Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

(Review by Megan, age 14)

The original story behind the Netflix show, 13 Reasons Why is a very raw and emotional story about a suicidal girl who has left behind casette tapes for her peers who are the 'reasons why'. 

The book is different from the on-screen show, but is definitely still hard-hitting and certainly makes you think about the affect you make on other people's lives, that however small it may be, it can make a big difference. It might not be a story for everyone, but I think that everyone should read it, because unfortunately, it is based on countless true stories that are still happening around the world today.

Overall, a very touching, emotive and important tale, told in a realistic and heart-breaking way. I recommend this book to anyone aged 13+.

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman

Alice Oseman is a truly remarkable young author. At age 18 she had her first book published by Harper Collins, 'Solitaire'. As you can see from my review of that book, I loved it and thought Alice just wonderful (she's also lovely in person - she came along to Waterstones Truro for a signing of Solitaire, and she spoke to our Teen reading group, who were inspired by her).

As you can imagine, I couldn't wait to read her second book 'Radio Silence'. I was just blown away. It's incredible. She pulls you right into the story, makes the characters real. This is because she writes about real situations that everyone can relate to. Alice herself is now 21 and is at university studying English. She was an excellent student at school. Guess what Frances, one of the main characters is about to do? She's an A-grade student at school and is expected/wants to go to Cambridge to study English. Alice is currently hating her course at University (just read her twitter messages). Guess what Aled, the other main character in the book, is going through? Alice is a keen user of Tumblr. A Tumblr story is a key thread in this book. I keep reading advice from other authors about writing about things you know. It's absolutely true - Alice is proof of this. Keep it real and your stories are addictive.

The one character I couldn't believe in was Aled and Carys's mother, Carol. I truly hope that Alice wasn't basing her on anybody she knows, because that is one evil character. Can a mother do such horrific things to her children to disturb them so much mentally? 

This is a fantastic book about discovering your true identity, believing in yourself, following your dreams and not feeling you have to do what is expected of you. It's also about realising that not conforming is ok - just because you're different doesn't mean you're weird. You're still a human being, with feelings. And lastly it's about the strength of friendships - never give up on your friends, true friends stay together forever.

What Milo Saw by Virginia Macgregor

Milo's dad has run off with his secretary to Abu Dhabi, leaving Milo's distraught and heartbroken mum, Sandy, to cope with looking after Milo, Milo's pet pig Hamlet, and Milo's great grandma Lou. Milo has a sight problem - he suffers from retinitis pigmentosa, which means he has only pinhole vision, a condition which only gets worse and results in blindness. Lou is starting to suffer from dementia, and creates an incident at home which results in her being put into a nursing home. However, even though Milo is the one with the vision problem, he seems to see clearer than the adults around him when it comes to things happening right in front of their eyes. The nursing home is not as nice a place as the manager portrays, and Milo sets out to prove she is mistreating the residents. But no-one wants to listen to a young boy with a pig when they have problems of their own.

This is quite a sweet story, but for me it was overlong (I was skimreading large parts), and slightly confusing in places. The topics covered are rather current - dementia, the war in Syria, refugees, the lottery of choosing a nice care home, couples separated, depression, even mail order brides! I think my favourite character is Mr Overland, the man who watches everything from his bedroom window, whistling continuously. I guess that's because I'm a bit of a nosey parker myself! Milo himself is a strong boy who loves his great-gran very much, and is determined for his voice to be heard.

Contains some swearing.

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.

The Glory by Lauren St John

Oh my goodness, I love Lauren St John's writing so much. I've been a huge fan since her White Giraffe series (**newsflash** there will be a new title in that series 'Operation Rhino' due out August 2015) , which was then followed by the brilliant Laura Marlin series, then the excellent One Dollar Horse series, and now there is this 'The Glory'. All I can say is that her writing is as superb as ever. I read this book in a day, it was so engrossing. Lauren has this excellent ability of describing places in such beautiful detail that you want to get straight on a plane to visit it. This happened after I'd read 'Rendezvous in Russia'. I'd always wanted to go to Russia, and after reading this I said to my daughter 'Right, we're off'. We visited St Petersburg and I was just so excited I didn't care that it rained the whole week, and I didn't care that I had to spend a week's wages to buy a ballet ticket - it was all worth it. It was beautiful.

So, now Colorado is my next port of call. I followed the trail of The Glory (a fictional month-long, 1200 mile horse and rider endurance race, with a $250,000 prize) in one of my guidebooks on the USA, and the places just sound amazing. I want to to go horseriding, I want to buy a cowboy hat, I want to go to that cafe in Boulder, I want to experience the spectacular scenery and surroundings, I want to camp out under the stars (without the rattlesnakes).

