 Outstanding blend of supernatural, teen angst and hard rock, HELL YEAH!!!! Young Adult (YA) novels with a musical theme are notoriously tricky to get right and when you throw in heavy metal it becomes even more difficult to avoid the dreaded devil-horn clichés. Amazingly, Jacqueline West superb Last Things avoids these pitfalls in a gripping tale of a tortured teenage musician who believes his success might be because of a strange conversation he can’t get out of his head. I’m a long-term heavy metal fan and I felt this novel was super convincing in the way it portrayed the band performing on stage and the overall small-town music vibe scene was pitched perfectly. The cover is slightly juvenile and younger readers may well find it rather slow, but teenagers who enjoy music, a strong character driven plot and an unexpected reveal are sure to love it. I certainly did. It had me wondering what the band actually sounded like! Author Jacqueline West should take that as a major compliment. The story is told via two uniquely different first-person narratives in alternating chapters; ‘Thea’ and ‘Anders’, with all the action taking place in the small Minnesota town of Greenwood. Over the last year a heavy-metal band called ‘Last Things’ have had a very successful Friday night residency at the local coffee shop, ‘The Crow’s Nest’, such is the band’s reputation rockers have been travelling from over 200 miles to see the trio play, including music scouts and agents. The band are beautifully portrayed as three young men, with dreams of escaping their small town, until the cracks begin to show after Anders makes a few rash big decisions on his own. In the early part of the novel, such is their popularity, the coffee shop owner asks the band whether they want to play every Saturday night, as well as their usual Friday. They are big news and it is easy for the reader to get carried along by their success. ‘Last Things’, the band, is a three piece with Anders the tortured genius the story focusses upon, with him singing and playing lead guitar. The eighteen-year-old is ably backed up by Patrick on drums and Jezz on bass. Although they are an incredibly tight unit, it is Anders who is the real star, even if he does not want to be, and this is where the friction with the bandmates begins. The rest of the time Anders is anonymous and his high school persona is completely different from the charismatic frontman which captivates the live crowd week in and week out and even has the cutest girl in school, Frankie Lynde, chasing him down. The music scenes with Anders truly sizzle, equally his obsession with improving his guitar style and the comedown when the gig is over is completely convincing when he is alone brooding in his bedroom. Angsty teen readers are going to lap this stuff up! Where’s the supernatural angle you might ask? Anders believes, even if he practices for hours every day, he plays better than he should. He believes something has happened to make him this good and feels that deep down he is a cheat and does not deserve this success. This was a very clever part of the story and it remains cleverly shrouded for the majority of the novel. I’m not sure how familiar today’s YA audience are with the famous stories from the past, of selling your soul for success, but this is a very clever riff and original spin on that age-old story. Or is it? That’s all part of the fun. Anders is an exceptionally well-rounded character who has a complex and believable relationship with his parents; his father resents the fact that the coffeeshop do not pay the band for their gigs, but this is more to do with Anders strangeness rather than the coffeeshop being stingy. Throw in the family’s lack of finances and Anders guilt over his pricy guitar lessons, you will wonder why the boy seems intent on self-sabotage even when new songs come to him quicker than he can write them down, or the rest of the band can learn to play. Even he cannot understand where the songs come from and spends more time with his guitar (which he calls ‘Yvonne’) rather than the gorgeous Frankie. Yup, this boy has problems! The narrative contrast with Thea, also known as ‘Stalker Girl’ is striking. She loves Ander’s music and has a weird obsession with him, almost like she is watching over or protecting him. This took the book in a very cool direction, as the reader is never quite sure whether she is off-her-head or if there is something stranger going on, which she implies with comments like; “I watch the woods. They’re always closer than you think” and her obsession with the encroaching forest. This girl even lurks in the forest when Anders is home and has her own complicated family background. Last Things takes its time and I thought the pacing was great and the supernatural angle was revealed deliciously slowly bringing Anders and Thea together. There was much to enjoy in this excellent YA novel and I enjoyed the endnote in which the author implied how she felt her band actually sounded like. The blend of atmosphere, the music vibe, the subtle supernatural approach and a host of engaging characters made this one of the best YA supernatural thrillers I have read in a while. Make sure you’re listening to Rage Against The Machine if you’re checking out this book!  LAST THINGS BY JACQUELINE WEST New York Times-bestselling author Jacqueline West captivates readers with a dark, hypnotic story about the cost of talent--and the evil that lurks just out of sight. Fans of Holly Black and Victoria Schwab will be mesmerized by this gorgeous, magnetic novel. High school senior Anders Thorson is unusually gifted. His band, Last Things, is legendary in their northern Minnesota hometown. With guitar skills that would amaze even if he weren't only eighteen, Anders is the focus of head-turning admiration. And Thea Malcom, a newcomer to the insular town, is one of his admirers. Thea seems to turn up everywhere Anders goes: gigs at the local coffeehouse, guitar lessons, even in the woods near Anders's home. When strange things start happening to Anders, blame immediately falls on Thea. But is she trying to hurt him? Or save him? Can he trust a girl who doesn't seem to know the difference between dreams and reality? And how much are they both willing to sacrifice to get what they want? Told from Anders's and Thea's dual points of view, this exquisitely crafted novel is full of unexpected twists and is for fans of Holly Black's The Darkest Part of the Forest and Melissa Albert's The Hazel Wood. "Everything I love in a book."--Victoria Schwab, author of #1 New York Times bestseller This Savage Song "The kind of taut, atmospheric thriller that gets your heart racing and sets your imagination on fire. Sensational."--Claire Legrand, New York Times-bestselling author of Furyborn   INTERVIEW WITH FRANCES HARDINGE: THE ART OF BLENDING FANTASY, HORROR AND HISTORICAL FICTION GENRES
23/8/2019
