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Teen & YA Book Reviews
A Girl’s Guide to Spying
Holly Webb, pub. Rock the Boat
In a desperate attempt to help make a difference during the war, Phyl gains a job working as a messenger in a very important spying firm. When she got involved, she expected to deal with difficult cases and information, what she didn’t account for was being wrapped up in a missing person’s case, helping to solve it so that the top secret information they were protecting didn’t get leaked.
After becoming a Girl Guide with her younger sister Annie, Phyl begins to learn many new skills and the importance of helping other people as stated in the Guide Promise. When the Guide Leader notices Phyl’s talent for memorising information and problem solving, she immediately offers her a job helping with the war effort as a messenger. Fighting the sexism that has been abundant throughout society but specifically in the office, Phyl enjoys her day to day even when told off by Major Warren. When he mysteriously goes on holiday, Phyl suspects that he isn’t actually on holiday, but rather something has happened to him. With the help of her friends from the Rose Patrol, she is determined to get to the bottom of it, before it is too late.
This book was an thought-provoking read with lots of interesting information about the history of the war, girl guiding and the suffragettes woven within the storyline. However, I found that it was hard to get into initially and predictable by the end. For a younger reader (between the ages of 12 and 14), this book would be a perfect read with relatable characters, important messages and exciting plot twists the whole way through. It was an enjoyable read, perfect for rainy weekend, where an escape to another time is needed.
Gemma Walford
Better the Devil
Erik J. Brown, pub. Hachette Children’s Group
A homeless boy is arrested for shoplifting and must make a choice: either return to his ultra-conservative religious family, who want him to attend a camp to "re-educate" his sexual orientation or pretend to be a child who disappeared years earlier. Therefore, the boy becomes Nate, seeing this as a temporary fix that will allow him to continue his escape. However, when the mother of the missing boy surprisingly recognises him as her long-lost son, the plan takes a very different turn.
Nate finds himself torn between guilt toward the family that has welcomed him as their lost son and brother, and the newfound comfort of living among people who seem to love and accept him. As he learns more about the boy he is impersonating, especially from his neighbour Miles, Nate begins to wonder about the disappearance and the possible role each family member might have played. All of Nate’s hypotheses, however, pale in comparison to the truth. Fighting for his own life and the lives of those he cares about most, Nate is forced to take desperate action.
A thriller that evolves into a much darker tale, Better the Devil delivers a tightly woven plot and an explosive and nail-biting denouement. The story is skilfully crafted, offering enough twists to keep readers engaged until the very end. It addresses gender issues and challenges stereotypical language while also exploring complex family relationships. I particularly appreciated the parallel between the grandmothers, the protagonist’s own and Nate’s, and how their unconditional love and care provide a safe haven for his troubled soul. Whether readers anticipate the outcome or not, this is a gripping read for teens.
Laura Brill
The Blitz Sisters
Judith Eagle, pub. Faber
From 1939 through to 1948, we share the lives of Lydia, Peggy and Teddy and their family. This clever story introduces us to the family as they navigate London during World War II, from bombings to rationing and all the heartache and hope they felt.
With each sister, you get to read their perspectives and follow their paths through a specific time period of the war. With Lydia, it’s the beginning and London is getting bombed daily, with nowhere safe. Having been evacuated to live with their Aunt, Lydia cannot help but worry about her mother. We then spend time with Peggy, one who struggles with school but shows incredible talent as an artist. She has moments of clarity and others of temper, unable to control herself. Finally, we see the end of the war through Teddy’s eyes. She has plenty of worries about her family and she tries to put these aside by learning facts and reading enormous amounts of books. When an opportunity arises to help her mother find happiness, she overcomes her great homesickness and travels to France.
With each sister, you discover love, hope and heart through each other’s eyes. While the story is from each of their perspectives, the entire family all rally together around each girl. It truly is a heartwarming set of intertwines stories. It celebrates the love of a sister!
