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Teen & YA Book Reviews
A Witch’s Guide to Love and Poison
Aamna Qureshi, pub. Hachette
Bisma is a garden-witch, living in the highest room of a mighty treehouse in the Enchanted Forest. She loves the light on the leaves and the cool air, blowing above well-worn branches - this magical place makes for an excellent home. She shares it with her four sisters, all of them Unwanted Girls: cast out or abandoned as children but taken in by the forest and protected among its trees. As Bisma turns eighteen, she becomes baji: the eldest girl and head of the family, taking over from her older sister Eva. According to the forest’s traditions, Eva must depart - forging a new life for herself and leaving Bisma to raise four young girls. Bisma feels far from ready: she can provide for them by selling her potions, but even this is tricky. Heading into Old Town means facing a whole current of hostility: unwanted girls are shunned by many villagers, who hold an even sharper scorn for Bisma…
At ten years old she crafted a vicious poison, to avenge the mistreatment of her sister Luna. Bisma’s anguish, and the deep-rooted magic in the forest’s soil, had been strong enough to cause lasting damage to Luna’s father. Afterwards a small stream of women emerged, seeking similarly fearsome concoctions- often desperate to curb men’s violence with yew-berries, valerian and nettle. For the rest of the townsfolk, Bisma is a stain: rotten and dangerous. But she knows danger comes in many forms - for her, it takes the shape of Xander Chapman, son and heir of The Chapman Apothecary. With his flowing white shirt and copper-leaf hair, in a sumptuous waistcoat the colour of his eyes, Xander’s confidence and charmed existence are infuriating - not to mention untrustworthy. He seems to be considerate of Bisma, and is certainly attentive, but his perfect life is worlds from her own. Her faith and affection have been crushed once before - she won't so easily entrust them again.
Bisma is a vivid character, and her love of potions runs as deep as her love for her sisters. The strength of her magic, and that of the forest, feels exciting, with the way she does not shy away from nature’s more destructive side. When destruction comes for her sisters, she needs a strong ally, and wrapped in panic she may not be as selective as she would wish. In desperation, she might have to trust the one she would rather avoid…
Jemima Breeds
Blood Beneath the Snow
Alexandra Kennington, pub. Hodder & Stoughton
The Author’s Note appears very clearly prior to the beginning of the novel Blood Beneath the Snow and lists many aspects of it which might not be suitable for younger YA readers. Alexandra Kennington gives us the opportunity to decide whether her novel is appropriate for older teenage readers and it’s interesting to compare the different attitudes to material on film and in literature. The ‘explicit sex scenes’ which is one of at least eighteen warnings which are included in the Authors Note would be unlikely in the UK to permit the public showing of an age 15 and probably also an age 18 film.
Blood Beneath the Snow is, like so many YA books at present, written and originally published in America. Why are the American publishers unable to provide English readers with correct spelling for publication in the UK? Not going to help UK youngsters with their exams…
Having listed the annoying publishing and uncertain adult issues, the book itself is largely a very good novel! The names and depth of snow are from the far north, and there are kings, queens, tyrants, priests, young friends and enemies, and soldiers, all of whom are constantly in fear of the many bloody (and certainly lots of blood) battles involved in their lives. Revna, who tells her story, is the daughter of the King and Queen, but there is no love between them. Choosing a new king and queen calls for the death of the siblings, all bar one, and Revna is determined to be the one to take the throne. But just before the Bloodshed Trial Revna is kidnapped by the mysterious and terrifyingly powerful Hellbringer, the greatest enemy in her country. Revna is certain he will kill her, but despite this he begins to teach her how to fight, and her hatred of Hellbringer begins to change quite radically before he seems to vanish from Revna’s life.
Well written, exciting and very bloody in this first novel, readers will eagerly await the second novel to discover whether Revna and Hellbringer are reunited and what further danger lies ahead!
Bridget Carrington
The Floating World
Axie Oh, pub. Hodderscape
Axie Oh’s new novel, The Floating World, is a Young Adult ‘romantasy’ adventure about Sunho and Ren, who are drawn to each other despite not initially knowing that they are enemies.
