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Teen & YA Book Reviews
A Match Made In Hell
Charlotte Ingham, pub. Hot Key Books
I find myself inexplicably drawn to stories set in Hell! I think it stems from my love of mythology and the stories associating the world above to the world below, the concepts of what Hell could possibly be like, what demons might live there, who the devil or ruler might be. I have read some truly outstanding books set in hell and featuring all of the above. Every single one of them has been different, unique and compelling. Charlotte Ingham’s A Match Made in Hell is another unique take on the concept. It is also funny and romantic.
I would suggest that this is a book for older teens, YA readers. Willow, the main female protagonist is after all twenty one and the Devil? Well, he could be any age! There are some sinfully romantic moments, a few stomach churning ones (not all the demons are friendly could be an understatement) and I wouldn’t want any readers having nightmares.
Willow finds herself in Asphodel, the name given to the realm for this story, a name that may be familiar to some readers. But she’s confused. She was supposed to be at the beach, celebrating with friends and planning to become a responsible adult, proving her mother wrong. But somehow she is now here. Dead. Convinced she can redeem herself and return to her life she makes a deal with King Sathanas. She will complete seven tasks. She will resist the seven deadly sins. But since the King himself is sinfully tempting it could be more of a challenge than she realises. Oh, and there may be the little matter of the secret that no-one is willing to reveal to her… Witty, sinfully funny and wonderfully light-dark in turns I was hooked once I started reading and highly recommend reading this one!
Louise Ellis-Barrett
Before We Collide
Kate Dylan, pub. Hodderscape
For as many books as there are that lend themselves to being part of something bigger, by which I mean part of a series, there are those which standalone, their stories complete in one book. I love both sorts and when the author chooses the standalone route I love to follow them and delve into each new book, to see where their writing will take me next. Kate Dylan swept me away with the power of Until We Shatter, in Before We Collide she has done it again and this time she is taking my heart with her.
When two powerful shades, renowned the world over for their ability to see the future, had a child their daughter was expected to be a prodigy. Attending the prestigious Academy everyone expected her to graduate at the top of her class and have a stellar future. What actually happened for Raya is the opposite. She failed. As a failure she had to accept the cost. She had her magic bound. She doesn’t want to accept this is her fate and uses what powers she does have to ask a forbidden question. She asks to see the future. There is only desolation. Although that is not entirely true. There is also, at the core of everything, the boy she is destined to fall in love with. The boy, Ezzo, doesn’t care about her vision or any of their futures. He’s an illegal half-Shade. Raya needs to convince him of the importance of the future, theirs, everyone’s…
Powerful, romantic, brimming with magic, romantic tension and a world on the brink of change unless these enemies can find common ground and a reason to decipher the vision and find a way back to happier times. Kate Dylan’s outstanding writing dazzles the reader and allows us to lose ourselves in this new world she has created. I highly recommend reading this one.
Louise Ellis-Barrett
Costumes for Time Travellers
A. R. Capetta, pub. Walker Books
Pocket is a place bustling with activity. Travellers from all over the world – and from different times - pass through it. Many visit the costume shop where Calisto works under the direction of the elderly and highly skilled Mena, whose attention to detail when creating garments is unrivalled. The routine of the workshop is disrupted one day when Mena announces that she, too, intends to travel back in time to her native Chieti and leaves the shop in Calisto’s care.
On the same day, Calisto meets Fawkes, a time-savant whose skills exceed those of other time travellers. A strong connection forms between the two. Calisto is quick to offer Fawkes help, first fitting him with new costumes and sheltering him from the Time Wardens, a violent army intent on limiting time travel. Calisto soon becomes a time traveller themselves, seeking to protect Fawkes and their world from the dangers posed by the Time Wardens. From the opening performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream to the labyrinth of the Cretan palace of Knossos, to the 1960s and to a distant future, Calisto and Fawkes learn how to fight and overcome these dangers, while also discovering the depth and strength of their mutual feelings.
This is a coming-of-age tale that thrives on historical detail. With Calisto - a non-binary character growing up in a blended family - at its centre, the story is also committed to a modern vision of society, where gender and stereotypes pose no barriers. The inhabitants of Pocket pride themselves on being “together and unique,” while the Time Wardens represent the opposite end of the spectrum, with their willingness to eradicate those who are different.
