Newest Teens Reviews

	Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi Teens They killed my mother. They took our magic. They tried to bury us. Now we rise. These impassioned words belong to Zelie, the firecracker heroine of Tomi Adeyemi's stunning debut YA fantasy novel, Children of Blood and Bone. Already optioned for a movie it tells the story of the beleaguered Maji people persecuted for their supernatural powers. Once extolled as Diviners, imbued with godlike gifts and marked by their distinctive white hair and dark skin, the Maji have been the victims of genocide which has ripped away the magic of the survivors and cast them into the depths of despair. Considered a threat by the paler skinned ruling class, who fear the unknown, they have been labelled as 'maggots', oppressed, subjugated and classified as second class citizens (a universal theme which invites a comparison with the atrocities of today and the holocausts of the past). As Adeyemi explains, We live in a time where men, women, and children of colour are being dehumanized and oppressed and unjustly murdered. Though my book is an epic fantasy, it's directly tied to all of that pain. Indeed Adeyemi includes scenes reminiscent of the worst ravages of slavery to illustrate that horror and elicit empathy from the reader. Full Review
	Orphan Monster Spy by Matt Killeen Teens Sarah, a Jewish girl in Nazi Germany as WWII is about to break out, finds herself alone after her mother is shot as they try to escape the country. She meets a mysterious man and, in a fit of dangerous altruism, saves him from arrest by the soldiers. This reckless act changes everything for Sarah, who finds herself recruited as a spy and sent to infiltrate a girl's school full of the daughters of the great and good of the Reich. Her mission? To befriend the daughter of a nuclear scientist and get access to his research. Sarah might be Jewish but she is also blonde-haired and blue-eyed. But will this be enough to maintain her cover? The tiniest slip could be fatal... Full Review
	The Goose Road by Rowena House Teens It's 1916 and 14 year old Angélique and her mother are struggling to keep the family farm running while their menfolk fight on a distant battlefield. When the Requisition soldiers visit a second time, claiming all the farm's remaining livestock apart from their flock of Toulouse geese, Angélique thinks things can't get any worse. But, of course, they do. Her mother is taken ill and Angélique discovers secret debts that threaten their home. The situation seems hopeless until Angélique and her Uncle Gustav hatch a plan that could save the farm: a plan that will require Angélique to embark on a long journey across France with the only thing they have left of any value – the geese. Full Review
	To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo Teens Lira and Elian are both royalty and they are both killers. Lira is the Siren princess, with seventeen princes' hearts buried in the sand of her bed. Elian is the Midasan prince, and an infamous Siren hunter. When his friend is murdered, Elian is determined to catch the worst Siren of them all, the one they call the prince's bane, and end this war between sea and land. Meanwhile Lira is hunting Elian, desperate to save herself and secure her place as Sea Queen. When fate throws them together, they embark on a mission for their own ends, but can they really destroy each other? Full Review
	Flying Tips for Flightless Birds by Kelly McCaughrain Teens Flying tips for flightless birds is a quirky and complex story, told with an elegant simplicity that hooks you from the first few pages. A gentle but gripping exploration of the highs and lows of being a young person, of love, friends and the relationship we have with ourselves and others. Full Review
	The Seer's Curse by J J Faulks Confident Readers Although The Seer's Curse is billed as a pre-teen novel, I would say that it would appeal to a wide audience interested in fantasy and mythology, as well as just a good tale. Full Review
	Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson Teens Jade lives in a rough area of Portland, Oregon. But she goes to a very posh school on scholarship.And, as a scholarship girl, Jade knows she must grab every opportunity the school offers. Her mother, a care worker, won't be paying for college after all - there is rarely enough money at home for ice cream, let alone college. But why do all the opportunities the school offers Jade seem so, well, patronising? Jade doesn't feel like a charity case. She doesn't feel broken. Her mum is a good mum. It's infuriating. But, when the school offers Jade a mentoring programme that will ensure a college scholarship, how can she say no? Full Review
File:Barnard Perfect.jpg	Goodbye, Perfect by Sara Barnard Teens Edie McKinley isn't the world's greatest student. And she has a history of rebellious behaviour. But she has most of that under control now, with the help of her adoptive family, her lovely boyfriend and her best friend Bonnie, who is a straight A student with a bright future ahead. That is, until Edie wakes up one morning to find the police at her door. Bonnie has run away with her boyfriend, Jack. Bonnie has been very mysterious about Jack, even with Edie and Edie is about to find out why - Jack is none other than Mr Cohn, a music teacher at school. Full Review
File:Watson Wren.jpg	The Wren Hunt by Mary Watson Teens Every year on St Stephens Day, Wren Silke is chased through the forest in a warped version of a childhood game. Her pursuers are Judges - a group of powerful and frightening boys who know nothing of her true identity. If they knew she was an Augur - their sworn enemy - the game would be up. The Wren Hunt is set in a contemporary Ireland where the ancient druidic traditions are still in play. The Judges have dominated the Augurs by buying up the land containing the sources of Augur power. The Augurs can feel their magic depleting and are determined to win it back. To this end, Wren has been chosen to infiltrate the house of the prominent Judge, Cassa Harkness, to find the information they need. Full Review
	Far from the Tree by Robin Benway Teens Having just given up her new-born baby for adoption, 16-year-old Grace is desperate to look for the one person who could truly understand how she feels. The birth mother that gave her up for adoption when she was a baby. What Grace doesn't expect, is to discover that she has siblings. A confident, loud-mouthed younger sister, Maya, adopted by a wealthy family living just twenty minutes away. And Joaquin, their stoic older brother, hardened by seventeen years in and out of foster care. Full Review