Ren is an acrobat travelling with her adoptive family. During one of their performances, a human-like demon attacks the village and her uncle is wounded with poison. After killing the monster with her secret power, the 'silver light,’ she begins a journey over the mountains to where the creature came from - a place from where she, herself, fled ten years ago - to save her uncle. On her journey, she meets Sunho, a former soldier who woke up alone with only his name and his sword. He has no recollection of his life before two years ago. To earn an income, he has done mainly odd jobs, until he discovered that there is a huge reward for any mercenary who can hunt down a girl who wields silver light. When he crosses paths with Ren, Sunho does not realise that she is his target. This sets up a story of romance and conflict and throughout the novel, their romance is a slow burn. This is a good thing, however, as their romance is given time to grow and blossom naturally instead of feeling rushed.
Axie Oh’s world-building is fantastic, as she has woven information so cleverly into the narrative as to make the reader interactively feel part of the story. The novel itself reimagines the Korean legend of the Celestial Maidens; the mythology, as well as the beautifully crafted world, means that any reader familiar with Studio Ghibli films will be right at home with this novel.
While Sunho and Ren are the centre of focus, it would have been nice to see more of the side characters that pop up in the story. Thankfully, The Floating World is the first of a duology, so hopefully we will not have long to wait to see more of the ensemble in the sequel.
Chris J Kenworthy
Like A Love Story
Abdi Nazamian, pub. Little Tiger
Reza has come to New York from Toronto via Iran. The year is 1989 and it is the height of the AIDS crisis in New York. As an Iranian to even think he is gay, as Reza does but has not yet admitted to himself, could be fatal in Iran. And America doesn’t feel safe either because of the fear of AIDS. At school he meets Judy and Art.
Judy is a plus-size girl who really wants to be a fashion designer. She and her best friend, Art, who is the only recognised and open gay teen in their school, have been close since they were children. She also idolises her uncle Stephen who was a lawyer, is gay and is dying of AIDS as the novel starts.
Will Reza have the courage to recognise his sexuality and to admit to his attraction to Art, which will break Judy’s heart as she has been in a heterosexual relationship with Reza? How will the three teens cope with Judy’s uncle’s unfolding illness? What impact will it have on their lives and how will readers react to the honesty shared? The author’s portrayal of Uncle’s Stephen’s circumstances and their effect on all those around him, is detailed, deeply moving and sometimes heartbreaking. This is particularly the case with Stephen’s death scene which is certainly emotional and a brave inclusion on the part of the author.
This book is worthy of every accolade.
Rebecca Butler
Odd Girl Out
Tasneem Abdur-Rashid, pub. David Fickling Books
It isn’t incredibly unusual to feel as though you are the odd one out, in fact it should, in my opinion be celebrated but getting to that stage may take longer for young people to accept which is why Tasneem Abdur-Rashid’s book is such an important one.
Maaryah is just fifteen-years-old when her parents’ divorce finds her having to leave the only home she has known in Dubai and move to London. I can imagine that would not be fun. From the warmth and sun to the questionable British weather! On top of that this fashion, k-drama, old-school hip-hop and trainer loving girl was planning to start Year 11 in her school, the one she and her friends ruled over, were going to be top girls at. She is not only saying goodbye to her home, her school, her friends but also to all the luxury she has always known. I may be painting her as spoiled and you may get that impression when first meeting her but this is the only life she has known, a life in which she knew who she was, in which she knew how to fit. In London the weather and life are dreary. On top of that the life part is about to get complicated.
School is okay, there are some fun house parties, the boys are fit (young person speak for hot, handsome!) But she is feeling isolated, she is the only hijabi in her school and the school is huge. She still needs answers about her parent’s divorce and another bombshell is coming. When it rocks her world she is going to have to stand strong and tall but can she, does she have the strength to stay true to herself when everything around her is putting her to the test? Maaryah is an authentic voice and her truths are incredibly important for teen and YA readers, I for one was hooked on her story and her story resonated.
This is a gripping, honest read, one to settle down with as it will keep you in its thrall.
