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Young Adult Book Reviews
A Sea of Wolves
Sarah Street, pub. Hodder Children’s Books
Last year I fell in love, after a long hiatus, once more with pirates and their stories set on the High Seas. I fell in love with the storytelling, the story, the characters, the hidden monster, the curse, the very oceans on which the book, its story rode. That was Sarah Street’s doing with her debut novel A Curse of Salt and I am incredibly grateful to her for that book. Now she is taking us back to the world she created there, with a story that gives an exceptional new twist to Red Riding Hood.
Little Red Riding Hood is retold in A Sea of Wolves with a sapphic enemies-to-lovers twist that will, at times, quite literally take your breath away. It is full of surprises for the characters and the reader who, despite their best efforts, their best attempts to see what is coming, will likely fail. And that is not a criticism, rather it is in Sarah Street’s favour for, as author, she manages to take us on another unforgettable journey. One that begins in the woods surrounding the city of Bray. It is here that we first encounter Mersey, chopping wood but focusing her mind on other concerns. She is out here, in the woods, chopping wood, to keep busy, to save herself from wishing, beyond hope, that she could be back out in a ship, on her beloved ocean. But a promise was made and she won’t go back on it. At least not yet. So, with her wolf-skin lined red cloak she chops wood, keeps busy and tries to work out what caused the fifty-year-old treaty with the pirates and the city of Bray to unravel so suddenly and without so much as a simple explanation. All the people of the city know is that their ships are returning covered in blood. All they can do is assume it is the Heartless King.
Golde and Ash are two of the Heartless King’s crew and are quite possibly, at least Golde is, two of the most vicious of pirates, even more so than their king himself. Golde is first-mate, she is as cold-blooded as they come and she is out for vengeance but there is something about Mersey, something she can’t quite work out and soon the pair are caught up in a war, one that could well be disastrous for them both and for those they are close to. But despite the wolf being out there, ready to pounce, they fall in headfirst. Let yourself do the same with this mesmerizing romance.
Louise Ellis-Barrett
Better Than the Movies
Lynn Painter, pub. Simon & Schuster Children’s Books
Would you fake date your annoying neighbour to try and make your childhood crush jealous? Some would say this is a difficult decision to make but it is exactly what Liz does when her childhood crush moves back to town, prettier and cuter than ever.
Liz lives next to Wes. They have a healthy, neighbourly relationship, filled with pranks and sarcasm and most importantly a daily feud over the parking space outside of their houses. When Michael moves back to town, Liz vows to have a relationship with him, determined that he will like her back. She makes a deal with Wes to fake date him and let him try and help her become more appealing to Michael and in return, he can have the parking spot. As Wes and Liz spend more time together, they become closer and soon Liz wonders whether their fake relationship is fake anymore and whether she’s developed feelings for Wes that would ruin their newly formed friendship.
This book was incredible, it is heartwarming, and a book filled with wit that makes you laugh out loud. The characters are relatable, and it is easy to picture yourself in the book with them, experiencing the awkwardness of high school relationships and the vulnerability of crushes and relationships. I would recommend this book, and I hope to read more books from Lynn Painter as they are beautifully written and hard to put down.
Gemma Walford
Braids Take a Day
Zainab Boladale, pub. The O’Brien Press
A debut YA novel from Zainab Boladale about the consequential effects of our thoughts on our assumptions and decisions. Zainab is a journalist, television presenter and public speaker, born in Nigeria and raised in Ireland. “Uncovering secrets is like undoing braids, one at a time” she says. This is a thought provoking, gentle story, shades of Clare Keegan, set at the beginning of Abidemi Benson’s summer holidays in Ennistymon, in Country Clare, near the West coast of Ireland. We meet as she puts down her pen in the final school exam, the summer holidays ahead, a prelude to the rest of her life.
Abi lives with her widowed Nigerian father, an international accountant, and attends a small local school of about 180 students, “the farm kids, the townies and the blow-ins.” Small enough for everyone to know each other. Her best friend is Sinead whose social circumstances have made life challenging for her family – they run the local launderette. In contrast Abi’s father is strict and has high aspirations for her future in nursing. As school ends her father announces he will be going away for 3 weeks on business and Abi, whilst being watched over by a neighbour and housekeeper, will otherwise be on her own. Her first taste of self-reliance.
Sinead is invited to stay so the pair can plan their appearance at the forthcoming disco and chew over Abi’s first encounter with Jack. Meanwhile a mysterious IT encounter with a Nigerian woman, called Folake occurs. A quick glance at her profile reveals someone with 31k followers, in her thirties, confident and stylish. And in particular Abi notices, she is wearing a perfect afro hair design and lives close by; she abstractedly presses the ‘follow’ button. In actuality Abi harbours a secret talent for braiding hair and all things related to hair. She hankers after attending business school and owning her own business. This aspiration is fuelled by the mysterious Folake who believes in following our passions in life.
So, the summer holidays ensue whilst Abi gently navigates the delights of potential boyfriends, the complexities of girlfriends, the hidden depths of families, and initiating a career path. Proceed with caution could be the moral of the story, things are not necessarily what they seem.