 It is with the greatest of pleasures we welcome Frances Hardinge, one of Britain’s most outstanding writers for children and teenagers to the Ginger Nuts of Horror. Since her debut Fly by Night won the Branford Boase Award for best first novel back in 2006 her imaginative and unique brand of fiction has captivated millions of children across the world and has been widely translated. In 2015 Frances stunned the book world by scooping the Costa Book of the Book Award with her seventh novel The Lie Tree, a Victorian murder mystery. In winning this prestigious award Frances joins a tiny band of children’s authors (I can’t think of anyone else except for Philip Pullman!) who have won top-tier adult book prizes. The joy of Frances Hardinge’s fiction partly lies in the fact that it simply defies categorization and is best described as a dark blend of fantasy, the supernatural, historical fiction with elements of horror bubbling under the surface. Her last three novels have been set in the English Civil War, the Victorian and Edwardian eras, however, her next tale, Deeplight, which is published in October is even more ambitious. Set amongst a huge collection of tiny islands in the alternative world of Myriad where the inhabitants search for the remnants of dead sea gods until a teenager unwittingly reawakens one of the most powerful creatures. At the time of the interview I had not yet read Deeplight, however, now having done so, it has all the hallmarks of a fantasy classic which will captivate the imaginations of children aged twelve and above. Frances is one of few authors to win and be nominated for both major children’s prizes and those normally aimed at genre fiction. Such is her reputation, I have often seen horror legend Ramsey Campbell recommend Frances in online discussions, who seems to have a soft spot for Cuckoo Song! How many authors can claim to be nominated for awards as diverse as the prestigious Carnegie Medal for children and The James Herbert Award for Horror Fiction? Only Frances I would wager. Although Frances has won many other awards, another highlight came in 2015 when Cuckoo Song scooped the Robert Holdstock Award for Best Novel at the British Fantasy Society Awards. Children need novels to transport them to faraway places where they can forget about the worries of social media, Instagram and Netflix. Few authors do this better than Frances Hardinge who in her nine-book career writes fiction which is as challenging as it is original. This thoughtful interview gives some insight into what makes her tick. Whoever said this YA stuff was just for kids? I challenge any adult readers NOT to be captivated by Cuckoo Song, The Lie Tree or A Skinful of Shadows. After fifty pages you will have forgotten you are reading a supposed kid’s book! Or you could just treat your favourite niece, nephew or best friend’s child to one the outstanding novels covered in the interview. Frances Hardinge thank you for taking the time to chat with us today. We’re been fans for years and will try not to gush too much. So, onto our first question before we start blushing…. Did winning the main Costa Prize for The Lie Tree have a major impact on your career? With the exception of Philip Pullman, a YA author winning a major adult prize is the equivalent of meeting Elvis… It’s changed everything. Before I was shortlisted for the Costa, I’d never been on TV. The day after I won the Costa Book of the Year, I spent twelve hours giving interviews and photoshoots for TV, radio and newspapers. My Amazon ranking was in single digits, and I was suddenly on a bestseller list for the first time in my life. It felt like I’d fallen down the rabbit hole into Wonderland. My profile is much higher than it was, and I get invited to a lot more literary events, festivals and conventions than before, often in other countries. It’s all really lovely, and still feels a bit unreal. I half-expect to discover that I’ve accidentally been issued with somebody else’s life… but if I have, they can’t have it back. Your fiction is dominated by supernatural themes; did you read much horror or dark fiction as a child? Who were your favourite authors? The creepier aspects of Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising series, Alan Garner’s Elidor, Catherine Storr’s Marianne Dreams and tales like The Shadow Cage by Philippa Pearce had a big effect on my young and tender imagination. There was also a collection of horror stories that I borrowed from our primary school library, which sank long, dark roots into my brain. I’ve never been able to find that collection since, but it had a big effect on me. As a rather odd teenager, I read quite a lot of classic 19th century horror, such as Frankenstein, Dracula, Carmilla by Sheridan le Fanu, the stories of MR James, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and The Family of the Vourdalak by Aleksey Tolstoy. Do you read much adult horror? Or do you prefer other genres? Recommend us something amazing you read recently….. I do read some adult horror, though I generally like it psychological rather than visceral. I also have a soft spot for books that are difficult to force into a single pigeonhole. White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi is beautifully hard to categorise. It is certainly Gothic, and elusive, its meaning always sliding out of sight like a half-seen figure in one’s peripheral vision. It’s sometimes maddening, but always strange and haunting. One of the narrators is a house. It is definitely best not to trust the house, particularly with your life or sanity, but it may be unwise to trust anyone else either... Most YA fiction is quite easy to categorise, on the other hand, your fiction is notoriously difficult to classify, often straddling genres in the most lyrical of ways. How does this go down with your publisher? I imagine you’re seen as a bit of a nightmare…. Everyone at Macmillan Children’s Books has shown superhuman patience and tolerance in the face of my contrariness. Not only do I have a cavalier attitude to genre boundaries, but my first six books perched on the cusp between upper middle grade and YA. I’m really awkward to classify. I’m surprised sales and marketing are still talking to me. Much of your YA fiction is half-a-step from adult fiction, do you have any ideas for that market at some point in the future? I might write an adult book at some point, if I get enthusiastic about a story that suits that market. I’m likely to remain primarily a YA author, though, because I find it incredibly liberating and rewarding. I’ve read most of your fiction and would say your work has gradually got more challenging, with your last three novels Cuckoo Song, The Lie Tree and A Skinful of Shadows particularly so, is this something you are aware of? I certainly think of my most recent books as being ‘older’ than the earlier ones. When I write, my imagined reader is a younger version of me. My first five books were written for the twelve-year-old me. The more recent books are for the fourteen-year-old me. Cuckoo Song, The Lie Tree and A Skinful of Shadows have all got particularly clever supernatural elements to them. Are any of the three inspired by folk tales or any other existing mythology? Cuckoo Song is very much inspired by the old changeling folktales. I’ve been fascinated by the figure of the changeling since I was young, because as a child I had an irrational fear of doubles, doppelgangers and evil twins. I had nightmares in which somebody I trusted turned out to be something else impersonating them. When I started reading the old changeling folktales, however, I discovered that they were chilling in ways I hadn’t expected. Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of those old stories was the way in which the human families reacted once they knew that they had a changeling in their midst. Changeling children (many of them babies) would be thrown in the fire, hurled into running water, beaten with sticks or left on dung heaps to scream. To my surprise, I found myself feeling sorry for the changeling. Many aspects of Cuckoo Song are borrowed from the old changeling folktales. A tailor to see the truth. Eggshells and absurdity to flush out the imposter. A knife to hold the way open. A weaponised cockerel. A week of waning. A thing of sticks and leaves... When you start writing a novel is it clear in your head whether it is aimed at children or a YA audience? Or does it evolve along the way? The reason I ask; in my experience a lot of kids, for example, try The Lie Tree, when they are a bit young to fully appreciate it…. Sometimes I know how old I think the book is, but sometimes the story has other ideas. Often it turns out to be darker and more complex than I expect. I like challenging YA novels that force children to use their brains; there is enough space in the market for literary as well as easy to read rom-coms and crowd-pleasing page-turners. What separates your fiction from the majority of the market is the simple fact that you make the supernatural seem very real in vividly drawn historical settings. What’s the secret or your magic literary ingredient? Thank you, that’s very kind! I don’t think this really counts as a ‘secret’ or ‘magic ingredient’, but I genuinely enjoy historical research and world-building. I’ve now written three books in historical settings, five in fantastical worlds and one set in the modern day, and in each case fleshing out the setting was part of the fun and allowed me to understand my characters properly. I also enjoy the challenge of taking a particularly absurd premise, and then thinking through as many of the mundane implications as possible, in order to make the bizarre and otherworldly feel palpable and convincing. As an adult do you read much YA horror or dark fiction? We review a lot on Ginger Nuts, but most of the horror comes from America and is never picked up in the UK….. I do read some, but my TBR pile tends to be extremely varied, rather weird, and often made up of books that I’ve been unexpectedly sent. What’s your fascination with writing in different time periods? In recent times you’ve covered the English Civil War, Victorian and Edwardian England and your attention to detail is extraordinary and becomes a key part of the story. Surely, there must be extensive research involved? Yes, and I love it! For me, research is like treasure-hunting. I love discovering weird, macabre, funny, or interesting details that I can sneak into a book. Whenever I visit somewhere new, I’m always interested in hearing its stories – its myths and history – as well as seeing its sights. If you know the stories of a place, you have a glimpse of its soul. I’m always particularly fascinated by times of revolution, aftermath and traumatic change. Cuckoo Song is set in the wake of the Great War. The events of The Lie Tree take place in the 1860s, not long after theories of evolution and geological discoveries shook everyone’s notion of the world and their place in it. A Skinful of Shadows is set at the start of the English Civil War, which turned everything upside-down to the point where some thought it was the Biblical end times. I like looking at the way people cope with such dramatic changes – which swim, and which sink. Could you tell us a little bit about Deeplight which comes out later in 2019? It’s set in an alternative, fantastical world, on a sprawling archipelago called the Myriad. For centuries the islanders lived in awe and dread of the grotesque and terrible gods that lived in the deeps. Then, thirty years ago, all the gods unexpectedly killed each other, and nobody knows why. In the three decades since, people have discovered that fragments of the dead gods have exciting and useful properties, so a diving and submersible salvage culture has emerged all over the Myriad. Finding valuable ‘godware’ can make your fortune. My main character is fourteen-year-old Hark, who is eking out a living as a petty thief and con artist on a busy but down-at-heel island called Lady’s Crave. After his best friend Jelt gets him into even more trouble than usual, Hark finds himself in possession of a strange piece of godware. Impossibly, it seems to be alive... Would I be correct in thinking the main character is a boy? You mainly have female lead characters? If so, this change is very welcome as female characters are currently dominating dark YA fiction, I say this based on the sheer imbalance of boy/girl leads in the novels Ginger Nuts has reviewed in the last couple of years…… This the second time I’ve written a male protagonist for a YA novel, the first being Ryan in Verdigris Deep. I also have male main characters in some of my short stories. How far ahead do you plan when it comes to your writing, do you already know what comes after Deeplight? This differs from book to book. Sometimes before I’ve finished one book I’m already enthusiastic about another idea. At the moment, however, I’m not quite sure what I’ll write next. I’m still having discussions with my editor about this. It seems like a long time since you’ve written a novel in a contemporary setting, is this just because the elements of the fantastic you use play better in historical settings rather than the social media teen world of today? It all comes down to which idea pops into my head and obsesses me. If I became excited about a story that fitted the modern day, I’d use a contemporary setting. I think some of the ideas that I have used genuinely do work better in a historical setting. In The Lie Tree, the core idea of a tree that feeds on lies and bears fruit containing secrets, only came to life properly in my head once I considered a Victorian setting. It was a time of respectable facades, double standards, sordid secrets and consensus lies – everything that a lie-munching tree could possibly desire. Immediately I found myself coming up with lots of ideas, and my main characters started to come into focus. There has been some stuff in the press about the declining sales of YA titles, reasons given include the fact that too many ‘worthy’ or books about ‘issues’ are being published. What do you think about this statement? Your fiction avoids this sort of stuff, at least in any obvious sense…. To be completely honest, I don’t read all of the articles talking about ‘what is wrong with YA’. There seem to be rather a lot of them, and apparently YA is too shallow, too deep, too dark, too light, too obsessed with issues, too escapist, read by too many adults and probably a bad influence to boot. I rather love the fact that the books written by my fellow YA authors are so incredibly varied – fearless, funny, fantastical, hard-hitting, pacey, inventive, or quite often a combination of all of these. Which of your books do you think would make the best film or TV show? I would love it if The Lie Tree or Cuckoo Song reached the screen! Mind you, seeing the floating coffeehouses from Fly by Night or the volcanoes from Gullstruck Island would also make me very happy. Which author, alive or dead, would you most like to walk past on a bus reading one of your novels? My late grandfather (my mother’s father). He had to leave school at fourteen to help earn money for his family, but he was smart and determined, and continued educating himself. He became a teacher, started writing in his free time, and eventually had a dozen published titles. He died long before I ever got my first book contract, and I’d love to think of him reading my novels. It has been a pleasure featuring you on the site and we would like to wish you every success with the upcoming publication of Deeplight. Tony Jones    Does anyone currently have a teenager driving them up the wall? Are those same teenagers lounging around the sofa attached to their mobile phones or bingeing on your Netflix account? Never fear, Young Blood is here to save your summer with our second selection of ‘Dark Fiction Summer Sizzlers’. The first couple of books are not out until September/October, otherwise all should be available now. 