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Teen & YA Book Reviews
A Murder of Rogues
Joe Heap, pub. Scholastic
This Young Adult novel is about student life at Oxford University during the Regency period. It is a fascinating and very unique story with elements of mystery and scandal.
Main character, Cascabel Gray, disguises herself as a boy to gain a place at Oxford University. She actually becomes Pom, her own twin brother. Both are amazing and engaging characters; Pom is sharp, witty and determined. Throughout a very clever plot, Cascabel has to navigate murder, a secret society and many new friends. She receives a blackmail letter from Charles Lafleur, a member of an infamous secret society, threatening to expose her secret. When Lafleur is found dead Cascabel becomes a prime suspect in the murder investigation. Will she be able to clear her name? The plot thickens when Cascabel attracts the attention of male student William Grenville and also that of chambermaid Mouse. To add further interest, Cascabel attends a ball with an Austrian prince. Despite the constant switch between the male and female characters, the story is easy to follow and very readable. Cascabel has to balance her double life and clear her name.
This very enjoyable murder mystery has lots of suspense, as well as romance, drama, history and of course murder. It highlights the prejudices, secrets and scandals of Regency society in Oxford in the early 1800’s. The stunning cover invites the reader to pick up the book and then the characters keep the interest alive. These include Knox, the Scottish surgeon and Garlick, the manservant to Pom.
This is compulsive reading. Can Cascabel find the murderer without being exposed herself? A wonderful mix of romance, drama and historical fiction!
Gary Kenworthy
Girls of Dark Divine
E.V. Woods, pub. Usborne
A marionette, trapped in a world of dancing and torture by Malcolm Manrow, an evil Puppet Master, Emberlyn lives with her sisters, forced to perform until her body rots due to the curse placed upon her.
Cursed as a young, ambitious dancer, Emberlyn lives her life in the theatre, her memories fading away, her routine monotonous and painful, she longs to be free of her curse and explore the world, far away from Malcolm Manrow. When one of her sisters, another cursed marionette dies due to the curse, Emberlyn decides to act, fight back or run away as the rage and hate builds inside of her. The opportunity arises when the infamous marionette dance troupe is invited to Parlizia to perform; Emberlyn learns how to be free of the Puppet Master and the cost of her freedom on the lives of her sisters and all others that Malcolm has cursed throughout his life.
This book ensnared me within the story. The author’s storytelling and ability to bring the characters to life is incredible. I was unable to put this book down until I had finished it. Throughout the book, there were many twists and turns, romances, friendships and a complete sense of female rage and empowerment. It emphasizes the importance of standing up for what you want and looking after those you consider family.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would whole heartedly recommend it to anyone who has a passion for dance, female strength and the dark, unpredictable twists of curses and magic.
Gemma Walford
The Guardians of Dreamdark: Windwitch
Laini Taylor, pub. Hatchette Children’s Books
The Guardians of Dreamdark: Windwitch is a story about Magpie Windwitch, the greatest devil-hunter of the Age. Together, with her trusted band of crows, she tracks down and recaptures ravenous beasts who devour everything in their path.
It should be noted that Laini Taylor's latest novel is not a new story; rather, it is a republication of Blackbringer, the first of two stories from the former Faeries of Dreamdark duology, which also included Silksinger. As the original duology is now out-of-print, the two novels are being re-published with new titles and new illustrations for a new generation of fans. For the sake of clarity, the novel being discussed in this review is Windwitch, formerly known as Blackbringer.
Faeries have lived safely in their ancient forests for centuries. However, with devils escaping from prisons that have held them captive since the Dawn Days, the faeries’ peace is under threat. Only Magpie stands in the devils’ way. When her hunt leads Magpie and her crew to the legendary forest of Dreamdark, she finds herself out-matched by the greatest foe her kind has ever known. If she is to save the world, Magpie will need to rely on all the help she can get - all while fending off an imposter queen, a disgusting imp, and a young faerie warrior, who is as infuriating as he is brave.
Taylor's writing invites the reader to engage with the narrative. The pace is good, as the narrative moves along briskly towards a satisfying end. Characters feel real: while Magpie can be impulsive, she is a lovely, down-to-earth person with a warm heart. Magpie and Talon’s growing relationship also has its bumpy moments. The world-building extends to creating unique rural dialects for the characters, which adds a personal touch to the story. It is difficult to pull off dialects in fiction, but it is notable that the protagonists do not speak in a highly moralistic tone, nor is their language particularly intellectual, which provides a very readable novel for all ages.
Windwitch is a brilliant story for teenage readers, with unexpected twists in the narrative and details to the world which make the story feel real. The new illustrations help to really make the story ‘pop’ off the pages and as the first of the newly titled Guardians of Dreamdark duology, there will certainly be many readers old and new looking forward to the next instalment.
