal with the feelings of guilt, shame and anger on his own, and the apparent lack of care from others leaves him feeling worse.
Rory's emotions are portrayed vividly in the novel, but it is when his school suggests helping out a care home, he befriends an 80-year-old military veteran called Tanker and suddenly his life starts to change for the better. Although he initially finds Tanker unwelcoming and irritable, their friendship is the turning point of his narrative. As a veteran who fought in the Falklands, Tanker has had a life full of experiences and mistakes, and his wisdom helps Rory to consolidate his feelings. This draws attention to the importance of support, and how it provides a sense of empowerment, in times of need.
From teenagers seeking thrills, to making friends in the most unlikely of places, Malcolm Duffy's novel has it all, and even hints to its young readers that choosing the right path in life is, ironically, not as simple as following a ‘Dead Straight Line.’
Chris J Kenworthy
Deathly Fates
Tesia Tsai, pub. HarperCollins Children’s Books
This is an unusual fantasy set in a version of China where Ganshi priests or priestesses shepherd the dead to the next world by reanimating corpses wherever they have died and returning them to a place of rest. The Ganshi are revered but also slightly feared and their work is mostly carried out at night so not to scare villagers and townsfolk as the dead walk past. It feels as though it could have been the case in the past giving the story a strong sense of realism.
The story follows Siying, a young Ganshi priestess who is inadvertently caught up in political intrigue when she is sent to collect the corpse of a young man from a battlefield. Not only is the young man not fully dead but he is the prince, missing from the palace and sought after to return the seal of office that will crown the next emperor.
Parallel stories entwine as Siying must face her own inexperience as a Ganshi priestess to give the prince enough life to make the journey to the palace and outwit the political forces at play that are determined to stop the prince ever reaching his home. The world building and setting are strong and so the complexities of the storyline are straightforward to navigate as we affiliate quickly with Siying and Ren, the young prince.
Some powerful themes appear in the story, around love and loss, suicide and mental abuse but these are managed well and fit with the journey that the main characters take to reach their respective destinations. There is a gentle love story laced through the narrative which deepens the connection the reader feels to Ren and Siying. An intriguing concept and setting that I hope Tsai might return to in future books.
Marianne Degiovanni
The Escape Game
Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss, pub. Hot Key Books
When a TV game show goes wrong and leads to the murder of one of its contestants, the production team pretend it didn’t happen. They move on to the next series, but Sierra Angelos won’t forget her sister. In fact, she will do whatever it takes to find out the truth, even if it’s returning to the place she found the body.
The Escape Game of the title is a TV show which invites teenagers to use logic puzzles and skills to escape from themed escape rooms. Each team competes against one another, aiming to have the quickest time and end up at the top of the leaderboard. Carter, Sierra, Adi and Beck are a team, but they aren’t only trying to win the grand prize, they are also trying to discover the truth of what happened last season. When they start receiving threats and extra clues are being found in rooms with taunting notes, hinting at the truth of last season’s murder, the stakes pick up.
Someone wants them to know the truth, but the actual murderer will do whatever it takes to keep everyone silent.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found that I couldn’t put it down, addicted to its storyline and wanting to know what would happen next. It was fueled by plot twists and clues to whole way through which filled me with excitement and made me try and work out the truth before it was revealed, and everything became clear. The characters were relatable and funny which drew me into the book, making me feel as if I was part of the story with them. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a mystery story, especially one that it’s difficult to put down until solved.
Gemma Walford
The Last Death Poet
Stephen Daly, pub. Rock The Boat
Author Stephen Daly grew up in West Belfast in the 1980’s, during the Troubles. Bomb scares, shootings and riots didn’t happen that often but nevertheless they instilled themselves into his “cultural DNA.” Stephen and his family moved to London, and only returned years later.
His debut novel concerns Michael, whose family does the same. On his return, Michael tries to find his place in a community where above all else he feels a deep obligation to tell its story. The challenges posed by relatives, friendship, self and coming out in your teens, are intermingled with visions, magic and myth. Alongside which Michael is determined to establish whether events from the past are linked to his Dad’s continued absence.
The visions begin on his return to West Belfast and quickly take over his life. He confides in his friend Meg who zealously intensifies things by delving into witchcraft. In this queer, coming of age tale Michael battles with his sexuality and whether to declare this to the world, meanwhile sharing a relationship with a boy who helps him to forget the friend he left behind.
