The Wolf’s Howl: A Maven & Reeve Mystery Book 2
By A. L. Tait Reviewed by Sandy Driessens The Wolf’s Howl is, what the Glawn Castle locals call, the biting, freezing gale that rages around the mountains, in the valleys and perhaps, metaphorically, inside the castle itself. This second Maven and Reeve Mystery,
Nowhere on Earth
Written and Illustrated by Nick Lake Reviewed by Junior Reviewer Leonard Cavallaro Leonard is 13 years old, an aspiring writer and loves fantasy novels. Three hearts out of five - I enjoyed this book Who is your favourite character? Describe them and tell us
Gone
By Michael Grant Reviewed by Junior Reviewer Aaron Ding Aaron Ding is 11 years old with a passion to write stories, and is always looking for ways to improve them! Go and read it!!! ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ First published over a decade
House of Hollow
By Krystal Sutherland Reviewed by Margaret McKay-Lowndes In House of Hollow, Krystal Sutherland has tapped into a rich store of fairy tales and folklore to mine the concept of the changeling, a tradition found in many nations from Ireland to Scandinavia to
Illuminae – Absolutely BRILLIANT! ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ (+♥)
By Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff Reviewed by Junior Reviewer Aaron Ding Aaron Ding is 11 years old with a passion to write stories, and is always looking for ways to improve them! What is your favourite character? (And why?) The Artificial Intelligence Defence
Sugar Town Queens
By Malla Nunn Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Malla Nunn, a South African now living and working in Australia, writes adult crime novels as well as YA fiction. This is her second YA title after the much praised When The Ground Is Hard.
Skulduggery Pleasant #14 Dead or Alive
By Derek Landy Reviewed by Leonard Cavallaro, aged 12. Leonard is an aspiring author with a love of fantasy. Who is your favourite character? Describe them and tell us why you like them. Arch-Cannon Damocles Creed is the perfect blend of intelligence and evil.
When Rain Turns to Snow
by Jane Godwin Reviewed by Sharon Bryan Jane Godwin is an Australian author who has written books for children of all ages. Her picture books, such as Today We Have No Plans (illustrated by Anna Walker) and Hattie Helps Out (with Davina
The True Colour of a Little White Lie
By Gabriel Bergmoser Reviewed by Zewlan Moor Gabriel Bergmoser is a Melbourne-based author and playwright. In 2016 his first young adult novel, Boone Shepard, was shortlisted for the Readings Young Adult Prize. This is his second book for this age group. Fourteen-year-old, horror-movie-buff
This One is Ours
By Kate O'Donnell Reviewed by Margaret McKay-Lowndes Kate O’Donnell is the award-winning author of Untidy Towns, and This One Is Ours is her second novel. In a coming-of age tale, sixteen-year-old Sofie is in Paris on an art school exchange. A talented
The Electric Kingdom
By David Arnold Reviewed by Margaret McKay-Lowndes So much of the literature we enjoy today has been inspired by the monumental events of the 20th century: two world wars, the Great Depression, the Cold War and the list goes on. It makes
What Beauty There Is
By Cory Anderson Reviewed by Sue Wright Things are dire for 17 year old Jack Dahl and his beloved younger brother Matty. Their mother—no longer able to cope—is dead: Jack buried her himself, and with their violent father still in jail for
The Gilded Ones
By Namina Forna Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Namina, born in Sierra Leone, is an American author of young adult fiction and a successful screenwriter. The Gilded Ones, a fantasy about a teenager with special powers, is her YA debut novel and the
Honeybee
By Craig Silvey Reviewed by Margarite Igras Another highly acclaimed young adult fiction by this Australian author, previously best known for Jasper Jones which was made into a popular film. Honeybee is inspired by a real event which occurred when Silvey’s brother and
The Protected
By Claire Zorn Reviewed by Margaret McKay-Lowndes Young Adult novels often take the form of sci-fi, fantasy or dystopia, taking us to amazing worlds full of dragons, aliens, or earth-changing catastrophes. Not so The Protected, an award winning novel by Claire Zorn
When We Are Invisible
By Claire Zorn Reviewed by Margaret McKay-Lowndes I watched a movie once where the world was about to end in six days because the sun was hurtling toward the earth instead of sitting comfortably at the centre of the universe. The screen
Punching the Air
By Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam Illustrated by Omar T. Pasha Reviewed by Inda Ahmad Zahri This powerful and emotional verse novel inspired by the experience of co-writer Yusef Salaam of the ‘Exonerated 5.’ 16-year-old Amal Shahid is facing charges of assault, a
With the Fire on High
By Elizabeth Acevedo Reviewed by Inda Ahmad Zahri This delectable novel about a teen mum with an almost supernatural talent for cooking had me hooked from the start, and cheering for the main character until the end. Emoni Santiago is 17 years old.
