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Tag Archives: Young Adult Fiction

More Than This by Patrick Ness

20 Monday Jul 2015

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Recommended, Young Adult Fiction

Okay so this is an interesting one to review.

I’m not going to tell you what this book’s about. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

Because I can’t without spoiling it.

I’ve been reading children’s and young adult fiction – professionally – for eighteen years. And this is the sad, secret song of every librarian – there’s nothing that surprises us. We can pretty much always guess where a story is going, even if the how is a bit fuzzy. It doesn’t mean that we don’t enjoy what we read, but it’s simply that we’ve read so much, we’re either tuned in to the author’s wavelength, or know the conventions of the genre – and how to subvert them – inside out.

And then along comes Patrick Ness and blows me away.

He’s an absolute genius and he SHOULD have won the Carnegie for More Than This. His Chaos Walking trilogy is mind-blowing and remains my absolute favourite science fiction series for teenagers of all time. He treats his readers with utter respect and weaves a vibrant tapestry of challenging ideas and themes with words that are so precise, so cutting, you feel them – like a gentlest caress or the most sudden, violent punch. He is an author that can and will surprise you.

Discussing this novel with a colleague today we both felt the same – reeling with the shock and the perfection of it, you can’t promote this book in the normal way. morethanthisIf only, we lamented, the cover was more eye-catching. But then how could you design a book cover for something so surprising, without hinting at what’s within? It does make a kind of sense by the end, but ignore the cover, and just read it, as the quote from John Green so rightly says.

Patrick Ness, I salute you.

It takes a lot to surprise a librarian. And More Than This really does live up to, and surpass, the promise of it’s title.

Rating: *****

Walker Books, 2014, ISBN 9781406350487

Books of delight

12 Sunday Jul 2015

Posted by Anniseed in Childrens Book Review, Uncategorized

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Adolescence, Adventure, Crime, Cults, Fantasy, Folklore, Horror, Humour, Serial Killers, Suicide, Thriller, Young Adult Fiction

Well, it’s been a crazy six months, but I’m finally back where I belong, working as a children’s specialist. Over the past month I’ve been knee-deep in books for children and young adults, which has been a pure delight. So much to read, and so few hours in the day! But the world of children’s publishing just gets stronger and stronger. So here are a few of the books I’ve particularly enjoyed over the past month…

I confess to always being a little sceptical when a celebrity turns to writing books for young people, but Simon Mayo has got it right in Itch, the first in a new series of action adventure novels. We start with Itchingham Lofte (Itch) having lost his eyebrows; he burnt them off by accident when he blew up his bedroom, experimenting with phosphorus. But that’s the least of his worries when his obsession with the chemical elements leads him to acquire a rock which is radioactive. His sleazy teacher in particular is very keen to get hold of it. With governments and gangsters on his tail, will he manage to get the rock somewhere safe, save his sister’s life and not die of radiation poisoning? It’s not looking good for our hero… This is genuinely tense stuff, with our protagonist in very real danger. Mayo isn’t afraid to portray serious threat and doesn’t talk down to his audience, making this a compulsive read. (Corgi, 2012, ISBN 978-0552565509).

Meanwhile my passion for spooky horror was very well met by Alex Bell’s Frozen Charlotte. Sophie and Jay download a Ouija board app and suddenly everything gets spooky – and by the next day, Jay is dead. Sophie is convinced that the spirit of her dead cousin Rebecca is responsible, so visits her remaining cousins on the Isle of Skye to find out the truth. Cameron, Piper and Lilias are seriously weird, and claim that a collection of tiny dolls called the Charlottes are possessing frozen charlotteBthem…  What’s really going on in that spooky house and are the dolls really capable of driving people to murder? This is a truly creepy story with some shockingly violent moments. Not to be read before bedtime! If you find dolls scary like me, this will freak you out. Just my sort of thing! (Stripes Publishing, 2015, ISBN 978-1847154538).