Chris J Kenworthy
Immortal Consequences
I. V. Marie, pub. Electric Monkey
Wren is sharp: competitive and continually vigilant, desperate to surpass other students around her. Their school is Blackwood, in the cool air and ethereal light of the afterlife - the purgatory that follows death. Only one new student should fall into Blackwood every few decades, destined to learn the art of guiding souls to the Other Side. So, when word arrives of a new student appearing early, the suggestion is unsettling: what has changed? Worse, it is August who brings the news: he is Wren’s biggest rival, and as a pair they infuriate one another endlessly. But rather than outdoing each other, they find themselves fusing together… For once, this might have its uses.
The last thing either of them needs is further competition: the Decennial is coming, a festival with only one chosen nominee, who if successful can make their way into the Blackwood elite. Otherwise, three hundred years is as long as any student has before they begin to forget themselves - all human memories fade, and they are sent to the Ether to reap lost souls without end. It is a fate that looms heavy over fellow student Olivier: certain memories of his home - the cottage, the hillside, his mother - are starting to blur. He fears it more than he is able to admit, losing this part of himself. His main source of relief is Emilio, who finds his own escape with secret hours spent in the library at night, tucked among books and scrolls.
Emilio has to keep reminding himself he is dead; but this frustration at his less than human state, mingles with a fear of the human he once was. A disappointment, far from good enough - if he were to win the Decennial, he would shirk the elite for the Other Side, the unknown final place. Though he dare not say so to Olivier: Olivier is light and wit and wisdom, as much of a comfort to Emilio as Emilio is to him. They share a tether of quiet understanding, and their dynamic is very enjoyable. So too are the final pair of main characters: Irene and Masika are inseparable, their areas of expertise perfectly balanced - one’s flaw is the other’s skill. But Irene’s mother, who gave her a very unsettled childhood, long ago instilled a mistrust of friends. Her past remains a heavy weight for Irene, and she has no regard for rules or convention - she will do what must be done to win.
Among the twisting greenery and deepening mist of Blackwood, this set of six characters are intriguing. It seems the new arrival may not be the only threat: in the tangled woodlands beyond the school, the Demien order give up their souls for shadow magic. This frightening form of sorcery has lured some students away - but to give in to the shadows is to lose total sense of self. Even the afterlife can be a dangerous place - and each of them has much more to lose than they realise…
Jemima Breeds
iNSiDE
S. A. Gales, pub. Faber & Faber
Naya has spent her young life training to defend Emas, her beloved city, from the threat of the Spiravits, a mysterious enemy who lurk beyond its walls. The city itself is alive, sometimes suffering glitches blamed on the Spiravits. For Naya in particular because its walls mysteriously respond to her touch. However, what Naya longs for most is the approval of her mother, the formidable Commander of the NSDE, Emas’s military force.
When Naya is assigned her graduation mission, she cannot refuse, even though it demands the impossible: infiltrating the Spiravits by posing as a traitor. Once across enemy lines, she uncovers secrets about their society and gets closer to their inhabitants and to Zayn, in particular. These truths challenge everything she has been taught about loyalty, danger, and the world she calls home. The more Naya learns, the more she questions her city’s narrative, but hopes to change that and to reshape positively the relationship between the two factions. But when a single mistake sparks devastating consequences, Naya must confront painful truths about her people, her family, and herself. Where does her allegiance truly lie: in the city she was raised to protect, or in the society she has begun to embrace?
This coming-of-age dystopian debut offers a compelling mix of adventure, emotional depth, and moral complexity. Inspired by the author’s fascination with abandoned buildings, the vividly imagined settings of Emas and the Outdoor bring fresh texture to a classic YA theme: the clash between two worlds shaped by fear, manipulation, and the misuse of power.
Though set in an otherworldly landscape, the novel resonates with timely themes, propaganda, division, and the courage required to question authority, that will strike a chord with today’s young adult readers. With its confident voice and thought-provoking story, this is a striking debut from an exciting new talent in YA fiction.
Laura Brill
Murder High
Lauren Muñoz, pub. Hot Key Books
Every year at J. Everett High, there is a murder mystery game set to challenge the students and allow them to prove who really is the best criminology student. This year, it is the turn of Xavier Torres to act as the corpse while the other students must determine the story behind the death. The game takes a dark turn when student Xavier is actually murdered and his ex-girlfriend, Sierra, is framed for the crime. Will Sierra be charged for a crime she didn’t commit, or will Dulce Castillo, a student at the school, be able to clear her name and catch the real killer?
Aspiring criminologist Dulce Castillo is determined to win this year’s murder mystery and show everyone that her, and her best friend Emi, are the best team on the criminology course. When it turns out that there has been a real murder, the pair decide to take on the case after much persuasion from Sierra who has been wrongly accused of the murder of her ex-boyfriend. With her best friend Emi and mysterious new student Zane by her side, Dulce works to uncover the truth and clear Sierra’s name.