Listen Layla
by Yassmin Abdel-Magied Reviewed by Zewlan Moor From the first few pages, main character Layla demonstrates her energy and irrepressible spirit by dancing around “like a whirling dervish from Sudan, the country of her birth.” She is singing in Arabic, while welding
The Left-Handed Booksellers of London
By Garth Nix Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Garth has been a hugely successful writer for many years and his YA books include the Old Kingdom fantasy series; SF novels Shade’s Children and A Confusion of Princes; and a Regency romance with magic,
The End of the World is Bigger than Love
by Davina Bell Reviewed by Margaret McKay-Lowndes Have you ever wondered what would happen if the world stopped turning? Would the sun hang motionless in the sky? Would the tides stop ebbing and flowing? Would survival be impossible? In The End of
Watch Over Me
by Nina Lacour reviewed by Margaret McKay-Lowndes In Watch Over Me, Nina Lacour, award winning author of We Are Okay, pulls the reader into a story of adolescent self-discovery which borders on a psychological thriller. Mila is a vulnerable teen, a victim of
Before the Beginning
by Anna Morgan reviewed by Margaret McKay-Lowndes “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul” Mark 8:36 This quote opens this gripping coming-of-age story from Anna Morgan author of All that Impossible Space, and provides
Salt to the Sea
by Ruta Sepetys reviewed by Margaret McKay-Lowndes Ruta Sepetys is the award winning author of “Between Shades of Grey”. In “Salt to the Sea”, published in 2016 she presents a fictional account of one of the worst disasters in maritime history, the torpedoing
The Midnight Lie
by Marie Rutkoski reviewed by Mia Macrossan A midnight lie is one told for someone else's sake - a lie that sits between goodness and wrong, just as midnight is the moment between night and morning. This story, about forbidden love in a
House of Dragons
by Jessica Cluess reviewed by Margaret McKay-Lowndes The author's website describes her new book House of Dragons as “the intrigue of the Three Dark Crowns meets the cast of The Breakfast Club if they rode dragons into battle” and it is difficult
Harrow Lake
by Kat Ellis reviewed by Margaret McKay-Lowndes This is the fourth YA novel for UK writer Kat Ellis, who professes to write“YA thrillers with a touch of the weird”. There is no doubt that Harrow Lake has a touch of the weird. With
Yes, No, Maybe So
by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed reviewed by Margaret McKay-Lowndes Yes, No, Maybe So is a collaboration, and the latest publication, from authors Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed. Albertalli’s novel, Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda has been made into a film,
The Betrothed
by Kiera Cass reviewed by Tyrion Perkins Kiera Cass is known for her best-selling Selection series and The Betrothed, the first book in a duology, has been highly anticipated by fans. The cover photo is of a young woman in a golden
Deeplight
by Frances Hardinge reviewed by Margaret McKay-Lowndes The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, an epic poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, brings home the excitement, wonder and poetry of the sea. Voyages to far flung places have inspired dramatic and heroic tales. And