Thank you Lauren for enriching my literary and travelling life!

Marly's Ghost by David Levithan

I've only read one of David Levithan's novels, and that was co-written with Rachel Cohn 'Dash and Lily's Book of Dares'. I just loved it. I could see why fans of John Green liked his style of writing, and of course vice-versa. Even though 'Marly's Ghost' has just been released over here, it was actually first published in 2005, early on in Levithan's writing career. It's an interesting one - I don't know whether I liked it or not. It's a reworking of Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol', but the reasons for the ghostly visits are not because Ben, the main character, (whose name we find out near the end is actually short for Ebenezer Scrooge) is a miser, but because he is finding it hard to move on in life after the death of his girlfriend, Marly. He withdraws himself from life, family and friends and cannot understand how life is continuing around him. The ghosts try to point out that he can keep the memory of Marly in his heart, but not like a ball and chain. He must let go, and carry on with his life.

I adore 'A Christmas Carol', and that could be the main reason why I wasn't sure about David's version. It's literally a copy, but slightly mixed up in places, so I knew what was coming and could guess the ending, which always spoils the reading of a book. David acknowledges at the end of his book that readers would either love it or hate it, but he hoped they would just go along with his version just for the pure enjoyment of it.

I'm sure true fans of Levithan will love it, but the jury's out for me.

The Door That Led To Where by Sally Gardner

I was a bit disappointed with this book. I've read a couple of Sally Gardner's books in the past - I loved 'Tinder' and 'I, Coriander'. This one just felt a bit of a rushed, mish-mash of a book. It's a time-travel story, but I got really confused with the characters and which time they were supposed to be living in or originally from. It was disjointed, didn't flow very well for me, and just not really Sally's usual style. It had the basics of a good storyline, but just not very well told. Sorry Sally, but a thumbs down for me.

The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson

The volatile and mysterious Leo has been transferred to Eden Park school after an incident at his previous school. There he attracts the attention of David. They both have something in common - they are keeping a big secret about their life. Leo's life is about to change drastically when his secret is found out and spread around the school. But this has a positive impact on David - it makes him reveal his secret to Leo, and as a result they realise they should be truthful to themselves and show everyone who they really are.

A wonderful story about transgender, identity, being true to yourself, standing up to bullies, and the strength of friendship. Also check out Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky for slightly younger children.

Unspeakable by Abbie Rushton

About a year ago, Megan witnessed a harrowing incident which made her unable to talk for the following 12 months. She blames herself for what happened, and there are demons inside her which bully her and tease her and encourage her to blame herself. Her mother struggles to look after her - she is a single mother with no family to help out, trying to hold down a job in the local cafe. Megan doesn't have many friends - the spiteful bully Sadie and her gang constantly talk nastily to her, knowing she can't reply. Her only friend is Luke - that is, until the bright and bubbly Jasmine starts at the same school. They instantly become inseparable friends, but when Jasmine starts to fall for Owen, Sadie's ex, Megan realises that it's not just friendship she wants with Jasmine. Then Jasmine starts to receive anonymous threatening notes and messages. Is Jasmine's life in danger, and can Megan be brave enough to cope with another awful incident in her life?

This book is surprisingly very readable. You want to find out what happened in Megan's life that made her stop talking. There are many issues that are covered in the book, mainly post-traumatic stress, and dealing with confusing emotions of who you love. These issues are dealt with gently and sensitively. The only thing I was slightly bored with was the set up of Megan living on a rundown estate, with yob boys hanging around, single mum, and the bully girls at school who seem to get away with all the nastiness they throw at Megan. But this is only probably because I've read a few books recently with the same formats - so much so that a couple of those books I got fed up with and stopped reading after a few chapters. But Abbie's easy style of writing and her way of enticing you into wanting to know what happens next, meant I quite enjoyed reading this - it only took me about 2 days to read.

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton

What a wonderful, magical, original, beautifully told story! It has made such a welcome change to the sort of teen fiction that I've been reading recently. The sad thing is that it had been sat on my shelf for about 6 months and I was never keen on reading it. What a treat I was missing. The only way I can describe the writing is like a mixture of Perfume and Chocolat - it has the essence of a beautiful, unusual French piece of literature, with a magical fairy tale thrown in. Even though I loved the whole book, I found I enjoyed the second half much better, as it is more about Ava herself, rather than her family tree background which takes up the first half.

