Monsters: The passion and loss that created Frankenstein
Sharon Dogar
Publisher: Andersen Press Ltd
What is this about?
1814: Two 16-year-old stepsisters run away with a married man. The results are devastating and the ripples will be felt for centuries.
This is the incredible story of Mary Shelley - radical, rebellious and entranced. It is the story of a young woman who defies tradition and society, and who draws upon the monstrous elements of her own life to create the most memorable monster of them all.
Celebrating 200 years since the publication of Frankenstein, acclaimed writer Sharon Dogar brings to life the passion, tragedy and forbidden love of its teenage author. Now available in paperback.
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Here be Wizards: The Snowdonia Chronicles: Book Three
Sarah Mussi
Publisher: Shrine Bell
What is this about?
Ellie s dreams of being with Henry, her ONE TRUE LOVE, are not going to happen. Not while Henry is trapped under a mountain battling with his arch-enemy, the evil White Dragon.
But when flames from the fae lands of Annwyn incinerate Snowdon, Ellie needs Henry to stop the fire spreading and that means defeating the White Dragon once and for all.
With best friends, dependable George and embarrassing/brave Rhi, Ellie sets out to locate a magical sword, find a wizard that can slay a dragon and finally free Henry. But as wild fire sweeps through the mountains, Ellie and her friends have little time to journey into the lethal realm of the Fae Lands to save their beloved Snowdonia.
Here be Wizards is the climax to the Snowdonia Chronicles trilogy by award-winning author Sarah Mussi.
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A Heart So Fierce and Broken
Brigid Kemmerer
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
What is this about?
The second thrilling book in The Cursebreaker series....Harper has freed Prince Rhen from the curse that almost destroyed his kingdom. But all is not well; rumours are rife that there is a rival heir with a stronger claim to the throne and that 'Princess' Harper of Disi is nothing but a fraud.
Grey has fled the castle carrying a terrible secret. When he is discovered by soldiers and returned to Ironrose by force, Grey's allegiances begin to shift. And as he grows closer to an enemy princess, he is forced to decide whether he will stand against Rhen for the crown he never wanted.
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A Throne of Swans
Katharine Corr
Publisher: Hot Key Books
What is this about?
When her father dies just before her birthday, 17-year-old Aderyn inherits the role of Protector of Atratys, a dominion in a kingdom where nobles are able to transform at will into the bird that represents their family bloodline.
Aderyn's ancestral bird is a swan. But she has not transformed for years, not since witnessing the death of her mother - ripped apart by hawks that have supposedly been extinct since the long-ago War of the Raptors.
With the benevolent shelter of her mother and her father now lost, Aderyn is at the mercy of her brutal uncle, the King, and his royal court. Driven by revenge and love, she must venture into the malevolent heart of the Citadel in order to seek the truth about the attack that so nearly destroyed her, and to fight for the land she has vowed to protect.
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Unstoppable
Dan Freedman
Publisher: David Fickling Books
What is this about?
Secrets and lies . . . secrets and lies . . . 14-year-old twins, Kaine and Roxy, used to be close, but now they can hardly bear to be in the same room. Roxy hates the way her brother behaves - Kaine might be brilliant at football but he's always in trouble and cares nothing about his family. And Kaine despises the way his supposedly-perfect sister, dominates their parents in her ambition to reach Wimbledon.
But the twins are both hiding dangerous secrets of their own, secrets that could destroy everything they are working towards - and both Roxy and Kaine's survival hangs precariously in the balance. Gripping, twisting, and real, this book is UNSTOPPABLE.
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Little Bird Lands
Publisher: Nosy Crow Ltd
What is this about?
Little Bird has landed in America, far from her home in Scotland and far from the danger that stalked her family. But the new world holds new perils, and soon she's on the run again.
From the teeming streets of New York to the prairies of the west, Little Bird holds tight to secrets and dreams of freedom. Then, on her journey, she comes face-to-face with an unwelcome ghost from the past...
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The Good Hawk (Shadow Skye, Book One)
Joseph Elliott
Publisher: Walker Books Ltd
What is this about?
Agatha patrols the sea wall with pride, despite those in her clan who question her right to be there, because of the condition she was born with.
Jaime is a reluctant Angler, full of self-doubt and afraid of the sea.
When disaster strikes, the pair must embark on a terrifying journey to a land where forgotten magic and dark secrets lurk in every shadow...
Thrilling and dark, yet rich with humour and compassion, this novel marks the debut of a wonderful new voice in fantasy and a welcome new kind of protagonist - perfect for fans of The Girl of Ink and Stars, Garth Nix and Michelle Paver.