Murder High has a lot of complex characters. The story focuses on the strained relationships between them, especially between Dulce and Sierra. Their friendship fell apart after a tragic accident that resulted in the death of Dulce’s mom, and Dulce’s hesitation to help Sierra is a central conflict. While Dulce wrestles with her own past and her quest for justice for her mother, she also starts to trust Zane, a new student who has his own troubled secrets. Throughout the story, Emi acts as Dulce’s loyal and reliable best friend, providing stability and support.
A gripping whodunnit Murder High is hard to put down. Lauren Muñoz expertly controls the pace, slowly revealing key details and multiple plot twists that will keep you guessing until the very end. The brilliant writing and layered characters make this a must-read for any teen who loves a good mystery.
Tom Joy
Not Going To Plan
Tia Fisher, pub. Hot Key Books
This is a remarkable book about stealthing or non-consensual condom removal, regarded as sexual assault or rape under English and Welsh law. Tia Fisher enjoys writing accessible books for younger people on thorny issues. Her verse styled pacey tempo cleverly jogs the reader through intimate emotional moments where ignorance, feeling shy or wrong choices can have life-style changing effects. Close scrutiny reflects a sexual health leaflet with absolutely none of the dullness, by cannily disguising the content in a quirky, easy to read story full of hilarity, poignancy and grittiness, capable of tempting the reader away from their phone.
This novel contains sensitive themes around teenage pregnancy, sexual assault and abortion, including strong language and explicit scenes; validated by Brook, the sexual health and wellbeing charity. Zed and Marnie are the main characters. Expelled from her private school Marnie joins the local comp only to meet Zed, a nerd with zero tolerance for mistakes and too much conversation. “I’m not so keen on conversation” he says. “It has all the unpredictability of ping-pong.” Zed excels in maths and physics, detests languages, and being touched; whilst Marnie loves art and languages, hates maths and is eager to lose her virginity. Chalk and cheese they may be but their differences become their strengths. Their deep friendship enables them to cope with Marnie’s misguided, short lived liaison with Harry Boorman, assisted by advice from the local sexual-health clinic.
Initially Zed helps Marnie to calmly and logically think through the process of being pregnant, does she or does she not want a baby. Decision made and all necessary hoops jumped through, armed with 4x Misoprostal tablets and other necessary items, they lock themselves away in Zed’s room to facilitate the abortion.
This story can be comfortably read at home, chewed over in a conversation group at school, act as a friend, provide brilliant entertainment or be a health education tool. The key point is it exists.
Elizabeth Negus
Small Wonder
Ross Montgomery, pub. Walker Books
Small Wonder is a treat: one of those rare stories you pick up and consume in a single sitting, happily lost in its beautifully narrated quest. With its blend of loyalty, love, resilience, courage, and just the right touch of mystery, it is destined to become a new classic for readers.
The tale follows Tick and his younger brother, Leaf, whose world is overturned soon after their grandfather’s death. Forced to flee their hut by the shore of the Ellian kingdom as enemy Drenes attack, the brothers embark on a perilous journey to the safety of Kings’ Keep. Pursued by a deadly assassin and beset by bandits, brutal weather, and forbidding terrain, Tick must draw on his grandfather’s teachings — and the steadfast loyalty of his horse, Pebble — to keep moving forward.
As the journey unfolds, Tick realises that his true mission has always been Leaf’s survival and protection. Pebble, far more than just an old companion, proves to be a warrior in her own right. Yet when the brothers finally reach Kings’ Keep, at the end of most white-knuckle ride, Tick learns that this sanctuary is not what he expected, and that everything he thought he knew about his family must be questioned.
Ross Montgomery has woven a riveting, fast-paced adventure that fizzes with energy, brims with suspense, and never lets go of the reader’s imagination. Every step of Tick and Leaf’s journey is an edge-of-the-seat moment, and the finale is both satisfying and cheer-worthy. Bravo to Montgomery—Small Wonder is a thrilling, heartfelt story that begs to be read aloud, shared, and perhaps even, one day, brought to life on the big screen.
Laura Brill
Space: Royal Observatory Greenwich Poetry Book
Gaby Morgan, pub. Macmillan Children’s Books
Space is a 250+ page compendium which has some of the dreamiest poems by iconic poets from the times gone to the present. The foreword is written by Elizabeth Avery, the Deputy Head of Astronomy of the Royal Museums Greenwich. It’s engaging and enticing, an anecdotal piece on the beginnings of the Royal Observatory of Greenwich by the order of King Charles II.