Ava Lavender was born with something rather unusual - wings. She was also one of twins - her brother didn't speak at all until he was nearly a teenager, and only then either in a different language or when he only had something really important to say. The problem was, that people didn't understand the importance of his strong link to his sister or the importance of what he had to say, until it was too late.

The book is about intense love, jealousy, being different, acceptance, strong bonds and desires, wickedness, misunderstandings - in fact everything life can throw at you, but in a magical fairy tale way.

Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer

Well, in comparison to the last book I read which I struggled through in over a week, this wonder of a novel took me just under a couple of days, and I missed it when I wasn't reading it. If you liked We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, or Solitaire by Alice Oseman, then I think you'll love this.

Jam (short for Jamaica) is a teenager with troubles. Her boyfriend of 41 days, English exchange student Reeve, has died. He was the love of her life, he filled her days and nights. Now he's gone and she's reached the depths of despair. She cannot get over her loss. So much so that her parents feel the only way they, and she, can cope is to send her to The Wooden Barn, a special boarding school for fragile teenagers. She is chosen as one of 5 students to take part in Special Topics in English, where their wonderful teacher, the kind and elderly Mrs Quenell, hopes they can work through their troubles through studying texts. Their text is Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar. Mrs Quenell also gives each of them a journal which they must fill in as often as they can, and then hand it in at the end of term. It turns out that writing in the journal gives the students solace and comfort in more ways than they can imagine, and Belzhar (with the 'zh' pronounced as in Dr Zhivago) is born.

I just loved everything about this book - the characters, the plot, the storytelling. Meg Wolitzer has written a wonderful story about grief, acceptance, life and love.

Back to Blackbrick by Sarah Moore Fitzgerald

(Review by Megan :D)

Cosmo is a teenage boy who desperately wants to try to save his Grandad from Alzheimer's, but things aren't looking too good. But one night, his Grandad gives him a mysterious key, that he says will unlock the South Gates of Blackbrick Abbey. Confused but curious, Cosmo ventures out to Blackbrick, and finds a time portal that goes all the way back to when his Grandad was 16, working as a slave at Blackbrick! Seeing the chance to get his Grandad's memory back, Cosmo stays at Blackbrick to find out some answers. He makes new friends and solves puzzles, then disaster strikes! Will things turn out all right for Cosmo and Grandad Kevin in the end?

I love the way Sarah writes this book: it's funny, mysterious, sad and clever and makes you never want to put it down! Time travel allways fascinates me, and this book uses it brilliantly! I would recommend this novel to 12+/13+ due to some bad language and other features.
A great book to me, 5 stars! 

A Song for Ella Grey by David Almond

This is such a beautiful, lyrical, magical story - such a complete contrast to the recent teen romance and dystopian stories I've been reading. It's a modern-day telling of the Greek myth Eurydice and Orpheus. I read a brief precis of that myth after I'd finished 'Ella Grey' and David has stuck quite closely to the story.

Claire and Ella are best friends at school in Newcastle, in fact they've been best friends since they were tiny. One weekend, Claire and her other friends go away camping to the coast, and meet a very strange young travelling man, who plays beautiful music on his lyre. His name is Orpheus. Claire rings Ella, who has had to stay at home to revise, and holds the phone up so Ella can hear the mesmerising, enchanting music. Ella is totally hooked - there seems to be an immediate connection between her and Orpheus. When Orpheus appears later that week outside their school, Ella knows he is there for her and runs out of school to spend the day with him. They fall desperately in love and intend to marry on the beach at half term. But what happens that weekend and the days and weeks following are both tragic and sorrowful, and will change the lives of all those concerned.

The Rain by Virginia Bergin

The Rain
by Virginia Bergin

Ruby is at a friend's house having a party and getting along rather nicely with Caspar in their hot tub outside. Her friend's parents suddenly call them inside sounding very panicky and worried. They've been hearing warnings on the radio of something terrible in the rain - and there are stormclouds up above. Sure enough, the rain comes hammering down, and it's only then that Caspar realises he's left something outside. He makes a quick dash for it and then races back in. Within seconds he is clawing at his face and body and there is blood everywhere. The mother decides to drive him to the hospital - the car has been safely parked under cover. Ruby goes with them only to find the roads jam packed with other afflicted people in cars either trying to escape or going to the hospital. Ruby is taken back to her house where she is quarantined by her mother and her stepdad, Simon. They don't want any harm to come to Ruby's baby brother, Henry. Over the next couple of days, the worst things imaginable happen to Ruby and she decides to somehow get to London to find her real dad - if he is still alive. On her journey, Ruby has to grow up fast, prove herself brave and determined, but above all, she has to survive.

