Posted on

Our Chemical Hearts

Our Chemical Hearts
Krystal Sutherland
Hot Key Books, 2016
Paperback, 313 pages, £7.99
ISBN 9781471405839

 

This book focuses on Henry Page, who falls in love with Grace. Grace isn’t an ordinary teenage girl, she wears oversized men’s clothes and smells like she hasn’t washed in weeks. But there is something else about her, something she is hiding, something that is keeping herself from falling in love again, and Henry won’t stop until he knows what it is. But will Grace ever open up about her secrets from the past? Or will Henry have to figure it out on his own?

Sutherland writes about loss, love, and longing in this coming-of-age novel. It is beautifully written and I would definitely suggest this book to all romance readers. You get to see Henry’s relationship with his two best friends, family, and Grace. I loved seeing Henry’s character development throughout the book. It is a sad but amazing story and definitely makes you think when you are finished reading it. I would recommend this book to all teen romance readers.

Esmée Kidd, teen reviewer

Posted on

The Queen Of Nothing

The Queen of Nothing
Holly Black
Hot Key Books, July 2020
Paperback, 320 pages, £7.99
ISBN 9781471407598

 

Jude Duarte, a mortal in modern-day life, is an exile of Faerieland. Once the Queen of Faerie, now she spends her time with Oak and Vivi watching reality television and riding the bus like everyone else. When the opportunity arises for her to return to her land, she leaps for such freedom. Once there, she must disguise herself as her twin sister, Taryn.

Jude is just getting into the rhythm of her new life in the mortal world. She has rekindled some relationships and has crossed paths with old friends. Yet, a curious curse is released, leaving destruction in its wake. She must think with her head instead of her heart to save everyone, and suffer the personal consequence.

This is a fantastically sculpted story and a credit to the fantasy category. The weird and wonderful journey Black takes the reader on is unpredictable. The Queen of Nothing is drenched in powerful, beautiful descriptions making the novel so vivid in my memory. I will forever cherish this and I am so glad I have read one of Holly Black’s books.

Emma Muldoon Ryan

Posted on

The Way Home

The Way Home
Julian Barr
Odyssey Books, 2015
Paperback, 246 pages, £9.95
ISBN 9781925652352

The story starts off with the gods at war, which has, unfortunately, left Aeneas’ country in flames. Aeneas must now make it his mission to help the survivors and find a new place to live. The gods continue to meddle with Aeneas and the rest of the survivors, making room for action and suspense.

Throughout the book, we learn that Aeneas is a warrior in the making. We see his powers in use on his journey with the survivors. It becomes clear how devious the gods truly are, and how tough they make their travels. Will Aeneas and remaining survivors make it to a new place to live… or will the gods win?

As you read on, you can see how much Aeneas grows and how he is willing to take on what the gods have to offer. Julian Barr captures this ancient story and the Greek gods very well. This book is definitely a page turner.

As a reader, you are very eager to know who will win: Aeneas or the gods. From reading this book you can see how much research went into it, thanks to the detail Julian Barr captured. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and was left wanting more. This is also the first of a trilogy by Julian Bar.

I would recommend this novel for late teens, it is an easy read and a great history lesson in the making.

Lorna M

Posted on

This is My America

This is My America
Kim Johnson
Penguin Random House, July 2020
Hardback, 416 pages, £13.99
ISBN 9780593118764

 

Tracy Beaumont is a seventeen-year-old student and activist. For the past seven years she has been working on appealing her father’s case. Now Tracy’s father James is on death row and is running out of time. Tracy has been writing letters to Innocence X every week for the last seven years to get an attorney to help save her innocent father. All her troubles increase when her bother Jamal becomes the main suspect for the murder of Angela, the school newspaper’s editor-in-chief. Thus begins a race against time to prove both James and Jamal’s innocence.

Kim Johnson has chosen themes that every reader, no matter what age, will be hooked on when they open the book. Tracy is a loveable, but at times irritating, character. There is sadness, mystery, excitement, and first love. But more importantly, Johnson highlights people with underrepresented voices. Within the novel, Johnson is reminding the reader that white supremacy still exists in many communities in America. Anyone who has ever enjoyed To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee will love this book because it is a step closer to highlighting the wrong that Black communities often face in their everyday life. This is an important book that discusses the criminal justice system in America and police brutality. It is hard to put down.

