Category: YA Books

‘Circle of Liars’ by Kate Francis

Rebecca RouillardLeave a comment

Seven teenagers are trapped in an isolated motel, with no WiFi and no transport, by an anonymous vigilante. A year ago three students at their school died in a tragic fire and their captor knows that each of them is carrying a guilty secret from that day. Every hour, one of them will die until all the secrets are revealed. 

There are strong ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ vibes, but the true story of the fire is a little more layered than the traditional hit and run-type scenario. The setup is well contrived and very sinister – an abandoned motel in the desert, surrounded by snipers, and rigged with surveillance equipment and explosives. The author jumps straight into the action and it’s a page-turning read – I finished it in one sitting. 

The story is told from several of the POVs, the main ones being Ana, the introverted twin sister of one of the victims, and Ellis, the captain of the school sports team and self-appointed leader of the group. Some of the characters are more likeable than others and the usual high-school stereotypes prevail, but there was some nuance to the relationships and someone to root for. This is a tropey story, but the fast-paced action and the tension between the characters keeps it moving. I’m torn about the ending, I did guess the twist but the denouement wasn’t fully satisfying. 

‘Circle of Liars’ is a combination of Agatha Christie’s ‘And Then There Were None’ and the claustrophobic setting and tense, real-time pacing of Holly Jackson’s ‘Five Survive’. A well-written and engaging thriller – I’m sure this one will be popular in the school library!

Thanks to Usborne for the ARC.

‘I Dare You’ by Tamsin Winter

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Willow & Alma are thirteen-year-old best friends and joint owners of the ‘Wilma’ TikTok account where they video each other doing dares and challenges in the hopes of going viral and finding fame as influencers. When the basketball hoop challenge goes wrong they have to be rescued by the fire brigade, but the video is a huge hit and they get caught up in trying to do increasingly extreme challenges to chase the high of social media views. The chilli challenge and the duct tape challenge are marginally successful, but when Willow sees the fireball challenge she knows that it is their ticket to finally going viral. Alma is not convinced the fireball challenge is a good idea, she’d rather focus on her stage school audition, but she lets Willow talk her into it and the aftermath of that decision will change both of them forever.

This story is told from the perspective of both girls, and despite the fact that they both love acting, their lives are very different. Willow is the stronger character but her family is not as affluent as Alma’s, which means she has stronger motivation to seek internet fame as a means of escape from their small town. Alma is easily led by Willow, especially as she feels guilty for not telling Willow that she has applied to a stage school that Willow would never be able to afford.

‘I Dare You’ is the very definition of a cautionary tale. It is painful to watch Willow and Alma consistently make the wrong decisions over and over again, but also easy to understand how they are sucked into the relentless and addictive quest for social media affirmation. Once again Tamsin Winter proves her capacity to write for the teen category with authenticity, empathy and insight – a thought-provoking and frighteningly plausible read.

Thanks to Usborne & NetGalley for the digital ARC.

‘A Forgery of Fate’ by Elizabeth Lim

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I absolutely loved ‘Six Crimson Cranes’ and the ‘Spin the Dawn’ duology so I was looking forward to another one of Elizabeth Lim’s Far Eastern-inspired fairytale retellings.

‘A Forgery of Fate’ is based on Beauty and the Beast but it has a lot of other elements inspired by various stories and mythologies (eg. The Magic Paintbrush). After Truyan’s father dies in a shipwreck, her family is thrown into poverty, which is exacerbated by her mother’s gambling problem. Truyan is a gifted artist and makes money by forging paintings to sell but she also has a secret that she’s never told anyone – she has visions and can paint the future.

When a desperate financial situation forces Truyan to seek the help of the mysterious masked ‘Demon Prince’, he offers her a deal. He will pay off her debts and protect her family in exchange for her posing as his true love, joining him in the dragon realm and helping him to overthrown the cruel and tyrannical Dragon King. The Demon Prince is in fact a Dragon Prince called Elang – a half dragon, cursed by the Dragon King. But once she joins him in the dragon realm, she discovers there’s more to Elang, and more to the story than she’s been told.

This is a charming, lyrical and romantic story, filled with strange creatures, vibrant landscapes and captivating characters. Unlike, her recent duologies, this is a standalone story so everything is wrapped up nicely by the end of the book (although there are some tears along the way). Highly recommended!

Thanks to Hodderscape and Netgalley for the digital ARC.

‘The Notorious Virtues’ by Alwyn Hamilton

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I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one but the book cover design was particularly enticing and I loved the ‘Rebel of the Sands’ trilogy. Once again, Alwyn Hamilton has created a unique fantasy genre mash-up. This time the world building is based on European fairytale mythology, the story of a woodcutter and a magic axe, but the vibes are very Gotham City noir, with an ‘Inheritance Games’ plot – an intriguing combination.