I really loved this book. Once the action starts - which it does very quickly - it is very hard to put down. The panic and thoughts and feelings of Ruby seem very realistic. I liked all the characters, especially the geeky Darius Spratt, and the connection between the two at the pool and one of the camps was quite moving. Usually, when I've finished a book, it's a case of 'That was good - next!' but with this one, well let's just say, it stays with you.

Blue by Lisa Glass

Blue
by Lisa Glass

Like surfing? Like chilling out on the beach? Like reading about teen summer romance? Well this book is PERFECT for you. Even if you've never surfed in your life, I promise you that after reading this book you will be itching to give it a go. It's set on Fistral Beach in Newquay, Cornwall (a beautiful part of the world - but I'm biased because I live there myself!) and follows 16 year-old Iris who meets Zeke at a yoga class. Iris isn't aware that Zeke is actually a champion surfer, but as she starts to fall for him she wonders whether the relationship is for real, whether she is just 'one of the many', and how the relationship would last when Zeke has to travel round the world taking part in competitions.

Iris has to confront family crises, jealousy, cheating, and horrific accidents - all in the name of love. But a final tragedy could upset all her dreams...

This book is full of surf lingo and slang, and you really get to understand how competitive surfing is amongst those who take it seriously. There are so many rules about the waves and who can ride them - I never realised! One thing's for sure - if ever I want to take up surfing (I'm just a lowly bodyboarder) I now know to make sure I have a proper surf instructor teaching me!

A great book which makes you want to dash to the beach and jump into the waves. A perfect summer read. It's the first in a series - the next 'Air' is out June 2015.

Smart by Kim Slater

Smart
by Kim Slater

Kieran Woods is a bit different. He is brilliant at drawing, but his special teacher at school tells him he must try to think before he speaks so as not to upset people. He also proves to be a brilliant detective. A homeless man is found dead in the river, and Kieran takes it upon himself to find out who killed him. But it's not easy, especially when you have Tony as a stepfather and Ryan as a stepbrother. They are both physically and mentally abusive towards Kieran and his mother. Kieran is not allowed to watch the television with him, he must eat his meals at different times (and not have the same food - only beans on toast for Kieran), and whenever there are visitors to the house Kieran must go to his room. These visitors usually come at night, and Tony hands over little bags and receives a large amount of cash in exchange.

As if this isn't enough unhappiness in poor Kieran's life, he has been banned from seeing his Grandma, who tried to stand up to Tony and his bullying ways, but lost the right to see her grandson in the process. But now Grandma could be the only comfort in Kieran's life, so he sets out to try to find her again.

This is such a sad and tragic story. You just want to take Kieran by the hand and drag him out of his current life and take care of him. His mother works all hours of the day, puts up with the abuse from Tony, doesn't report him out of fear, and does not stand up for Kieran when Tony picks on him. They live in a street of crime, and Tony's pet Rottweiler Tyson has been locked in the shed and just left there for days on end. It is all just so pitiful, you long for some happiness in Kieran's life. Even though Kieran's schoolteacher sounds caring and loving, even she does not investigate Kieran's home life when he comes into school with bumps and bruises.

Kieran is very brave, in fact he is the bravest of everyone in the whole story, even though he is the one with special needs and does not fully understand the way people work. He is also smart -he knows how to make use of his talents, he knows when something is wrong and he tells the right people. Good always overcomes evil.

A rather harrowing story but written brilliantly. If you like this then read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, or Colin Fischer

The Year of the Rat by Clare Furniss

The Year of the Rat
by Clare Furniss

Isn't it strange when you start to read a book thinking it's going to be about one thing, and then find out it's going a completely different way? It was a bit like this with me with this book. I'd read the blurb about it (albeit not properly as it turns out) - young teenage girl, mother dies after giving birth to next baby, teenage girl ends up having to look after it. In fact, the teenage girl, Pearl, resents the baby (Rose) for many reasons - having the baby made Pearl lose her mum, the baby is now the focus of everyone's attention and no-one takes notice of Pearl. Pearl is dealing with the loss of her mother by becoming angry with everyone and she finds herself on a slippery slope to the depths of despair and self-pity. Her mum appears to her at various moments and speaks with her, and although Pearl takes some comfort from this, she still can't reveal her anguish to her or anyone else.

