Category: YA Books

‘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

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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.

‘The Boy You Always Wanted’ by Michelle Quach

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Francine’s grandfather is dying but his final regret is that he has no male heir to continue the tradition of honouring the ancestors when he is dead. Francine doesn’t agree with his outdated ideas but she will do everything to make him happy, including asking Ollie, a family friend, for help – her first crush and the boy who broke her heart. 

Francine is a great character – she doesn’t really mind what people think about her, or say about her but she will do anything to help the people she cares about and her lack of social skills definitely seems coded as neurodivergent. Ollie’s perspective of Francine shows how he goes from being embarrassed to be seen with her, and incredulous at her ridiculous plan to offer him as substitute male heir, to admiring her self-confidence, her focus and her drive and being inspired to be a better person because of her. 

The romance aspect is charming but this book is also much more than this. It is also about families and in particular the clash between the older and younger generations of immigrant families (Chinese Vietnamese in this case) – about honouring different cultural beliefs while also having the courage to stand up for yourself in the face of outdated ideals. 

‘The Boy You Always Wanted’ is beautifully written with a cast of finely-drawn characters and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I’ll definitely be recommending this one in the library.

Thanks to Usborne for the ARC.

‘You Could Be So Pretty’ by Holly Bourne

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Holly Bourne’s latest novel ‘You Could Be So Pretty’ is a bit of a departure from her usual style into the realm of dystopian fiction, but this dystopian world is chillingly recognisable. 

Belle is a ‘pretty’ and spends hours everyday applying her mask, making sure everything is perfect and then photographing herself to secure her ranking as the prettiest girl in school. Joni is an ‘objectionable’ – she wears no makeup, doesn’t care about fashion and spends her free time volunteering in her mother’s refuge centre for women. And yet, both Belle and Joni are looking to escape and are competing for a scholarship to go away to university. When they are forced to study together, Joni decides she will try to awaken Belle to the sinister reality behind the Doctrine of their world.

Bravo Holly Bourne for yet another empathetic but scalpel-sharp feminist manifesto. In our world of instagram filters and tradwife hashtags, this book is also a stark warning against complacency – we need feminism just as urgently now as we’ve ever done in the past. 

If you loved the Barbie Movie – read this book. It is equally thought-provoking and far more cohesive in message and plot. Brilliantly done!

Thanks to Usborne for the ARC. I particularly enjoyed the interactive element of being able to stick your own alternative book title onto the proof – I went with ‘You Could Be So Free’.

‘Threads That Bind’ by Kika Hatzopoulou

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In the city of Alante, Io is a private investigator with a special skill - she is a cutter, descended from the Fates and able to see the threads that bind people to the things they care about as well as the thread that represents their lifespan. She's also able to sever the threads. But when one of her clients is attacked by a women who's life-thread appears to have already been cut, Io must partner with a boy called Edei to investigate - but what she hasn't told Edei is that she can see a thread of fate already connecting the two of them. 

Though there have been plenty of recent retellings and books inspired by Greek mythology, 'Threads That Bind' feels particularly fresh and vivid. I loved the rich and detailed fantasy world the author has created around the threads, the simmering tension between the mortals and the descendants of the gods, and the heartbreaking dilemma Io faces as someone with the power to sever the threads of fate and life. 

This book blends fantasy, romance, mystery and thriller to create a dazzling, immersive read. Brilliantly done - I can't wait for the next book!

Thanks to Puffin and Netgalley for the digital ARC.

‘Just Like Everyone Else’ by Sarah Hagger-Holt

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Thirteen-year-old Aiden has four younger sisters, embarrassing parents and a noisy overcrowded house, and he just feels the need to escape sometimes. Fell running is Aiden’s passion, a passion he shares with his aunt who is planning on running the London Marathon.

When Aiden’s mum tells him that she is going to be a pregnancy surrogate for a gay couple, Justin and Atif, Aiden is mortified. He wishes his family would just be more like everyone else. And with Justin and Atif spending more time with the family, he is worried that someone will work out his biggest secret – that he thinks he might be gay too. 

‘Just Like Everyone Else’ is a wonderfully sensitive and authentic exploration of a young teenager coming to terms with his own identity. Sarah Hagger-Holt is brilliant at writing clear and sensible explanations of complicated situations and creating empathy for everyone involved, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen surrogacy represented in a teen book before. Aiden’s warm and supportive relationship with his best friend Jack is particularly well-drawn. 

A thoroughly engaging and informative read about friends, family and growing up. Loved it!

‘Quiet Storm’ by Kimberly Whittam

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When Storm starts Year 7 at Daisy Mill Academy, all her teachers expect her to be as confident and proactive as her older brother, Isaiah – the Head Boy. But Storm isn’t like Isaiah. Storm is quiet – she hates having to speak aloud in class in front of the other children and will do anything to avoid being the centre of attention. 

