The Lost Witch
Melvin Burgess
Publisher: Andersen Press Ltd
What is this about?
Bea has started to hear and see things that no one else can – creatures, voices, visions. Then strangers visit Bea and tell her she is different: she has the rare powers of a witch. They warn her she is being hunted. Her parents think she is hallucinating and needs help. All Bea wants to do is get on with her life, and to get closer to Lars, the mysterious young man she has met at the skate park. But her life is in danger, and she must break free. The question is – who can she trust?
This is a powerful, beautifully-written fantasy by master storyteller Melvin Burgess that tackles trust, identity and relationships. It is suited to older readers aged 14+.
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Are We All Lemmings and Snowflakes?
Holly Bourne
Publisher: Usborne Publishing Ltd
What is this about?
Olive is on the edge - the edge of GCSE results, life, love and friendship. We meet her as she emerges from her duvet den under a desk, in which she has taken refuge since she suffered a depressive relapse.
Concerned for her mental and physical wellbeing, her doctor offers her the opportunity of a life time - a residential clinic named Camp Reset, where for a month she will have the chance to learn how to manage her (as yet undiagnosed) condition whilst living with other teenagers with similar troubles.
Olive sets off with a heart full of optimism and a determined attitude - she will become 'normal'! We join her and the various residents of the camp as they slowly start to learn more about themselves and each other, and that actually, we all just need a bit more kindness in our lives.
This is a wonderful book, Holly Bourne's writing is clear and engaging and the pace matches Olives' mental state perfectly. This is sure to be a well-deserved hit among older readers aged 14+.
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Firebird
Elizabeth Wein
Publisher: Barrington Stoke Ltd
What is this about?
If you are interested in History, then this tale is perfect. Unique and historical, it is refreshing to read and a real page turner. Based on historical facts from the Russian Revolution and set in the time of World War II, this story is a beautifully crafted adventure tale. Featuring a female protagonist - Nastia - the reader follows the powerful female pilots who fought to defend the Motherland.
Nastia is young, naive but brave and when the call for War is announced, she immediately makes herself available to fight. However, she must face many trials, battles in the skies and will quickly learn what it means to truly be the daughter of revolutionaries.
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Everything All at Once
Steven Camden
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
What is this about?
Steven Camden one of the UK's most acclaimed spoken word artists and Everything All At Once is a collection of his poems that each capture a fleeting moment, event or emotion; together they build to tell the story of a week at any, and every, 'secondary school jungle' for every kind of student.
Everyone is given a voice in this collection - the year sevens and the school leavers, the cool kids, the sporty kids, the geeky kids and the teachers - making it fast-paced, engaging and all-too-true-to-life.
There are first day fears and inevitable fights, post-party rumours, PE lessons, detentions, toilet graffiti, falling in and out of friendship, fitting in and finding your place in the lunch hall, loving lessons and a teacher quietly inspiring reading.
If you enjoy this, you can also try books by Sarah Crossan, Kwame Alexander and Jacqueline Woodson.
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Jinxed
Amy McCulloch
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Childrens Books
What is this about?
From the author of The Potion Diaries comes Jinxed. Lacey has always wanted to be a 'companioneer' for the company Moncha, which is the largest technology firm in North America, they are the creators of the Baku.
Baku is an upgrade to mobile phones, they come in four different levels and in all shapes and sizes, from a mouse to an eagle. Bakus not only keep you connected to social media etc, they also become your companion and friends. Amazing !
After yet another unpleasant incident with a boy in her school called Carter, Lacey finds a heap of junk that happens to be an advanced Baku. Through the summer break, she repairs the animal and names him Jinx. This Baku is like no other, he thinks for himself and communicates with Lacey in her head. As Jinx becomes her friend, Lacey has to be careful not to let others know his technology as he feels almost real.
323 pacy, well written pages of a story that contains mystery, humour, friendship, trust and a dash of romance.
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The Secret Deep
Lindsay Galvin
Publisher: Chicken House Ltd
What is this about?
Aster and her younger sister Poppy are sent to live with their aunt at the other side of the world and on the plane, befriend a local boy, Sam. When Sam later discovers Poppy's backpack abandoned by the sea, he realises something is wrong. What he discovers puts them all in danger and brings an incredible secret to life.
This is a great adventure story with an underwater twist that you won't see coming!
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The Truth About Lies
Tracy Darnton
Publisher: Stripes Publishing
What is this about?
Jess has an incredible memory. She can remember every single detail of every single day since she was 11. But Jess would rather not be remarkable and, after years of testing at the hands of a ruthless research team, she has finally managed to escape.