Anet Rumberg

Posted on

STAGS 3: FOXES

STAGS 3: FOXES
M.A. Bennett
Hot Key Books, August 2020
Paperback, 416 pages, £7.99
ISBN 9781471408595

 

FOXES is the end to an exciting and spellbinding trilogy by M.A. Bennett. It tells the story of a girl called Greer MacDonald, her best friends, and the mystery in the school they attend. There is a certain thrill in being invited to go away with the privileged Chuck Bass and Serena Van Der Woodsens of the STAGS world on a weekend away for hunting, shooting and fishing until things turn out to not be as they seem – there’s a dangerous possibility of being murdered and it being made to look like an accident.

I would describe the STAGS series as Harry Potter meets Gossip Girl. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the rest of the series, and highly recommend it to anyone who loves a bit of mystery and lots of surprises.

Medb O’Gorman

Posted on

Midnight’s Twins

Midnight’s Twins
Holly Race
Hot Key Books, June 2020
Paperback, 419 pages, €8.99
ISBN 9781471409165

Londoner Fern King and her twin brother Ollie have just discovered Annwn, a dream world where dreams and nightmares come to life. Annwn is a mirror of Fern’s real world in London. They soon discover that Annwn is full of dangers and the nightmares are growing stronger.

Midnight’s Twins is a debut novel and the first in a trilogy. With strong characters and amazing world building I was hooked from the beginning and can’t wait for the next in the series! The detail of the world building is impeccable. I was fully immersed and invested throughout. The relationship between twins, Ollie and Fern, is fraught with tension and I found myself going back and forth between who I supported. Between tense battles, friendships are being built and so there is a hint of coming of age about this story.

Overall, this was a fantastic YA fantasy with diverse and interesting characters. We meet fae, angels and other mythical creatures – and the fantastic world building deserves a second mention!

Lisa Whelan

Posted on

The Stone Balancer


The Stone Balancer
John Townsend
Ransom Publishing, 2019
Paperback, 242 pages, £7.99
ISBN 9781785913624

This book is set in a small seaside town in England in the present day. Fin is a quiet, reserved 14-year-old boy. He lives with his sick mother, who worries about him, and distracts himself from his troubles by practicing his hobby of stone balancing, which is balancing pebbles and sea stones to create a sculpture. He decides to sell photos of his
sculptures to raise money for a local guide dog charity. He befriends a girl called Sophie, who spots something unsettling in his photos. When his mother has to go to hospital for a few weeks, his Uncle Calvin comes to stay with him. Fin soon finds out that his uncle has a violent streak and is only there to swindle Fin out of the inheritance he got from his grandfather. Sophie and Fin also try to solve a murder.

The Stone Balancer is an incredible YA book filled with twists and turns. You’ll feel so hooked onto every word that you won’t be able to put it down! If you enjoy murder mysteries this is 100% the perfect book for you. This book is filled with emotion; fear, anger and joy! It’s very well written, the characters are believable, the story never drags as you’re pulled into Fin’s world. The relationships between the characters feel fully believable and the story is very
convincing.

Author John Townsend was a secondary school teacher who’d written over 300 books. Most of them were educational books for young readers. This is his first for young adults book since he gave up teaching as he’s now a full-time
writer. I thought it was a brilliant read and I’d look forward to reading his next YA book.

Cate Reid, teen reviewer

Posted on

The M Word

The M Word
Brian Conaghan
Bloomsbury, 2019
Paperback, 337 pages, £7.99
ISBN 9781408871577

Maggie Yates lives with her mother and is about to start studying at her local art college. She has just lost her best friend Moya and is struggling with grief. Brian Conaghan’s latest novel is rooted in reality. His concise prose and portrayal of real issues pull no punches in writing about the effects of grief. Maggie is trying to find a way, any way, to move on from the loss of her friend. She uses music, from The Smiths to Elliot Smith, and also turns to more drastic measures to get through it. Coupled with this, Maggie’s mum has lost her job and is suffering with depression.