Elizabeth Negus
Dancers of the Dawn
Zulekhá A. Afzal, pub. Rock the Boat (Oneworld Publications)
‘Never judge a book by its cover’ warns the old idiom, and at least seven times in ten that is pretty accurate. Publishers Rock the Boat however aim to select writing which is bold, diverse and thought-provoking, and their jacket for Zulekhá A. Afzal’s first published novel Dancers of the Dawn offers readers a tantalising vision of what lies between the covers. I certainly hope that this jacket will be replicated with a similarly breath-taking image in any future edition.
There is a second novel to come, as Dancers of the Dawn leaves us in a tantalising quandary as to the heroine Aasira’s future. In this first episode of Aasira’s life we see her graduating from the elite Amaar troupe of dancers who are trained to become assassins of enemies in the breakaway country of Mezeer. We learn that her mother was assassinated for being a traitor when Aasira was young, and the fear that she constantly lives with is that she is not trusted and may indeed follow her mother’s end.
In this first novel readers will see the awful punishments which those suffer who are judged by Queen Sana to be traitors. This is a kingdom which is based on magic, but by and large it is a cruel magic which is used to maim and kill, and although Aasira has been trained as an elite dancer she, like the other dancers, has learnt how to kill using a variety of horrific magical deaths. The earlier chapters of this absorbing YA novel treat us to the intricacies and wonders of the amazing lives the elite live. Afzal clearly had great pleasure in describing the sumptuous surroundings of the palace, the gardens, the rooms, the food and, especially, the clothes Aasira is given to wear for the graduation ceremonies. Silk, gold, jewels galore, and wonderful food too! The pages are full of references to delicious clothes and food, and it would be so helpful to readers if a glossary had been available so that they could really relish the luxury.
Intriguing, exciting, horrifying – and another book to come.
Bridget Carrington
Desi Girl Speaking
A. S. Hussain, pub. Hot Key Books
Desi Girl Speaking is an enlightening story, an original and thought provoking teen and YA fiction book; suitable for teenagers from 13 onwards. This book deals with challenging aspects of mental health including depression, suicide and self-harm within a community that does not recognise mental health as problematical. The South Asian Diaspora, also known as the Desi Diaspora, is the group of people whose ancestral origins lie in South Asia, but who live outside the region. There are 44 million people in this diaspora. The author Anika Hussain of South Asian descent, lives in Bath and writes books about South Asian characters. As a Desi teenager, raised in Stockholm, she could not identify with the personalities she read about, and as a consequence set about changing this gap in the market.
Her book is set in Bristol and tells the story of a 16 year old South Asian girl who is unwittingly coping with the onset of depression. Tweety, the main character is surrounded by benevolent friends and family who do not recognise mental health problems as a part of the South Asian persona. Regardless of Tweety’s grandfather also suffering from severe depression and being admitted to a psychiatric hospital, they simply observed her nightmare in silence. Meanwhile, Tweety is an aspiring dancer preparing for the Bangla new year celebrations and is hoping to be chosen as the principal dancer. The story begins as Tweety attempts to maintain her dancing practice for the above celebrations despite feeling unusually anxious, tired and low. But why can she no longer motivate herself to work hard? And when she does she makes silly mistakes. Feeling despondent she stumbles across a podcast entitled Desi Girl Speaking, where her exact symptoms are being described by a young women of a similar age. The two slowly connect whilst Tweety attempts to get on with her life. Unfortunately, any success is far outweighed by the relentless creep of her condition until Tweety’s self-harm is noticed by her parents and she is taken to the hospital.
Desi Girl Speaking is an edifying read that will hopefully start a conversation on how to approach psychiatry within different cultural communities. Well worth reading, speaking up about and discussing.
Elizabeth Negus
The Evolving Truth of Ever Stronger Will
Maya MacGregor, illus. Jem Milton, pub. Astra Publishing
17-year-old Will has spent their life caring for their drug-addict mother Frances but when she dies, instead of embracing the chance to escape their abusive past, Will is tormented by their mother’s last words: ‘You are a monster.’ Even in death their mother manages to trap Will into believing they are responsible for their traumatic childhood. For Will, dreams of leaving their narrow-minded, small-town community and moving to the more vibrant city of Baltimore seem ever more distant. Still considered a minor as their mother died four months before their 18th birthday, Will has to pretend Frances is still alive to avoid being placed back into the care of Child Protective Services whilst also dealing with the aftermath of Frances’s death.
The Evolving Truth of Ever Stronger Will is a beautifully written story about friendship, resilience and trust from Maya MacGregor, author of the compelling murder mystery The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester. MacGregor skilfully intertwines moments of hope provided through Will’s growing romance with the wonderfully eccentric Julian with intense drama. Together they desperately search for foster parent Raz, but can they find the one adult who ever offered Will any love and stability before they are hunted down by Frances’s former drug associates determined to seek revenge for unpaid debts.
If readers loved MacGregor’s debut novel, The Evolving Truth of Ever Stronger Will, does not disappoint. MacGregor writes with such sensitivity about trauma and its impact on young lives while being a champion for inclusion and diversity. A key strength of the novel is how MacGregor skilfully ensures the reader is invested in the protagonist, encouraging us to see the beauty, strength and kindness in Will even when they cannot see it in themselves. As with their debut novel, MacGregor is giving advocacy to all young people who feel a sense of otherness; of not being accepted. Will’s journey is their journey and Will’s survival and triumph in the face of such adversity is their victory, too.
