 The new girl moves into the most haunted house in town  The Haunted follows the story of a girl called Hendricks Becker-O’Malley whose family moves into a new town because of something unsettling lurking in her past. She settles quickly and makes new friends, but soon she finds out that the house she lives in is where a young girl was brutally murdered. To make things worse the brother of the dead girl now lives next door. It doesn’t take long before strange, creepy things begin to occur to Hendricks with her past also coming home to roost. As this is a horror story her parents hardly ever see to be home, so there are plenty of opportunities for spooky goings on. I very much enjoyed this book because it was a perfect blend of Mean Girls, Heathers and The Exorcist. It captures the realistic (American) teenage slice of life, meaning it creates stereotypes but then added convincing extra depth to the characters. A good example was the well-meaning, but tactless, queen-bee who has recently ‘come out’ and the jock with a heart of gold but is unsure what he wants to do in the future. Unfortunately, I felt that in the second half of the book these interesting characters were pushed to the side slightly when they have been develop more. The plot grabs you straight away with a short but creepy prologue which sets up the story, with a young girl being lured into a basement by a soft meowing sound. Also, the protagonist (Hendricks) clearly has a past trauma and that is kept hidden until well into the novel and that really held my attention. The book contains numerous scary, gory and disturbing scenes, for example when you learn about Hendricks past, the spiritual ritual she and Eddie the boy next door perform. Interestingly, and this worked well, nobody else seems to see the ghosts and a scene in the bathroom was another good shock moment. But my favourite was when a kid had his mouth stapled shut by a ghost. That really made me wince. Ouch. The ending was not the strongest part of the book, it lacked a major plot twist and what we were given lacked logic. I do not want to go into spoilers, but the ending felt like it was shoehorned into the story and it was connected to a much earlier part of the narrative which, at the time, did not seem too important. Also, I did not particularly enjoy the ‘I love you’ scenes because I found them cringey and unnecessary but it was nice for Hendricks to find love again considering what happened in her past. This was not realistic and felt like it was something out of a bad rom-com film, as they really did not know each other that well to be in love! Overall I think this was a solid creepy horror novel which I found an enjoyable fast-paced read with a plot that was easy to get sucked into. It had scary scenes including the use of a doll and the fact her baby brother could have died. But the twist let it down a bit because the author just did not build this into the story properly. Once the big ‘reveal’ came along it took me sometime to remember who was being referred to because of the lack of information on them. Even though I have grumbled a bit I do recommend this to any teen who wants a chilling thriller novel but also a frightening ghost story. 4/5 AJ THE HAUNTED BY DANIELLE VEGA  Clean slate. That's what Hendricks Becker-O'Malley's parents said when they moved their family to the tiny town of Drearfield, New York. Hendricks wants to lay low and forget her dark, traumatic past. Forget him. But things don't go as planned. Hendricks learns from new friends at school that Steele House - the fixer upper her parents are so excited about - is notorious in town. Local legend says it's haunted. But Hendricks isn't sure if it's the demons of her past haunting her . . . . or of the present. Voices whisper in her ear as she lays in bed. Doors lock on their own. And, then, one night, things take a violent turn. With help from the mysterious boy next door, Hendricks makes it her mission to take down the ghosts . . . . if they don't take her first.    For us adults the summer holidays is the perfect time to up-the-ante when it comes to our reading. It should be the same for our kids, but for those who see reading as an extension of homework it is often seen as a chore. But if they connect with the correct book reading is a chore no more! By day I work in a school library and around this time of the year one of the most rewarding parts of my job is recommending books for the summer holidays, hoping my customers connect with the right book, or more. Having said that, this particular collection of eight recommendations which have crossed my path recently, are probably more geared at accomplished readers who already have the bug. If you’re looking for some dark fiction to keep a teenager amused, and away from their phones for a while over the holidays, hopefully you’ll find something here. This is a fairly whacky selection and as usual it stretches beyond horror into science fiction and fantasy. These are also all worthy selections for school and public library collections. Part two of our YA summer dark fiction recommended reads will follow later in the month. Guillermo del Toro & Cornelia Funke - Pan's Labyrinth: The Labyrinth of the Faun This