When Storm is selected for the school athletics team, she’s excited to have finally found something she is good at but she’s not sure she will have the courage to participate unless her best friend, Zarrish, goes with her. But Zarrish is distracted by a new girl at school, Melissa, who is determined to belittle Storm at every opportunity. Storm has to find her voice and learn to stand up for herself.

I was the quiet kid at school and dealt with the mind-numbing frustration of knowing exactly what I should’ve said, but not being able to get the words out in the moment. (And people endlessly asking that annoying question: “Why are you so quiet?”) So it was fantastic to see the ‘quiet one’ represented in this moving and empowering novel. 

I particularly appreciated the fact that even though Storm has to speak out, she is not suddenly miraculously cured of her shyness, her new friends accept her as she is and tell her that she needs to be proud of who she is.

I can tell that the author works in a secondary school, the school vibes are pitch perfect and her adult characters are as relatable and well-rounded as her children/teenagers. (I LOVE that Storm’s Mum has a roller-skating club!) I particularly enjoyed the empathetic portrayal of Ryan – the kid who always gets into trouble, but there are hidden circumstances behind his behaviour.

‘Quiet Storm’ is a wonderfully warm, relatable and engaging story that is bound to be a comfort and inspiration to other quiet children or anyone who is struggling to fit in during those early years of secondary school. This is also a perfect transition read that I would recommend for both upper KS2 as well as KS3.

‘Bad Influence’ by Tamsin Winter

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Thirteen-year-old Amelia Bright is incredibly intelligent and determined – she’s a star baseball player, an eloquent debater and a gifted cellist. But there’s one thing Amelia is not good at – popularity. It all started in Year 7 when a boy mocked her for her pale skin and called her ‘Maggot’ and the name stuck. When new boy, Evan, joins her baseball team he doesn’t know about her social status and it seems that he likes her. If Amelia can just prevent him from finding out about the ‘maggot’ thing, perhaps he will ask her to be his girlfriend and then all the popular kids will miraculously forget all the horrible things they used to say about her. 

But Amelia discovered something worse than being called a ‘Maggot’ when she makes a mistake and her picture gets shared online with the whole school. 

Tamsin Winter is brilliant at exploring the social pressures facing young teenagers and the issue of sexting and sharing nudes is increasingly affecting teens of all ages. This book is also an insightful look into the way that parents and teachers often don’t know how to react to this issue and can get it wrong. Sharing what has happened to her with adults is obviously the first and very important step, but Amelia also has to advocate for herself and come to terms with what has happened. 

‘Bad Influence’ is a humorous and empowering read about the realities of being a teenager in today’s world of social media – essential reading for young teens. Definitely one I’ll be recommending in the school library!

‘Happy Head’ by Josh Silver

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When 17-year-old Seb is selected for an exciting new retreat programme called ‘Happyhead’, designed to counteract an epidemic of teenage depression and anxiety, he hopes that this could be the solution he needs to get his life together and make his parents proud. 

As the programme begins, Seb realises that there’s a hierarchy and the participants are being pitted against each other to gain rankings. Seb wants to do well to please his parents and the people in charge, but he finds himself drawn to the rebellious Finn who is asking difficult questions and refusing to cooperate. 

When Seb and Finn discover that the fences are electrified and that they are all trapped, they decide to investigate to uncover the true aims of HappyHead.

It’s a great premise, we are currently living in a teen mental health crisis so the context feels very convincing and urgent. HappyHead sounds like exactly the kind of programme our government might dream up as a solution.  

‘HappyHead’ is a thrillingly addictive read, I couldn’t put it down, and it’s perfect for fans of ‘Maze Runner’, ‘The Hunger Games’ and ‘Scythe’. It also reminded me a lot of ‘Brave New World’. Brilliantly done – I can’t wait for the next book!

‘Glow Up, Lara Bloom’ by Dee Benson

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Fourteen-year-old Lara Bloom is going into Year 10 but she’s still as clumsy, flat-chested and frizzy-haired as ever. On the positive side she’s also the captain and top goal-scorer of the girls’ football team, and she has three fantastic supportive friends. But when she meets gorgeous new boy, Caiden, she starts to worry that boys don’t like sporty girls and becomes convinced that she desperately needs a makeover to catch his attention. Lara’s friends insist that she doesn’t need a makeover she needs a ‘glow-up’ instead – she needs to work on her confidence and self-worth rather than her appearance. But Lara’s nemesis, the flawless Sienna, has her sights set on Caiden, and Lara knows she won’t stand a chance if her Mum doesn’t at least let her relax her hair…

Lara documents all of her thoughts in a diary app (after her brother reads her paper diary and blackmails her) and her laugh-out-loud funny inner monologue, as well as some of the ridiculous situations she finds herself in, prove Dee Benson a worthy successor to Louise Rennison. (I thought I might die of second-hand embarrassment during several points in the story.)

‘Glow Up, Lara Bloom’ is a heartfelt, hilarious and deeply relatable story with a wonderful message about learning to love and embrace everything about yourself. There aren’t enough funny books for teens, and I’ll definitely be recommending this one in the school library.