The story speaks to a generation who have not lived through the Belfast violence. They either encounter the aftermath through second and third hand trauma or have no experience. Everyday complexities of the life of a teenager in their later teen years are perceptively packaged within a compelling narrative with humour, warmth and sensitivity. Indeed, Stephen Daly’s articulate style flows comfortably and will suit a wide variety of readers, at home or within a discussion group at school, with its wide variety of contemporary topics.
Elizabeth Negus
Pearl Beach
Beth Steiner, pub. Pushkin Press
Pearl Beach, by Beth Steiner, is an enchanting, inter-generational, coming-of-age verse novel about Billie, a teenage girl who endures the complexities of growing up against the backdrop of ‘Pearl Beach,’ the idyllic seaside home of her Dad's “ancient aunty Edith,” where her family spends their summer holidays.
Billie's golden childhood holidays flow with lyrical ease, as she describes Pearl Beach as the place of “French-toast breakfasts/ and lazy mornings on the porch swing.” It is where she learnt to swim and “boogie board on those waves,” and also where she met her best friend, Andy. But as they grow up, Billie starts to feel as though she and Andy are drifting apart. Just as Andy forgoes summer traditions in favour of posting more content online, she starts to feel like she's missing out. Younger readers may empathise with Billie’s ‘fear of missing out’ (FOMO), as she admits being “the last kid / in the whole year” to get a smartphone. She laments that without apps or social media on her phone, due to her mum's strictness around “the dangers of the internet,” she feels left out “when people started meeting up with kids from other/ schools/ who they'd found on Snapchat.”
But as readers will come to discover, this is to Billie's benefit. As she starts to miss her old life, Billie looks to aunty Edith for advice. Edith kept a journal as a child, within which she wrote about her own teenage experiences of first love, betrayal and resilience. As Billie soon discovers, Edith knows all too well the bittersweet beauty of growing up, and it is at this point that Billie starts to form a profound but lovely friendship with her aunty.
In order to make the characters feel more believable, in the ‘Author's Note’ at the rear of the book, Beth Steiner admits she based the fictional aunty Edith on “my husband's grandmother, Debora, who we lovingly referred to as Nanny [...] Nanny was a Holocaust survivor.” The truthful nature of the narrative means that just like Billie, young readers can learn from the very real childhood experiences and wisdom of those before them.
In Pearl Beach, author Beth Steiner has created a wonderful but poignant debut novel which carefully weaves poetry with history. Although it is primarily aimed at younger readers, with such a wonderful story and a powerful message on wisdom and childhood memories, it really deserves to be read and enjoyed by readers of all ages.
Chris J Kenworthy
Piper At The Gates of Dusk
Patrick Ness, pub. Walker Books
This novel is a blend of science-fiction and adventure. It is a dystopian tale of bravery, power, division and hope. This is a fast-paced story with no shortage of excitement and action. Some big issues are covered, including gender and sexuality, the treatment of those who are different, as well as prejudice and power. There is always danger lurking and the characters will be tested like never before.
The author, Patrick Ness, is known for creating very deep, emotional and diverse characters. This story follows two children born on a planet that is struggling with gods who are very willing to attack. Brothers Ben and Max never really got on. Each is more like one or other of their parents, Todd and Viola. They were good parents, and the children are brave and outspoken. There is a lot going on in this tale. When something is spotted in the night sky, bringing dreams of noise and of terror, the brothers will have to come together. They are up against The Land, who are superior to the humans. There is a close community with a lot of respect and there has been relative peace for some time. But now there is a new danger, and it is creepy, scary and confusing. There are some parallels with our world, with a leader and a mayor as characters you might feel recognizable.
Fans of some of the earlier novels by Patrick Ness should love this latest offering from an exciting author. The pace is quick as the narration alternates between the main characters, Ben and Max. To add to the excitement and tension, the story ends up on a real cliff hanger.
Gary Kenworthy
Showstopper
Tom Ramsay, pub. Firefly Press
In Showstopper we are treated to a romance set against the backdrop of musical theatre. This is a romance which has it all. There are enemies, friends, competitive rivals, the ups and downs of being a teenager and of course a romance that will make you feel good.
