Author: Rebecca Rouillard

Reader, slightly-published writer, designer, swimmer, tea-drinker.

‘The Blue Book of Nebo’ by Manon Steffan Ros

Rebecca RouillardLeave a comment

Dylan’s ‘Blue Book of Nebo’ is a record of the events that follow ‘The End’. 14-year-old Dylan writes about what his world is like now, 8 years later, and his mum writes about the things Dylan doesn’t remember – what happened when the bombs started falling, the electricity went off and everyone else disappeared from their tiny Welsh town of Nebo, near the island of Anglesey. 

Though their life before was busy and safe, Dylan was anxious and insecure and Rowenna was lonely and unfulfilled. Though their life now is so much more insecure, Dylan is confident and proud of his ability to provide food and shelter for his family. Rowenna loves the peace and simplicity of their new life.

‘The Blue Book of Nebo’ is a brief but achingly beautiful novel about finding out what is important when everything else has been stripped away–a simultaneously devastating and hopeful read.

‘The Kingdom Over the Sea’ by Zohra Nabi

Rebecca RouillardLeave a comment

When Yara’s mum dies, she leaves a strange set of instructions behind that lead Yara away from the home she’s always known in England to a parallel realm across the sea and the city of Zehaira.

In Zehaira, Yara discovers that the person she was supposed to find has been banished and the city itself has been torn apart by a power struggle between sorcerers and alchemists. Zara must journey into the wilderness to join up with the outcast sorcerers and find out who she really is. 

‘The Kingdom Over the Sea is a lyrical and spellbinding story of friendship, found family and finding your feet in a dazzling new world. Zohra Nabi is a marvellous storyteller and after that cliffhanger ending I hope book 2 isn’t too far away!

‘Bitterthorn’ by Kat Dunn

Rebecca RouillardLeave a comment

There is a curse that hangs over the town of Blumwald. Every fifty years, the Witch comes down from her castle in the forest and takes a young man as her companion, never to return. No one knows why or for what purpose the young men are taken, but it has been fifty years since the Witch’s last visit…

Mina’s mother died when she was twelve, her father quickly remarried and she’s been lonely since then. As her father prepares for an important visitor, Mina finds herself overlooked and unwanted once again. In desperation she offers herself to the Witch and is accepted as her new companion. Mina’s new life, however, is just as lonely and frustrating as her old life so she sets out to befriend the Witch and unravel the mystery of the Witch’s curse.

‘Bitterthorn’ is an intoxicating blend of historical fiction, queer gothic romance and fairytale. The backdrop of Chancellor Bismarck’s visit and the Unification of Germany places the story in a very specific historical moment in the late 1860s and yet it incorporates plenty of Grimm’s fairy tale elements including witches, wicked stepmothers, hedges of thorns, spindles and curses. 

It is also an exquisitely written book, replete with lush botanical imagery and steeped in atmosphere. A thoroughly beguiling read, perfect for fans of Adalyn Grace and Holly Black.

Many thanks to Andersen for this gorgeous limited edition proof.

‘Jamie’ by L.D. Lapinsky

Rebecca RouillardLeave a comment

Jamie is your average Year 6 pupil, apart from one thing – they have known for a few years that they are non-binary, neither a boy nor a girl. But when everyone starts talking about which secondary school they are going to, Jamie realises that there are only two options: a Boys’ School and a Girls’ School, and there is nowhere for Jamie to go without having to pick one or the other. And if that’s not bad enough – Jamie’s friendship group will be split up and Jamie will have to pick one best friend over the other.

At first Jamie’s teachers, their parents and even their best friends, Ash and Daisy, don’t understand how important this is to Jamie. But when Jamie, Ash and Daisy stage a dramatic protest, to raise awareness of non-binary people, Jamie receives support from some unexpected places. 

‘Jamie’ is an empowering story about finding out who you are and learning to stand up for yourself. It is equally informative and empathetic – a joyful rainbow of a book that left me in tears at the end.

‘If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come’ by Jen St Jude

Rebecca RouillardLeave a comment

Avery Byrne is about to take her own life when she receives the news that a huge asteroid is headed for the earth and everyone has just nine days left to live. This spurs her to reconnect with her family and her best friend, Cass, who she has been secretly in love with for years.

