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Dead Girl < Back Kerrie Faye Dead Girl A girl resurrected from the dead, seeks answers. It is the first day back at Wilson County High School for sophomore, Ember O’Neill. Ember had a tough time as a Freshman. She struggled with depression and synesthesia (a neurological condition where stimulation of one sense leads to involuntary experiences in other senses), and was bullied by classmates Wayne Wilson, Maddison Miller, and others. Longing to fit in and have a better school experience, Ember has five goals for her sophomore year: 1) to get a bestie, 2) to stay off Maddison’s radar, 3) to avoid and ignore Wayne, 4) to become popular, and 5) to get a boyfriend. When she meets and develops a friendship with new girl, Hallee, Ember achieves her first goal. But she is still ostracism and targeted by her peers and receives hateful and threatening messages. Ember reluctantly goes to a ‘back to school’ party, but following an incident with Wayne, Ember almost drowns in the hosts’ swimming pool. She is dead for around twenty minutes and brought back to life by paramedics. News of the incident spreads, and Ember becomes a local celebrity. As Ember’s popularity increases, Wayne is incarcerated in a juvenile detention centre. Life for Ember improves, and she begins dating a new boy, Logan Lauder. But, following her near-death experience, Ember experiences visions and nightmares, and her father is tragically killed by a rabid bobcat. As Ember tries to make sense of the visions and her father’s death, she soon learns the truth about her neurological condition and her ancestry. Dead Girl is a gripping coming-of-age, supernatural drama by Kerrie Faye. S et in the 1990’s, the book follows Ember O’Neill in her sophomore year, as she grapples with depression and synesthesia, and struggles to find her place. Her life is transformed following a freak incident at a pool party, and she discovers she possesses extraordinary abilities. As she learns to control her powers, she must also defeat a deadly assassin hired to kill her. With a blend of reality and fantasy, plenty of teen drama, and an unexpected, supernatural plot twist, this is a compelling, captivating, and hard-to-put-down novel. Star rating: 5 Stars Summary: A captivating and gripping teen drama, with an unexpected supernatural twist. Purchase here

The Siren Sea < Back Cidney Swanson The Siren Sea Book blurb... Four teens. One perilous journey. Everything to lose. When Katrina's brother is imprisoned for smuggling siren bones, she leaves behind her quiet life to save him, only to be swept into a web of dangerous magic, a ruthless duke's ambitions, and an ancient power she doesn't yet understand. A haunted woodsman. A secretive tsarina. A thief with his own secrets. Together, they must survive treachery, sirens, and sea crossings before time runs out. Purchase here

Mission: Red Scythe < Back C.W. James Mission: Red Scythe Book blurb... Two novice teen agents step onto the deadly chessboard of international espionage during the Cold War. In the summer of 1965, 18-year-old James Vagus is recruited into a shadowy spy agency and thrust into a life where every move could be his last. His first mission: infiltrate the Golden Syndicate, a covert group threatening the global food supply. With help from fellow agent Dakota Walker, a Cherokee teen, James races from Miami to Vienna to Madras, unraveling a plot that could collapse the West. As danger mounts and betrayal lurks in every shadow, the rookie agents must risk everything to stop a catastrophe and save a world on the brink. Purchase here

