Year: 2023

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You are invited to our Issue 12 Launch!

Join us for an evening of Young Adult Literature, Art and Book Reviews with readings from our teen and over 19 contributors. All welcome!

If you’ve never been to an arts or book event launch before and want to see what they’re like, please come along – we’d love to have you!

Everyone who joins us in-person will be entered into our free book raffle.

We will also have a selection of readings in our online launch on our YouTube channel.

Order Issue 12 today
You're invited... Issue 12 Launch Clockwork Door, 51 Wellington Quay, Temple Bar, Dublin and Online on YouTube Wednesday, 23rd August at  6pm - 7pm Join us for an evening of Young Adult Literature, Art and Book Reviews with readings from our teen and over 19 contributors. All welcome! Everyone who joins us in-person will be entered into our free book raffle

Where:

Clockwork Door, 51 Wellington Quay, Temple Bar, Dublin

and

Online on our YouTube channel

When: Wednesday, 23rd August at  6pm – 7pm

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Review: What Walks These Halls by Amy Clarkin

What Walks These Halls
Amy Clarkin
The O’Brien Press, April 2023
Paperback, €12.99
ISBN: 9781788493734

 

What Walks These Halls is an interesting, modern take on a paranormal story following a handful of different characters, each with their own unique personality that shines throughout the story. 

We first meet the intelligent Raven and are introduced to her turbulent relationship with her family. I really enjoyed the cryptic nature of this story and the way not everything is revealed at once. This can be seen in Archer’s motivations and Éabha’s mysterious abilities. It draws you into the story and keeps you turning the pages for hours.

Despite Raven’s disapproval and reluctant involvement, Archer revives the family business: PSI, or Paranormal Surveys Ireland. The two siblings, along with their team of friends, embark on a journey filled with secrets, mystery and most importantly, paranormal activity. I enjoyed the way the relationships of the characters develop and evolve throughout this story; I was rooting for them the whole time and it kept me questioning what would happen next. 

What Walks These Halls is Amy Clarkin’s debut novel and I am looking forward to seeing more of her fiction in the future. She handles relationships, social dynamics and character building in a highly engaging and relatable way. 

Hanna-Rose Sullivan, 18

 

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Review: How to be a (Young) Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi and Nic Stone

How to be a (Young) Antiracist
Ibram X. Kendi and Nic Stone
Penguin Young Readers, January 2023
Paperback, €10.30
ISBN: 9780593461600

 

How to be a (Young) Antiracist is a really clever book. The authors manage to effectively deal with complex issues surrounding racism in a way that is easy to understand. The novel’s opening quote states “we will win.” It sets the scene of an optimistic and insightful tone that Kendi and Stone deliver their story with. How to be a (Young) Antiracist is laid out in a refreshingly simple format that outlines the different parts of the book. These parts aim to address racism inside (our own perceptions and biases), outside (investigating the intersections of racism and its impact on the world around us) and upside down (antiracism and pathways to changemaking).

The book is unusual because it is often told from a second-person perspective, as Kendi revolves his story around the milestones in his adolescence, and attempts to self-correct his previously misguided perceptions. Whilst it can get confusing at times when the narrative jumps back and forth between different  time periods, Kendi and Stone succeed in delivering an important message in simple terms. 

As Kendi recalls his own mistakes and experiences throughout his journey of antiracism, he evokes relatability and guidance within the minds of young readers who are possibly facing similar challenges. His self-deprecating humour and honest revelations are combined with consistent definitions that help readers to understand everything he is trying to say. Meanwhile, Stone backs up Kendi’s anecdotes with relevant figures and statistics. The result is a comprehensive guide of what it means to be an antiracist and the extremely possible outcomes that hope and activism can achieve.

Danielle Briody, 17