• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sourcebooks Fire (6 July 2023)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages

Just when you think all the great ‘hooks’ to suck teens into a cool book have been used up, Kristy Acevedo delivers an absolute beauty in the outstanding The Warning, which is the first part of a duology. My tongue is already hanging out for part two The Fallout and I will be hunting Kirsty down for an ARC and early access! The hook: weird portals start appearing all over the world and a hologram of a humanoid appears, claiming that a giant comet is going to hit and destroy the Earth in 4393 hours. However, the portal provides a way to escape to another dimension (several hundred years in the future) where humankind can survive and prosper. Do we trust the hologram’s advice? That is part of the fun of the book, all of what lies behind the hologram/portal is kept completely shrouded for book two. And when NASA later confirm that the comet is real, it looks like the world really will end in six months and people (by the million) begin to voluntary walk through the portals. 

This absolutely outstanding thriller beautifully blends end-of-the-world apocalyptic fiction, teen dystopia and science fiction into a riveting page-turner. I was absolutely certain I could predict how the book was going to end, but Kirsty Acevedo sends a massive curveball in the concluding chapter which puts a new complexion on the continuation. The story is seen from the point of view of high school senior Alexandra Lucas, who suffers from severe anxiety attacks, and the arrival of the portals is convincingly seen through her eyes. This is balanced with family issues, boyfriend trouble and the slow escalation of world problems caused by the portals and comet. Along the way, the start of the chapters has very clever Q&A sessions with the hologram representative and realistic discussions on a whole manner of issues, such as whether convicts should have the opportunity to go through the portals and start new lives. There was so much going on in this very clever book I found it totally riveting and amongst the finest of the year.

AGE RANGE 13+ 

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B846T3X2
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Fitzroy Books (23 May 2023)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English

There is much to unpack in Tim Cumming’s quirky Alice the Cat, some which is positive but other aspects I struggled with. The language used is often very juvenile but because the book is so heavily centred around death, more sensitive younger children might struggle and that pushes the reader age up slightly. The action begins several months after the death of almost-thirteen-year-old Tess’s mother and although the writing style is kept light there is no getting away from the fact the themes surrounding cancer is bleak stuff. Tess also struggles having a good relationship with her father, whom he calls a ‘zombie’ and is obviously grieving in his own way, with the pair failing to connect. Early in the novel the cat runs in front of a neighbour’s car and almost causes a serious accident, thinking it was deliberate, Tess believes her cat is suicidal and will go to any lengths to save the animal, especially after she discovers a local ghost might be encouraging the cat to join her on the other side. 

This book was an accessible and realistic way of writing about grief, which dealt with emotional trauma and how support could be found in friendships. I did struggle with the slang used ranged from ridiculous to completely unbelievable, with words such as ‘buttnuggets,’ ‘freakiacs,’ and ‘crapballs.’ This type of vocabulary made the narrative feel very childish whilst the subject matter felt a little too adult. I warmed to Tess as Alice the Cat progressed, with the book tackling very tough issues with humour and an easy-to-read style. Once Tess settled down she became more likable, but I also felt her two friends could have been fleshed out more fully, particularly with a backstory revealing more the brain injury. It is important to have relatable characters in Middle Grade novels and Tess will be attractive to many, even if they have never heard of the word ‘buttnuggets.’

AGE RANGE 10-13

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Random House Inc (2 Aug. 2022)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 256 pages

If you are looking for a top-notch Middle Grade horror, which is scary but not too scary, then the character driven Camp Scare is irresistible. There is not anything in this plot which is particularly new or been used in old Goosebump of Point Horror stories, but Delilah S Dawson gives familiar surroundings a shiny new lick of paint and kids aged ten to twelve will have a lot of fun with it. Parker Nelson struggles to make friends and in the opening sequence is bullied by classmate (Cassandra) who pretends to be her friend so a wider group of girls could mock her on social media. With that incident several months behind her, Parker hopes her time as summer camp will be amazing and dreams of making new friends, however, her worst nightmare comes true when she discovers that not only is Cassandra at the same camp, but they will also be sharing the same bunkroom and very soon she feels herself isolated, lonely and accused of theft.  