On a Rooftop in Beijing < Back Maggie Paredes On a Rooftop in Beijing Love endures on a rooftop in Beijing, by Maggie Paredes North Korean swimmer, Jae Sung, was successful in winning a swimming scholarship to attend the prestigious Kim Il Sung University. His life and future depended on doing well in the sport, and he was determined to make his parents proud. When North Korea was permitted to compete in the 2008 Olympic Games, held in Beijing, Jae was selected for the swim team. Seventeen-year-old Sloane, from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, had spent much of her life in the swimming pool and had trained to compete on the world stage. When she was selected to represent the USA swim team at the Beijing Olympics, Sloane was excited to compete, but also eager to travel and experience life in East Asia. During the Olympic opening ceremony, Jae and Sloane’s eyes meet across the stadium and they are immediately drawn to one another. During training the next day, they meet again, and Jae sends Sloane a secret note to meet him on the roof at midnight. Over the course of the games, Jae and Sloane pass secret notes and meet in secret every night on the rooftops of Beijing. The teens fall deeply in love but must keep their relationship hidden from their coaches and fellow athletes. Under the autocratic rule of the Supreme Leader, Jae is not permitted to speak to anyone from another nation. Disobedience could lead to incarceration or even death. Furthermore, if he doesn’t take a medal back home to North Korea, he would be severely punished. Sloane knows that she must stay focused on the competition, and that her secret liaison could risk the chance of a gold medal. Can Jae and Sloane keep their relationship a secret? And will they risk their chance of an Olympic medal, for love? On a Rooftop in Beijing by author Maggie Paredes is a captivating romantic fiction novel, about two young athletes who risk their lives and sporting careers in pursuit of love and happiness. Written in the first-person perspective, the book alternates from the viewpoints of the two main characters, Jae and Sloane. This is an enjoyable and interesting novel, which gives a unique and fascinating insight into the history, lifestyle and culture of North Korea. I liked the setting of the book in the Olympic village and the secret rendezvous on the rooftops, and I enjoyed the blossoming relationship between the teenagers. The book beautifully captures the intense, overwhelming emotion of teen love, the terrifying fear of being caught, and the fear of failing at such an important competition. The book will appeal to young adult readers who enjoy romantic fiction. Star rating: 5 Stars Summary: A captivating romantic fiction novel, about two young athletes who risk everything for love. Purchase here

Montgomery Lake High #1: The Right Person < Back Stacy A. Padula Montgomery Lake High #1: The Right Person A gritty, teen drama, by author Stacy A. Padula The stars align for Chris Dunkin when he meets Courtney Angeletti at a beach in Plymouth, Massachusetts. He feels an instant attraction to her, and she is captivated by him, even though she has a boyfriend. Two months later, Courtney has broken up with her boyfriend and is dating Chris. It’s the first day at Montgomery Lake High School and the teens are recovering from a party at Chris’s house the night before. Chris had experimented with hard drugs in the past, and was addicted to alcohol and weed, but he was determined not to allow Courtney, an ethical, devout Christian, to follow in his footsteps. He knew he had to clean up his act to get the grades he needed to compete on the football team. As Courtney tries to fit in with Chris’s friends she turns her back on her best friend, Julianna, and stops going to church. Chris’s friend hosts a party at his mansion, but Chris decides not to go to avoid the temptation of drugs and alcohol. He advises Courtney not to go, but after an argument she goes along anyway. At the party, Courtney hooks up with her ex-boyfriend, and realises what a fool she has been. Cops arrive at the party, and Courtney narrowly escapes being caught, while a couple of her friends are arrested. Meanwhile, nobody has noticed that Julianna is sad and alone, and at crisis point. Will Courtney break up with Chris? Will she ever reconnect with her faith? And will anyone save Julianna, before it’s too late? Montgomery Lake High #1 : The Right Person, is an authentic and gritty teen drama, written by author Stacy A. Padula. The story follows Chris, Courtney, and their group of friends, as they try to navigate their way through high school. The book was written by Padula when she was a teenager and was inspired by her own high school experiences. This is a powerful and thought-provoking book that highlights the challenges and temptations that many young people face in high school. It explores several difficult topics, such as friendships and peer pressure, relationships and break-ups, drug and alcohol misuse and addiction, depression, parental break-ups, and parental neglect. This is an excellent novel, but it is also a valuable resource for young people, and anyone with a caring responsibility for a young person. Padula was motivated to write this book to help kids socially prepare for high school. The book does exactly that, and it will help parents, carers and teachers prepare for that transition too. Star rating: 5 Stars Summary: A powerful and thought-provoking teen novel, that highlights the challenges and temptations that many young people face in high school. Purchase here