has been released as an adult novel, I read it as YA… Guillermo del Toro’s Spanish language fantasy masterpiece was released way back in 2006 and one wonders what exactly is the point of releasing what is effectively a novelisation thirteen years later? Pan's Labyrinth: The Labyrinth of the Faun is not a development or continuation of the original story it is a fairly faithful retelling of the film. If you were expecting something new or fresh, there is a good chance you are going to be disappointed. It might sound strange, but I have the feeling those who might enjoy this book most are those who know nothing about the film. In many ways it is a very straight-forward fantasy novel and because it is co-written by distinguished German children’s author Cornelia Funke, who is probably best known for The Thief Lord and Ink Heart, it has very strong YA leanings. In actual fact, although it is so beautifully and hypnotically written I would say strong teen readers may well enjoy it more so than adults. When I was reading some of the fantasy sequences and descriptions, such as the Fawn creature of the title, my imagination was tainted by how I remembered this character in the film. However, the weakness for any YA readers are the lack of context the book provides; it is set in Fascist Spain during the Second World War where in a countryside area there is sporadic fighting still going on. General Franco is barely mentioned, the ‘rebels’ fight on, but apart from a brief part at the end it might be hard to separate fact from fantasy, which in actual fact is very important in both film and this book. Of course, if you’ve seen the film, it all makes perfect sense. Considering that it reads much more like Funke novel, than a Del Toro I’m surprised there is not more clarification or context for a potential teen audience. The plot is a wild one. Ofelia and her heavily pregnant mother arrive at the farmhouse headquarters of the local Fascist leader, known as the ‘Captain’, at some recent point the mother has married the Captain. Upon arrival Ofelia believes she sees a fairy and this leads her upon a magical quest, which has lots of ‘once upon a time’ interludes. The fairy leads Ofelia into a labyrinth which is on the property and soon she meets a supernatural creature called Pan who sets her three tasks to complete. Meantime her mother is sick, her new stepfather is a true sadist who hopes for a son and in the background the battle between the Captain’s government thugs and the local rebel rages. This was a faithful retelling of a wonderful film, which would be perfect for strong teenage readers who enjoy fantasy, long-term adult fans of the film might have been expecting a little bit more. Cliff McNish - The Hunting Ground Cliff McNish’s 2011 The Hunting Ground has a welcome rerelease on a new publisher this July. Although, in recent years, McNish has been very quiet this novel is a fine example of what he does best; the haunted house. Few authors do spooky stories better than Cliff McNish and this chilling tale set in a decrepit and atmospheric mansion and features two vulnerable children who are potentially easy prey to dangerous nasty spirits from the world of the dead in an outstanding and old-fashioned haunted-house tale. After their father starts to renovate the house the children find a diary from years earlier, written by a boy who used to live there called Theo, who lived there with his parents, and little sister Eve. As the diary unfolds itself, the house begins to breathe with a dread-filled atmosphere, and the horror slowly creeps closer to the children. I have been a huge fan of the multi-talented Cliff McNish for many years and although he also writes fantasy and shaggy dog stories for little kids, I will also see him as a horror writer first and foremost. If you’re never tried him also look out for his outstanding ghost story Breathe, his crossover into science fiction Savannah Grey and Angel which is a terrific tale of a girl obsessed with angels. The Hunting Ground is perfect for kids aged eleven plus. There is a new spooky trailer which you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZev0F6z5DI&fbclid=IwAR2-y4aF5HOXVOaFmV7uhAZTgXhe1YU5qXa-_RgSMw-PifBaBXbWiwzMNL8 Liz Kerin – The Phantom Forest If you’re looking for a read which mixes horror, fantasy and a dash of ancient mythology then Liz Kerin’s The Phantom Forest is well worth investigating. Part of the novel is set in a Hell type location called the Underworld where a cursed demon called Haben lives. He’s a sympathetic character, whom at certain times turns into a creature called The Savage, when this transformation occurs he is unable to resist the taste of human flesh. Above ground, in the town of Khronasa where the majority of the novel is set, several times a year, there is a human sacrifice to this creature. When the novel opens a teenage girl Seycia gets into a fight and catches the eye of General Simeon who is the feared dignitary in charge of the local area. Due to bad blood with Seycia’s dead father soon the girl and her little brother are next in line to be lunch for The Savage. Thrown into the pit, which fills with water, everyone awaits the appearance of the fearful creature. Seycia