Pauline Hurry
Fallout
Lesley Parr, pub. Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Marcus Pritchard is thirteen. It is the summer of 1980. Marcus’s family has a reputation as criminals and Marcus is forced, increasingly against his will, to take part in their activities.
There is also a perceived threat of nuclear war due to tensions between Russia – then, the Soviet Union – and the United States. Marcus’s elderly neighbour, Mick, whom most of the community regard as odd, has built a secret, fully stocked nuclear bunker in the woods behind his house.
Emma, a local girl who takes part in protests with the local CND group is also regarded as strange because her family don’t have a television. How will Marcus manage to shake off his family’s reputation and develop a friendship with these two other outsiders? This is a deeply layered book about a rarely covered period in recent history which encourages its readers to be less judgemental about people who are different. Rarely in books for young people do we see such a detailed exploration of the Youth Justice System with some scenes taking place in prison. Harrowing but also an important insight delivered within the safety of this story.
This would be a comforting book for families who have someone incarcerated. It is character-driven and all of Lesley Parr’s characters, criminal or otherwise, are easy to relate to and will garner the reader’s empathy. A book which garner’s the readers sympathy with apparent ease whilst addressing the issue of questioning loyalties.
Rebecca Butler
Four Eids and a Funeral
Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, Adiba Jaigirdar, pub. Usborne
The dedication in the front of the novel is from Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, and fans of this will recognise the nod that is given by this tale of friendship and fallouts to that original story. Given a modern, real life setting in North America and set in a small town with a thriving but marginalised Muslim community, we follow Said, young, intelligent and away at a prestigious boarding school about to embark on a future heavy with parental expectation, and Tiwa, his one-time childhood friend who stayed behind in their hometown and suffered huge upheaval in her family whilst Said has been away.
With a backdrop of community struggles, corporate greed and racial intolerance the two are bound together over the course of a summer and the story follows them as they try to navigate back to a true friendship they once enjoyed. In true Shakespearean style there are side stories, misunderstandings and a healthy dose of witty banter between Said and Tiwa and they are both likeable but very different characters in their way. It is a love story, don’t doubt that but it can be a little dramatic too! It takes a funeral and a fire at the Islamic Centre to bring Tiwa and Said back together. From being inseparable as kids, they somehow became enemies many Eids ago but the unfortunate events, part of the reason Said is back in town, force them back together because they both want the Community Centre rebuilt. They may have their own motivations but hopefully that won’t prove another hurdle for them…
Will this be a case of All’s Well that Ends Well? or will it be another Midsummer Night’s Dream? With a Tempest or two along the way this is an enjoyable tale and an interesting new take on a classic.
Marianne Degiovanni
The God and the Gumiho
Sophie Kim, pub. Hodderscape
I have to admit that when I began reading The God and the Gumiho I thought I was not going to enjoy Sophie Kim’s new YA novel. How wrong I was! My first impressions were utter rubbish, and very soon I couldn’t put this novel down. The further I read the better it became, and once I had conquered the South Korean names (I’m hopeless at remembering names most of the time anyway!) I was well away on one of the funniest, bloodiest and interesting novels I’ve read for a long time.
If I’d read Sophie Kim’s ‘Author’s Note’ before I started to read the story itself I’d have understood the book properly from the start. Kim uses it to explain that her very modern, very funny, very gory and very interesting work is a twenty-first century retelling of the centuries old Korean mythical stories. Seokga, the ‘hero’ in the story (or initially the vicious god) is a character who has appeared in Korean myths for centuries, while Hani, the heroine, a teenager who works in a café, has a secret which likewise can be traced back for many centuries in the mythology of the Korean people. They are, though, very much a twenty-first version of the traditions, and readers will gain a greater enjoyment if they understand something of the original stories and Kim’s very modern take on it all.
The novel takes place in South Korea in 1992, a time when it was hoped denuclearisation would also happen across the entire Korean peninsula, but that was a hope that at present still remains unachieved. This novel is doubly welcome therefore as readers can learn a little about the myths and legends beloved to Koreans, and, as Kim promises readers, ‘the story of a grouchy god and a cheerful gumiho awaits’! It is thought that as many adults read YA novels as the YAs themselves, and this is certainly a novel which will also entertain adults who enjoy fantasy, humour and blood! Kim’s characters subtly change as Seokga and Hani learn more about each other, and readers will certainly look forward to a sequel soon.
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*Advisory note - suitable for older, YA readers and adults.
Bridget Carrington
Here Lies a Vengeful Bitch
Codie Crowley, pub. Hyperion (Penguin Random House, USA)
I really enjoyed Here Lies a Vengeful Bitch, it has all the right ingredients for a formulaic supernatural mystery but is far superior in how it weaves the story and character together.
Our heroine or rather anti-heroine for she is not your typical main character and perhaps not one you would want as a role model, is Annie Lane, town bad girl, rebel, loudmouth and a girl who is pretty unlikable at first. She is bored and troublesome, some might say a fairly typical teenager but it is as a result of this that she makes too many poor choices. In spite of them being poor choices they are relatable and therefore so is she.