Any reader around the same age as Parker will quickly identify and relate to her attempts to fit in, no matter how clunky. The fact that she tries a little bit too hard made her even more endearing as she goes up against a very stereotypical group of mean girls and uncaring camp counsellors who refuse to listen to her side of the argument. The ghost story was filtered nicely into the plot and sits on the backburner, when Parker meets Jenny who appears when nobody else is around and there is the mystery of what happened at camp some years earlier when there was a death which nobody talks about. Readers will quickly be sucked into the trials and tribulations of poor Parker, always knowing things will work out in the end. Go Parker!

AGE RANGE 10-13

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Scholastic; 1st edition (29 Sept. 2022)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 400 pages

The rush of quality dystopian fiction in the YA market never seems to end and The Getaway (published in 2022) is another to seek out. Until I was tempted by the very eye-catching cover I had never previously heard of the book or its author Lamar Giles. This novel has a very clever hook, being set in a huge holiday camp, which acts as a massive, gated community, whilst there is poverty and strife beyond its (extremely high) walls. The reader quickly realises that only the absolute super rich can visit this place and that the majority of the servants are Black, who are the main characters of the book. This fact, as the plot quickens gives The Getaway an edgy racial tension riff as there is a massive difference between servant/employee and slave, with Jay and his fellow employees being treated poorly by the (almost exclusively) rich white folks. Interestingly, before things escalate the Black servants are delighted to be employees of Karloff County, sometimes compared to Disneyland, as they are fully aware of what their life might be like if they were on the other side of the huge wall. This leads to all sorts of interesting internal conflicts.

First and foremost The Getaway is a particularly good page-turner and I enjoyed the manner in which the author drip-fed the occasional snippet of what was going on in the real world (nothing good or quite end of the world apocalyptical). The plot is mainly built around Jay but jumps to a few other characters who notice that people start disappearing in the middle of the night, including Jay’s friend Connie and her family. This was a real mystery as nobody ever left Karloff County, mainly because there was nowhere else to go. Things get even darker when the world’s richest and most powerful families start arriving at Karloff and do not intend to leave as it is being used as a type of safe zone in what might be the end of the world. This was a fascinating piece of edgy speculative fiction with a convincing racial edge and as gated communities used by the super-rich are on the rise it might not be so far from the truth.

AGE RANGE 13+

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Manta Press, Ltd. (12 July 2023)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 285 pages

The Butterfly Circle was one of those quiet mediative novels which was tricky to pinpoint whether it was aimed at adults or was YA, however, ultimately any thoughtful reader might get something from this 1948 tale set entirely in Prescott House, Cleveland, Ohio. This location is not anywhere the four main characters would want to end up by choice, as it is a home for unwed teenage mothers who have been abandoned (temporarily or for good) by their families. Genuine teen readers of 2023 will undoubtedly be shocked by the way the teens are treated, the shame lumped upon their shoulders and the routine cruelty they are subjected to by the staff, led by the bitter principal at the top of the food chain. Even though the story is dated as 1948, the surroundings felt like it was much earlier in the century with Eliza Kendall being dropped off by her father at the start of the story. Initially fearful, she quickly becomes friends with her three roommates and the strongest parts of the story is built around their relationships and the feelings they have for the men they have left behind or been abandoned by. 

If you are after an out-and-out horror novel then The Butterfly Circle might not be for you, the supernatural is kept on the backburner and is rather undiagnosed (too much so for my taste) as the young women explore the vast house. This very subtle novel explores a number of themes, ranging from Catholic guilt, mental illness, taking in racism via the Underground Railroads and the Black servants and a simmering LGBTQ+ story. There is also a significant mystery element to the story surrounding what happens to the babies and the mothers. Dreams bubble under the surface and blend into reality with the teens having their own visions of what fate might await them (or their child) beyond the home. This was a powerful emotional read and although not all questions were answered it was a satisfying tale of friendships, fear and a lust for life in the most harrowing of circumstances. Aimed at thoughtful teen probably female readers.

AGE RANGE 14+ 

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Titan Books (27 July 2023)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 336 pages

If you drop the name Chuck Tingle into Google or Amazon you will be presented with a wild list of over-the-top LGBTQ+ titles. Even though Camp Damascus has been written for an adult audience, it could easily be read by YA readers and might be a perfect read for teens who are struggling with their sexuality and particularly with coming out or problems with their parents. It is not explicit in any sexual sense and even though there is some body horror towards the end I would happily recommend it to anybody aged fourteen plus. The backdrop to the story was the world’s most effective gay conversion camp, which is nestled in the Montana wilderness, with parents send their children from around the world to experience the program’s 100% success rate. It takes it’s time getting around to why the program is so successful, but it is pretty wild and heads deep into the realms of supernatural horror. In the UK there is ongoing legislation to outlaw this type of therapy, which to say it is frowned upon is an understatement, so it was fascinating to read a novel which (kind of) gives the inside track. 