is one tough girl and is not going to be an easy kill for anyone, not even an immortal demon. There were many plot strands in this fresh and entertaining novel which had me guessing where and when it might be set? Ultimately I did like the vagueness of it all… There were guns and cars, but there was also talk of long wars, but it remained hard to exactly pinpoint it as post-apocalyptic. Interestingly, the overruling empire had banned human sacrifices, but General Simeon allowed the practice to go on anyway. He was a great character with a horribly deformed face and a long memory; throw in a spunky little brother, the seeds of rebellion and the quest to discover the Forest of Laida where human souls were kept it was all great stuff which licked along at a nice pace. At a point human and demon get confused and the developing friendship of the demon Haden and Seycia was a major highlight. Highly recommended for fantasy and horror lovers aged thirteen or older. Ann Dávila Cardinal - Five Midnights I thoroughly enjoyed this fast-paced supernatural thriller set over a few hot and sweaty days in Puerto Rico. An American teenager (who has a Puerto Rican father) who speaks rubbish Spanish visits the island for the summer she gets sucked into a supernatural mystery surrounding the disappearance of her cousin and several of his friends. Luckily her uncle is the chief of police and so she has some insider knowledge on what is going on and inserts herself into a convoluted supernatural mystery. The horror aspect revolves around the Puerto Rican version of the Boogie Man who is killing teenagers with birthdays whose are very close together and known to Lupe. Has someone activated a curse? Seen from multiple points of view, throw in a splash of romance, a musical heartthrob, Lupe is a spunky lead character who is not scared to clash with the tough local women who see her as a gringo interloper who needs to be put in her place. Ultimately the rationale behind the supernatural part of the story was a bit weak and the supernatural entity could have had more page time to ramp up the fear levels and developed more for the non-Puerto Rican audiences who know little of this being from this foreign culture. I’m sure teenagers thirteen and above would have fun with this fast-paced and edgy novel. Ann Aguire – Heartwood Box Ann Aguire’s highly engaging Heartwood Box is not a horror novel, but there is much to enjoy in a teen thriller which blends elements of science fiction, messages passing through time (in the Heartwood Box) and an outstanding female leading character in Araceli Flores Harper. This spunky teenager finds herself living in a tiny town with her ancient great aunty Ottillie as her parents are going to be travelling and working abroad whilst she does her final year at high school. Upon arrival Araceli notices missing posters all over town and soon realises people have been disappearing in this town for twenty years, including the husband of her great aunt and kids from the local school. The clever plot has several different layers; first up, Araceli is half-Mexican in a town which is incredibly white and so it has interesting things to say about race. The teenager also likes to dance and tries to get on the school team. Along the way the novel convincingly tells a teenage story of a girl trying to fit it and her developing friendship with the nice boy who lives across the road, who also happens to be the sheriff’s son and has issues of his own. I loved the way these two characters bounced off each other. As the disappearances continue Araceli finds a freaky way of writing to an American soldier who has just shipped to France way back in 1917 and much of the plot focusses on this crazy development. It could have been something out of the X-Files, but I found it worked very well and the relationship between Araceli and her great aunt was perfectly pitched. Although anyone could read this book, it may appeal more to girls and it does take its time getting going, so patience is required as it moves from drama to thriller. Make sure you hang around for the wonderful knock-out ending! Perfect for anyone aged thirteen plus. Charlie Pike - Jacob’s Ladder Set in 2203 Jacob’s Ladder was a quirky mix of fantasy, post-apocalyptic and science fiction and although it was enjoyable I am unsure if teenagers will fully engage with it. At a certain point I felt it meandered and lost its way slightly after a great opening which it failed to capitalise on. The main character is Leon, who is about to undergo an initiation service (the Rising) into adulthood by murdering, or hunting, a young woman from a different tribe. Leon is a member of the True Path warrior culture who believe they have been sent four messages from an alien race, which at some point are going to save some of the chosen tribe and take them to another planet. Leon believes he will be chosen for this task, as do others from his tribe. When the novel opens they believe the fifth and final message is on its way. Why do they need rescuing is one of the big questions? The Earth is dying, destroyed by powerful flares from the sun and sandstorms so powerful they can strip the skin from your face. These windstorms are seriously