It’s an incredibly arresting opening – you know that the book is not going to end well, but you’re still thoroughly invested in Avery sorting out her relationships in the time she has left.

In between her family’s attempts to stockpile food and prepare a basement bunker in the hope of surviving the fallout, we see through flashbacks how Avery’s friendship with Cass unfolded over the years, as well as Avery’s struggles with her mental health. 

Avery is someone who has always succeeded at anything she has tried, but her success is a brittle veneer over the depression that has haunted her for her whole life. When she goes away to college and struggles to keep up with the work, she fears that she has the same deep sadness inside herself as her aunt who walked into the sea to her death, on the day Avery was born. 

I have some pupils who are big fans of ‘All That’s Left in the World’ so I’ll definitely be recommending this to them. It also reminded me of ‘The Forevers’ by Chris Whitaker.

This book is definitely about emotional resolution more than death-by-asteroid resolution, so if you’re expecting a high-stakes dystopian thriller, this is not that book. It is, however, a beautifully rendered picture of a friendship developing into a romantic relationship as well as a sensitive and nuanced exploration of depression. I thoroughly enjoyed this – a heartbreaking and yet surprisingly hopeful read.

‘Broken Hearts and Zombie Parts’ by William Hussey

Rebecca RouillardLeave a comment

After Jesse Spark dramatically collapses at prom, the doctors discover that he has a life-threatening condition that requires open-heart surgery. Jesse decides there are two things he wants to do before his surgery at the end of the summer. He wants to finish shooting the zombie film he has written with his friends. And he wants to fall in love before his body is disfigured by a horrific scar down the centre of his chest – because who will want him after that? 

There are some obstacles to Jesse’s plan. His best friends, Caspar and Morgan, are being weird with each other, but they won’t tell him what’s going on, he has no budget for his film, and where is he going to find a boyfriend within the next month? Fortunately, Jesse’s friends rally together and ‘Zombie Honeymoon’ starts filming. And even better, Casper’s attractive, gay cousin arrives for the summer, keen to be involved in the film. 

Jesse himself is a charmingly verbose and dynamic character, although he is painfully insecure and terrified that no one will ever love him after his surgery. The negative body image theme comes through strongly throughout the book. Jesse’s friend Morgan is a brilliant actor, but her confidence is destroyed when she is shot down by a casting agent for not being thin or stereotypically attractive enough. And of course, Jesse does find a boyfriend, but more importantly, he learns to accept and love himself. 

The film-centred plot reminded me a little of ‘Me, Earl and the Dying Girl’ but Jesse is a much more endearing character. I particularly enjoyed the song titles – a lovely tribute to UK MG & YA LGBTQ+ books and authors. The medical aspects of the story feel particularly authentic, as the author was writing from his own experience. 

‘Broken Hearts and Zombie Parts’ is a hilarious and heart-healing story about friendship, love, body positivity and zombies. I adored every second of this cosy warm hug of a book. Highly recommended!

‘Divine Rivals’ by Rebecca Ross

Rebecca RouillardLeave a comment

‘Divine Rivals’ is a fascinating mash-up of mythology, historical fiction and romance. The story feels like it is set in the mid-twentieth century, with trench warfare and war correspondents typing up their dispatches on typewriters, and yet it is a more egalitarian world where both men and women fight in the army and same-sex marriage is legal. And in this world the war they are reporting on is due to the rivalry of two ancient gods: Dacre and Enva.

When her brother goes off to fight in the war, Iris types letters to him that mysteriously disappear when she puts them in her wardrobe. She is convinced that she is communicating with him through some magic means until someone writes back and it is not her brother. As Iris exchanges letters with the mysterious ‘Carver’ she begins to open up to him and realises that she is falling in love with someone she has never met. 

But, in parallel to the clash between Dacre and Enva, Iris has a nemesis of her own. Roman Kitt was her fiercest competition for the coveted columnist job at the Oath Gazette, and now he has followed her to the front lines – to show her up again as a war correspondent, Iris is convinced. But if she hates him so much, why can’t Iris stop thinking about him? And why do they keep saving each other’s lives?