Such a historical space! Hence, here you will find Sappho admiring the moon; Wordsworth stargazing deeply towards philosophical musings; Walt Whitman finding comfort in the night sky; Helen Maria Williams expressing her plight to the pale orb in the sky; Mary Webb penning the mystical tranquillity of the moon on pages. Not only the canonical poets but those writing today have been equally enchanted by nature and its workings - Nicola Davies gets inspiration from the serene sighting of the sunlight filtering through the leaves and she writes-
“What shines on every lifted face the hope of a new day? It is the light from our home star, and when she rests A million suns sparkle in the space she left.”
Double Carnegie-nominated poet Dom Conlon versifies the native moons with their names and imaginative meanings to it, like this stanza on the Strawberry Moon-
“Pluck the Strawberry, giving its flesh for all to eat now the world is awake and the Moon is strong and the year is half complete.”
Children's writer Elena de Roo recites a few lines inspired by the discovery of the universe expanding by astronomer Beatrice Tinsley-
“I began with a big bang now there is no stopping no slowing no end or edge or limits to my open endless growing
Only the redshift of an infinite galactic elastic band expanding forever as I stretch away from wherever you stand
For where you are is always my centre”
Poetry is always tranquil and soothing. This collection has the added bonus of images and artwork related to the moon; stars; galaxy. Poems on Galileo; time; space travel; astronauts and space missions. This book is a tribute to explorations within the mind and beyond the boundaries of earth. It’s a victory laurel for human endeavours. A keepsake for me. It consolidates voices, a far cry from the past, yet resonant in the words of contemporary poets. The vast expanse of ether and atmosphere creates a magnificent warp and weft of this one.
Ishika Tiwari
The Uninvited
Ross Mackenzie, pub. Andersen Press
This is an imaginative and magical adventure story. The plot is both interesting and intriguing and the characters are appealing. There is a lovely friendship between Samm and Brogan and then Ally who is the more ordinary boy of the three characters.
The book explores the themes of immigration, colonization and freedom. Ross Mackenzie takes his character, Samm, to dark and dangerous places. There is a circus of nightmares and a museum with a murderous exhibit. This all adds up to a special and thought-provoking fantasy adventure.
The story centres around the Faerae Folk and 13-year-old Samm Wolfback. The Faerae Folk flee their world and come to ours. They are running away from war. They have been locked away and don’t know what to do. The main character Samm lives in Glass Forest a massive Faerae refugee camp in England. Life here is hard, poisoned by disease and there is crime and poverty. Samm has to escape from Glass Forest and return home. He must use his special gifts to unearth two treasures. These are a relic that will end the war back in Faerae. Then there is the Locksmith, the only person with the power to reopen the doors between the worlds. Samm can find lost things and he must use all his skills to stay alive.
The Uninvited is an amazing fantasy story with a kidnapped boy from another realm now in the human world. There are dark secrets and a showdown with the evil beyond the door. Definitely a good read for fans of magic and fantasy.
Gary Kenworthy
The Wicked Lies of Habren Faire
Anna Fiteni, pub. HarperCollins Children’s Books
The Wicked Lies of Habren Faire is a Young Adult ‘romantasy’ novel about Sabrina Parry, a Welsh teen who must strike a dangerous bargain with Fae in order to find her missing sister.
Sabrina is portrayed as a stroppy and ill-tempered teenager, who steals and lies her way through life. She is the main breadwinner of the family, with her older sister Ceridwen suffering from an illness. Despite her hardships and cruel upbringing, Sabrina is practical and never fails to care for her family. While she is not morally idealistic, she comes across as a normal teenager. Her flaws make Sabrina a more rounded character and even influence her decisions and her journey through the faerie world. The world of the novel is set within a small Welsh mining town and the fairy forest of Eu Gwald. When Ceridwen vanishes into the woods, Sabrina opts to find her by venturing into Eu Gwald.
The Fae are shown to be vicious and inhuman, with tricky qualities. Neirin is the male love interest of Sabrina; he is a charming Fae prince, who cheekily considers himself as a scholar of humanity. Neirin and Sabrina often communicate with banter and their dynamic is intriguing, as his trickster personality more easily responds to her darker side. When he offers a dangerous bargain to help Sabrina find her sister, with little other choice she is forced to accept. But it is a typical fairy bargain; he is more interested in her than she could ever believe, so while her life is not at risk, unfortunately for Sabrina he is only interested in her love.
Author Anna Fiteni must be commended for her world-building, as the world itself feels so real as to be the third protagonist in its own right. The world of Eu Gwald is presented in great detail, with strangeness and danger around every corner and an eerie sense of timelessness. The Wicked Lies of Habren Faire delivers a faerie world filled with multi-layered characters and sharp but intriguing fae. It has a fast-paced narrative and is a wickedly fun read. The atmospheric world is deeply rooted in Welsh folklore, history and mythology, making this a unique story that should definitely be your next read.
Chris J Kenworthy