Young Adult Book Reviews

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  • The Outrage

    The Outrage

    Name: Eileen Armstrong
    23 June 2021;

    Genre: LBGTQ+

    A book billed as 'The Handmaid’s Tale for LGBTQ+ YA' was never going to be a comfortable read but nothing can quite prepare the reader for the harsh and shocking reality of The Outrage.  The very best speculative fiction works because it creates a world we believe to...

  • The Yearbook

    The Yearbook

    Name: Maddie Age 14
    22 June 2021;

    Genre: Bullying

    Paige tries to live her life under the radar; unnoticed by anyone at school, at home and at the one club she attends. Her best - and only - friend is her Alexa, and she only comes out of her shell one afternoon a week at her Aunt Polly's house. At home, Paige is shoved aside and labelled a nui...

  • You're the One that I Want

    You're The One That I Want

    Name: Dan Katz
    21 June 2021;

    Genre: Romance & Relationships

    Freddie is an average, unremarkable, fall-between-the cracks kind of guy. As he enters sixth form, his classmates and teachers of five years barely know who he is, he is a constant disappointment to his TV producer mother, and his nervous awkwardness leaves him feeling completely undateable (n...

  • The Crossing

    The Crossing

    Name: Sharon Bolton
    10 June 2021;

    Genre: Representation & Inclusion

    On the face of it who would think that Natalie in Dover, and Sammy in Eritrea, have any common ground? Certainly not the right wing groups protesting about the refugees landing on the Kent coast.  The Crossing is a well-crafted verse novel which explores the many facets of the...

  • A Gathering Midnight

    A Gathering Midnight

    Name: Linda Brown
    10 June 2021;

    Genre: Fantasy

    A Gathering Midnight is the sequel to Midnight's Twins and what a great action-packed second book it is. I really could not put this down; adventure, action, myste...

  • Not My Problem

    Not My Problem

    Name: Emelia
    10 June 2021;

    Genre: Real life

    This is a story of new friendships, love, alcohol and trust. It is filled with emotion and has some references of a sexual nature. Set in Ireland, Aideen finds that she is rather good at helping everyone else fix their problems but she can't fix the issues she faces at home. Aideen feel...

  • Tremendous Things

    Tremendous Things

    Name: Catherine Purcell
    06 June 2021;

    Genre: Real life

    A Susin Nielsen book is a real joy. A wry smiling, head nodding, frequent chuckling, joy. And that's not an easy thing to create. Susin Nielsen, you are terrific. Radiant. Some human being! Tremendous Things begins with Wil's Defining Moment, narrated by Wil; honestly it's a beauty and...

  • Burning Sunlight

    Burning Sunlight

    Name: Ruth Cornish
    03 June 2021;

    Genre: Environment

    Burning Sunlight is a brilliant read on many levels. Firstly, the author has caught the emotional mood swings of a teenager extremely well. As a parent, it almost made for uncomfortable reading but feels authentic and honest and offers the reader a fresh account of a teen stru...

  • The Swallows' Flight

    The Swallows' Flight

    Name: Lucy Georgeson
    03 June 2021;

    Genre: Historical Fiction

    The Swallows' Flight is a companion novel to The Skylarks' War, which I would urge you to read first if you haven't already done so. The story alternates between Ruby, Kate, Dog (Pax) and friends Erik and Hans in Germany as they navigate the i...

  • Everyone Dies Famous in a Small Town

    Everyone Dies Famous In A Small Town

    Name: Maddie Age 14
    02 June 2021;

    Genre: Real life

    This book was a different style from what I usually read. It was a collection of stories from teenagers' lives, but all of them are linked somehow as I read through snippets of their lives. It follows different people through Alaska, starting with Gina's life being flipped upside down when her...