Tied to You < Back Cassandra Crull Tied to You A young woman is haunted by her first love and forced to relive her traumatic past, by author Cassandra Crull Sixteen-year-old Kat moves from Michigan to a small town in the Rockies, following the tragic death of her brother, Robert. As her mother struggles with her own grief, and her dad is largely absent, Kat is left alone and with no parental guidance to deal with her own struggles and her grief. As she tries to settle into a new home, new school, and new life, she battles with depression and begins to self-medicate with alcohol and drugs. When Kat meets Dave at a party, she feels an instant connection and the pair soon become intimate. Dave is safe and sensible, and for the first time in a long time, Kat feels loved, happy and secure. But the pain inside is too deep, and Kat soon feels trapped and suffocated by Dave’s attempts to protect her. Kat seeks comfort with other men, who exploit and abuse her. Her life spirals dangerously out of control and Kat loses the one man who genuinely cared for her. Twenty years later, Kat has turned her life around. She loves her job as a social worker and is happily married to Carl with two young children, Zoe, and Willow. One evening, Dave suddenly appears in her family home. Dazed and confused by the sudden appearance of her first love, Kat is compelled to confront the demons that have haunted her for twenty years. As Kat reconnects with Dave, the couple embark on a courageous journey back to Colorado, where Kat is forced to relive her traumatic past as she helps Dave find closure and his way home to his beloved family. Tied to You, by Cassandra Crull, is a dark, haunting novel for young adult readers about a young woman who is stricken by grief and consumed by depression following the death of her brother. This is a heart-breaking story of a young woman’s fight for survival in harsh and cruel world, as she is largely abandoned by her parents, and exploited by those around her. At the heart of the novel, is a beautiful love story between two young people; love that endures time, betrayal, and heartache. Star rating: 5 Stars Summary: A dark, haunting novel for young adult readers about love and loss. Purchase here

Emos, Posers, Goths, & Haters < Back John Randall Emos, Posers, Goths, & Haters Book blurb... There are Rules! Andrea Cox heads into her Senior Year of High School at Evergreen High, just outside of Seattle, on top of the world. Her initiation into the Empresses is a foregone conclusion. The Empresses are at the top of the food chain of the eight different cliques. Andrea's ambition may get the better of her as she tries to outshine the clique's president, Charlotte Davis. As the winter semester turns to spring, the old wounds of Evergreen High of what is known as 'The Reckoning' cast a disturbing shadow leading up to Prom. Will Andrea's ever-increasing need for popularity and social media success be her undoing? Meanwhile, bullying has consequences! Purchase here

Wren and the Tarnished Tiger < Back E.M. Leander Wren and the Tarnished Tiger Two young people, lost in their world, find a magical connection. A young orphan, Wren, is the lighthouse keeper in a town called Split, in the country of Aclines. When war breaks out with neighbouring Ocron, Wren is isolated from the town in the lighthouse where she lives and works. Wren has a unique ability to communicate and connect with animals, and she is cast out by the townsfolk who consider her strange. When an injured Tiger arrives at the lighthouse, Wren shelters the tiger and treats his wounds. Split is defeated in the war by Ocron, and the tiger returns back to the wild. But word soon gets out that Wren can control animals, and she is approached by an Ocronian from the ‘School of the Silver Flame,’ who believes she is a Mage. Mage’s have magical powers that can be used to control the natural elements - wind, earth, fire, and water. Wren leaves her home in Split and travels to the school, where she is manacled until she learns how to control her magic. Aris, a handsome and arrogant young man, is a Shield, an animal shifter who can shift from human to animal form. Shields are trained from childhood to safeguard and protect a Mage. A Mage and a Shield are paired and bonded together for life. Aris is grieving the loss of his Mage and best friend, Stefan, and has not shifted into his animal form since his death. As Aris goes in search of another Mage, he meets Wren, and they discover they have a magical connection. But are Aris and Wren compatible to form a bonded pair? Will Wren ever learn to control her magic, and be free of her shackles? And will she ever see her tarnished tiger again? Wren and the Tarnished Tiger is the first book in the Game of Gods series by E.M. Leander. T his is a fantastic fantasy fiction novel for young adult readers, written in a dual narrative and alternating between Wren and Aris’s point of view. The novel follows Wren’s journey as she is uprooted from her home and thrust into a world of magic, and Aris’s journey as he goes in search of a new Mage, following the tragic death of his best friend. This is a thrilling, fast paced novel, with two charming characters, and a mesmerising world full of magic, drama, and intrigue. With epic battle scenes, animal magic, and a beautiful romance, this is a fantastic, fantasy fiction novel, not to be missed. Star rating: 5 Stars Summary: A fantastic fantasy fiction novel for young adult readers, with epic battle scenes, animal magic, and a beautiful romance. Purchase here