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 perfect book reading is a chore no more. So perhaps the perfect book lurks amongst these eight books for a teen looking for inspiration. As usual there is a very diverse mix which branches into science fiction, dark thrillers, Irish mythology and a couple of books for slightly younger kids. Keep a special eye out for Kim Liggett’s The Grace Year, which is by far, the best book she has written and I have a feeling could be a real smash hit. It will be out in October. If any of these books take your fancy click on the image or the title and you will be taken to your region specific Amazon store The Grace Year (released October) - KIM LIGGETT Kim Liggett has made a huge leap in quality from The Last Harvest, published in 2018, to the excellent The Grace Year which was a very clever mix of teenage angst and gender suppression in an unnamed, superstitious and backward society. Dystopian novels with a strong emphasis on gender are dime a dozen at the moment both in adult and YA fiction, but The Grace Year stands amongst the best of them. Tierney James lives in an isolated village where at the age of sixteen girls are chosen to be brides and there is shame upon the families of those not chosen. The rejected individuals are then given menial jobs and will never marry. Tierney is a tomboy and does not expect to be chosen…. However, before the marriages take place the girls (both chosen and not chosen) are banished for a calendar year to an isolated camp to survive for themselves, they are not allowed to leave and there are many dangers. Many girls do not return and punishments can be inflicted upon their families for their shortcomings. Why does this happen? It is believed that for this year girls develop magical powers and if they’re kept isolated then they cannot cause any harm to the rest of the village, particularly men who may fall under their thrall. Kim Liggett creates a very believable setting and society in which suppression dominates the everyday lives of girls who do not know any better. This is a world in which a woman can be hung with little evidence and certainly no trial. Tierney was a terrific leading character who does not believe the magic is real and would rather not marry anybody. As the girl’s time in the isolated camp lengths the author plays an excellent game of smoke and mirrors as the full extent of the conspiracy is revealed. The Grace Year was an outstanding thriller with a young woman fighting against oppression in a dystopian society where she had no voice. Although I enjoyed Tierney’s voice at times (it is written in the first person) I thought she was too mature for her years and the second part of the novel, where it truly heads into Lord of the Flies territory, in the camp was slightly too long. These are small gripes though for a novel which was very entertaining, thoughtful, had plenty of twists and much to say about gender. Excellent stuff. Here There Are Monsters (released September) -AMELINDA BÉRUBÉ I really enjoyed this slow-burning YA horror/fantasy novel which genuinely nailed the troubled psyche of a sixteen-year-old girl who is trying to deal with the sudden disappearance of her little sister, aged thirteen. The younger girl Deirdre has issues, which are revealed slowly as the plot moves backwards and forwards through narratives before and after the disappearance. Although Skye was not to blame, she feels guilty and it puts a strain on her relationship with her struggling parents who try not to blame her. But when they’re so stressed tensions run very high. The supernatural aspect is slowly filtered into the book, genuine teen readers may find this all a bit slow, but it was sticking around for and is cleverly connected to Skye, her new friends and the local forest. The compelling friendship dynamics Skye has with her new school friends works very well as she struggles to cope even more as the length of the disappearance stretches. The mystery quickly deepens and I found this to be an excellent and atmospheric read for thoughtful kids aged thirteen and above. The Twisted Tree - RACHEL BURGE Hot Key Press have regularly impressed me with consistently strong releases which straddle many different genres and Rachel Burge adds another fine example with The Twisted Tree which mixes horror, fantasy and Norse mythology. Since seventeen-year-old Martha fell out of a tree whilst visiting her Norwegian grandmother she experiences weird feelings when she touches the clothes of other people, effectively the touch reveals how the other person is feeling and she has a glimpse into their lives. This is not something she wants as it has a draining effect on her and is tough to shake off. Also, the accident damaged one her sight, leaving her sightless in one eye, and in her own opinion stunningly ugly as she cannot control the movement of the eye. The story opens with Martha returning to the small Norwegian village only to find her grandmother dead and a strange boy, Stig, squatting in her house. Odds things are going on in the local village and Martha is soon to find out that her gift is much more complex than she thought. The majority of the novel is set in Norway and only features a few characters, but I enjoyed the company of Stig and Martha. Although it was slow, and took its time introducing the supernatural elements, it was a very thoughtful character driven book which children who are interested in mythology might like. Bestselling author Rick Riordan has certainly made mythology attractive to a lot of children, but Rachel Burge explores more local Norse myths and avoids the bombastic approach Riordan uses in his fiction and The Twisted Tree is all the better for it. Even though monstrous creatures do appear I found it quite a gentle book and would happily recommend it to kids aged eleven or older. The Viperob Files – Alister Hodge I am not certain Alister Hodge’s The Viperob Files is aimed at the YA market, but as most of the principle characters are teenagers and it reads as a futuristic dystopian novel with a strong environmental theme it is well worth a closer look. Neither is it anywhere near as violent as Hodge’s enjoyable creature feature The Cavern, which I previously reviewed for Ginger Nut, and its fast-paced cartoon action could hold much fun for teenagers who enjoy science fiction, technology, lots of bad guys and huge monsters thrown into the mix. Set in 2194, global warming has seen sea levels rise which have caused dangerous mutations in the animal kingdom. The bottom line is a simple one: huge water-dinosaur type creatures have returned to reclaim much of the planet. Set in the general area of Australia, Ethan lives on an island owned by a powerful