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Orion Lost
Alastair Chisholm
Publisher: Nosy Crow Ltd
What is this about?
The transport ship Orion is four months out of Earth when catastrophe strikes - leaving the ship and everyone on board stranded in deep space. Suddenly it's up to thirteen-year-old Beth and her friends to navigate through treacherous and uncharted territory to reach safety. But a heavily-damaged ship, space pirates, a mysterious alien species, and an artificial intelligence that Beth doesn't know if she can trust means that getting home has never been so difficult...
Gripping! See if you can spot the twists coming....
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FloodWorld
Tom Huddleston
Publisher: Nosy Crow Ltd
What is this about?
Floodworld is a gripping, action-packed story for 10+ readers. Kara and Joe spend their days navigating the perilous waterways of a sunken city, scratching out a living in the ruins. But when they come into possession of a mysterious map, they find themselves in a world of trouble. Suddenly everyone's after them: gangsters, cops and ruthless Mariner pirates in their hi-tech submarines. The two children must find a way to fight back before Floodworld's walls come tumbling down...
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Furious Thing
Jenny Downham
Publisher: David Fickling Books
What is this about?
Anger was something to believe in when the world let her down. FURIOUS THING roars with justifiable anger at an unfair world, as one girl fights to claim back the spaces that belong to her and battles to be heard . . . Lexi's angry. And it's getting worse.
If only she could stop losing her temper and behave herself, her step-father would accept her, her mum would love her like she used to and her step-brother would declare his crushing desire to spend the rest of his life with her.
She wants these things so badly she determines to swallow her anger and make her family proud. But pushing fury down doesn't make it disappear. Instead, it simmers below the surface waiting to erupt. There'll be fireworks when it does.
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Deeplight
Frances Hardinge
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
What is this about?
The gods of the Myriad were as real as the coastlines and currents, and as merciless as the winds and whirlpools. Then one day they rose up and tore each other apart, killing many hundreds of islanders and changing the Myriad forever.
On the jumbled streets of the Island of Lady's Crave live Hark and his best friend Jelt. They are scavengers: living off their wits, diving for relics of the gods, desperate for anything they can sell. But now there is something stirring beneath the waves, calling to someone brave enough to retrieve it. Something valuable. Something dangerous.
Nothing is quite as it seems, and when the waves try to claim Jelt, Hark will do anything to save him. Even if it means compromising not just who Jelt is, but what he is . . .
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The Collective
Lindsey Whitlock
Publisher: Pushkin Children's Books
What is this about?
Stuck in the traditional community of Badfish Creek, Elwyn longs for change. When his uncle offers him the chance to leave his rural roots behind, he jumps at the opportunity, eager to move to Liberty to gain an education and become part of a flourishing world. Finally, life seems to be opening up to him.
But it is not long before he understands that all that glitters is not gold: there are things going on in Liberty that Elwyn cannot ignore. Things that profoundly threaten the world he has rejected and things that he has to fight against.
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The Places I've Cried in Public
Holly Bourne
Publisher: Usborne Publishing Ltd
What is this about?
The Places I've Cried in Public tells the story of first love, loss, and rebuilding yourself after everything you thought made you is taken away. - Bustle
It looked like love.
It felt like love.
But this isn't a love story.
Amelie fell hard for Reese. And she thought he loved her too. But she's starting to realise that real love isn't supposed to hurt like this.
So now she's retracing their story, revisiting all the places he made her cry. Because if she works out what went wrong, perhaps she can finally learn how to get over him.
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The Somerset Tsunami
Emma Carroll
Publisher: Faber & Faber
What is this about?
When Fortune Sharpe carves a boat from a tree with her beloved brother, Gem, she's only having a bit of fun. But now is not the time for a girl to be drawing attention to herself. She is sent away to find work dressed as a boy. Luckily a rich manor house is hiring.
Yet Barrow Hill's inhabitants harbour dangerous secrets of their own, the suspicious owner is hunting for witches, and the house itself is a little too close to the sea.
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The Space We're In
Katya Balen
Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens Books
What is this about?
Frank is ten. He likes cottage pie and football and cracking codes. Max is five. He eats only Quavers and some colours are too bright for him and if he has to wear a new T-shirt he melts down down down.
Sometimes Frank wishes Mum could still do huge paintings of stars and asteroids like she used to, but since Max was born she just doesn't have time.
When tragedy hits Frank and Max's lives like a comet, can Frank piece together a universe in which he and Max aren't light years apart?
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