Rose Darling is a classic unreliable narrator, but do not hold it against her, as it is not her fault. Early in the novel, whilst having dinner with her parents, Rose begins to vomit flys and her family are strangely unperturbed. When she returns to her bedroom she notices her bedroom door has been removed from its hinges, or was it always like that? The reader is not sure either way. We realise that Rose attends an Evangelical Christian Church, she drops hints and clues as the story moves on and the reader realises it might even be a sect or a cult. Rose begins to see things; thinks she is being haunted by a demon and has strange feelings for another girl. But being gay and a member of this church is forbidden, but nightmares blend with memories and all roads lead back to Camp Damascus, where she has never been (or has she?) I enjoyed this book a lot and ultimately it is about young queer people facing and conquering their inner demons, some readers might have preferred slightly more restraint with the supernatural element and over-the-top ending, but it was still a wildly enjoyable romp.

AGE RANGE 14+

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Chicken House; 1st edition (13 April 2023)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 400 pages

As far as post-apocalyptic teens novels go, Melissa Welliver’s engaging debut My Love Life and the Apocalypse is by far the warm and cuddliness. Sure, because of the setting and subject matter it definitely has its dark moments, and a serious yuck factor concerning one of the big reveals near the end, overall it is light and should be enjoyed by any young teen, not just those who enjoy dark fiction. The ‘rom com’ feel of the book is perfectly pitched, is touchingly innocent, and it is nice to get that feeling everything is (probably) going to be just about okay in the end. The story was top heavy with nineties references and I will be interested to see if genuine teen readers notice many of them. Echo and Pandora are immediately likeable characters and perfect company to an apocalyptic world which is completely empty (they think) and maintained by highly intelligent robots which have continued to function long after the collapse of humanity. 

My Love Life and the Apocalypse has an engaging male/female split first person narrative which jumps between Echo and Pandora. Early in the story we learn that Echo is a highly intelligent and (almost) human android which has broken his programming in some way. So he is virtually human, with some odd quirks. Pandora’s escape pod crash-lands and is discovered by Echo, with the novel then following an android ‘boy meets girl’ story which also explores whether they really are the last humans and the search for the rest of Pandora’s ship and possible survivors. Without ever really feeling derivative of anything in particular, there are moments which will remind you of lots of other post-apocalyptic fiction and on the whole Melissa Welliver’s creation was a pretty cool place to hang out, being a nice blend of quirky and uplifting.

AGE RANGE 12+

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster Children’s UK (8 Jun. 2023)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages

Bite Risk, the entertaining debut of SJ Wills, is a funky modern spin on the werewolf story. Interestingly, the word ‘werewolf’ is virtually never used in the book until near the end and there is a clever reason for this when everything is knitted together. If you are a fan of Stranger Things, The X-Files or anything with dodgy research scientific corporations then you will know where this story is heading. It does not do much new but puts more than enough shiny gloss on a shaggy-dog story which will keep most twelve- to fourteen-year-old kids amused. It was not too deep; characters were sketchily but nicely drawn and the world building around this take on the werewolf myth was solidly developed. You might wonder what was going on beyond the bounds of the town where the action takes place (I certainly did) and there were plenty of clues to keep young readers entertained. Gore was fairly limited, but it was balanced nicely with a dashing of mystery and engaging teen characters railing against authority and the powerful controlling company watching their every move. 

Sel Archer lives in a normal town with normal residents, except for one night a month almost all the adults turn into creatures. The town has all sorts of complicated systems, traps and safety nets so that all the adults are secured before turning as nobody wants to eat their kid! We are told that this has been going on for over 25 years and that it is seen as a normal part of life. Teens usually turn into werewolves for the first time when they are fourteen or fifteen and early in the novel some of the ‘Turned’ escape with Sel and his friends suspecting foul play. Because the werewolves (called ‘Rippers’) only turn once a month the story is probably more spread out than it should have been, but Bite Risk was great fun and a top-notch blend of horror, adventure and dodgy scientists. The science behind everything was nicely explained in an ending which everything fell together nicely when things might have got much darker. AGE RANGE 11/12+