	Fragments of the Lost by Megan Miranda Teens Jessa Whitworth has lost the only boy she has ever loved. Jessa Whitworth has lost her friends. Jessa Whitworth has lost herself. Many months have passed since Jessa's ex-boyfriend, Caleb, died but she still cannot find the strength to move on with her life. So when Caleb's mother asks Jessa to clean out his room, things go from bad to worse. Full Review
	Outwalkers by Fiona Shaw Teens Newly orphaned Jake is determined to escape from his Home Academy and to find a new home with his dog, Jet. He thinks his biggest challenge is going to be getting out and over the wall but, when he does, he finds this is the least of his worries. The governing 'Coalition' is able to track everyone in the country via the 'hub chip' in their neck and in no time 'the hubbers' (police) are on his trail. All seems lost until Jake stumbles into a gang of outwalker kids. After proving his worth, he is permitted to join their gang and together they set out on a perilous journey north towards the heavily guarded border with Scotland.Full Review
	I am Thunder by Muhammad Khan Teens Adhering to the recent trend for politicised YA novels, I am Thunder explores several controversial topics relating to being a Muslim in modern Britain. It tells the story of Muzna, a shy teenager who is flattered when Arif, a fellow Muslim, chooses to ask her out despite interest from several other girls at school. However, her delight wavers when she discovers how Arif, influenced by his manipulative brother Jameel, has become angered by Western culture. Full Review
	Love, Hate and Other Filters by Samira Ahmed Teens Love, Hate and Other Filters tells the story of Maya, a Muslim of Indian heritage. Like many other American teenagers, she is struggling to convince her parents to allow her to move away to attend university. However, in Maya's case, things are more complicated than usual, after instances of Islamophobia make her parents extra protective. Full Review
	Everless by Sara Holland Teens Jules and her father live in the kingdom of Sempera. In Sempera, everything is reckoned in terms of time. Wages come in the form of blood-coins, currency taken from actual blood and denominated in weeks, months or even years of life. In Sempera, as you'd imagine, the rich live for a long time and the poor do not. In debt and struggling to afford the rent, Jules decides to ignore her father's warnings and take a job at Everless, an estate belonging to the Gerling family. But Jules's father objects for a reason: there is a royal wedding coming up, between Lord Roan Gerling and a ward of Sempera's queen, and secrets long concealed that, if revealed, would change everything... Full Review
	Twelve Nights by Andrew Zurcher Confident Readers, Teens This story opens on a terrifying note. Kay and Eloise's father is working late at his college, as usual, but when the two girls and their mother arrive to pick him up, they are told he does not work there. In fact, everyone they meet insists they have never heard of him. It sounds like the beginning of a scary murder-mystery, or a cat-and-mouse chase in the style of James Bond or Dan Brown, but what actually lies behind this event is far stranger and more confusing. Later that night Kay hears voices at her window and embarks on a quest to rescue both her father and her younger sister from ruthless beings who are decidedly not human. Full Review
	The Unpredictability of Being Human by Linni Ingemundsen Teens I came to this book expecting only a typical teenage coming of age story, yet somehow, within only a matter of pages, I was utterly engrossed by the wonderful character of Malin. I read this book faster than any other I've read this year! Malin is a fourteen year old girl, who is very naive and innocent, and she struggles with social interaction. It is never stated within the book (a fact that I liked) but I suspect that she's somewhere on the autistic spectrum. But that isn't really what the book is about. It's about Malin growing up, struggling at school, having a first date, and dealing with family difficulties, all at the same time. Full Review
	Mike by Andrew Norriss Teens Floyd is a rising teen tennis sensation. At only fifteen, he is set to become the youngest ever champion of the national under 18s, his tennis career is written in the stars. Until Mike shows up. At first, Floyd thinks Mike is just a weird kid following him around. Why else would he be at tennis practice in the school so early? But when he appears on the tennis court in the middle of the match, Floyd can't understand why everyone is acting so calm … until Floyd realises he is the only one who can see him. Floyd is referred to a specialist and together they unpick the mystery of Mike. Full Review
	The Extinction Trials by SM Wilson Teens Storm and Lincoln live on Earthasia, a continent ruined by overpopulation. Space is scarce and energy and food are rationed. Education is minimal and mostly focused around searching for new, efficient food sources. Storm's mother has died and she never knew her father, so she lives in one of Earthasia's overcrowded shelters, goes to school for one day per week and wrestles hay bales for a job. Lincoln's sister is dying from the blistering disease and he has no access to the healthcare that could save her. It's a mean, desperate existence for them both and so they are first to volunteer for the Stipulators' trials for a new mission to the neighbouring continent of Piloria. The aim is to retrieve dinosaur eggs so that a virus to kill them can be engineered and the citizens of Earthasia will have access to the space and abundant food sources Piloria offers... Full Review
	Grave Matter by Juno Dawson and Alex T Smith Dyslexia Friendly Since Eliza died, since the night of the car crash that took her life, Sam is a broken soul. He is lost without the girl he loves, feeling as though a part of him died that night too. But he is desperate and he cannot live without Eliza. He remembers his estranged Aunt Marie and her peculiar healing powers and wonders if she might be able to help him. However, finding his Aunt Marie leads him to discover the Milk Man, which causes Sam in his grieving state to make a pact with forces he doesn't understand. Things soon turn complicated as supernatural powers start to change Sam's life in more ways than he bargained for. Full Review