Tension of a different, but equally disturbing kind, is the theme of Becca Fitzpatrick’s Black ice, one for older readers. Britt thinks that one way to get over her broken heart is to go backpacking over the mountains with her best friend Korbie. She didn’t count on her ex, Calvin (Korbie’s brother), tagging along too. But before the girls get to the cabin on the mountains, a snowstorm forces them to abandon their car and take refuge in another cabin, where they meet handsome Shaun and Mason. Something’s not right about these guys… and suddenly the girls are taken hostage. black iceBBritt convinces them she knows the mountains well and is their only hope of escaping whatever it is they’re running from. But forced outside, she has to fight to survive, and figures her only chance is to build a bond with Mason. But can he be trusted? Britt has to use every ounce of ingenuity as she tries to outwit her kidnappers, but when she’s falling for one of them, it’s harder to see the truth… Very tense story which I couldn’t put down, with a shocking twist in the tale – I did see it coming, but it was still utterly compelling and in no way spoilt the ending. (Simon & Schuster, 2015, ISBN 978-1471118166).

seedBSeed by Lisa Heathfield is one of those stories that makes your skin crawl. Pearl lives a simple life at Seed and is looking forward to the day she’ll become a companion to Papa S. But then newcomers come, and Pearl feels an attraction to one of them, a boy called Ellis. He tells her that Seed is wrong, is evil, and that she must escape – but surely Papa S wants the best for all of them, even though he sends her to the Punishment Room…. A disturbing tale of life in a cult, with a horrifying ending. Not for the faint-hearted! (Electric Monkey, 2015, ISBN 978-1405275385).

Tim Bowler is a stalwart of young adult literature and Game changer is another excellent, gripping story. Mikey lives in his wardrobe. It’s safer there. Especially since the last time he dared to venture out, and saw something terrible. But now they know where he is and he can’t escape the flood of text messages threatening to kill him. Even at school he’s not safe. But then they take his sister Meggie, and Mikey is forced to confront his worst fears to try and save her. Gripping thriller that gives you a tense feeling right in your gut, as you wonder if Mikey and Meggie will survive… Impossible to put down, and like Mayo, Bowler does not shrink from putting his characters in very scary situations. (OUP, 2015, ISBN 978-0192794154).

Taking a totally different tack from the books above, Jasmine Warga’s My heart and other black holes is a tear-jerker. Aysel (pronounced Uh-sell) wants to end it all, but doesn’t want to do it alone. She meets a boy online who is also looking for someone to help him, and before long she and Roman have made a pact to commit suicide on April 6th. But in spite of herself, she starts falling for him – and realises that she has far more to live for than she ever imagined. But will she convince Roman in time? Very moving story that makes you cry, yet also makes you realise how precious life is; Warga’s story tackles a difficult subject with sensitivity and insight. (Hodder, 2015, ISBN 978-1444791532).

Margo Lanaghan in The Brides of Rollrock Island delves into folklore, another staple ingredient in children’s literature. Misskaella doesn’t look like the other pretty girls on Rollrock Island and is teased and bullied by them. But Misskaella has a secret – she can charm the seals on the shores into shedding their skins and becoming human. bridesBTo get her revenge on the girls who look down on her, she gives each young man a beautiful seal wife – for a price. But the selkies pine for the sea, and the strange, enchanting seal women of Rollrock Island will find a way to return to the water… A beautifully told tale, quite a challenging read, but if you are enchanted by fairy and folk tales this unusual story will capture your imagination just as Misskaella captures the seal women. (David Fickling, 2013, ISBN 978-1849921121).

Melissa Marr is one of my favourite young adult authors and her latest is Made for you. Eva’s the queen bee at school, with a coterie of loyal friends and a handsome boyfriend. Then she’s nearly killed by a hit and run driver. Not only scarred, she discovers that when someone touches her, she has a vision of their death, and not just that – she’s having visions of her friends being murdered. When the visions start to come true, she realises that the hit and run driver was a serial killer – and now he’s obsessed with Eva, and killing her friends to get closer to her. But can Eva’s visions save everyone she loves? And is the killer closer than she thinks? A very disturbing tale about love gone wrong, with adult content. (HarperCollins, 2015, ISBN 978-0007584208).