Rich in detail - particularly in its descriptions of costumes - interwoven with philosophical reflections and an exploration of both the possibilities and dangers of time travel, this book will be enjoyed by mid-teen readers.
Laura Brill
The Experiment
Rebecca Stead, pub. Andersen Press
In The Experiment, Nathan is an extraterrestrial child living the life of a regular human child on Earth; he has parents, a best friend, a childhood crush, and lots of homework from school. It all sounds perfectly normal.
At an early age, Nathan discovered that as well as his parents, nine other alien families are part of an experiment. But things go awry when some of the people involved start vanishing without reason. When Nathan and his family are asked to return to the mothership, he begins to question everything he’s been taught about identity and place. Although Nathan loves Izzy, a girl who is also part of the experiment, the narrative steers clear of a stereotypical (and, sometimes, fantastical) boy-gets-girl plot, and instead portrays a more realistic tale of friendship in the real world.
Stead’s world-building, in the form of the short but insightful drops of information about the alien families, lends a helping hand to reluctant readers - as does the narrative’s fairly fast pace, with short chapters that give a sense of achievement. While this leaves little room for the development of secondary characters, it is a junior fiction story about identity and is told through the multiple perspectives of all characters to capture each of their views. When Nathan grows a tail, his family’s trepidation is well-portrayed with regards to the consequences, especially when they go to tell their leaders about it.
While Stead’s novel has elements of Young Adult fiction, it avoids profanity, sexual content or violence. It is, therefore, appropriate for readers of all ages. Older readers, however, may also note how the story has an Orwellian twist, mixing E.T. with Animal Farm to reflect the current state of global politics within its coming-of-age storyline.
Chris J Kenworthy
Fake Skating
Lynn Painter, pub. Simon & Schuster
When an accidental encounter with her new high school’s hockey star (and her ex-best friend) leads to a fake relationship, Dani wishes that she could just keep her head down and hide from the rumours. Moving into her grandfather’s house with her mum was not how Dani expected to be spending her senior year of high school, however after her parent’s separation, Dani has no choice but to fly from Germany back to Minnesota with her mum.
Alec, Dani’s first kiss and ex-best friend, wanted to spend his senior year playing hockey and attracting the attention of the scouts, when he hears Dani is coming back, he makes some reckless choices which put his future career at risk. Resenting Dani, but also being inexplicably drawn to her new personality, Alec finds himself in a fake relationship with her. But at what point does the line between fake feelings and real feelings blur?
This book was addictive from the beginning. With unexplained tension between Dani and Alec, paired with their personality changes, the story became filled with excitement and intrigue which made it difficult to put the book down. The characters were well written, and the story was full of wit which drew me in and kept me smiling while reading. I would thoroughly recommend this book to any romcom fan looking for an easy read and a well written tale about rekindling an old flame.
Gemma Walford
Falling Like Leaves
Misty Wilson, pub. Simon & Schuster
Uprooted from her life in New York City, Ellis has to learn how to adjust to life in Bramble Falls, a town she used to visit every summer, the town where her childhood best friend and crush lives.
When Ellis’ parents decide to separate, Ellis finds herself temporarily living at her aunt’s house in the attic, far away from her friends but more importantly far away from the internship that was helping her follow in her dad’s footsteps and get into the university of her dreams at Columbia. While in Bramble Falls, Ellis begrudgingly begins to adapt to life there. With the help of her cousin Sloane, Ellis gets involved in volunteering each weekend and making new friends at school. When one of those new friends ends up being Cooper, her childhood summer holiday best friend and crush, she finds out why he’s been ignoring her since she’s been back and once they start spending time together, they find that they are irresistibly drawn to each other, even with the problems they had in the past.
This book was a perfect autumnal romcom, bringing feelings of warmth, cozy blankets and pumpkin spice lattes to me while I was reading. The characters were well written and each one of them felt relatable and likeable. Seeing Ellis’ character grow and develop as she got used to Bramble Falls life and realised her own passion and identity was different to her dad’s was enticing and led me to wanting to read more about her and her new life.