corporation called Viperob for whom his parents work. The company has advanced technology, to repel the dinosaurs, and more importantly control their employees whom they work to the bone. If anyone complains they are expelled from the island, facing certain death in the wild outlands. Soon Ethan stumbles upon a dangerous conspiracy which puts himself and everybody he loves in danger as he is hunted by the private army of Viperob, let by the vicious Lieutenant Harris whom would see him dead in a heartbeat. Who is more dangerous the dinosaurs which lurk in the background or the nutter Harris? I would go for Harris every time. The Viperob Files might not be anything new, but it remains a fast paced and very entertaining page-turner. For any teenager struggling to concentrate on heavy or serious books this could be the perfect antidote. It does not take itself too seriously and is a fun smash, bang, wallop kind of read. The Missing SeasoN - GILLIAN FRENCH Gillian French’s follow-up to The Door to January, which we previously reviewed on Ginger Nuts, is a stronger and more balanced novel with more developed characters. However, when you get to the nitty-gritty The Missing Season suffers from the same major drawback as her previous novel in that not enough happens for it to be a truly successful YA novel. It also suffers from an identity crisis; in that I was not sure what it was attempting to be? It came across as a high school drama, flirting with some potential supernatural element lurking in the background. The high school story was convincing, but the potential supernatural part spent too much time redundantly pushed into the side-lines, which nobody took too seriously. This was a shame, and maybe the novel was a mis-sell as it opens with this traditional, cool, and rather children’s rhyme, from Hancock Country, Maine: Mumbler, Mumbler, in your bed, Mumbler, Mumbler, take your head, Eat your nose, gobble your toes, And bury you where the milkweed grows. It’s a great rhyme, but that’s all it is, as ‘The Mumbler’ turned out to be a serious disappointment and I’ll be surprised if any teen audience is satisfied with the ending. Clara is new to the town of Pender where in recent years teenagers have disappeared around Halloween. As 31st October approaches Clara has new friends, including the very cool Kincaid whom she has a crush on. To get to the skateboard park the kids have to go through the local woods where there are murals to this character called ‘The Mumbler’ which everybody talks about in hushed tones. As I said, the school stuff, the teenage issues was beautifully judged, but the balance of the book just did not work and ultimately ‘The Mumbler’ totally failed as a boogieman style of character. This was a shame as Clara, Bree, Sage and the others were engaging characters in what was otherwise a nice piece of teen fiction. Alien Echo - MIRA GRANT I have been a fan of Mira Grant for a number of years and have enjoyed both the Newsflash/Feed series and the Parasitology trilogy, the former is also highly accessible for capable YA readers. Her latest science fiction horror novel, Alien Echo, is specifically aimed at the YA audience and is set in the Alien universe created by Ridley Scott and developed by James Cameron. This strikes me as a bit odd, as I’m not sure how many teenagers will be genuinely interested in reading books based on a science fiction/horror series which peaked over thirty years ago and has since been saddled with duff sequels. But the franchise never seems to end…. For much of the novel (unless you’re aware of the connection) you could be forgiven for not even noticing the connection to the Aliens made famous by Ridley Scott. At a certain point the creatures are described as having a mouth (within a month) and then the acid for blood is a give-away. Apart from that you could be reading any science fiction novel and this book felt as if it was unnecessarily shoe-horned in a series when, in actual fact, Mira Grant creates enough cool creatures that the famous Aliens were not strictly necessarily. However, the author was obviously contracted to continue the series which began in Alien: the Cold Forge which was written by Alex White. Alien Echo was an entertaining, if slightly undemanding, YA science fiction horror which was set on the planet of Zagreus. The novel is seen from the point of view of a gay teenager Olivia who is the daughter of two distinguished xenobiologists. She has a twin sister, Viola, who has a serious medical condition which means she cannot go outside. In the early stages of the novel Olivia hooks up with Kora and things are going great, however, after her parents go on a routine expedition they bring something nasty back to the planet which quickly decimates the local wildlife, easily killing off the dangerous apex predators. Along the way there are friendship conflicts, family revelations, lots of killing and a battle for survival. You may well enjoy this better if you know nothing of the famous films it is inspired by, it is a decent mix of teen stuff and fast faced action which might entertain kids aged twelve plus. Perfectly Preventable Deaths - DEIRDRE SULLIVAN Over the last few years there have been some excellent YA horror novels set in Ireland, including Peadar O'Guilin magnificent The Call duology and Mary Watson’s The Wren Hunt and Deirdrie Sullivan’s Perfectly Preventable Deaths is another fine addition to the canon. I wouldn’t exactly call it a page-turner, but it has its charms and has much to offer older teenagers taking in first love, folklore, superstition, and dark magic. Sixteen-year-old wins Madeline and Catlin move from Cork City to the mountainous and very rural village of Ballyfrann, in the Galway area of the Republic of Ireland. Their mother has remarried after the death of their father and their new home is a ramshackled castle. Never far away, perhaps too close for comfort, is a distant cousin of their stepfather who is apparently a witch. Nobody really talks about what she is capable of doing, but in the background lurks a sinister story of the disappearance and murder of many teenage girls from the local area. This bothers Maddie much more than her more outgoing sister Catlin. On one level Perfectly Preventable Deaths is a story of two very different teenage girls whom for the most part support each other. Narrated by the reserved Maddie, who makes friends with a local girl who is believed to be gay, with her sister setting her sights on one of the local boys whom Maddie does not particular trust. Teenagers reading this will need to be patient, it takes its time introducing elements of witchcraft, earthy magic and folk horror, none of which particularly dominates the story, but this rather odd book is well worth staying the course for. Sadly, sometimes YA novels are enjoyed more by adults than their intended audiences and this might be one of those examples. Recommended for teenagers around fourteen who enjoy a thoughtful read of dark magic and teen life. The MiddleR - KIRSTY APPLEBAUM Although Kirsty Applebaum’s The Middler is not a horror novel it has a very dark centre built around the town where it is set, Fennis Wick, which has very strict rules and boundaries which nobody is allowed to venture beyond. Maggie is a “middler” a middle child, which are generally ignored, this is because at the age of fourteen the eldest child of every family is sent away