Erin Hamilton
Day of Now
Miranda Reason, pub. Bloomsbury Children’s Books
A captivating, debut apocalyptic YA thriller about a dystopian future for our world. Initial reports are of a mist drifting from the USA, along with an invading fungus in Europe, but attempts to destroy it by fire accidentally trigger an explosion of spores with a force similar to an atom bomb. With mature references but no explicit content the story is fast paced and compelling. The cliff-hanging plot will keep readers focused, whilst the plausible characters are easy to identify with. A gripping read for 11-14 year olds interested in this genre.
Siblings Dayna and Pax, live with their father in the Blue House, a tiny haven of safety in a world where humans are the endangered species. They are adept in survival skills thanks to their upbringing. Pax accidentally tunes in one day on their long redundant radio to a woman’s voice, encouraging them to follow the ‘hummingbird’, known for its healing skills. A nightmarish saga of events then follows in their race to find medical help after their father is bitten by a contaminated rat.
Day of Now provides an unputdownable read, but perhaps not the book of choice for a susceptible YA. That said the book is more of a personal competence skills manual for dire circumstances, packaged as a thriller. Themes such as don’t trust strangers, betrayal, injustice, cults, rape, death, dependable relationships, humility, honesty and human perversity all appear. Grim reality meets a loss of innocence and whilst struggling to survive, the final product is wisdom. A book that would sit comfortably being read either at home or at school with its wealth of topics to be deconstructed.
Elizabeth Negus
The Fox Hunt
Caitlin Breeze, pub. Electric Monkey
This Young Adult novel combines the magic of the old fairy tales, the world of the secret societies and is also a fantasy thriller set in the academic setting of a University. The ancient magic is set around an elite secret society and within the world of the Night City.
Naive student Emma Curran falls for the leader of the Turnbull Club, the glamorous Jasper Balfour. These are both quite complex characters. Although naive to start with, Emma changes as the plot develops and she is not always the pleasant person we see from the start. After enjoying the parties of student life, things suddenly change, making this is a story of two halves. One night, the Turnbull’s suggest a strange game, a fox hunt. This is a dark game, where the women run and the men chase. Emma’s life changes. It is turned upside down and she becomes quite beastly. She then has to be clever and determined enough to claw back her life and attempt to topple the Turnbull Club. After what might seem a simple romance story, a dark magic spreads through the University. The Night City loses control and Emma must seek revenge.
This is a dark coming-of-age fantasy. It is about privilege, male dominance, power and the opposing female anger. The writing is very atmospheric and written at a good pace. If you like the idea of dark characters, some dark magic and a heroine who has to fight betrayal, then you should enjoy reading this novel. The story goes quickly from the everyday to the magical Night City with its feasts and dances and creatures.
Gary Kenworthy
Kill Me Now
Helen Price, pub. Chicken House
Helen Price’s novel, Kill Me Now, is a gripping crime thriller set in a high school, with a mass murderer on the loose who knows students’ secrets and is killing them off one at a time.
When Riley North (the school’s “golden boy”) is found dead, it is Guy ‘Reaper’ Mortimer - the funeral director's son - who finds himself accused of Riley's murder. But together with his classmates Samira, Bunsen, Snake and Betty, Riley sets out to unravel the twisted truth and many secrets, end the deception, and find the real murderer and bring them to justice. While the fast-paced narrative leaves little room for character development, it adds to the tension. Written in the first person, the reader is enveloped within its covers, adding to the claustrophobia and the feeling of being trapped - something that, ultimately, the characters themselves feel, meaning the reader will soon find themselves involved in the story, rather than simply and passively reading it after the fact. It is a clever literary technique that is often overlooked, just as it is difficult to get right, so credit must go to Price for pulling it off effectively.
As much as Kill Me Now comes across as a classic teen slasher story, due to the killer and their sinister rhetoric, there is also a deeper message on religion and beliefs that is an unexpected surprise in a teen thriller novel. Interspersed with the story are moments which portray how central Christianity is to the town. The plot does a good job of showing both the good and bad sides of faith, even offering valid critiques, but sadly falls short on counter-arguments to these points. The rapid-fire sequence of revelations and betrayals, as well as the very realistic scenes of bullying, efficiently illustrate the grittier side of a holier-than-thou town, but can sometimes feel grim and brutal to read - especially for past sufferers.