Aylen Isle < Back Aud Supplee Aylen Isle Fourteen-year-old Winnie Harris (aka General Windemere) is a renowned warrior and Frama-traveller, who uses frama-scopes to journey between alternate worlds. Winnie has just returned to Earth following a mission to an alternate world, Hutra, with her stepbrother, Mikey, and their friend and magician, Kip. During the mission, six year old Mikey found a toad and brought it back to Earth as his pet. Winnie is visited in a dream by Princess Gwenevieve of the Aylen Isle Kingdom and learns that she has been enchanted by a spell and trapped in the body of Mikey’s pet toad, Stompy. Princess Gwenevieve asks for Winnie’s help to transport her back to Aylen Isle, so she can be turned back into her original form before she is stuck as a toad forever. Winnie, Mikey, and Kip travel to Aylen Isle to try and reverse Princess Gwenevieve’s enchantment, and at the same time return an alien bird to his original world. While Winnie tries to find the conjurer who will turn the toad back to a princess, she learns of a prophecy that a young female warrior in pink armour will save Aylen Isle from an enemy invasion. Aylen Isle: Winnie and the “Wizard” is the third book in this captivating teen, fantasy fiction series, by Aud Supplee. The book follows the journey of Winnie Harris as she embarks on an epic mission to an alternate world, to save an enchanted princess. This is an imaginative and well-crafted novel, which draws readers into a magical world of adventure and self-discovery. With a well-paced plot, timely-twists and turns, and a relatable female protagonist, the book will keep readers engaged until the very end. A must read for young adult readers who love fantasy fiction. Star rating : 5 Stars Summary: A n exquisite novel for young adult readers, packed full of action and adventure, and familiar fantasy fiction themes. Purchase here

Multiverse Mayhem < Back Aurora M. Winter Multiverse Mayhem Ana Zest and her brother Zachery ‘borrow’ their uncle’s PUP (Parallel Universe Pod) and traverse the multiverse, before crash landing in the realm of Tellusora. Zachary is unwittingly frozen solid in the high-tech world of Avenir, and Ana is pursued by an evil sorcerer named Crimson Censor and her vampire son, Hunter. Ana is captured by Crimson, who severs her tongue and leaves her voiceless and powerless. Ana’s friend saves her just in time, before Crimson is snatched by a hippogriff and carried away. Crimson kidnaps Wizard Snapdragon, and claims the portal key to Spellbound. Without the portal key, Ana has no way to access Avenir, no hope of ever rescuing her brother, and no chance of returning home to Earth. While a surgical wizard mends Ana’s tongue and gives her a new truth-telling silver tongue, she is stalked by Hunter, who tracks her down by hiding under an invisibility hat. Meanwhile, Crimson Censor has a sinister plan to poison Tellusora by dumping toxic-air into the atmosphere. Before she can return back to Earth, Ana must find Crimson Censor, retrieve the portal key, rescue Zackary, and save the multiverse from complete destruction. But she must first seek permission and protection from King Ironheart, discover who is sending her mysterious messages in her journal, and unlock the secrets hidden in her family’s past. Multiverse Mayhem is the third instalment in this fantasy fiction series, by author Aurora M. Winter. The book follows the adventures of Ana and her brother, as they traverse the multiverse, and discover mystical realms, fantastical creatures and dark magic. This book is a fast-paced thrill ride of surprising twists, vivid world building, and a strong female protagonist. Overall, this is a gripping multiverse adventure that blends sci-fi, fantasy fiction, and magic. It is a great choice for readers who enjoy fantasy adventures and character driven stories. I would recommend reading books one and two in the series, first. Star rating: 5 Stars Summary: A fast-paced, thrilling, and empowering sci-fi adventure, with a strong female lead and a cast of captivating characters. Purchase here

