Half Wild by Sally Green

'Half Wild' is book two in the Half Bad trilogy (my review of book one can be found here). I read 'Half Bad' about a year and a half ago, and was worried that I wouldn't remember all the details, but luckily Sally Green has a canny way of updating the reader on all that has happened in the first couple of chapters of 'Half Wild'.

It's going to be difficult to talk about the book without giving away spoilers, but there are a few things I can say - it's as brilliant as the first; you won't want to put it down; you still don't know who to trust; you'll have to wait until March 2016 for the final book in the trilogy (that's the worst bit).

At the beginning of 'Half Wild' we find Nathan at a cave, a meeting place he'd arranged with Gabriel to meet with him if all turned bad. He's been there nearly a month, and still no Gabriel. The last Nathan can remember is fighting with Hunters, Gabriel trying to provide a distraction so Nathan could escape, the Fairborn knife being taken from him, and his close friend Annalise being taken by Mercury and put into a death-like sleep. So, Nathan wants to track down Mercury, save Annalise and find Gabriel. Of course a million other things happen. What about Marcus, Nathan's father? The last we heard of him in book one was when he gave Nathan his 3 gifts, but he didn't want to hang around because he'd heard the only reason Mercury will give up Annalise to Nathan is if he brings her the head or heart of Marcus. So, Nathan also wants to track down his father.

Nathan gets help from unexpected places, but of course he has to provide something in return. He soon finds himself with a lot of blood on his hands, and in a situation that he has known would come, but which he prayed wouldn't. With a war between the Council and the Black and White Witches escalating, Nathan has to juggle love, family and his Half Wild gift to stay alive.

Absolutely brilliant.

Big Game by Dan Smith

It's quite common for big movies with big-name actors to be based on a bestselling book, but in this instance it's the opposite. At the moment, there is a film out 'Big Game' starring Samuel L. Jackson, written by Jalmari Helander and Petri Jokiranta, and directed by Jalmari Helander. Barry Cunningham, from publishers Chicken House, approached children's author Dan Smith ('My Friend the Enemy', 'My Brother's Secret') and asked if he could bring the characters to life on the page. Well, what a brilliant job he's done. I couldn't put the book down - I read it in a day. It's full of adrenalin-fuelled action and adventure, you're hardly allowed to stop and draw breath. The characters are thrown from one near-death experience to another.

The story is set in Finland. It is the eve of Oskari's 13th birthday, and following tradition he has to spend one night and one day alone in the forests surrounding Mount Akka with just a bow and arrow and an emergency fire kit and a few small essentials. At the end of that time he must emerge from the forest with his prize. When his father was his age, he came out carrying a bear's head. However, the villagers don't seem to have much faith in Oskari's ability to hunt and kill anything. Oskari is soon to find out that the forest contains things more frightening than bears and elks, and he and all the villagers will discover he has more courage and heroism than anyone would have imagined.

A brilliant adventure for ages 11+.