to fight in “The Quiet War” which has been rumbling on in the background for years. The children never return and are treated like heroes when they are sent to camp for their training when they come of age. The story is seen from the point of view of Maggie, who is too inquisitive for her own good and whilst out exploring meets a “wanderer” another child not from their town, who has a sick father. On a deeper level the story has much to say on how we treat refugees, tolerance, and asylum seekers. It also, very cleverly, tackles brainwashing and what it means to be a hero with a very spunky little girl putting the adults to shame. Early in the novel we realise Maggie’s elder brother Jed is just about to turn fourteen and the book counts down his final week before departure. Maggie has other ideas though and as she digs into the developing mystery only she sees, realises the town has a dirty secret at its heart. Little Maggie is a terrific leading character and the author genuinely conveys the frustration a ‘middler’ might truly feel. Any competent reader over the age of nine could really enjoy this book and it gives of a really heartening message; no matter how small or insignificant you feel you can make a difference. This cumulates in an outstanding ending and I’m sure kids will love the way it concludes. Expect, also, to see this book appear on book prize shortlists. It probably will not be regarded as a dystopian novel, but if parents are looking to find an accessible novel for younger kids in that area then this lovely book ticks every box. Wickerlight (The Wren Hunt series) - MARY WATSON We featured Mary Watson’s The Wren Hunt a while back on Ginger Nuts of Horror and Wickerlight is set in the same dark version of Ireland. Like its predecessor it is more fantasy than horror, but fans of the latter will happily cross genres with a highly impressive novel which cleverly integrates Irish mythology into a skewered version of the country. It is top heavy with magic, superstition and very weird goings on and I would highly recommend reading The Wren Hunt before Wickerlight, even though this follow on is not strictly a sequel. It is partly written from the point of view of David, who was one of the characters from the previous novel and both stories are connected by the ancient supernatural feud which is the backbone of the story. If you’ve read The Wren Hunt locations will be familiar and characters pop-up from the other book. But the core of the story is fresh and features new girl Zara, whose family have moved to Kilshamble, however, the mysterious death of her sister knocks the family for six. The chapters alternate between David and Zara who begins to investigate into the death of Laila, soon realising nothing in Kilshamble is what it seems and the place is top-heavy with unspoken secrets and is not particularly welcome to newcomers. This was another complex read, which strong teen readers will appreciate and I would not recommend it to kids who struggle to concentrate on books. It’s quite slow, atmospheric and challenging YA fiction, but once you figure out how this alternative version of Ireland works is well worth investing the time into. Recommended for teenagers aged fourteen plus.  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    Today we have a round-up of some of the best Young Adult (YA) titles to cross our paths over the last few months. As usual there is a serious lack of straight-horror fiction, so we’re dipping into other genres where there have been some excellent science fiction and cross-over fantasy. Looking forward to July, things really pick up and we will have some excellent books in our next round-up in early July which will feature a number of very strong releases coming out across the summer and early autumn. If you’re looking to buy something for your favourite niece, nephew or kid who spends too much time on their phone read on and hopefully something will catch your eye. Caroline Flarity – The Ghost Hunter’s Daughter Sixteen-year-old Anna is having a tough time at school, often known as ‘Zombie Girl’, because she has a prominent scar on her face and a father with a really odd job. He is a type of ghost hunter (or exorcist) and specialises more in ‘cleaning’ haunted objects, rather than ghosts. They struggle to pay the bills and Anna still reflects on the death of her mother eight years earlier and the fact that her soul may be stuck in spiritual limbo and could still be possessed by a demon. I thought this novel cleverly balanced its supernatural story with the normal trials and tribulations of a teenage girl who comes from a weird family and does her best to deal with it. Anna has two good friends she can count on (Freddy and Dor) but has a major crush on a boy from school which plays an important part in the story. As well as covering stuff like social media shaming, bullying and peer pressure the supernatural angle builds nicely as the plot develops into a much wider conspiracy. As Anna is her dad’s assistant in his supernatural dealings she is bullied at school, but at the same time strange stuff really does seem to be happening, which many people believe is because of a rare solar storm which will light up the night sky. Anna is an engaging character, she is not perfect, makes a lot of wrong decisions, but nobody gets it right all the time and shines when the chips are really down. A great combination of school life, teenage angst and a few demons. An excellent read for teenagers aged thirteen and above. Paula Rawsthorne – The New Boy I am a huge fan of Paula Rawsthorne and although she does not write horror fiction her thrillers always have a very dark edge to them and her back-catalogue of The Truth about Celia Frost, Blood Tracks and Shell are well worth investigating. Her latest offering, The New Boy, is another very solid thriller convincingly set in the hustle and bustle of a Sixth Form College. Zoe starts college and her best friends from her previous school, Jodie, Sonja and Ethan are also there, soon they meet Jack who becomes incredibly popular, very quickly. Although this novel has a lot to hold the attention I found it very predictable and much of the action was so telegraphed I believe many teen readers may well agree. I was hoping the ending might hold a twist, but it ended as I thought it would. There was much to admire in Zoe, one of the few students to shun social media and The New Boy made many clever observations on this. Jack is amazing at everything and soon unites the college across the varied friendship groups and gangs and because he is attracted to Zoe friction begins to appear in her friendship group, especially with her oldest friend Ethan. As the story moves on there are more clues and suspicions as it flitted from drama to thriller. An easy, but hopefully not too predictable read, for kids eleven years and above. Mark Lawrence – One Word Kill (Impossible Times Book 1) Mark Lawrence is better known for his entertaining fantasy novels which could easily be read by YA audiences however, One Shot Kill is an eventful change of direction. Surely inspired by Back to the Future (which is referenced in the book) this new novel is a punchy science fiction tale with a convincing 1980s setting. Fifteen-year-old Nick Hayes is told he has a very dangerous form of Leukaemia, which killed his father, and he has a 50/50 chance of dying in the next five years. How