Kim Slater’s Smart is for fans of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night time. Kieran is a little bit different, which means that his stepfather Tony and stepbrother Ryan hate him. He spends his time down at the Embankment where he befriends homeless Jean, but when another homeless person is found dead in the river, he resolves to play detective and find out what happened. His investigations will lead him to fall foul of Tony and Ryan even more…  But Kieran is different, not stupid, and his quirky view on life sees more than anyone realises. Moving and satisfying story, very heartwarming. (Macmillan, 2015, ISBN 978-1447236672).

Another delightful spooky tale: Frances Hardinge’s The Lie Tree. In Victorian times, girls weren’t supposed to be clever – and Faith’s a clever girl, who takes after her scientist father. No one listens to her though, especially not her father. But then he then dies in mysterious circumstances, and Faith is convinced he was murdered. lie treeBShe discovers that her father had acquired a rare plant, which feeds on lies, and rewards the liar with visions revealing the truth of things. She starts to tell lies, big, dangerous lies, in the hope that she’ll find out who killed her father; but telling lies changes you. As Faith falls further in darkness, will she find the truth she seeks, and will it be too late to save herself? An unusual thriller with an unearthly twist; I really got lost in this one. (Macmillan, 2015, ISBN 978-1447264101).

And one for younger readers which I thoroughly enjoyed: Stitch Head: The beast of Grubbers Nubbin by Guy Bass. Stitch Head is a small, gentle monster living in the spooky Castle Grotteskew with lots of other monsters created by mad scientist, Professor Erasmus. Looking after a horde of hungry orphans is no easy task for the monsters; their attempts at cookery aren’t too successful to say the least! So they hatch a plan to steal the villagers’ food, food that’s being saved for the feast of Guzzlin’ Day, but they didn’t reckon on a wild and scary beast getting in their way… Mad and hilarious adventures with Stitch Head ensue! There is a whole series of these and they are a delight. (Stripes Publishing, 2015, ISBN 978-1847156099).beastB

Noble Conflict by Malorie Blackman

23 Sunday Feb 2014

Posted by Anniseed in Young Adult Fiction Review

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Science Fiction, War, Young Adult Fiction

Noughts and Crosses was one of the most popular and powerful books I shared with students in my days as a school librarian, and its uncompromising depiction of racism assured that Malorie Blackman has a devoted following amongst a generation of young people. Noble Conflict will be enjoyed equally. It tells the story of Kaspar, an eager young recruit to the Guardians, who is trying not to rely on his parents’ reputation as Guardians before him. Kaspar is determined to make his mark and defend his world, which is beset by seemingly random but terrifying terrorist attacks by the rebels that live beyond the city. But he uncovers instead a horrifying conspiracy, which threatens all that he believes in. How far will he go to protect his world, when nothing is as it seems?

This is a thought-provoking story with a genuinely horrible twist; action-packed and well-paced. Kaspar is a good hero, and for once the Librarian (a figure much maligned in literature!) is also shown as both clever and cool. The ending hints at a possible sequel, but this stands well alone. I enjoyed the subtle critique of modern warfare transposed to a science fiction scenario, and teenagers will find much to get their teeth into here. Again, Malorie has shown that she has the power to make young people think for themselves – and from there, change the world. Rating: ***

Corgi, 2014, ISBN 9780552554626

 

The Company of Ghosts by Berlie Doherty

28 Tuesday Jan 2014

Posted by Anniseed in Young Adult Fiction Review

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Families, Ghosts, Hauntings, Paranormal, Supernatural, Young Adult Fiction

You can’t go wrong with Berlie Doherty. She’s a highly accomplished author for Young Adults and never wastes a single word. The Company of Ghosts is no exception.