Kill Me Now is a fantastic story and Helen Price perfectly captures the fear and paranoia that spreads like wildfire when a killer is on the loose in a religious community. The back cover of the book sums up the story in three perfect words: “secrets, lies, murder.” A story which revolves around teenagers in a sixth form, with themes of shame and guilt, trust and secrets, loneliness and friendship.
Chris J Kenworthy
Love in the Fast Lane
Tyra Prince, pub. Scholastic
Cody Thompson has it all planned out. She has her life, all the things that she hopes and dreams of all the things she wants to happen, everything is mapped out just as she dreams it. Her plan doesn’t however take account of the fact that things change. So, when new opportunities arise, Cody needs to be brave enough to alter her course. In addition to all this Cody has a long-term boyfriend who, whilst great, leans on the side of jealousy. When Cody starts at a new job and meets two new guys who may already be falling for her things look as though they could get a little rocky for a time… The world of motor racing is shown to us through a very different perspective in this story.
An unusual theme for a teen/YA story the motor racing theme, Cody’s role as an engineer for the Falcon Racing team, the rivalry between drivers, it all provides a different perspective on the sport, maybe even turn you into a fan! There was a brilliant balance of romance and friendship all of which has been perfectly written for the age range of the reader. Those unfamiliar with the sport needn’t worry since it doesn’t get too technical, the sport is more of a useful setting for the story, don’t be put off!
Love In the Fast Lane is cute, fun and made for a thoroughly enjoyable read! Cody is a fantastic character and the love triangle is well written and thought out. But who will she choose!? Read the book to find out!
Erin Hamilton
Orbiting Jupiter
Gary D. Schmidt, pub. Andersen Press
What we initially know about Joseph, from Mrs Stroud the social worker, is that whilst in Adams Lake Juvenile Centre aged 13, he almost killed a teacher, after being given a drug by one of the boys. Despite the mitigating circumstances, the authorities send him to Stone Mountain prison, where the style of punishment meted out matched the name. Furthermore, Joseph has a daughter whom he has never met.
With gritty realism redolent of Steinbeck, Gary D Schmidt’s spare, direct prose in the first person singular has a raw naturalism, simple and objective. It ensures the trauma of the story does not overwhelm the poignancy of the narrative. For reference, in 2015 the USA had 2,503 births in the age group 10-14. Based on a true story the book serves to deepen the exploration of trauma, social alienation and the search for freedom. It is suitable for mature teens, and even adults, such is the quality of this prose. The author has several YA books to his credit, including a sequel to this one, and as a retired English Professor writes exquisitely.
Joseph’s search for his daughter after leaving Stone Mountain and being fostered with the Hurd family provides the chain of events in this short story. Themes include reading as healing and two books in particular provide Joseph with companionship, Octavian Nothing by MT Anderson, and although “boring as socks” Walden by Thoreau; additionally, libraries are welcoming places, foster parents and their enduring capacity to care, and the intuitive support of animals.
Finally, despite the tragedy that ensues this book is fundamentally about hope, charity and faith. It will make you cry on occasions and laugh at others, touching moments of togetherness are interspersed with bitter winter landscapes, and peace follows heartbreaking grief thanks to Mrs Stroud.
Elizabeth Negus
Red Star Rebels
Amie Kaufman, pub. Hot Key Books
In Red Star Rebels, a sci-fi YA romance, Hunter Graves and Cleo are stranded at a United Nations base on Mars. As a toxin alarm sounds and the evac pods leave without them, they find themselves in a race against time as a team of invading mercenaries plan to blow up the base. Just as stowaway Cleo is initially full of resent towards Hunter, the richer-than-rich Hunter also hates stowaways. Given that the story is set only over a few hours, it is wonderful to see their relationship blossom throughout the narrative. In this regard, the pacing is perfect as it strikes a fine balance of action and quieter scenes, the latter of which give Hunter & Cleo - the galaxy’s richest boy, and the poor stowaway girl, respectively - a chance to get to know each other and bond. While Hunter is skilled with software, Cleo can handle hardware; combined, their respective skills show they are not just a perfect match romantically, but also in their ability to collectively solve their way out of tense situations - a lesson, surely, for younger readers with regards to problem-solving.