he deals with this illness is refreshing and he’s a good kid to root for. Nick is also a bit of a geek and initially keeps his cancer hidden from his Dungeon and Dragon playing friends. The role-playing stuff is really funny, and when a girl is thrown into the mix the dynamics are changed even further and Nick forms a crush on the newest member of the group. Before long, very strangely, stuff from the role-playing starts to mirror things going on in real life, coinciding with the arrival of a stranger who claims to be able to help Nick, possibly even save him from his illness. This was not a horror novel, but it was an entertaining genre novel which had a far-fetched plot which bounced along nicely with convincing subplots about bullying, school, girls and friendship. Potentially there is a sequel on the way; fun for anyone over the age of twelve. Brandon Sanderson – Skyward Skyward was an outstanding YA science fiction novel; a departure for a writer best known for his huge, complex, fantasy novels. This was a highly entertaining mix of Star Wars, Starship Troopers and every other cool and loud SF novel or film you can think of, with a dash of dystopia and teen angst thrown in. There might not be much original about Skyward, but I was pulled right into this never-ending space battle of a nation stuck underground and whenever they try to make a break for it are pushed back by alien attacks who destroy their ships quicker than they can build them. The main character is teenager Spensa who dreams of being a fighter pilot and help in the brutal battle against the vicious alien race, the Krells, whom seem able to predict humanity’s every move, maybe even read their minds. The novel opens with Spensa entering flight academy and what follows is an engaging coming of age drama as she fights against the dark history of her family in which she has never been able to escape the shadow of her traitorous father. This spunky teenager was an outstanding lead character, battling on with a fraction of the support the privileged have in the flight academy. You’ll be rooting for her in no time. It's fast paced, has a massive amount of battle scenes, and a very clever ending. It was outstanding. Any teenager who loves science fiction is going to connect with this book. Alex Bell – Music and Malice in Hurricane Town I was not sure what to make Alex Bell’s return the area of YA horror/supernatural fiction after her writing a couple of books for younger kids. One thing’s for sure, I’ll be amazed if it repeats the success of her superbly creepy Frozen Charlotte but hats off to the author for trying something completely different. In this new work we abandon the Scottish island of Skye and head to the Baton Noir area of New Orleans. In Bell’s version of this famous old city the supernatural is real, and the author weaves a convincing tale loaded with elements of folk horror, vampires, devils, vengeful spirits and magic which comes from beyond the grave. Younger fans of Frozen Charlotte might well struggle to get into the story of teenager Jude Lomax who survives by playing the trumpet wherever she can pick up a paying gig to pay her rent. Out-of-the-blue she is invited to play at the funeral of a murdered singer who was strongly connected to the supernatural world. Soon Jude is mixed up with a vengeful spirit and is sucked into the darker levels of the city with dangers at every turn. Music is never far from the surface, throw in some romance, supernatural bumps, with the author putting significant research into local myths and superstitions the result is a convincing spooky thriller with elements of urban fantasy. It’s projected as the first book in a series and I will be interested to see whether it finds an audience, as kids will need some patience to get their head around what is going on. Aimed at children aged 13+. Kesia Lupo – We are Blood and Thunder Kesia Lupo’s engaging debut We are Blood and Thunder is more fantasy than horror, but when magic is outlawed is seen as dark necromancy there are considerable supernatural overtones. The background to the story is great; the mountain city state of Duke’s Forest is covered by a dark mist and we pick up the tale six years later when the mist is even thicker, the city is in crisis, there is famine and more crucially magic is outlawed. The first strand of the story is seen from the point of view of orphaned teenage mortician Lena, she is ‘marked’ by a facial birth mark and hides herself away underground tending the dead with her mentor and surrogate parent Vigo, who has high hopes for her. However, after helping with the body of a dead noblewoman the body moves and Lena is accused of being a ‘Mage’ (a witch or a magician) and is forced to go on the run or face being put to death. Whilst escaping Duke’s Forest she meets Constance who is returning to the city after many years away and the second plotline follows Constance on her return. However, magic is not illegal everywhere and after her escape she meets a hunter called Emris who helps her embrace her magical abilities which is a crucial element of the novel. I really enjoyed the worldbuilding in We are Blood and Thunder and after Lena arrives at her final destination the full power of her magical abilities are explored and tested and eventually the two young women will meet up. There are plenty of fantasy adventures on the market, but the great lead female characters raise this book from the pack, throw into the mix political intrigue, an engaging coming of age story and some strong action sequences the end result is a terrific book. Perfect for fantasy ad adventure lovers aged twelve and above. Jessica Chavez - Dead Endings Dead Endings was originally published as monthly chapters on digital magazine Sparkler Monthly with chapter illustrations and bonus art by Irene Flores. The website notes that Dead Endings is recommended for readers aged 16+ “due to violence, crude language, and sensitive topics.” I found Dead Endings to be fairly tame and, even though it has not been written for a YA audience, it fits there quite well and would happily recommend it to a younger audience. The f-word is common-place in YA these days and there really is little more than that to offend in this debut novel about two young women with paranormal/psychic abilities. University student Cailen Delaney can feel the presence of ghosts and whilst her roommate and best friend Gabriella is away travelling she is approached by a student journalist Everett who has his own weird ability; he can smell the restless dead and suspects there is a murderer, or serial killer, on the loose. Cailen decides to help Everett and is soon sucked into a supernatural mystery involving a serial killer who is trying to use the victims to contact the dead. Before long the cool and sassy Gabriella returns, whose psychic abilities are much stronger than Cailen. Dead Ends was a very easy to read paranormal mystery with fun and engaging leading characters, however, it was just too light for my taste and it lacked any level of real threat and the self-referential mention of Scoobie Doo was spot on. I’m sure it will have its fans though. Perhaps it would have grabbed me more in its original format? You can read more about it here: https://sparklermonthly.com/series/dead-endings/ Tony Jones   BOOK REVIEW - WHITEOUT BY GABRIEL DYLAN
12/6/2019