For anyone looking for a cozy romcom or even a book about a character finding herself and learning to follow her dreams, this book is a perfect light read, filled with jokes to provide that happy feeling.
Gemma Walford
Flipped!
Philip Caveney, pub. Fox & Ink Books
Life can be confusing. That is certainly the case for Flip, who is out on a walk one day when he finds himself stumbling into a strange old house, and into an even stranger (but somehow rather familiar) story. Flip becomes trapped in the pages of a classic book – one that he is finding it almost impossible to escape!
The story kicks off during the height of the pandemic, capturing that strange, quiet tension of 2020. What begins as a contemporary tale of a fractured father-son relationship quickly spirals into a surreal adventure when Flip is pulled into a "flipped" version of Victorian England, trapped inside an abandoned house with some of the most famous characters in English literature. While exploring his surroundings, Flip discovers a mysterious Victorian house that seems frozen in time. Once inside, the boundaries of reality dissolve. Flip finds himself held captive by the ghostly, bitter Miss Havisham and the beautiful but cold Estella. The stakes escalate when Flip encounters the "Architect" himself: a formidable Charles Dickens, who treats his characters like chess pieces and sternly warns Flip to follow the script or face the consequences.
Philip Caveney has cleverly created this tale by reimagining a classic story and in Flipped!, he breathes new life into the bones of Great Expectations. By placing a modern, tech-savvy protagonist into the dusty, cobweb-filled world of Satis House, Caveney highlights the timelessness of Dickens' themes—loneliness, social standing, and the desire for connection. He skilfully uses the lockdown as a metaphor for the literal "entrapment" Miss Havisham has endured for decades. Caveney’s writing is fast-paced and atmospheric, making the 19th-century characters feel dangerous and unpredictable rather than just figures from a dusty textbook.
Flipped! is a gripping, imaginative bridge between literary generations that proves how classic literature can be used to create an entertaining modern-day tale.
Tom Joy
Hollow
Taylor Grothe, pub. Walker Books
Taylor Grothe’s novel, Hollow, is a horror destined to become a cult novel. It’s the story of Cassie, an autistic teenager whose recent diagnosis was the result of a meltdown in her school cafeteria. With her mother she moves back to her hometown in New York state where they hope the familiarity of home will help Cassie to feel a little bit better. The reality is that she has never felt normal anywhere, and yet she craves the easiness of her old life with her old friends.
While her old friends are not so keen to welcome Cassie back into the fold, they invite her to join them on a walking trip to Hollow Ridge, in the upper reaches of the Adirondacks. On the first night at the group’s first campsite, a fight breaks out and Cassie wakes to find her friends have all disappeared. Nearing sensory overload and knowing there is a storm approaching she sees a boy come out from the woods. Kaleb has come to save Cassie and takes her back to a compound called the Roost. And this is where the story takes a sinister turn, as Cassie soon finds herself surrounded by an unsettling community of outcasts who each harbour sinister secrets.
Grothe’s novel has all the makings of a teen horror story. There are the vibes of an eerie forest; tending to one’s wounds while out in the cold, alone; crows everywhere you look. While her friends are all in danger, lost in the woods, the reader can empathize with Cassie’s internal struggle, which is largely focused on the battle between her identity, her ideological life, and how she wants to relate to other people. The narrative is therefore contextualized by autism, anxiety and the balance between social fears and the expectations we put on ourselves.
Hollow is a fast-paced story that will have readers gripped to its pages. It perfectly encapsulates the fear of being left alone in a strange place, but also focuses on an autistic teen as the hero of the story - something which is fairly rare for any piece of fiction within this genre. Ultimately, Cassie’s journey is a fierce but beautiful love letter to neurodiversity and identity.
Chris J Kenworthy
The House Saphir
Marissa Meyer, pub. Faber & Faber
I am a big fan of the retellings Marissa Meyer has previously written and so, when I saw this one had been released I had to read it too. I promise there was nothing but joy to be had and it began from the opening lines. They made me smile and sit up, paying close attention to what they could be hinting at to come. From there, well it was difficult to put the book down!