Theatre is a tough world, musical theatre perhaps even more so. It’s vital that each person wanting to find a role in its orbit is prepared for hard work and disappointments along the way but also for the opposite. They need to be prepared for what life in and under the spotlight might be like, a life when everyone wants to know everything about you the person as well as you the actor. Last year Olly’s efforts were sabotaged, this year his plan is to win the role of leading man, to prove that he is the stand-out candidate and secure his dreams. But this year he has strong competition. Tarun is a newbie but after being in the chorus and being nominated to step in for a leading role he has more than a fighting chance at success.
However Tarun has secrets, he feels as though he is an imposter, that he shouldn’t be taking this chance, that it was given to him in error. None of that is helped by the derision he experiences from his father. Will he be strong enough to last through the audition process? When he is paired with Olly, who he thinks is simply over the top and whose niche musical references go way over his head, he doesn’t expect anything. Soon the pair realize there is more between them and about each of them, more to discover, more to fall in love with, more to care about than musicals and leading roles.
If you feel that you are searching for your place in this world, for your people then this book is one you should very definitely be reading.
Louise Ellis-Barrett
Storm Bringer
Tig Wallace, pub. Chicken House
This is an exciting and thrilling story filled with adventure, mystery, magic, fantasy and romance. It is a fast-paced journey through a dazzling fantasy world. The reader is transported to another world, with some amazing characters and a compelling plot right to the very end. It is intricate, with different regions and different relationships as well as the magic.
Amelio is the very compelling and likeable main character. When his storm chasing mother goes missing, he is forced to cross the Fault to the Kingdom of Nimira. Here magic is used freely and Amelio joins a mission to find the source of a leviathan storm. He is up against Paige, who loves chaos, and Vintane, a criminal with his own agenda. There follows the storm chase of a lifetime. Amelio must unite warring provinces before they are destroyed by the most powerful storm ever. The world is facing the most elemental magic it has ever seen. A dormant power is woken and the fury of nature has to be tamed.
The great mix of dynamic and diverse characters, the meeting of magic and science and the incredible world building along with the interesting romantic sub plot, all combine into this pacy, action packed story. Add the tense moments and surprises, the emotion, drama and love and we have this fantastic science-fiction adventure with some romance and an amazing magic system. A novel to be enjoyed by both adults and young adults.
Gary Kenworthy
We're a Bad Idea, Right?
K.L. Walther, pub. HarperCollins Children’s Books
Audrey is 18 and facing some huge decisions about her future. Should she play it safe and go to the prestigious business school that her parents love, or should she follow her passion and opt for a creative arts programme where she has been awarded a scholarship. Audrey has already decided to follow her heart but has not yet confided in her parents nor realised just how far she is prepared to go to follow her dreams.
Her summer gets complicated further by her best friend Henry, his disastrous love life and her own hopes for a romantic future with Griff - the school flirt. Cue fake dating, money making schemes and parties, all of which have consequences not least to add drama and intrigue to Audrey's summer. There are great friendships, quirky characters, a great fake dating theme and ultimately, after a lot of help from her friends, an outcome that everyone is happy with.
This book is a great feel-good read and most importantly it is fun. It does not take itself too seriously and is better for it. Great to take on holiday this summer.
Marianne Degiovanni
Your Murder Next
Ravena Guron, pub. Usborne
I first came across author Ravena Guron when I read Mondays Are Murder. After that I was hooked and have now read, including this one, all four of her books. Now, murder-mystery is not usually a genre I would gravitate to, and Ravena Guron seems to be an author who loves it but that is what has drawn me in. Her love of writing these improbable and yet incredibly realistic stories has me hooked! And no, I am never quite able to accurately work out the question not ‘who done it’ but why… Not even this time, with my fourth title.
Set once again in a school environment this book finds Myra as the new girl in school. That in itself can be a challenge but it becomes even more difficult for Myra when she discovers that she has made friends with a murderer! Does this sound like normal behaviour? No. Good, well it isn’t, especially when you learn that she has intentionally created this friendship. After Myra starts at the school the girl who was considered the most popular is found frozen to death in a walk-in freezer. Mayra, wannabe journalist that she is has a theory – she is certain it was murder, and she is certain one of the friends of the dead girl is to blame. So, she ingratiates herself with the friend group and sets about trying to work out who did it. When she is held at gunpoint by someone claiming to be the killer we wonder if things have gone too far but then this could just be another investigative lead for Myra…
Brilliant world-building, fantastic characters and a murder mystery which feels a little far-fetched and yet at the same time disturbingly real. Once more Ravena Guron proves herself to be queen of the YA murder mystery.
Louise Ellis-Barrett