The story starts as it means to go on, telling us exactly what is happening, keeping an air of mystery but at the same time planting the idea in the mind of the reader that despite us having seen Annie as a troublesome and troublemaking teen what happens to her is unfair to say the least. You see, Annie wakes up in a river with no idea of how she got there and what has happened to her. She has no idea, for quite a few chapters, that she is in fact dead and once she does realise this she of course is determined to get to the bottom of everything, to find all the truths.
Readers should expect inference of assault, murder, as Annie starts to piece together what has happened to her. It is not what happened just before the murder either, there are themes of revenge porn, domestic violence and emotional abuse which appear to have been happening over time. With such serious themes it would be easy to sink (pardon the pun) into a serious narrative but Annie’s angry, driven and quirky nature, her new friends (a ragtag group who are possibly even quirkier that she) and some excellent off the wall humour and storytelling make this a compulsive read, one you will devour in a single sitting.
It’s original, angry and fabulous. A bit like Annie herself.
Marianne Degiovanni
I Wish You Would
Eva Des Lauriers, pub. Bonnier Books
How would you feel if all of your secrets were potentially written on a piece of paper, scattered on a beach for anyone to find? This is a fear for all of the seniors at the Senior Sunrise because of one small mistake.
Natalia is struggling with a tough decision, stay with her dad and give up her passion for art, or move house and live with her mum and lose her status in school that she has worked so hard for and the friends she has made there. Her awkwardness with her previous best friend Ethan does not help as she has had a crush on him for years but doesn’t think he feels the same way after they attempted to break their “pact” and he turned her down. Senior Sunrise is Natalia’s last chance to make her decision. It’s her last chance to talk to Ethan and have fun with her friends before she makes her final decision. When the tradition of writing your secrets on a piece of paper and placing them in a jar to burn on the campfire in the morning goes wrong, 7 senior letters are released, for anyone on the beach to find and read. Throughout their team building games, Natalia and Ethan hunt for the notes, to protect everyone from the chance of their vulnerabilities being shared accidentally. This search brings them closer, but will it persuade Natalia to stay with her dad?
I enjoyed this book and found the characters relatable and funny. The story was easy to follow and hard to put down. As a reader, I felt like I was at Senior Sunrise with the characters and experiencing their emotions with them. I would thoroughly recommend this book to any reader looking for a well-written story, filled with emotion and typical teenage insecurity leading to closer relationships and friendships.
Gemma Walford
The Last Life of Lori Mills
Max Boucherat, pub. HarperCollins Children’s Books
Lori loves many weird and wonderful things: Detective Mermaid comics, episodes of Monster Kitten Fighting Force, blanket forts and her stuffed lion called Jonsey. Not to be forgotten is Voxminer: a vast world-building game, the best ever to be played, full of forest biomes and mountain biomes where you can gather resources and build any world you want. There are Voxfriends to collect, of many different species, like illumamoth, dogdecahedron and blizzuar - all unique, marvellous creatures who can help or hinder.
Lori often explores Voxminer with her best friend Shoelace, and together they’ve spent the last four months crafting and expanding a world called Kittentopia. When Lori’s babysitter cancels, the chance for Lori to spend an evening at home alone is perfect: it means an extended Voxminer marathon in her blanket fort, with plenty of uninterrupted building time (made even better by forbidden snacks). But the stormy wind and rain outside are strong, and soon the house begins to feel a little strange…
A sudden glitch on the TV screen shakes Lori to her core, and she is confronted with an unsettling new version of Voxminer - one which makes the empty house seem far less safe. A doorway appears onscreen, and its arrival in the game should be impossible: Lori did not create it when crafting the rest of the world. The door stands, in bright graphics, beside a vast underground pool that Lori and Shoelace built inside one of Kittentopia’s mountains. With the intrusion of this unknown door, even Lori’s boldest Voxfriend is suddenly afraid. Ben the blizzuar, a two-tailed icy jaguar, whimpers in fear and grows reluctant to move. Shoelace is definitely offline, and Lori wonders who could possibly have control of the game.
As Lori’s evening unfolds, a strong tension builds, and the story grows more and more eerie with each chapter. It is both creepy and exhilarating, as Lori tries to process these strange occurrences. They pull her back towards the game, even as it becomes more unrecognisable. Lori faces a growing sense of panic as these glitches multiply, and her mix of nerves and courage feel very real. She is a warm character, determined to outlast the strange new dangers of Voxminer. Just like the members of Shimmer Squad, a group of smart, bold teens in her favourite book series, Lori is determined to find a way forward through the unexpected dangers of the night…
Jemima Breeds
The Maid and The Crocodile
Jordan Ifueko, pub. Bonnier Books
Would you survive as a young orphan if you had been thrown out onto the streets of Oluwan City on your seventeenth birthday? Small Sade, a talented young curse eater, lives this life, trying to make a living for herself when she ages out of the orphan house she has been living in for too many years.