The House Saphir is named after the brooding great-grandson of Count Bastien Saphir. It is a family name and the house is a family one, a mansion he owns. The story is a retelling of Bluebeard and a fraudulent witch. There is murder and longing, fantasy, romance and so much more to delve into with this heart-stealing story.
Mallory Fontaine is the fraud. She is pretending to be a witch which isn’t entirely false. She’s descended from witches and she can see ghosts but that is where her witchy skills end. That means she is struggling to make a living but when she discovers that Count Armand Saphir, the great-grandson of Count Bastien Saphir, will pay he generously to rid him and his house of the murderous ghost of his ancestor, of course she accepts. But there is a new death to contend with and Mallory is quite certain this one was carried out by a mortal. Can she solve the murder, banish the ghost, keep up her façade and earn her payment or will she discover that in the process of attempting to do all the above she has lost her heart… Even worse will she realise that it’s possible she has lost her heart to the murderer himself…?
A thrilling rollercoaster of a read with romance, ghosts, witches, attempts at magic and so much more. Marissa Meyer’s writing once again sparkles wickedly.
Louise Ellis-Barrett
I’ll Find You Where the Timeline Ends
Kylie Lee Baker, pub. Hachette Children’s Books
I’ll Find You Where the Timeline Ends is a gripping science fiction novel that blends time travel, mystery, and romance. Baker plays with the idea of changing everyday events and asks an intriguing question: What would happen if you altered just one small thing? From feeding a pigeon a piece of sushi to pouring banana milk on someone’s shoes, even the smallest actions can create unexpected ripple effects.
While Yang Mina faces ordinary teenage challenges like understanding calculus or working out how to get a boy to kiss her, she also has the responsibility of helping to save the world, sometimes on a daily basis. With dragon magic in her veins, Mina can travel through time and make changes to influence events for the company she works for. But as she carries out her missions, she begins to question the real motives behind each decision. Is the organisation truly trying to help humanity, or is something more dangerous at play? And is Mina prepared to endanger innocent lives to achieve the desired outcome? Things become even more complicated when Yejun appears. He is charming, mysterious, and represents everything Mina believes she is fighting against, yet she feels drawn to him. Can she trust him? What is the truth about his role in the timeline?
Mina is determined to find answers, especially when it comes to her sister. Why is Mina the only one who remembers she ever existed? Was she erased from the timeline, and if so, why?
Every choice in this novel feels important. At its heart, this is a story about connection, determination, and identity. With plenty of twists and emotional moments, the story keeps readers engaged and rooting for Mina to succeed.
I’ll Find You Where the Timeline Ends is a thoughtful and imaginative read, perfect for teens who enjoy futuristic stories that still feel personal and relatable.
Arabella Chute
It’s A Bit More Complicated Than That
Hannah Marshall, pub. Allen & Unwin
This coming of age story is told through the eyes of the two main characters, Zelle and Callum. It is told in short chapters, alternating between the two characters. They used to be best friends. When a tragedy wrenched them apart Zelle moved away. When she later returns, hoping to continue their relationship where they left off, the story picks up. Zelle’s hopes prove to be not as simple and straightforward as she had hoped.
It’s A Bit More Complicated Than That is a very emotionally tense love story. It is a very real story and does feel like reading about real people dealing with real issues. Many issues and themes are covered. These include relationships; death; grief; alcohol problems; school; university; exam pressures; love; failures; friendships; family and above all, trust. All issues that teen readers will be very familiar with. These issues, the way they affect and are dealt with by the characters are very believable.
Zelle and Callum both realise that they cannot keep running from the past forever. Zelle is in denial about her alcohol mis-use and Callum has a disastrous university interview to come to terms with. They both need to tackle their grief and guilt. This is a tremendous story with lots going on and the short, punchy chapters changing between the two characters makes it very easy to read and follow.
Gary Kenworthy
Never Ever After
Sue Lynn Tan, pub. Hodderscape
This is an epic fantasy book filled with mystery and magic. Think Cinderella with an edge! A powerful and fierce edge. Many of the most popular elements of Cinderella are interspersed with magic, mystery and danger as well as fragments from Chinese fairytales. The plot twists will certainly keep you hooked until the end!