Louise Ellis-Barrett
Throne of Khetara: His Face is the Sun
Michelle Jabès Corpora, pub. Sourcebooks
In the kingdom of Khetara the future is uncertain. When the queen gave birth to twins three unknown women appeared to assist with the births, disappearing as quickly as they had arrived. When questioned none of the Palace servants knew anything of them. Fast forward a few years. The triplets are now seventeen and the royal court continues to revel in decadence, parties, riches, food aplenty, under the waning power of the ailing pharaoh. Whilst he continues to ignore the unrest to the south of his kingdom fate continues its inexorable march knowing that it is bringing with it sweeping change...
Meryamun was the first born of the triplets and he lusts for both power and success. Sitamun was the second and finds herself caught in a web of sensuality of her own making ~ our first hint at this is her witnessing, purposefully, a tryst between two servants in the palace gardens ~ whilst the youngest, Bakenamun, has found refuge in the temple and its ancient knowledge. Then there is Neff, not a royal but a young girl, daughter of a scroll maker, who is plagued by blood-soaked nightmares. None of them realise, not the royals or even Neff’s own family, that she is the one who holds the key to all their destinies. Raetawy a farmer's daughter in the south is inspiring an army to rise against the pharaoh and Karim, a young tomb raider is about to awaken a monster. As these plot twists unravel in front of our eyes we can do nothing but watch…
Unknown to all of them there is one who sees them all, the palace cat. She has been seeing all, almost invisible to those around her, for centuries. Her prologue tells us she wonders if she might have been around too long but she realises that she likes to be all seeing and even more that that she rather loves the worship lavished on her...
So begins an epic fantasy trilogy that will have you begging for more and reaching for those Egyptian mythology books! Well-researched, well-written and utterly captivating this story brings Egyptian mythology to live in new ways and of course with plenty of artistic licence but that is what makes it so incredibly readable and unpredictable. I am not sure I have enough patience to wait for the next instalment, perhaps I will start reading this one again to make sure I, like the cat, have missed nothing!
Louise Ellis-Barrett
When the Bones Sing
Ginny Myers Sain, pub. HarperCollins Children’s Books
When The Bones Sing is a tense, thrilling and romantic murder mystery about a teenage girl who hears the bones of the dead sing.
Seventeen-year-old Dovie doesn't believe in magic despite her family's history of hearing the dead sing. There has been a continuous chorus of bones calling out to Dovie for the past few years, pleading for her to find them and dig them up. The hiking trails are filled with miles of tracks, and there is a killer on the loose, who is grabbing hikers from them only to leave them in dismembered form on the side of the road. There appears to be no end in sight to the increasing number of bodies that are being found. There has been a growing belief among the old-timers that people are being snatched off the Aux Arc Trail by the monstrous Ozarks howler. Dovie doesn't believe in the howler, and she doesn't believe her best friend Lo when he says he has been terrorized by shadows, even though he claims to be haunted by dark shadows as well. When they start singing, she focuses exclusively on her talent, guiding the sheriff to the bones, reuniting the dead with their families, but the truth of their deaths is buried far from their bones. A difficult task must be accomplished by Dovie and Lo if they want to rescue anyone else from being killed.
I found this story gripping from the start and the twists along the way kept me guessing until the end. If you enjoy YA fantasy thrillers with a touch of romance then this is book for you!
Katy Ralph
Where Shadows Meet
Patrice Caldwell, pub. Hot Key Books
This might look like one book. It is, but it contains two romances, they span eons and they show us the gods and vampires as we have never seen them before. Prepare to lose yourself in this romance of sacrifices which bares its soul and almost asks you to do the same.
The gods created humans and vampires, they weren’t kind or careful about who or how they created which is how both Favre and Thana came to be. Favre’s mother had been used by the gods for her powers but rather than protect Favre after her mother’s death the gods abandoned her to her isolation. That is until the princess, Thana, found her and something happened between them causing Favre to sacrifice her beautiful wings for love. That was 1,201 years ago and Favre has never overcome the loss of her wings, nor has she overcome the loss of Thana. She gave up her wings for the princess who sacrificed that love for power. Thana’s choices led to an eternal night, then destruction. Now Favre wants to resurrect Thana. But the world is a different place now and there are an ancient race who can only survive on the blood of humans, who are also intent on carrying out their own plans.