When Small Sade meets the Crocodile, she accidentally binds herself to him, entwining their fates despite her fear of the rumours of him eating young girls. He is as entranced with her for she has a gift. Many may look at her and see only her unique appearance and unlucky foot but the Crocodile sees her secret and is entranced. Small Sade is a Curse Eater. Once bound she flees him, with the determination to become the most powerful curse eater and earn her place in Oluwan City. She has a very good job as curse eater in a high-class inn where her cleaning can change fates and she hopes to impress the wealthy clientele. Throughout the book, Small Sade and the Crocodile become closer, working together and forming an unlikely friendship, but will this friendship last or is it destined to fall into ruin as the Crocodile becomes more and more of a beast with his revolutionary ambitions taking over and threatening what they have built.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book; it was cleverly written in a different style to what I’m used to. The book was filled with plot twists and full of heartwarming moments and emotional turns. The characters were interesting, and the world was easy to understand and beautifully described. By the end of the book, the point of view was a little bit confusing but overall, it was still well written and a book which I would easily recommend to other people.
Gemma Walford
The Mercury in Me
Rachael Fernandes, pub. UCLan
If you pick up a book with a UCLan publishing fox on the spine you are in for an excellent read! The Mercury in Me is no exception, although at first glance I was confused and intrigued by the title. Surely, I thought, it can’t be the dangerous liquid mineral which used to be used to register temperature, nor yet could it be the planet! How then, I wondered, can it possibly be about mercury inside a teenager?
Readers soon discover that the story is told by Maya, seventeen and determined to become a doctor, but also a talented violinist, who usually plays for the school shows. When she discovers that the upcoming show is We Will Rock You, based on Queen’s music, and that Freddie Mercury was, like Maya herself, a British Indian, she eventually decides to try for a role. She gets to know Harry, star of the show, and himself a British Asian, and – well that would be telling, and you want to read the story don’t you? Cleverly Rachel Fernandes (herself a British Indian) manages to combine teenage love, extreme school bullying, varied family expectations and the agony of a teenager afraid to reveal that they are gay in this absorbing story. Maya and her elder brother Tamir have to face the kind, loving, but restrictive home regimes which prevent Tamir from explaining that he does not want to search for a quiet, submissive wife.
Likewise, boyfriends are not countenanced in Maya’s family, and while her parents are very proud of her imminent career as a doctor, she is expected to be the quiet, submissive girl who will marry an Indian boy from a good family. The growing relationship between Maya and Harry has to exist painfully hidden from older family and friends. Fernandes is clearly very familiar with the expectations which even British Indians retain in Britain. It is clear that neither parent is being unkind to their children, but they are deeply aware of their own experiences and the expectations of an Indian family when they themselves were young.
Funny, happy and sad, true to life in so many ways, this is an outstanding first novel.
Bridget Carrington
Now, Conjurers
Freddie Kölsch, pub. Electric Monkey
Now, Conjurers is a dark-fantasy horror story that follows Nesbit Nuñez and his fellow witches as they uncover the mystery surrounding the gruesome death of his boyfriend Bastion Attia. With the only clue being Bastion’s partially-devoured body, Nesbit, Drea, Brandy and Dove (Bastion’s sister) reconvene their secret North Coven in the hopes of solving his murder. However, as they search for answers, they uncover their small town’s dark history and the sinister, supernatural, red-gloved figure at the centre of it. The North Coven realise that confronting the monster is the only way to both avenge Bastion’s death and save the lives of everyone they hold most dear.
As the story progresses, the ensemble cast of compelling yet flawed characters become more life-like, and their nuances are compelling. Angsty, poignant descriptions will help readers emphasise with the protagonists, and the revelations of Bastion’s idiosyncrasies, coupled with his rather tragic backstory, give this coming-of-age narrative a more realistic tone. Despite the claustrophobia of the small-town setting, the world-building means it feels more detailed and vast – a world wherein the witches are real, but the monsters lurk in the shadows. Furthermore, with author Freddie Kölsch’s pacy writing style and choice of placing this story in the late 1990s, the novel is laden with references that make this a nostalgia trip for older readers.
However, younger readers should not fear this YA novel, as Kölsch has constructed a fascinating insight into 1990s culture, with consistent references to The NeverEnding Story. The world of North Dana, Massachusetts in November 1999 is a fantastic setting for this story – a world not yet doomed by smartphones or social media, but instead beset by the panic of the incoming Millennium.
Now, Conjurers is a wild, spine-chilling debut novel. Ultimately, it delivers a fantasy horror story, offering a heartfelt insight into a coven of teens who are both struggling with the difficulties of growing up, while also fighting off evil monsters that lurk in the darkness.
Chris J Kenworthy
Off With Their Heads
Zoe Hana Mikuta, pub. Hyperion (Penguin Random House, USA)
Off With Their Heads is not only a really gripping title, but it is also a Korean-inspired, queer retelling of Alice in Wonderland. It is perfect for those looking for a darker, more intense dystopian story with plenty of action, horror, and drama too!
In this retelling, we are introduced to the two main characters, Caro Rabbit and Iccadora Alice Sickle, who were cast into Wonderland after being accused of a crime that they did not commit and unfortunately breaking each other’s hearts in the process. Four years on, Caro lives a glamourous life in the capital as a royal saint-killer, concealing the dark secrets of the Red Queen that she serves, whilst Iccadora has become a ruthless hunter, waiting for the day she can get her revenge on both Caro and the Queen for their betrayal.