I couldn’t put this book down, between the chemistry sparking between Iris and Roman, the immersive setting, and Iris herself – a wonderfully brave, resilient and compassionate character. A thrilling and intriguing new fantasy world – I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

‘My Life on Fire’ by Cath Howe

Rebecca RouillardLeave a comment

One terrible night Ren’s house burns down. (Or ‘burns up’ as she describes it.) Within a few hours Ren loses all her clothes, her treasured possessions and her home. Her family moves in with her stiff and disapproving Gran while her parents try to sort out their insurance claim and keep their business going. But there is nothing to do at her Gran’s house, the food is awful and Ren has to share a room with her little brother.

Caspar is missing his older brother who has gone away to university, but he likes his new teacher, Miss Chatto, and he is looking forward to the new project their class is working on with a local artist, called ’My Life in a Box’. But when Ren comes back to school she has nothing left to put in her box and then things start to disappear in Miss Chatto’s class. Perhaps Caspar can help Ren to start afresh. 

Like Cath Howe’s other books, the story is told in alternating voices. Ren is angry and grieving for everything she has lost, but protective of her brother and worried about her parents. Caspar is kind and thoughtful but frustrates his teachers with his endless questions and curiosity. (There are definitely some lessons in empathy for adults as well as children in this book.) 

‘My Life on Fire’ has a particularly arresting opening. A house fire isn’t a topic I’ve seen explored much in contemporary children’s fiction, though it happened to a friend of my daughter’s in primary school. And there are probably children who experience kleptomania in most primary schools, although it is more frequently represented in teen fiction.

I always enjoy the way Cath Howe takes unusual situations and explores the emotional tensions surrounding them, without sensationalising them, and with great insight and sensitivity. ‘My Life on Fire’ is another gripping and engaging read and I’ll definitely be recommending it in the library.

‘Let’s Play Murder’ by Kesia Lupo

Rebecca RouillardLeave a comment

Veronica picks up an ancient VR headset to please her little brother who is critically ill in hospital, but as soon as they start playing she finds herself inside a different world. It is ‘The Game’ – an urban legend in VR gaming circles that turns out to be true. The Game is an incredibly realistic and immersive murder mystery. None of the players can leave until they’ve solved the case and the winner will receive a huge cash prize. 

But soon after they start to play, the game takes a deadly turn. All of the players are concealing something from their real lives and all of them have a motive for murder. And the game itself is also out to get them – will any of them make it out alive? 

VR is a tricky proposition to write (I know, I’ve tried!) because it’s difficult to raise the stakes in an environment that is all in your head – the contemporary version of it was all a dream. Except in this case it isn’t, and the virtual world starts to bleed into the real world. 

‘Let’s Play Murder’ is a mash-up of locked-room murder mystery, horror, ghost story and thriller, and the whiplashing twists and turns of the plot kept me guessing. A fast-paced, gripping and terrifying read. 

‘Rumaysa Ever After’ by Radiya Hafiza

Rebecca RouillardLeave a comment

‘Rumaysa Ever After’ is the sequel to Radiya Hafiza’s first novel ‘Rumaysa’, in which Rumaysa escaped a tower using her hijab, defeated the evil witch Cordelia who kidnapped her as a baby, and has two other adventures with her friends Cinderayla and Sleeping Sara. But now all Rumaysa wants is to find the parents she never had a chance to know, and go home.

But on the way, Rumaysa saves a prince from a terrifying beast, and is invited to a golden castle by his sister, Queen Saira White, to thank her for her heroic actions. There Rumaysa hears the story of how Saira’s evil stepmother was jealous of her beauty and tried to have her killed, but instead she hid in the woods with the Seven Outcasts and eventually returned to kill her stepmother. So far, it is the story we all know. But Saira White is hiding something and once again Rumaysa’s magic necklace leads her to someone who needs her help. Little does Rumaysa know that her parents are still desperately searching for her in the meantime, but there is someone who is determined to stop them from finding each other. 

I love Radiya Hafiza’s take on the traditional fairy tales, in particular her feisty and determined protagonist who doesn’t wait around for a boy to save her, and her happy endings that are about finding family and being true to yourself, rather than falling in love and getting married.

“‘True love?’ Rumaysa made a face. ‘That’s so clichéd! Besides, I think we’re a bit young for that.’”

Another inspiring and empowering Rumaysa adventure!