Evil has never been so captivating as it is in this story. That might seem an unusual statement but there is something about the pureness of love, something so very beautiful that it transcends all that we might conceive, becoming blacker than the darkest night. The story that Patrice Caldwell weaves with this is utterly captivating. She has created a world that has tangled around itself in its quest for power, a world that we must all hope we never see but which entrances us through her use of powerful, poetic prose and a tightly woven plot. An incredibly emotional story that is almost impossible to put down this is a work of art filled with tender romance and sharp twists.
Louise Ellis-Barrett
While We’re Young
K.L. Walther, pub. Electric Monkey
Publishers today seem to be lapping up a great number of American tomes (and they are frequently very much tomes) which are clearly tales of north American life, while over the water (i.e. the UK) a thin dribble is drowned by comparison with the Tsunami from the West. There are many excellent books which America publishes, but there need to be many more British, and translated European, teenage novels for YA readers. This is one of the latter.
As a tale following a group of YA friends, who are about to graduate on into college, While We’re Young is a deep and thoughtful story of teenagers whose long-term friendships through school have, in part, ruptured. Inspired by a popular teenage American comedy film which is well known in the US, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Walther’s book has transported a very similar story from screen to novel, and from 1986 to forty years later than the original. It would be interesting to discover how many teenage readers who are not in the USA are familiar with the film and its subsequent 1990s television series. Having said that, Walther’s updated edition is a carefully thought out, well written and inspiring novel in many ways.
Quite accurately the main characters, Grace, James, Everett and Isa, are both excited and terrified by the thought of moving on from school and to top-notch colleges, and their parents are frequently the causes of concern. The main character, Grace, has decided that she must try to reconcile all four erstwhile friends before they depart to their/their parents’ choice of college, and to do this she needs to organise a means to do so. Whilst UK school and college are very different from American seventeen-year-olds, the concerns, relationships and the deep-down mental health issues are very similar and offer teenage readers of all countries means of resolving their concerns and of helping their friends and family. Funny, sad and uncertain of their lives ahead, nevertheless they come to terms.
Bridget Carrington
The Wycherleys
Annaliese Avery, pub. Simon & Schuster Children’s Books
I was so excited when I heard I was going to be reviewing The Wycherleys, A new Young Adult/Teen romance novel by Annaliese Avery. As a fan of Avery’s The Nightsilver Promise, a middle grade fantasy set in a magical world, I was already aware of just how detailed and immersive her writing can be. But this was a new genre, a Young Adult book that promised love and magical fantasy – a witch romance? The verdict - I was not in the least disappointed!
From the opening line ‘Great Aunt Antoinette was dead, but the curse she had carried was very much alive.’ Avery plunges you immediately into a witchy world set in Regency London, where seventeen-year-old Aurelia Wycherley is entering her debutante season as a witch. Whilst this should be an exciting time, filled with finding her perfect match to tether her own magic to, Aurelia instead finds herself the bearer of a family curse, the kind that no witch will want to match with. With no tether, Aurelia faces the prospect of losing her magic entirely by the end of the magical season. But Aurelia is not the kind of teen witch to just give up, she has a fire inside her and will stop at nothing to find a way to save her magic, even if it means forming an alliance with enigmatic arch enemy Jules Nightly. Nightly, the descendent of the witch who originally cursed the Wycherley line, is also searching for a way to allow untethered witches to keep their magic and, enemies or not, they may be each other’s last hope.
What follows is a tale of bribery, extortion, mystery and magic. As dark forces threaten both families and the magical world in which they live, Nightly and Aurelia fake a courtship to navigate the magical debutante season, through a trail of glittering balls and perilous quests as they desperately search for a cure. As the danger grows, romance creeps up on them and the stakes grow ever higher. The book climaxes in an exciting finale that cleverly hints at what’s to come in the next instalment.
The Wycherleys is a book that delivers on every level! Think Witches of Bridgerton, broomsticks and ballgowns, romance and murder. Annaliese Avery has cleverly mixed period drama and magical fantasy together to deliver a story like nothing I’ve read before. The only downside…waiting for Volume Two!
Tracey Corner