The Holtzfall family – descendants of the original woodcutter – are the de facto royal family of Walstad and control all the money and magic. Nora is daughter of the Heiress, which means she is next in line after her mother inherits from her grandmother, but when her mother is murdered the succession is thrown into uncertainty and Nora must compete against her cousins in a magic competition called the Veritaz to prove her worth and earn the right to be the new Heiress. Throw in a newly revealed illegitimate cousin as a surprise contestant, a journalist investigating the truth behind Nora’s mother’s murder, and a V for Vendetta-style resistance movement, to create a dazzlingly original fantasy thriller. I adored this and I can’t wait for the next one!

Thanks to Faber and Netgalley for the digital ARC.

And I couldn’t resist the Waterstones special edition paperback – look at those gorgeous sprayed edges!

‘The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy’ by Brigitte Knightley (Dearly Beloathed #1)

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Osric is an assassin and member of the Fyren order, but when he discovers that his magic is failing, the only person who might possibly be able to help him is Aurienne, member of an enemy order – the Haelen. But how can Osric convince her to save him when he is her mortal enemy and the healing that he seeks is based on fairytales and nothing more? He tries to charm her, considers kidnapping when this fails, but ultimately only a large donation towards pox vaccine research to help impoverished children can sway her. Thus begin the adventures of Aurienne and Osric – full of acerbic banter, gratuitous murder and pining. 

Osric (despite his awful name – Osric is the name of a troll or an orc surely?) is a lethal and wickedly charming character with a weakness for rescuing stray dogs. Aurienne is ruthlessly competent and fiercely upright but her moral fibre becomes increasingly frayed with exposure to Osric. 

I loved DMATMOOBIL by the same author, and so I requested this book on Netgalley as soon as it was available. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but this is an utterly different story, complete with a brand new world (possibly an excessive amount of terminology) and all new witty reparte – only the immaculate vibes remain. A delightful romp with an irresistible pair of enemies-to-lovers – I absolutely adored this and can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Thanks to Little, Brown and Netgalley for the digital ARC.

‘Our Infinite Fates’ by Laura Steven

Rebecca RouillardLeave a comment

Evelyn and Arden have both been reincarnated, century after century, in different times, places and genders, but they are always drawn together somehow and they always kill each other before they turn 18. 

In their latest incarnation Evelyn is a Welsh girl called Branwyn, her sister Clara is dying of cancer and a bone marrow transplant from Branwyn is her only hope of survival. But Bran is about to turn 18, she hasn’t met Arden yet in this life but she knows she won’t make it to her birthday unless she can finally get him to tell her the truth about their history and give her a little more time to save her sister. She just has to find him first.

The main narrative is interspersed with stories of their past lives and how they ended and it is testament to the skill of the author that even though we only see a glimpse of each lifetime, the settings feel vivid and authentic and our understanding of these two characters grows.

The gorgeous book cover was the first thing that attracted me to this story as well as the brilliant and intriguing line: ‘They’ve loved each other in a thousand lifetimes. They’ve killed each other in every one.’ The concept is reminiscent of ‘The Invisible Life of Addie Larue’ but although I am a huge fan of Victoria Schwab, I actually enjoyed this book more. 

Despite the inevitable murder, this is an achingly romantic story with a compelling mystery at its heart that, when it is revealed, is both devastating and satisfying. Highly recommended!

Thanks to Penguin and Netgalley for the digital ARC.

‘Silver’ by Olivia Levez

Rebecca RouillardLeave a comment

There are not enough teen/YA sci-fi books, and yet I often get requests in the school library for sci-fi, so I am sure that books about space, in particular, are due a resurgence of popularity.

Silver was born in a lab on a spaceship called Charybdis, and raised with all of the other infants to follow the rules of the founders. To be strong and obedient, and if they failed they would be cast into the ‘vortex’ to power the ship. Silver has been selected for a very special mission – to be the ‘First pioneer’ to infiltrate earth, possess a human, and relay her observations back to Charybdis in preparation for inhabitation and colonisation.

But Silver has always been a little different to the other cadets. She has a little more empathy and curiosity than the others, and an impulse not to follow the rules of the founders blindly. 

When Silver arrives and takes over the body of a Polish dog walker, she finds herself part of a family for the first time including a boy called Finch, his mother Stella, and his little sister, Doodles. At first she follows orders and observes the family, but when she touches Finch, and it doesn’t cause pain, as the founders warned, she begins to question everything she’s been told. What else have the founders lied about?

Coincidentally, I recently read Ursula’s Le Guin’s ‘The Left Hand of Darkness’ which has a similar theme, though obviously completely different in style. The only other book I could think of to compare ‘Silver’ to is ‘Hold Back the Stars’ by Katie Khan which is similarly romantic and devastating.