Ellie’s running away from home, and receives a lucky break when she’s invited to stay on a remote Scottish island. Chance to clear her head and get some space. But then circumstances play a cruel trick and Ellie is left on the island – alone. Only perhaps not quite alone as she thinks… Who is the mysterious woman in the lighthouse, and will anyone help Ellie get home?

This is an atmospheric ghost story with a compelling and well-visualised setting. Ellie is a sympathetic character, and the resolution to her family troubles is ably handled. It’s a gentle ghost story but one that effectively lingers in the memory, and thoroughly enjoyable.

Andersen Press, 2013, ISBN 9781849397292

Long Lankin by Lindsey Barraclough

28 Sunday Apr 2013

Posted by Anniseed in Young Adult Fiction Review

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Ghosts, Horror, Supernatural, Young Adult Fiction

Another lovely creepy tale! This genuinely scary story for teenagers is set in 1958. Cora and her little sister Mimi are packed off to stay with Auntie Ida in the country by their feckless father, who doesn’t want to look after them. Ida doesn’t want the children either but for very different reasons – there’s a horrible history of harm that comes to children at Guerdon Hall, and she’s desperate to stop it happening again; but lumbered with the children she is paralysed by fear and unable to prevent the supernatural stirrings of an ancient evil… Before long Cora is aware of a ghostly presence in the house, and as she and her new friends Roger and Pete explore the local church they encounter more terrifying spectres. As the vengeful spirit of Long Lankin sets his sights on innocent Mimi, can Cora stop him and save her sister?

I loved the story’s multiple narrative voices, particularly that of Roger, who wonderfully captures the spirit of a free-range 1950’s childhood. There’s a genuine sense of supernatural menace in this story and a dark, brooding presence in the murky landscape, mirrored in the everyday world by the inability of the adults to recognise and respond to danger, or the childrens’ fears. Only Ida understands and she is so afraid she cannot act, unlike feisty Cora. The conclusion is meaty and tense, providing a satisfying resolution to the creepy unease that has been deftly built throughout the story. A good read for teenagers and adults alike. Rating: ***

Corgi Books, 2011, ISBN 9780552563215

Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner

21 Thursday Feb 2013

Posted by Anniseed in Young Adult Fiction Review

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Dystopia, Thriller, Young Adult Fiction

Reproduced with kind permission of Hot Key Books

Reproduced with kind permission of Hot Key Books

For some reason I thought this would be an amusing read to cheer me up after the dark intensity of Then by Julie Myerson – whoops, I got that wrong! But I don’t regret it. It’s a novel that takes familiar concepts and succeeds in creating something very fresh and involving, with a brave and unforgettable climax.

Standish Treadwell likes to keep his head down, especially since his best friend Hector kicked the football over the wall, and he and his parents then disappeared. Standish’s parents have already gone, and he lives with his canny silver fox of a Grandad. It’s 1957 and living in the Zone is no joke – standing out could get Standish into deep, deadly trouble. Especially since Grandad is hiding a Moon Man in the cellar…

Standish’s narration is very convincing and he’s an average teenage boy with a spark about him. It takes a while for the penny to drop, as he takes his world for granted, but this is a story where the Nazis won the Second World War and Standish is living in a totalitarian state. Part of the ongoing efforts of the ruling elite is to win the space race against America – the land of “Crocas-Colas” and cadillacs – and it’s the Resistance’s efforts to disrupt this that blows Standish’s world to smithereens. This is a shocking story in parts, but it’s not without charm, as our hero tries to interpret events in his own way. The ending is superb – and I have to admit, that sitting in the staffroom at work, it made me cry. You can’t say more than that.

Awesome. Rating:****

Hot Key Books, 2013, ISBN 9781471400445

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Hidden by Marianne Curley

04 Monday Feb 2013

Posted by Anniseed in Book News

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Book trailer, Paranormal Romance, Young Adult Fiction

An intriguing new young adult paranormal tale, published on 14th March…

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