Mikuta really excels on the character development of both Caro and Iccadora. They say that there is a thin line between love and hate, and this story is the perfect example of that. They hate one another, whilst being completely obsessed with each other. We are left hanging on in a will-they won’t-they situation to see if they will get the revenge that they both lust after. This leads to an interesting dynamic and an enthralling story that you just cannot put down.
Off With Their Heads is a great addition to the well-established dystopian genre and is filled with plenty of thought-provoking questions to ask yourself whilst reading. It is a commentary on love and loss, and what it can turn you into if you refuse to let it go. So, I ask you, is it worth loving someone if that means losing yourself?
Cherelle Thomas
Sleep Like Death
Kalynn Bayron, pub. Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Eve is comfortable wielding a bow, thudding an arrow into a chosen target among the trees and rocks. But a bowstring is not everything: she relishes the assurance of her dagger, of holding a freshly sharpened blade in her grasp. She is first – and fiercest – advisor to her mother, Queen Regina, for whom Eve would do anything. Eve and her mother wield their daggers together, in loyal protection of the townsfolk of Queen’s Bridge. Whatever their rank, the townsfolk are all deserving of safety and consideration. Guarding their lives and homes is of the upmost concern – and proves to be a hefty task. They face a persistent and sinister threat from the Knight, whose shadowed castle can uproot and move itself through the land – appearing wherever it may do most damage.
The Knight possesses his own wish magic, which he uses to cruel effect: even the most carefully spoken words of a wish can be twisted. Longings become fuel for despair and setting out to follow the tracks of his castle, trailing smoke across the mountainside, may lead to indescribable darkness. Queen Regina has suffered as terribly as any from the malicious magic of the Knight, and his actions weigh heavily on her family. Eve is fuelled by a bone deep determination to face the Knight, to end the harm and havoc he causes. She has been gathering firsthand accounts of his powers, wading through rumours and gossip that paint the Knight in many fearsome colours. Her own skills and talents have been honed since she was young, but her mother is reluctant to allow Eve to face the enormous danger that the Knight poses. But Eve has her own gifts, a powerful magic that allows her to weave herself with nature and meld its strength to her own. She can wind the sky around her and grasp hold of lightning’s heat; she feels ready to rival the Knight, and as her mother’s agitation worsens, the time for confrontation feels close.
The world of Queen’s Bridge and its magic is gripping, and Eve’s determination and dedication to her mother are quickly compelling. She is an intriguing character who pulls you to her side, soon wanting to wield a blade of your own in defence of all that the Knight seeks to destroy.
Jemima Breeds
Slowcoach
Bethany Rutter, pub. Hot Key Books
Despite the new trend for ‘young looking’ cover art this is a young adult story that covers body image, fat shaming, family dynamics and various forms of prejudice. It’s title and that image on the cover suit it perfectly, it could easily be a simple play on words or something much deeper and more meaningful.
Slowcoach is a story that provides author Bethany Rutter with the opportunity to cover some serious issues. However, she keeps the story light and fun to read. It has some very funny moments that will make you smile and even laugh aloud. We follow Ruby and her friends over the course of one summer as she challenges herself to take part in a local fun run. Anyone who has attempted this will know it can truly be a challenge. For Ruby it is about more than the physical exertion of the challenge. Goaded by her brother and shamed by staff at her school what starts as an act of rebellion becomes a deeper questioning of herself, her feelings about her own body and how society treats and influences those who do not conform to an accepted idea of ‘normal size’. Bethany Rutter tackles this with a gentleness, an understanding of its harshness and a reminder that we are each unique, we should recognise that and remember to love ourselves and keep those who truly see us, close.
Ruby is an excellent main character, she is likeable, not too arrogant, she questions herself and grows emotionally alongside some excellent friends she already has and new ones that she makes along her journey. The cover states the story to be joyful and heartwarming and I agree that it does live up to the hype. It is an enjoyable and easy read, one to pack in your hand luggage and perfect for a flight away this summer.
Marianne Degiovanni
Songlight
Moira Buffini, pub. Faber & Faber
Elsa Crane lives in Northhaven where she spends her days fishing alone and preparing to be given to a returning soldier as a second wife – a cruel fate, but better than serving soldiers in a Pink House. But Elsa has a secret. She has songlight – the ability to communicate with others telepathically – and, in Northhaven, that’s a crime with the severest of punishments. The only person she shares her secret with is her boyfriend, Rye, but on the eve of their escape, he is discovered and captured. Even though her father died for Brightland and her brother is quickly rising through the ranks of their military, Elsa knows that ending songlight isn’t right. But Elsa can’t find the strength to stand up for what she believes until she meets Kaira, through the strongest songlight she’s ever felt.
From award-winning screenwriter and playwright, Moira Buffini, comes the first instalment in a gripping YA fantasy series. Songlight introduces readers to a wide cast of characters living in a brutal world and explores the fascinating concept of mental telepathy. Set in a near-future world nearly destroyed by abuse, society is run by strict, power-obsessed men who feed misinformation to the masses and publicly punish nay-sayers to keep society living in fear. But some, like Elsa, Rye and Kaira, start seeing through the lies and, eventually, they find others that are resisting. With danger around every corner, the young rebels race the clock to expose the evil that has infiltrated Brightland at the highest level.
