Young Adult Book Reviews

Name: Ruth Cornish
04 January 2022;

Genre: Fantasy

The Ivory Key is the first novel in a two part book series by Akshaya Raman. It is a fantasy adventure set in the magical land of Ashoka. But the future of the kingdom is in jeopardy, as their source of the magic that protects and sustains the kingdom is running low. Four sepa...

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Name: Catherine Purcell
01 January 2022;

Genre: Historical Fiction

Tom Palmer's After the War; Michael Rosen's The Missing; Karen Levine's Hana's Suitcase; Morris Gleitzman's Once; Judith Kerr's When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit; and now, Liz Kessler's When the World Was Ours. Vienna. 1936. Three friends spend a joy-filled day together cel...

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Name: Linda Brown
01 January 2022;

Genre: Fantasy

Renee Ahdieh is so good at her craft that once again she immersed me onto the atmospheric streets of New Orleans in The Righteous. Into its dark secluded alleyways and even darker secrets of the vampires, werewolves and other ethereal creatures that share the streets with huma...

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Name: Linda Brown
01 January 2022;

Genre: Fantasy

We have all watched a creepy film where a group of teenagers pick up the tarot cards/quija board and screamed at the TV 'Don’t do it!' This is exactly what you will be doing as the get deeper into this debut YA novel... Maeve is a 16-year-old girl who lives in Ireland and due to her behaviour,...

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Name: Beverley Somerset
22 December 2021;

Genre: Historical Fiction

Set in the early 1920's, this wonderful novel explores the after effects of World War 1 on both the surviving soldiers and the families they return to. Natty lives in the small Welsh village of Libanwy with her mother, Ffion, who is a vocal supporter of women’s rights. When her outspokenness c...

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Name: Amiran Age 14
01 December 2021;

Genre: Personal Growth

I would definitely recommend this book, but to a specific audience. Me being of South Asian minority, I don't think I related to this as much as other black girls would, but I would definitely recommend it to them. It was an interesting read and could give a girl some great insights into growi...

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Name: Lorraine Ansell
30 November 2021;

Genre: Non Fiction

Big Picture Press have hit the nail on the head with this new book, Art of Protest: What a revolution looks like, by artivist De Nichols. Formatted and produced to simulate a zine, it is illustrated by several artists, resulting in a powerfully visual and educational book....

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Name: Abieyuwa Age 13
25 November 2021;

Genre: Personal Growth

This book guides on how to live your life as a black British girl. It incorporates everything that makes us who we are. Growing up you don’t really see people that look sound or represent us on tv. We were always seen as the 'black ducklings' of society.  This book advises you on how to deal w...

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Name: Clare Wilkins
24 November 2021;

Genre: Myths & Legends

Born into a family of West African witches, Sheba has long known of her family’s magical powers and the consequent distrust of the other villagers. Living in fear of her shapeshifting and capricious mother, Sheba seeks solace with her grandmothers and a kindly aunt. When she meets the enigmati...

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Name: Sharon Bolton
19 November 2021;

Genre: Suspense & Thrillers

Imagine a world where everyone wears a gun, by law, even children. This is the everyday life for 14-year-old Bluebonnet Andrews, living in the independent Republic of Texas. Her father is the deputy, but he is also an alcoholic, a reality Blue deals with all by herself. She has not seen or hea...

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