Teens
Code Lightfall and the Robot King by Daniel H Wilson
Code Lightfall is on a school trip to a prehistoric mound when he falls through a trap into another world, where everything is made of crystal, or metal, and the only living 'animals' are all robotic. It's a world under threat, so can he journey across its bizarre landscapes and save it all? And what is the truth of the mound, where his grandfather disappeared a year ago? Full review...
Buried Thunder by Tim Bowler
On a walk in the woods near the family's new home, Maya is suddenly compelled by a glinting pair of yellow eyes to run away from her brother and deep into the trees. What she finds is shocking - three dead bodies with a figure standing over the third. Terrified, Maya stumbles back and recounts the horror to her parents, who call the police. But the police can't find any bodies, and it's clear they think she's a prankster. Even Maya's parents don't really believe her. They think she's seeing things and they're worried that she's ill. Full review...
Treason by Berlie Doherty
Forced by his power-hungry aunt and uncle to leave the comfort of his modest family home, Will Montague finds himself utterly overwhelmed, as he works as a page to Prince Edward under the keen eye of the temperamental King Henry, just as prone to unexpected bursts of compassion as he is to brutal cruelty. Just as he begins to find his feet in this new position, Will finds himself suddenly on the run, desperately trying to clear the name of his father, convicted of treason for failing to revert to the Protestantism led by the King, and simultaneously gaining more awareness of the world he lives in and the plights of the working class. Full review...
Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover (Gallagher Girls) by Ally Carter
When your average girl wonders what a boy is really like, she and her friends will maybe ask around among brothers and lab partners, or even, if he is majorly good-looking, try to trail him around town on a Saturday morning. But the girls of the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women do things differently. They have access to top-secret files. They have been trained to disguise themselves for covert operations. They know how to read the slightest hints drawn from a person's body language. When they get curious about something, there's very little chance it will stay hidden. But now their skills are really being put to the test. Cammie's room-mate Macey, the daughter of a senator on the campaign trail, has been attacked. It will take everything her friends have learned, and more, to protect her and solve the mysteries which surround them. Full review...
Halo by Alexandra Adornetto
When three angels – Gabriel, Ivy and Bethany – arrive in a quiet town, their mission is to bring good to a world in danger of falling into darkness. They have to conceal their true nature – hiding the glow of their skin, their wings – a task not easy for Bethany, the least experienced of the trio. She's overwhelmed by human life, fascinated by all the experiences available to her in human form. A fascination that leads to a dangerous attraction to human boy, Xavier. Falling in love was not part of the holy mission, and Gabriel and Ivy fear Bethany won't be in the position to save anybody if she continues down the path she's on. Full review...
Siren by Tricia Rayburn
17-year old Vanessa has always been looked after by her more adventurous, outgoing older sister Justine. So when her sister is found dead while they're on vacation in Winter Harbor, and Justine's boyfriend Caleb goes missing, she's devastated. Desperately searching for answers to Justine's demise, she returns to Harbor seeking answers, and teams up with Caleb's brother Simon to find them. Then the weather gets strange, and other bodies start turning up… can they solve the mystery? Full review...
The Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman
Cale is fourteen and his life so far has not been one to envy. Brought to the Redeemers' Sanctuary as just a toddler, he's lived within its militant religious fanaticism for all the years he can remember. Beaten, brutalised and half-starved, Cale and his fellow acolytes are being raised to fight an ongoing and bloody war against heretics. Cale is of special interest to Bosco, a Redeemer Lord Militant, and we soon realise why. Cale is intelligent, ruthless, quick, and has the ability to kill without remorse. He is an asset. Full review...
Wreckers by Julie Hearn
The story of Pandora, whose actions are the cause of all the ills in our world, is well-known. As Julie Hearn has one of her characters say, men remember it because they feel better if they can blame her, and that other female villain, Eve, for all their woes and crimes. But supposing Hope wasn't the last thing in that plain wooden box? What if something else, something slow and ugly and steeped in evil, skulked in the shadows right at the bottom? And what if someone today lifted the lid, as Pandora did, and allowed that last, terrible evil to escape? Full review...
Mouse Guard: Legends of The Guard by David Petersen
To start with, I have never heard of Mr Petersen and his Mouse Guard franchise. But I'm often up for an introduction to a fantasy cycle, and I always relish being welcomed to an author by the most esoteric, unusual, quirky and short route. My first entry to the His Dark Materials world was a collector's spin-off, and I'm just as likely to start the Twilight series, if ever, with the latest brief whimsy. And for those of a similar mind-set, this collection of tales from the pens of guest writers and illustrators, serves as an odd-shaped doorway on to this particular universe. Full review...
Wereworld: Rise of the Wolf by Curtis Jobling
Drew Ferran knows there's a monster roaming the land where his family farm – he just doesn't realise it could be inside him. Until a terrible creature attacks his beloved mother, triggering a transformation in him, and leading his father and brother to believe he’s responsible for her death. Forced to flee to the most godforsaken parts of Lyssia, Drew becomes quickly embroiled in the world of the Werelords. Can he survive? Full review...
Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin
Avery's parents have been murdered, they’ve been literally torn apart, and Avery saw the whole thing. But her minds blocked it out, all she remembers is seeing something inhumanly fast, flashes of silver, and blood, lots of blood. Whatever killed her parents is still out there, and is trying to kill her. Full review...
The Traitor's Smile (Pimpernelles) by Patricia Elliott
Usual spoiler warning for Pimpernelles book one, The Pale Assassin: at the end of that book, heroine Eugenie and love interest Julien had escaped the French Revolution but been forced to leave behind Eugenie's brother Armand to face the wrath of the government over the failed attempt to rescue the King. Eugenie is being followed by Guy Deschamps, who she still trusts, despite Julien's duel with him at the end of the first book, not knowing that he's working for the Pale Assassin himself Raoul Goullet. Full review...
Witchfinder: Gallows at Twilight by William Hussey
After turning from horror comic geek to a cloned Witchfinder and saviour of humanity in the space of a few short weeks, Jake Harker's magic is understandably depleted. Try as he might, the blue light fails to ingite in his hand. But Jake has no time for recuperation or for coming to terms with the loss of his mother. His father is dying, hexed by the evil witch Marcus Crowden. And the Demon Father is at large, summoning a universal coven that will threaten everything Jake has already fought to save. Full review...
Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
It's been fourteen years since First Night and the zombie apocalypse. Those humans who survived the disease that created the undead live in pocket communities, fenced off from the horrors of the outside world. Resources are scarce and all citizens must find a job as soon as they turn fifteen, else their rations are cut in half. Benny Imura has just turned fifteen and so he needs work badly. He tries out as a locksmith, a fence technician, a portraitist and a carpet coat salesman. Nothing works out and so Benny has no option but the last resort - an apprenticeship in the family business of zombie hunting, under the tutelage of his older brother Tom. Full review...
Ghost of a Chance by Rhiannon Lassiter
Eva Chance is used to being ignored by her family, apart from her frail grandfather, who she adores. So she's barely even surprised when they don't set a place for her at a dinner party. But when nearly everyone is ignoring her she grows increasingly concerned – and that's when she realises she's dead. Can she solve the mystery of her murder before either malevolent ghosts or human criminals can do any more damage to her family, aided only by Kyra, who bullied her when she was alive, Kyra's brother Kyle, and a ghost called Maggie she may or may not be able to trust? Full review...
Just William by Richmal Crompton
Whether it's a trip to the cinema, babysitting a youngster, being a page boy at a wedding, or running away from home to take a job below stairs, the 11-year old William Brown can always be relied on to create chaos and havoc wherever he goes. This short story collection (the first of 38 books) is a wonderful introduction to a classic character. Full review...
Out of Shadows by Jason Wallace
Robert Jacklin arrives at his new boarding school as a very reluctant pupil. He's a reluctant African, too - his family has just moved to Zimbabwe after his father has been given a diplomatic placing there. More than anything else, Robert wants to return to England. Full review...
The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer
High school is hard enough for most kids, but for half vampire Vlad, it really bites. First there's his blood cravings – how exactly do you sneak a pint of O neg into your lunchbox? Then there's his enlarged fangs, his ever developing powers that Vlad doesn't know the extent of and the fact that his crush seems to have a thing for his best mate. Full review...
The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
'There were once two sisters who were not afraid of the dark because the dark was full of the others voice around the room...'
But now there's only one, because 19 year old Bailey has died and her 17 year old sister Lennie is left alone in her grief, apart from her Gram and Uncle Big. Full review...
A Beautiful Lie by Irfan Master
Bedridden with cancer, Bilal's bapuji, or father, doesn't realise how far the plan for the Partition of India has progressed. Bilal has kept the news from him as he was worried that it would kill him – but when he accepts that death is imminent, Bilal swears to at least save him the pain of having his heart broken before he passes away. Along with his friends Chota, Manjeet and Saleem, Bilal swears to stop him from ever finding out. 1947 India, though, is a dangerous place for everyone, and there are people in their town who don't think that Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus should be doing anything together. Full review...
I Am The Blade by J P Buxton
In the Dark Ages, Tog is brought up by a woodcutter. Strangely, he's being taught rather more than you'd expect a woodcutter's apprentice to be learning, including how to read and write Latin. Why? Full review...
The Girl Savage by Katherine Rundell
In Zimbabwe, Nice Will Silver has lived all her life with her father Nice William Silver, his employer Nice Captain Browne, and her friend Nice Simon. But when Nice Captain Browne falls in love with Nasty Cynthia Vincy, Nice Will is uprooted from her roots and sent to an English boarding school, run by Nice Miss Blake and her assistant Nasty Mrs Robinson. How will she cope? Full review...