'The Rat' in the title is how Pearl calls her new baby sister, Rose. She can't seem to call her by her real name, she hates her, and she hates anybody who loves Rose. There is a quite upsetting part of the book where Pearl, who is supposed to be looking after the baby while her dad is out, just abandons the baby and runs off - she can't handle anything to do with her. Her best friend, Molly, tries to pull Pearl out of the deep hole of gloom, but even she cannot help Pearl.

The storyline, which seems very real and true-to-life, is handled with pathos but also humour. The author has done a good job of writing a story which could also be a script for a real life drama documentary. I enjoyed it.

For teens due to language.

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

We Were Liars
by E. Lockhart

When the proof of this book arrived, there was a torn-out piece of graph paper inside with a typed message on it - "we are here for you, call us to talk" with a telephone number after it. Well that got me intrigued. What could this book possibly be about that would affect me in such a way to search for help from a stranger? I read it in a day. I could not put it down. Even though I was not in need of counselling by the end, I can see why some readers may want to talk with other readers about it immediately. Something happens that some readers may not see coming and be thrown by, but unfortunately I worked it out about half way through. I won't say it spoiled the rest of the book - I still had to wait to have it confirmed near the end.

 Cadence Sinclair goes with her mum every summer to the family island in Massachusetts to stay in one of 4 big houses built by her granddad. The other houses are filled with Aunties and cousins. Cadence forms a little gang called The Liars with her cousins Johnny and Mirren and a family friend Gat, and they spend the summer weeks playing tennis, sailing, walking around the island and rock climbing. She starts to fall in love with Gat. But one summer there is an accident - she hits her head on rocks while in the sea and thereafter suffers excruciating headaches and suffers from amnesia. She remembers nothing about how she got in the sea or what happened in the days before or after the accident. However nobody seems to want to tell her what happened. What are they hiding from her?

All I can say is - read the book and find out.

Rock War by Robert Muchamore

Rock War
by Robert Muchamore



Robert Muchamore is HUGE in the male young adult audience with his CHERUB and HENDERSON BOYS series. Teenage agents, terrorism, action, adventure - everything young boys want in a series. Well, I've just finished Rock War and I'm a bit, well, underwhelmed. I think the young boys may be rather disappointed. There might be more for the girls to love here. Was I expecting too much? The story revolves around three different groups of characters - Jay and his siblings and friends, Summer and her mad school friends, and public school boy Dylan and his mates. They all have one thing in common - music and being in a band. There's a Battle of the Bands type competition to enter, and a Rock War TV series to audition for - but the latter is only really mentioned right at the end of the book so you'll have to wait for book 2 to find out more about that.

As a bookseller, I've still got to get the age right of who I'm recommending the book to. There is a huge amount of bad language and adult references, so I've got to say at least 13/14, but will boys in that age group actually enjoy the storyline? I had a quick peak at an online chat forum for Cherub lovers, and they'd heard about Rock War. Their ages were about 11-13, and most of them said they didn't think the storyline would interest them, but they would read the first book to find out.

I'm not saying I didn't enjoy the book, it's the fact there's a lot of hush hush about it (I'm writing this in October, and am not allowed to post the review till the book's publication in February), it's embargoed, there'll be a huge build up, and I just don't think the book is worth all the hype. Just release it now as a new title and let the audience quietly decide.

Amy & Matthew - A Love Story by Cammie McGovern

Amy & Matthew - A Love Story
by Cammie McGovern

Amy has cerebral palsy. She can't talk, so she types her words into a special voice machine that says them for her. She has to use a special walker to get around. Matthew has OCD. They are both students at the same high school and neither have any friends. Amy and her mother decide to allocate school peers to help Amy around school during the day and to introduce her to their friends. Matthew becomes one of the peers. They quickly realise that though they have different illnesses and handicaps, they are very similar people - they are both looking for friendship and love. But the path to love is not always a smooth one, and Amy in particular has to go through a huge upheaval in her life to realise that what she is looking for has always been there.

The book tackles the two disabilities quite well but I didn't like Amy's character very much. She was self-centred and secretive and I'm not surprised Matthew was so very frustrated with her. I did feel very sorry for him. He starts to make friends on his own and gets a job and even finds that a girl has a secret crush on him, but his love for Amy stays with him, even when she does something that no other boyfriend would forgive.

If you are interested in other books which tackle disabilities, then try Wonder by  R.J. Palacio which tackles facial disfigurement, The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellison which tackles OCD, and Colin Fischer by Miller and Stentz which concerns autism.