Just when Jess thinks that she's managing to settle in to living a normal life, everything changes. Her boarding-school roommate dies and the school is thrown into a state of chaos and grief. Then new boy Dan appears and Jess can't help but find herself drawn to him. But building relationships is hard when you can't reveal who you really are and Jess is getting hints that someone knows more about her than she would like.
Is it time to run again? Will she ever be truly free?
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The Brink of Darkness
Jeff Giles
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
What is this about?
In THE EDGE OF EVERYTHING, Zoe and the mysterious X met for the first time and quickly fell in love. But X is from the Lowlands, making theirs a forbidden love.
In THE BRINK OF DARKNESS, the follow-up book, X is back in the Lowlands, determined to escape. Zoe is also determined he should be free but her actions could destroy everything they have fought for...
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Mud
Emily Thomas
Publisher: Andersen Press Ltd
What is this about?
It's 1979, and thirteen-year-old Lydia has no idea how she'll cope when her dad announces that the family has to sell up and move onto a Thames sailing barge in Essex. With his girlfriend. And her three kids.
Between trying to keep her clothes dry in a leaky cabin, disastrous hair-dye attempts, awkward encounters with local boys, and coping with her suddenly enormous and troublesome family, Lydia fears she'll sink rather than swim . . .
At turns heartbreaking and uplifting, through Lydia's innocent and perceptive voice we find out that while the mud may stick, the tide can turn - and in unexpected and joyful ways.
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The Extinction Trials: Exile
S.M. Wilson
Publisher: Usborne Publishing Ltd
What is this about?
After surviving on Piloria once, Storm and Lincoln are the obvious candidates to return to the dinosaur continent to test the new virus that should clear the way for human settlement. But they have their own priorities - finding a cure for the plague that's sweeping Earthasia, and keeping themselves alive.
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Escape: Book 2
Linwood Barclay
Publisher: Orion Children's Books
What is this about?
12-year-old Jeff and genetically engineered spy dog Chipper are on the run from the mysterious and sinister government organisation knows only as The Institute. Due to a combination of bravery, luck and some of Chipper's more useful modifications, they've managed to evade their pursuers so far. But The Institute is closing in and Chipper and Jeff will have to be stay one step ahead if they want to stay alive..
Danger, secrets and thrilling suspense collide in Linwood Barclay's action-packed series
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I Was Born for This
Alice Oseman
Publisher: HarperCollins
What is this about?
For Angel Rahimi life is about one thing: The Ark - a pop-rock trio of teenage boys who are taking the world by storm. Being part of The Ark's fandom has given her everything she loves - her friend Juliet, her dreams, her place in the world.
Jimmy Kaga-Ricci owes everything to The Ark. He's their frontman - and playing in a band with his mates is all he ever dreamed of doing.
But dreams don't always turn out the way you think and when Jimmy and Angel are unexpectedly thrust together, they find out how strange and surprising facing up to reality can be.
A funny, wise, and heartbreakingly true coming of age novel.
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The Weight of a Thousand Feathers
Brian Conaghan
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
What is this about?
Bobby Seed has questions. What's another word for 'thesaurus'? How can I tell Bel I want her as my girl friend, not my girlfriend? How much pain is Mum in today? Has she taken her pills? And sometimes, secretly, Why us?
But it's Mum's question for Bobby that could turn everything on its head. It's the Big One. The Unthinkable One. If Bobby agrees, he won't just be soothing her pain. He'll be helping to end it.
Would he? Could he?
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Ash Princess
Laura Sebastian
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
What is this about?
Theodosia was six when her country was invaded and her mother, the Queen of Flame and Fury, was murdered before her eyes. Ten years later, Theo has learned to survive under the relentless abuse of the Kaiser and his court as the ridiculed Ash Princess.
She vows revenge, throwing herself into a plot to seduce and murder the Kaiser's warrior son with the help of a group of magically gifted and volatile rebels. But Theo doesn't expect to develop feelings for the Prinz and is forced to make impossible choices.
A nail-biting YA fantasy debut full of daring and vengeance.
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A Boy Called Ocean
Chris Higgins
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
What is this about?
One night adrift on the ocean with only a stolen wetsuit and his dreams and determination to keep him alive, Kai faces some hard truths about himself and the choices that have led him to the brink of death.
The tale is told mainly through the eyes of Kai and his 'will-they-or-won't they' girlfriend Jen who have been best friends since primary school, but we also by Jen's friend Ellie and the lifeguard Jay. It explores who is to blame for Kai's fate: his mother and the secrets behind his troubled upbringing; Jen and Ellie for their games and jealousy; or maybe his boss Oliver for precipitating the crisis?
Everyone involved feels some level of guilt as well as anguish, heartbreak and fast-disappearing hope as the night wears on and the tension mounts.
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