Hope for Maggie comes in the form of building new friendships in college and a tentative relationship with her somewhat new-age counsellor, Anna. Much of the story is concerned with Maggie talking to Moya in her head, really trying to understand what happened and how to carry on herself.

Brian Conaghan’s writing is sparse and economical, full of short sentences which often drop pronouns, really getting to the point. The characters feel well developed, even as they sometimes only grunt at each other as is often the case between Maggie and Mum. This is not to say that they dislike each other, rather that both are dealing with their own demons.

Maggie’s new friends, particularly Davis, bring a levity to the plot along with a subplot regarding a blind date for Mum. The M Word is a fantastic read with brilliant characters. Its portrayal of grief is unflinching and powerful. Readers should be aware that it contains some disturbing and adult themes.

Derek Carney

Posted on

Shakespeare’s Ghost

Shakespeare’s Ghost
Mary Hoffman
The Greystones Press, 2016
Paperback, 358 pages, £8.99
ISBN 9781911122005

The year is 1610, and William Shakespeare is the most popular playwright in England.

Edmund Lambert is a 17-year-old on the cusp of change. As an actor in the King’s Men theatre group, he is now beginning to play male parts instead of the female parts in plays (that’s right, in England women were only allowed to perform on stage from the 1660s!). He is coming towards the end of his apprenticeship to the theatre company and does not know where his life is soon to lead him. Until he starts receiving visits from an ethereal woman in green, who nobody else can see. Who else could he turn to, but Shakespeare himself?

For all historical fiction fanatics this read is fun and exciting and it is a brilliant page-turner for readers wanting to learn a little more about life in Shakespeare’s England. Possibly, Mary Hoffman sometimes sacrificed character development and plot intricacies for a more educational approach. In this way, this is the perfect read for anyone fascinated by the early modern period, with an exciting supernatural twist. However, there were times when some seemingly important details were left unexplained and unexplored as a result.

The setting and time felt thoroughly researched and authentic. For this, I applaud the writer. As a Shakespeare fanatic myself, I enjoyed the many references to his plays and personal life. I do wonder if a certain level of knowledge is expected of the reader, but regardless the fantastical element lends to a thrilling read for young teens.

Sinéad Creedon

Posted on

Review: Tell Me No Truths by Gill Vickery

  • Tell Me No Truths
  • Gill Vickery
  • The Greystones Press, 2018
  • Paperback, 338 pages, £8.99
  • ISBN 9781911122234

Nico, Jade and, Amber meet in Florence during a trip with their respective families. Nico wants to follow the path of his favourite crime author, E.J. Holme, who lives as a recluse, and Amber and Jade want to understand why their grandfather had to flee Italy after the fascist Black Brigade attacked a Partisans’ farm on April 9, 1944. All the answers seem to be found in Borgo Sant’ Angelo. Are the twin sisters ready to uncover the truth about their grandfather? Will Nico finally discover the identity of E.J. Holme? What is the link between the writer and the sisters’ story?

Gill Vickery’s novel Tell Me No Truths is about secrets: the secret identity of E.J. Holme, the secret of Jade and Amber’s grandfather, the secret of Borgo Sant’ Angelo’s Partisans. It is also about growing up, becoming independent, and accepting the past to be able to move on.

All characters are well-developed; they all have qualities and flaws which make them relatable. Nico dresses like a goth and is passionate about drawing. He struggles with a very protective mother and a step-father he finds annoying. Jade is empathetic and calm whereas her sister, Amber, is impulsive and energetic. They both really miss their grandfather and want to understand his past. The sisters are afraid of telling their parents about their research fearing they will disapprove it.

The plot and sub-plots are well-structured and as I was as surprised as Nico, Jade, and, Amber when the truths were finally unveiled. Chapters which take place in the present moment are followed by chapters which relate the event taking place during World War II. Following the two storylines is easy and they complement each other. 

In this book, Gill Vickery also shares her love for Italy and Florence and I really enjoyed following the three teenagers around the city. It also made me want to learn more about World War II in Italy and about the Partisans’ fight against fascism.

This is an excellent book that I would recommend if you are looking for a gripping storyline. 

Anne-Charlotte Gerbaud