As the Home Alone movies were a big source of inspiration for the author, readers may be able to draw similarities between the films and the traps that Hunter and Cleo set for the mercenaries. Also, while there are moments of light-heartedness, there are more contextual scenes with deeper meanings, which serve to show the socio-political background of this fictional but realistic world. Overall, these scenes make the story feel more real and believable and contribute to the verisimilitude of a base on Mars.
Red Star Rebels is a refreshing and welcome break in the YA space. While covid-like plague stories were all the rage a few years ago, and teen murder mysteries now aplenty, it is easy to forget that there were once novels for this age group with sci-fi themes. As the story takes place over just a few hours, this is best read over a similar time-frame. Doing so gives credence to the countdown of the protagonists’ lives - who, with initially flawed personalities, soon prove themselves to be lovable characters with which the reader may empathise, as they fall for each other whilst fending off the threat of deadly mercenaries.
Chris J Kenworthy
Sibylline
Melissa De La Cruz, pub. Putnam & Sons
Aspiring to be able to use their magical abilities freely, to practise them, to learn more about they can be wielded, Raven, Atticus and Dorian have long held on to the dream of being accepted into the Ivy League college, Sibylline. They know all about it, have planned their futures around it, know they have the magical ability required to be accepted. So why are they denied places?
What happens next, after this introduction, which itself comes after an intriguing and chilly Prologue, we are thrown headlong into a magical mystery, a love triangle and a world of secrecy. Not being accepted as students is not going to stop these three from getting what they want – access to the learning and knowledge Sibylline has. If it isn’t going to be given to them they decide they are going to steal it. Each secures a job which will allow them access, they sneak into lectures and functions, find their way into forbidden places and begin to see hints that something is very wrong. Something very dark is lurking and they need to find it.
As their magic strengthens so does their bond with one another but it brings a confusion, one which could lead to love or it could lead to destruction. Will this added threat and layer of complexity be too much for the trio? In this first instalment of what is promised as a duology, we find ourselves hooked, desperate to know what darkness is lurking in the College, how it got there and if Raven, Atticus and Dorian will be strong enough to defeat it. Will they get the learning they so desire and clearly deserve given what we see of their skills, will they find the relationship that works for them? Some of these questions are answered, some remain. Find yourself a copy and immerse yourself in this magical romantic fantasy.
Louise Ellis-Barrett
These Shattered Spires
Cassidy Ellis Salter, pub. Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Dive into These Shattered Spires and immerse yourself in a dark and imaginative fantasy world that combines magic, deadly rivalry, and uneasy alliances. It raises the question: do you keep your friends close but your enemies closer?
Set in a crumbling world ruled by cruel and powerful arcanists, the story explores what happens when those who serve decide they have had enough. In a place where magic is literally drawn from bone, blood, botany, and stone; every spell comes with a steep cost, and not everyone is willing to keep paying it.
Suddenly, the ruler of the castle is murdered, and the fragile balance of power begins to collapse. Questions rise to the surface. There is power up for grabs, and there are those who are willing to do anything to claim it. To decide who will take control next, the arcanists must compete in a brutal contest known, aptly, as the Slaughter. For the familiars bound to them, this usually means only one thing: they will not all survive the outcome. Each familiar must question what the right path is. Do they accept their fate and follow the rules, or do they challenge the power above them and form an unlikely alliance? And what price will they have to pay? One familiar believes there may be a way to break the curse that binds them all once and for all, but it means working together. Old grudges, complicated relationships, and hidden motives make trusting one another difficult, especially when the clock is ticking. Can they reach the mysterious Fifth Tower? Can they trust those they work with? And how far are they truly willing to go? Are they willing to kill…?
With its eerie setting, tense rivalries, and moments of emotional conflict, These Shattered Spires keeps readers questioning what will happen next. At its heart, the story is about freedom, loyalty, and whether it is possible to rewrite a destiny that seems impossible to escape.
Arabella Chute