The Monarchs < Back Mark Sabbas The Monarchs A teenager escapes incarceration and is forced to confront the demons of his past. The ‘Facility’ is a secure, military base for a group of ‘new youth’ children, born with special abilities. The children, identified by their abnormally large eyes and extraordinary psychic capabilities, are taken from their families and imprisoned against their will. Every Sunday, scientists conduct horrific experiments on the young minds, with the hope of harnessing their telekinetic powers in the future. Seventeen year old Samuel Helen has been incarcerated inside the facility since he was a young boy. But after ten years of pills, injections, and shock therapy, Samuel still cannot control his powers, and neither can his handlers. When prodded hard enough, the monster that lays dormant inside of him awakens. Samuel seeks comfort and solace from his trusted tutor and mentor, Walter, and his girlfriend Evelyn, an orphan from a neighboring village. One day, a group of radicalised psychic children attack the facility and attempt to set free the imprisoned children. Walter is killed and Evelyn’s village is burnt to the ground. Samuel and Evelyn escape into the forest, but when Evelyn is involved in a catastrophic incident and left unconscious, Samuel blames himself. Samuel meets Luna, a psychic with telepathic powers, and they travel through the forest to seek refuge at the Sanctuary, a hidden colony of gifted youth. As Samuel struggles to master his growing powers, he is forced to confront the demons of his own traumatic past. The Monarchs is an epic, immersive, fantasy fiction novel, by debut author Mark Sabbas. Set in the not too distant future, Sabbas transports readers to a harrowing dystopian world where children are incarcerated to weaponize their telekinetic powers. With a unique blend of science fiction, fantasy and mysticism, Sabbas has created a unique futuristic world, full of action and memorable characters. Social commentary and contemporary references give this magical story an element of realism. A stand-out debut novel by Mark Sabbas. Star rating: 5 Stars Summary : Beautifully written, with incredible world building and unforgettable characters, this book will appeal to readers of science fiction and fantasy of all ages. Purchase here

Lightwaves < Back David Edgar Grinnell Lightwaves Spring 1941, in the midst of World War II, a young Jewish man named Michael is hiding from the Gestapo in a secret room in a church. His father was murdered, and his mother was captured by the nazi’s and believed to be taken to a concentration camp. He meets the Dembitz family, a Jewish family with a daughter named Emily, also in hiding. Despite the horrendous situation, Michael and Emily fall in love and marry in secret in 1942, when Emily discovers she is pregnant. But the family are separated when they are captured by the Gestapo and are taken to different concentration camps across Europe. In 2016, Charlie Campel is fired from his job at the National Civil War Museum in Washington DC. When he visits the Holocaust Museum in search of alternative employment, he finds a ring with the inscription of Michael Luke Adelman and a Star of David, dated 1942. He is unable to locate the owner of the ring at the museum and takes it home for safe keeping. He is determined to keep the ring safe until he can find the rightful owner. Charlie meets a young woman named Luna, and they fall madly in love. But Luna is distraught when she cannot find a family heirloom she promised to pass on to her one true love. As Charlie and Luna’s relationship blossoms, they soon discover a connection that takes the couple back to the horrors of World War II. Lightwaves is a novella for young adult readers, by author David Edgar Grinnell. Set primarily in Washington DC in 2016, with an alternate storyline set in Europe following the outbreak of World War II, the book provides multiple perspectives on religious persecution. Whilst the book deals with difficult themes of antisemitism, war and terrorism, it is ultimately a story of love. Both couples find love unexpectedly, but their love is torn apart by outside forces. Grinnell seamlessly weaves together the past and present, in a way that will connect with young readers. It is a reminder that antisemitism is still present today, long after the end of World War II. Star rating: 5 Stars Summary : A poignant and moving story of love and tragedy. Purchase here