The Iron Fey: The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
Meghan Chase has always found her life slightly odd. She's never fitted in at school, where bullies relentlessly target her, nor at home, where her family always seem slightly surprised to find her there – except her little brother, Ethan, they barely remember her as soon as she leaves the room. Her only friend in the world is Robbie, her happy-go-lucky next door neighbour, who can always make her laugh. Meghan thinks turning sixteen will signal a change in their fortunes – she'll be able to drive, get them out of hickville once in a while. Full review...
Crusade by Linda Press Wulf
The Children's Crusade is one of those extraordinary stories of the Middle Ages which have caught the imagination of historians and preachers. A young shepherd, who believed he was called by God to save the city of Jerusalem, managed to collect together an enormous horde of children and lead them all the way to the southern coast of France. There, he assured them, the seas would part; they would march straight to the Holy Land and take back the city where Jesus had died. It is hard to say how much or how little of this story is true as records are sketchy — after all, the children concerned were mostly illiterate — but the spectacle, hardship and faith of the enterprise make for a dramatic tale. Full review...
Gladiator: Fight for Freedom by Simon Scarrow
Marcus's father was a centurion in the Roman legions. After the slave revolt led by Spartacus was finally put down, he retired from the army and bought a farm on a small Greek island. Marcus has spent most of his boyhood on the farm, learning to train dogs, shoot his sling accurately and dreaming of one day becoming a fighter like his father. But the farm is in debt and Marcus's life is about to crumble... Full review...
Almost True by Keren David
My usual warning when reviewing sequels, there's no way on earth I can avoid some spoilers for the breathtaking When I Was Joe so bear that in mind when reading. Full review...
The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate
Natalie Hargrove is one half of the It couple of Palmetto High, destined to become Palmetto Princess. Her boyfriend Mike King should be a shoo-in for Prince alongside her - except Mike doesn't seem too bothered, in contrast to the loathsome - but hunky - Justin Balmer. So when she's given a chance to knock JB out of the running for the crown, who can blame Natalie for pulling a harmless prank? Except when the prank turns out to be much less harmless than she'd have expected, the It couple are left frantically trying to cover their tracks before they lose everything. Full review...
Inside Out by Maria V Snyder
Through the narrative of the brilliantly gutsy, yet bitter Trella, Inside Out describes the unlikely revolution provoked by the mission undertaken by our protagonists to discover the legendary Gateway – a rumoured pathway between the self-contained Inside and a utopia known only as Outside. Originally reluctant to be drawn into what she considers to be a hoax, Trella, due to her particular proficiency when it comes to travelling through the piping and ventilation system that separates the various levels of Inside, somehow becomes the figurehead of the rebellion of the Lowers against the Uppers. However, there are some people who don't approve of this newfound hope, and are keen to stifle the revolution before it even begins. Full review...
0.4 by Mike Lancaster
Kyle Straker's taped testimony begins with an editor's note:
The peculiar format that you are holding - a book - was still the dominant form of information storage at the time the tapes were made. There is a reason why I insisted on this archaic format which will, I hope, become apparent as the narrative progresses.
Kyle lives in the early 21st century in a quiet village full of ordinary people. Full review...
Quarry by Ally Kennen
Scrappy's life is going absolutely nowhere. His mother has left his father. His sister is saving like mad for the deposit on a flat so that she can move out too. His grandfather is descending into senility. His school is about to be demolished. His best friend Silva gets all the girls and he's worried about the school villain, Judge, picking on him. His father, paranoid about a visit from tax inspectors, slaves over the scrapyard's books all night and so his temper is unpredictable. Very unpredictable. Full review...
Captivate by Carrie Jones
Zara, her werewolf boyfriend, Nick, and their friends Issie and Devyn think their pixie problems are over. They've trapped Zara's dad, a pixie king, and his followers in a house surrounded by iron to stop them getting out and killing more teenage boys. But, Zara's dad is growing weak in his iron prison, and his territory is ready for the taking. That's when Astley turns up, a pixie king himself, when he's around Zara's skin turns blue, the true colour of a pixie. Only being half pixie, and having not been turned, why is Zara reacting like this? But Astley isn't the only pixie king that's made his way to Maine to claim the territory, and he's certainly not the most evil. Full review...
Witches War: Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
Calla Tor has always known where her life is heading. Grow up, become mated to Ren, lead the new pack formed of her packmates and his, serve the Keeper who they are assigned to serve. That's the way things are for alphas, and servitude is the sacred calling of the Guardians. Then Calla breaks one of the fundamental rules of her society – she saves the life of a human boy, Shay. She hopes to never see him again, but when it becomes clear that he's somehow important to the Keepers, and Calla is charged to look after him, she finds herself spending a lot of time with him. Full review...
Need by Carrie Jones
Zara's stepfather died in front of her after seeing a man at the window - it spooked him so much that his heart failed. Her mother is concerned about her, Zara's not herself, she's hollow after the sudden loss of the closest thing to a father she's ever had. So, she's sent away to live with her Grandmother, Betty, in Maine. However, Maine isn't the safe haven that Zara's mother thought it would be. People are going missing, young boys to be precise, the same thing that happened just before Zara, her mother and stepfather moved away from Maine to start with. Full review...