Teenagers Book Reviews

Name: Bethany Age 13
01 October 2023;

Genre: Suspense & Thrillers

Soul Hunters is the first book of a trilogy following the protagonist Genna, who is a First Ascendant. First Ascendants were chosen to carry the 'Light' and keep it safe. The antagonist is an Incarnate called Tanas who tries to sacrifice Genna's soul in order to extinguish the...

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Name: Linda Canning
01 October 2023;

Genre: Horror

What a brilliant book this is! Read, Scream, Repeat is an anthology of 13 (!) short stories, from some of my favourite children's authors: Jennifer Killick, Phil Hickes, Rachel Delahaye and Sharna Jackson, to name but a few. It contains a delightful mix of styles of stories, a...

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Name: Jacqueline Harris
25 September 2023;

Genre: Magical Realism

Rose is unhappy at her new secondary school. She is bullied by Emer and her friends and is utterly miserable. Her only friends are the elderly couple who live and work on the road on her way home. Then one night Rose is faced with an Ice Giant who gives her a stone and tells her to guard it. R...

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Name: Jane Rew
23 September 2023;

Genre: Representation & Inclusion

There is so much to this book, Stand Up and Speak Out Against Racism: personal experience (the author knows what it's like to be on the receiving end of racism, so it is not just an academic text on the subject); comprehensive discussion of all aspects of racism, including hel...

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Name: Ethan Age 9
23 September 2023;

Genre: Animals

I really liked Digger and Me. It was a book about James's overwhelming life and he feels like nothing's ever the same again. First, his parents get divorced and both find their new loves. Then, Digger (his dog) gets cancer. James then tries to do anything to protect Digger alt...

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Name: Sue Wilsher
22 September 2023;

Genre: Magical Realism

Rosaleen Darke-Rose is struggling at her new school. Tormented by Emer McGuire and her 'fan club' for being a scholarship pupil, Rose is also still grieving the loss of her Mamó, who she misses desperately. Taking the long way home from school, however, has the benefit of taking her past the s...

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Name: Louisa Farrow
22 September 2023;

Genre: Personal Growth

This new anthology, Our Rights, explores the principles enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child through poems and short stories by a diverse and impressive array of contemporary children's authors, thoughtfully illustrated in black and white by Ru...

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Name: Louisa Farrow
22 September 2023;

Genre: Representation & Inclusion

14-year-old Max lives on a remote Scottish island and is seething with anger and frustration. An accident on his father's trawler has left him deaf and isolated from his former friends. A new baby in the family only makes matters worse; he's convinced that his parents want to replace him with...

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Name: Sue Wilsher
20 September 2023;

Genre: Romance & Relationships

Ancient Love Stories retells some of the greatest romances in history, showing that love is a familiar theme across time and culture. The book starts by introducing Sappho, who knew 'how to write about love'. Acknowledging we know little of her, the author explores her life an...

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Name: Julie Broadbent
18 September 2023;

Genre: Fantasy

In The Secret of the Blood-Red Key, we are reunited with the familiar world of Krasnia and its inhabitants. Our heroes Rachel and Robert Klein have saved the country from the wicked dictator Charles Malstain and peace and order has now been restored. They are rightly now recog...

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