In the Iron Mountains life is harsh. The king of the Iron Mountains is now dead and his son, Prince Zixin, has to commit to a vow to rid the magic from the Mist Islands. He is ambitious and ruthless and when he meets Yining, an orphan and peasant he tempts her with the lure of power. Yining has been leading a peasant life, surviving by thieving and has no idea the adventure that awaits for her when she meets the prince. Yining is grieving for her uncle and still for her mother, who died many years ago when she acquires an enchanted ring, her cruel step-aunt steals it, forcing Yining into the courtly world of the prince and an advisor from a rival court. She has no idea who are her friends and who are her enemies and must embark on a quest for the future she so desperately wants and yet is equally terrified by.
Reading Never Ever After you’ll find yourself entwined with characters you will both love and hate, be surprised by the many plot twists and may even meet a dragon or two.
Erin Hamilton
Owl King
Bex Hogan, pub. Zephyr
This is the second book in the Faery Realms series, set in a world of magic and romance. Owl King is a beautiful faery tale, based on Cornish and world folklore, myth and legend. It has everything you would expect from a faery tale-danger, challenges, magic and trickery. It is a lovely heartwarming story with plenty of twists and turns throughout.
The main characters are two sisters and the focal point is the love that the sisters have for each other. There is a story within a story here. In a world of Kings and Queens, the sisters Ilsette and Lyla are summoned to the court of the Owl King. The Owl King is attracted to the beautiful Lyla, who he wants to have as his bride. Can Ilsette save her sister from the once kind and wise Owl King who has grown miserable and cruel? Lyla tries to distract the King with her bewitching stories.
As well as the magic, the beauty and the emotion of the characters, there are some brilliant descriptions of the places, like the diamond river, the thorn lands and the forests. This all leads to a magical and mysterious adventure and a tale of love, sisterhood, friendship and freedom. At the same time, there is danger and betrayal and deception. Overall, a delightful tale inspired by fairytales and folklore.
Gary Kenworthy
Seven Deadly Thorns
Amber Hamilton, pub. Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Aragoa is a throttled kingdom: ravaged for twenty years by poisonous mists, a dense, dangerous magic sent to leave nothing alive. The only remaining shelter is the castle, where the highborn are protected - shielded by the favour of the Saints. For the rest of the population, safety had to be hewn from the mountain below, making cramped homes in dark caves. Up above them, connected to the castle, is the prestigious academy Vandenberghe - home to an elite selection of students. There, as across the kingdom, to wield magic is to be sentenced to an early death: for Viola Sinclair, this means living a life of close control. Since childhood she has learnt how to contain her shadow magic, but it means keeping her emotions tight - and now, more than ever, she fears any slight spill within herself.
She has an ally in her most trusted friend Cerise, who holds safe the secret of Viola’s magic - so too does her pet gargoyle, Saint Waffles, with his tusks and disapproval of taking risks. With Kole there are cosy evenings in the common room, their legs brushing together, his kindness and love of mechanical contraptions - with a fluttering possibility of more. But over it all hangs a looming threat: the ruthless arrogance of Prince Roze. He is quick to bully others, swanning through the halls under protection from any repercussions. His mother makes a terrifying Queen, grown restless since her husband’s death: with food supplies increasingly scant, she redirects her people’s fear to the pursuit of those with magic. Her son is her assassin, specially tasked, bound to kill when a witch is exposed - and now, somehow, the Queen has knowledge of Viola.
But it seems Roze resents being used as his mother’s tool: this time he wants to bargain; to keep Viola alive so he can use her magic to find his father’s true killer. Viola’s work on ancient runes is an asset - there are old trails that must be followed. Resentful as she is towards Roze, it seems a new alliance is necessary…it is that or lose her life.
For readers who enjoy the atmosphere of a dark fairytale, Viola’s story centres on the spiked tussle of enemies to lovers. Battles can be gruesome in places, but the resurfaced runes are intriguing. Viola’s mentor Professor Borges is an enjoyable figure, surrounded by her clutter at the back of the library, researching the old Book of Odds. Perhaps answers await, for Roze and for Viola, where magic might forge a path unclouded.
Jemima Breeds