In this high-concept, action-packed saga, a young teenage girl is driven to take on the brethren in order to save herself and others like her. The exciting opening chapters set up a page-turning drama written in multiple perspectives from intriguing characters. With occasional graphic violence, sexual abuse and slavery, the book contains mature themes and disturbing scenes that may not be appropriate for young YA readers. While some character arcs end prematurely and the cliffhang-ending leaves many questions unanswered, readers will be eagerly awaiting the next book in the enthralling Songlight series.
Stephanie Ward
Taylor Blake is a Legend
Laura Jane Williams, pub. Bloomsbury Children’s Books
What would you do if you were an awkward teenager, feeling like your life was full of embarrassing moments? This is the reality for Taylor Blake. It could be your reality too and it is the basis for Laura Jane Williams’ Taylor Blake is a Legend.
Taylor is a young teenage girl, trying to fight her way through high school with her two best friends Star and Lucy by her side. When a French exchange trip is on the cards, Taylor is desperate to go. She wants to experience France and more than that she wants to live the life of a Parisian. She hasn’t had her first kiss yet and believes this trip will be the perfect opportunity for her. A first kiss in the romance capital of the world! When the exchange just leads to more embarrassing moments and awkward encounters Taylor finds not a kiss but herself gaining closer friends. She also finds that the relationship she was looking for wasn’t as far away as she thought it was.
I enjoyed the story, I enjoyed this book and I found it to be heartfelt and warming as someone who feels just as awkward as Taylor. However, I would say that I think this book would suit younger teenagers and readers as I found it to be written in a way that seemed younger than I’m used to. The characters were well written and relatable, and the plot was easy to follow and interesting. However, I think it would be more suited to someone who is in the younger teen bracket, who is finding their feet as a YA reader and as a teen. It might have more of an impact for them as they embark on their journey into teen-dom.
Gemma Walford
Twelfth Knight
Alexene Farol Follmuth, pub. Macmillan Children’s Books
Viola is a self-proclaimed furious feminist and can’t believe that everyone else isn’t as mad as she is. Jack is the star of the high school football team and has his life figured out, coasting through senior year until he can head off to university with a football scholarship. Both find themselves on the student body – Jack as president and Vi as Vice President – where they constantly butt heads. But after Vi’s gaming group breaks apart on bad terms on the same night that Jack suffers a football injury that could end his promising career, Vi and Jack find themselves taking solace in the video game, Twelfth Knight. Jack’s identity is obvious, thanks to his thinly-veiled username, but Vi is anonymous, and likes it that way, since she finds the other players treat her differently thinking she’s a ‘he’. But when Jack confesses his feelings, Vi lies to make sure he doesn’t know who he’s confided in and goes to extraordinary lengths to cover up her deception. When a Comicon-like event brings the two together and they find that, against all odds, they actually like each other, Vi must decide if she’s going to give in to such a traditional relationship. If Jack can forgive her once her dishonesty is discovered.
From the New York Times-bestselling author of The Atlas Six (written under a pen name), this coming-of-age, YA romance takes the opposites attract trope to the extreme. Twelfth Knight is a maze of twists and turns – from fantasy board games to football to video game conferences and homecoming – that lead the two main characters to each other. As they start to understand the person behind the reputation, they realise that there is more depth to each of them than most people realise and sparks fly.
The high school world of Vi and Jack was drenched in complexity – from an absent father to an overbearing father, teens considering their sexual orientation, adults reconsidering their protective devices – where everyone was trying to find where they fit in the world. It was, at times, difficult to feel sympathy for Vi as she was incessantly cruel to others while longing for someone to take the time to understand her. While Jack was a character that seemingly had the world at his feet and was hard not to hate him for having it so easy. But these two unlikable characters find solace in the unlikeliest of places – each other – and the pathway to getting there is an amusing roller coaster ride.
Stephanie Ward
The Virtue Season
L.M. Nathan, pub. Scholastic
The Virtue Season is a captivating and fast paced novel which follows 18 year old Manon as she embarks on her season as debutante. In a world which promises balls and perfection, it is quickly revealed that not everything is as it seems in Calde Valley. Anybody considered flawed is damned to a lifetime of gruelling service, while those who are not are organised into loveless marital unions designed to strengthen bloodlines. The government’s aim: root out all defects. However, as Manon begins her season the world begins to crumble and she won’t stop until she can protect those she loves around her.
Nathan writes a tale which keeps us on our toes until the very final moments while her characters are defiant, flawed and most importantly surrounded by their loved ones. For while this is a novel which questions controlling authority, it is also fundamentally a tale which celebrates found family and community just as much.
Nathan has beautifully constructed a dystopian world that echoes the troubles existing in our present day to explore and challenge the corrupting nature of power and control. It is a rally cry which champions the unspoken power of ordinary people who unite to fight for change. For as Nathan writes in her authors note, ‘we live in a world which pretends to be liberal. I want to live in a world that actually is.’
The Virtue Season encourages us all to fight for the word we want to live in.