Though there is romance in this story, I wouldn’t describe it primarily as a romance as it also covers broader themes like colonisation, found family, and what it means to be human. ‘Silver’ is an epic and heartbreaking read – I loved it.

Thanks to Hot Key Books for the beautiful ARC.

‘The Love Interest’ by Helen Comerford

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Jenna’s home town of Nine Trees has been under a prophesied threat of doom as long as she can remember, but when disaster is averted by the world’s newest superhero, Blaze, Jenna is the first person he saves, and thus becomes his official Love Interest. But Jenna has no interest in becoming a love interest and pawn of the patriarchal Heroics and Power Authority. Apart from the HPA’s problematic attitude towards women, there’s also the fact that Jenna loathes attention and tends to have panic attacks in large crowds. At the same time she can’t seem to stop running headfirst into trouble and finds Blaze annoyingly attractive, despite her determination never to fall for him. 

But when Jenna is approached by the Villains, with an offer to help find her mother who went missing ten years ago, she finds herself playing both slides and wondering who is actually telling the truth.

I couldn’t put this book down. It’s a sharp, fast-paced and satirical take on the superhero genre but the story is also full of heart and humour. There is also some romance but this is not just a rom-com, and Jenna Ray is an excellent snarky, feminist protagonist. ‘The Love Interest’ is a playful, energetic and genre-blurring read, perfect for fans of TV series like ‘Ms Marvel’ and ‘Extraordinary’. I look forward to the next book in the series.

Thanks to Bloomsbury for the ARC.

‘King of Nothing’ by Nathanael Lessore

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An author’s second novel is always a tricky proposition, particularly when their debut has been widely celebrated and shortlisted for the Carnegie medal. But I am pleased to report that ‘King of Nothing’ is just as funny, heartwarming and authentic as ‘Steady for This’. 

Anton is not a particularly likeable character at first. He is a self-proclaimed ‘King’ of Year 9 and, together with his group of friends, he intimidates the rest of the pupils and staff of their school. Anton’s scary reputation is boosted by the fact that his Dad is in prison and he’ll do anything to maintain that reputation, apart from going up against his mum – particularly as she controls the wifi code. So when Anton gets into trouble at school, his Mum drafts him into her community project and a local group called the ‘Happy Campers’ which includes Matthew who has been relentlessly bullied by Anton and his friends. But after Matthew saves his life, they make a deal. If Matthew never talks to him in public, Anton will help Matthew win over his crush, Fernanda. 

But as Anton starts to spend more time with Matthew and less time with his other friends, he finds that he begins to like himself more and feel more hopeful about his future. But when his dad is released from prison, Anton’s loyalty is pulled in a different direction.

‘King of Nothing’ is a fantastic portrayal of the toxic masculinity culture so many teenage boys are exposed to these days through YouTubers like Andrew Tate, and it clearly explores Anton’s thought process as he becomes disillusioned with the ideas his dad and his friends are expressing – particularly with regards to women and relationships.

If it sounds a little worthy, the style is not like that at all. Anton’s interactions with Matthew are particularly hilarious, and the jokes make the book a lot more engaging than the gritty subject matter would suggest. 

By the end of the book Anton had thoroughly won me over – I almost liked him as much as the delightfully whimsical Matthew. Another captivating read from Nathanael Lessore – perfect for the tricky ‘teen’ age category. Loved it!

‘Thieves Gambit’ by Kayvion Lewis

Rebecca RouillardLeave a comment

Seventeen-year-old Rosalyn Quest is the youngest member of the notorious Quest Crime family and she has been trained in the criminal arts since she was a small child by her ruthless mother.

When she receives a mysterious email inviting her to compete in the Thieves Gambit, she ignores it at first. But when she finds herself in an impossible situation, she signs up and is whisked away on a private plan to an undisclosed location to join up with several other criminal teens to compete in a winner-takes-all heist competition. The winner gets a wish – something that Rosalyn desperately needs. But when she arrives she finds an unwelcome addition – her arch-nemesis, Noelia Boschert, daughter of a rival crime family based in Europe.

Ross has been conditioned her whole life never to trust anyone, but when the other contestants team up on the first challenge and she is almost eliminated, she realises that she will have to work with her fellow competitors, even if she doesn’t fully trust them. And then there is the magnetic Devroe, who seems determined to win her over. But nothing is as it seems and the stakes are even higher than Ross realises.

Ross has a brilliantly devious mind and I particularly enjoyed the clever ways she outwits the other competitors as well as the organisers. This is an excellent heist novel, full of twists, turns and surprises. A cover quote describes it as ‘high octane’ a phrase Ross also used to describe her own family, and this is definitely accurate – the action is relentless and thrilling.

‘Thieves Gambit’ is a welcome addition to the usually male-dominated action-thriller category and is perfect for fans of ‘Alex Rider’, ‘Six of Crows’ and the ‘Oceans 11’ movie franchise.