nasty and vividly described. Not to mention wars which nobody really remembers, which give clues from the past. Leon believes his Rising will be easy but the woman he hunts is much more dangerous than he expects and the novel moves in several unexpected dimensions as their relationship as hunter and prey changes. However, once they were out in the wastelands the novel became repetitive, lots of other characters were introduced and there were jumbled hints of where the story was set. The revelation of what Jacob’s Ladder actually meant was a decent twist and in many ways the majority of the characters had been lied to and the novel had much to say about fundamentalism. Jacob’s Ladder had some clever ideas, but this area of YA fiction is a highly competitive market and I’m not sure it has enough to truly catch the attention of bored teenagers. Who knows though, it was still a satisfying read and might still be worth a punt for those aged thirteen plus. Erin Bowman – Contagion Erin Bowman’s Contagion has just arrived in paperback in the UK and is a very good fusion of hard science fiction and horror. It’s probably aimed at older readers, as it takes its time getting going and carefully sets the scene in a vividly described galaxy where mankind has colonised areas of the galaxy with mining and other scientific outposts. The novel opens at the Northwood Point Research Facility on the planet Sater, in the Trios System. Something nasty is going on and there is an evacuation after a series of unexplained deaths. The story then flips to a spaceship which receives the distress call from the drill team on the planet in distress. Search and rescue is not really their thing, but they are the closest, and although they only have a skeleton crew and no backup to perform what they think will be a standard search and rescue mission. Think again. Things are complicated further as one of the crew in the search and rescue team have family on the planet, so emotions run high. Although Contagion takes its time, arrival at the planet takes a while, the novel is never dull, but I would caution that this is for serious fans of science fiction. Once they arrive they find the plant trashed, lots of dead bodies, but not enough for all the crew. Where are the rest? The name of the book should be a big enough clue in the direction the book is going to take. Although it had some creepy moments, some well-developed characters, in the end I could not help being slightly underwhelmed by what was the cause of the contagion. Real teenagers may well be happy with this though, but it was nothing I have not seen in hundreds of other novels. However, there was some great paranoia “don’t trust the kid” which we’re repeatedly told of one of the survivors. Recommended for fans of science fiction horror aged fourteen plus. Did I say not to trust the kid? I mean it! Matthew Reilly – Secret Runners of New York As end-of-the-world novels go Matthew Reilly’s The Secret Runners of New York is a quirky example which straddles science fiction, fantasy and the bitchiness of day-to-day school life. The story opens with Skye Rogers and her brother Red arriving at the very rich and exclusive Monmouth School in Manhattan, New York. Initially Red settles quicker and Skye struggles to fit in with her new classmates which include many of the top young socialites the city has to offer. For much of the time The Secret Runners reads as a standard teen novel in a posh American high school setting. However, in the background there is a second story; a prominent scientist has predicted that in several months there will be an atmospheric change which will produce deadly gamma rays which, he claims, will kill-off a massive chunk of the population. Although this story strands bubbles in the background it plays second fiddle to the run-of-the-mill high school stuff, and at times I forgot the clock was ticking closer towards a supposed apocalypse. A third plotline lurks in the background; the disappearance of other teens, which is linked together later in the story. Eventually Skye joins the in-crowd of the richest and bitchiest of teenage girls and is shown a weird time-portal which is operated with a gem and takes everyone who uses it to around twenty years into the future. Of course, nobody believes the apocalypse will really happen, so the bratty teens just use the portal as a way to fool around. Although The Secret Runners of New York had a lot going on I felt it could have been stronger; once the apocalypse finally arrives it is dealt with in a few fairly underwhelming pages and the future version of Manhattan was slightly dull. Although Skye was a believable and likable main character, many of the other socialites were cardboard cut-outs ‘Mean Girl’ types whom I did not care lived or died. Before long the story takes a serious Back to the Future or Terminator vibe and the author admirably does not cop out with an easy ending. Because of the mashup of genres, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly who the intended audience of Secret Runners is, but teenagers aged thirteen could read it no problem and it was an enjoyable and refreshing read. Tony Jones   |
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