Elinor Hurry
Wild East
Ashley Hickson-Lovence, illus. Camilla Ru, pub. Penguin Random House
Wild East is a poignant verse novel about Ronny, a 14 year old music lover who moves with his mother from London to Norwich, after his friend Maz dies tragically.
As a black teenager, Ronny initially does not feel welcome at his new, mostly white school but he loves music and dreams of becoming a rapper. When Lucas, the “published poet and performer” visits his new school and teaches a poetry class, Ronny learns that music lyrics are made up of spoken words, much like poetry. He realises the combination of poetry and music could make his dreams come true. This novel is powerful in its delivery, and very well constructed. The verse style complements the pacing of the story and together with the wonderful illustrations, makes the novel accessible to reluctant readers, particularly. The illustrations vary in their level of detail – from the skyline of Ronny’s home city of London, with the contrasting tower blocks and St Paul’s Cathedral to different fonts being used to portray Ronny writing lines of poetry. There is even a heart-warming drawing of a muntjac deer, which “somehow, from somewhere” gets into the exam hall, causing a commotion of “ear-splitting screams,” before “feeling all calm, all safe, all loved.”
The illustrations don’t only complement the story. They invite the reader to immerse themselves. Such is the case with the wordsearch and the instruction to: “jot down the first ten words […] and use them to write something new in five minutes.” Moreover, this is one way in which the novel highlights how the therapeutic nature of the arts. As the story develops, as Ronny is compelled to write lines of poetry, the reader may find it compelling to follow Lucas’s instructions to open a notebook, and not take one’s pen “off the paper for the entire five-minute duration” of the writing activity. Most importantly, Ronny’s narrative is a journey of self-discovery and it is lovely to read a story which has positive undertones for its protagonist, while not shying away from difficult topics such as poverty, youth crime, bullying and racism.
Wild East is an essential read for all ages, from a relatively new but very real voice of. It is a great novel to study. Ultimately it is a story of coping with loss, learning how to fit into new surroundings, and how the support and encouragement from parents, teachers and adults are essential to all young people.
Chris J Kenworthy
You Don’t See Me
Chris Ricketts, pub. Little Island Books
Not a game of hide and seek, You Don’t See Me, is actually the story of the way that each of us looks at others. It is a story that wants us to see how we do that and how we can change.
Author Chris Ricketts explains that the inspiration behind it comes from a book they read when growing up. That book was a story about a man who misled others into believing that he was something he was not. For Chris Ricketts this story resonated, they had created various versions of themselves and they found an outlet. They started to write. Stories of hundreds of lives they could have enjoyed had they been born in a male body. Not only did these stories give them solace they helped in the discovery of a love of writing which has led to this most powerful story, You Don’t See Me.
Ros has found Eddy, the girlfriend that they have always wanted and yet in spite of that Ros is unable to tell Eddy the truth. The truth is that Ros is trans and wants to live in a male body. What follows is an incredibly compassionate, heartfelt story about trans identity, about the challenges but it is also a love story, a story than anyone, of any identity or orientation can enjoy. When Ros finds Eddy they can’t tell their truth. Then, at a party classmates think they have ‘discovered’ Ros is a lesbian. This is not their whole story by any means and it makes Ros’s life harder to navigate until a new friendship with a boy changes everything as Ros finds someone to confide in. Then the truth comes out and it gains its own momentum, one Ros struggles to control but their school is nothing other than supportive. That is heart warming to read and the awareness, the knowledge that it happens is incredibly important. But there are still questions that Ros needs to find answers for. Do they have hormone treatment, is surgery an option, and what will happen when Eddy finds out?
A timely reminder that we need to truly look and learn if we are to understand.
Susan Smith
Young Gothic
M.A. Bennett, pub. Welbeck Children’s Books
From the cover and title this does look like it is going to be what it says, a story sitting within the gothic genre and those are big shoes to fill. Classics such as Frankenstein and Dracula sit in that category, it is not just a genre for books either. There was a whole gothic period, we even have gothic architecture that can be admired. And, even today, there are young people who consider themselves goths, though whether dressing in black, having black hair and makeup is all you need remains to be seen.
It wouldn’t be enough for the cast of M. A. Bennett’s Young Gothic who are going to need to actually perhaps do the opposite of what you may expect. They may, in fact, not want to be Gothic at all, especially after the summer that awaits. You, reader, may however fall in love with the Gothic, with this story, with its message, its mystery, its horrors and the outstanding writing. I did. In fact I was captivated. I was also on the very edge of my seat rather a lot during the process of discovering what it would be like to spend the summer at the birthplace of all things gothic.
Eve, Griffin, Hal and Ren are complete strangers bought together by one thing. They have each been chosen, based on a letter of application and something that might be considered an interview, to spend one unforgettable summer at the Villa Diodati. If it is a place you have never heard of then aside from reading this story I think you may want to leave it that way. For each of them this is meant to be the trip of a lifetime, the type of trip that dreams are made of, the type of trip that they each need for their own reasons but it turns into a nightmare reality. As they each come face-to-face with their own deadly secrets, the monsters that should only be in their minds, they battle with themselves and then … then they become suspects in a gruesome murder. Will this summer be their last?
A thrilling and absolutely brilliantly conceived gothic thriller, setting the bar for any more to come and leaving you with a pounding heart!
Louise Ellis-Barrett