 A stranded school skiing party are stalked by monsters in a remote area of the AlpsHaving read all eight books on the current Carnegie Medal Short List I fancied a change and decided to read the tenth and latest Red Eye horror novel. Sadly, we’re unlikely to see Gabriel Dylan’s Whiteout on next year’s Carnegie Medal Short List; “There loss I say!” This was a highly entertaining and very trashy page-turner, it was not serious, heavy or had any deep moral meaning, but I had outstanding fun reading a story so wild teen horror fans should lap it up. A huge snowstorm is brewing whilst a group of British sixth form school pupils retire to their hotel after a long day of skiing, in the remote mountains of Austria. The hotel is weirdly short of staff and all the locals have abandoned their shops. In the middle of the night one of the girls screams after blood is found and the pupils soon discover some of their teachers have also disappeared. They quickly realise something really horrible is outside and once a ski instructor is ripped out of the door the kids realise they are under attack. This all happens incredibly quickly and soon the group are attempting to hide and wait it out but with the storm raging they realise there is no help coming anytime soon. Escape is there only hope. But death awaits… This novel is definitely a great addition to the Red Eye series and is probably one of my favourites. It was a very gripping book that wasted no time introducing the horror elements and was unrelenting once it got going. I say this because the deaths start mounting up as early as page sixty. This very violent opening section gives the reader terror, action and humour revolving around the time the enemy makes its first bloody appearance. It also includes a funny sequence where Stefan, the ski instructor who looks like he is going to be a leading character opens the door and is abruptly snatched, never to be seen again. Reminding me of the hilarious scene in the film Deep Blue Sea where Samuel L. Jackson is devoured by an intelligent shark, disappearing and munched in a brief second. It happened that quickly and was both shocking and quite funny. I also liked many of the characters because they all go through believable types of development and were a good reflection of real school kids. Tara, for example, is at first a spoilt brat and at the end she ends up saving another character. Nico was another character I felt a lot of sympathy for because when it looks like he is going to die he is still very funny, mentioning how he would never get to see how the Game Of Thrones ended! The loner of the group Charlie was also a great battler and I liked the way he exerted his personality on the rest of the group after being marginalised at the start. This novel was very similar to a film called 30 Days Of Night about a group of people in the Alaska who to try to survive a sudden vampire invasion. The pacing of this book was maybe a bit too fast because after the main attack it was quite difficult to sustain this level of suspense as the group hid out. However, there were quite a few encounters with the vampire like creatures and it kept my interest all the way until the end. The teenagers were so vulnerable as they were being stalked I really thought they had no chance of survival. I would recommend this novel to anyone who reads the Red Eye series or who enjoys action and horror novels. I was engrossed from start to finish and this book makes me think twice about ever going skiing. Overall, it was a great page turner and an easy, quick and undemanding read that will leave you satisfied. I think my English teacher would sadly shake his head if he saw me reading this in class, as he likes to see kids read the classics, but I would just blame my dad as it was him who recommended it. 4.5/5 AJ WHITEOUT BY GABRIEL DYLAN Charlie hopes that the school ski trip will be the escape from his unhappy home life he so desperately needs. But there is something wrong with the remote ski village of Kaldgellan. Something is out there, something ancient and evil, among the pines and the deep untracked drifts, watching and waiting. And when the storms blow in, Charlie and his schoolmates wake to find the resort deserted. Cut off from the rest of the world far below, as night falls the few left alive on the snowbound mountain will wish they were somewhere, anywhere else. Only ski guide Hanna seems to know of Kaldgellan’s long-buried secrets, but whether Charlie can trust her is another question… A chilling RED EYE horror, perfect for fans of Dawn Kurtagich, Juno Dawson and Charlie Higson.    Cool supernatural historical fiction novel on current Carnegie Medal shortlist Around the Easter holiday period I managed to read all eight books on the short-list for the current Carnegie Medal book prize which is awarded in June and Frances Hardinge’s A Skinful of Shadows was one of my favourites. This novel might not be new, but because it has a strong supernatural theme I have decided to review it for Ginger Nuts of Horror. Looking back at previous winners of the Carnegie Medal, very few of them seem to be and horror and only Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book, which won in 2010, has a major scary theme. I hope Frances Hardinge changes that in 2019. A Skinful of Shadows would be a worthy winner as Frances has made the Carnegie shortlist twice before for The Lie Tree and The Cuckoo Song which also both have strong supernatural themes and are other books I enjoyed. She always seems to set her novels in distant historical periods, but which feature spunky teenage girls I can easily connect with. This author always seems to come up with very clever and original ideas to build her spooky stories around. Instead of a tree which feeds on lies A Skinful of Shadows looks at life after death, but in a rather different way from which you might expect. When creatures (or people) die their spirits can sometimes go looking for somewhere to hide. Some people have a space inside them, perfect for hiding. This dark, quirky tale is set during the English Civil War and it follows the life of a young girl called Makepeace who has one of these spaces hiding inside her. After her mother’s death, she is sent to live with her late father’s family who have a dark secret which is connected to her weird ability. I enjoyed this book because it had a little bit of everything; the way the supernatural was presented was very realistic and combined with a convincing historical setting and a touch of a love story there was much to enjoy. The Seventeenth Century is both an odd and an interesting period to set a YA novel making it even more of an adventure for the reader. Because I have studied the English Civil War at school it made the background to the story much easier to pick up. I think it would be helpful to have some basic knowledge on the Civil War before starting this novel, but most of it is explained and the author who really brings the period to life for the readers. It was so vividly written I’m sure the author hopes her readers interest will be piqued to investigate the subject further. Hardly any of my friends read historical fiction, which is a shame, as this book had a perfect balance of historical and supernatural elements. Overall it is a jampacked ride full of castles, soldiers, plagues and of course ghosts. Lurking in the background is the idea of witchcraft and during the Civil War it was very easy for women to be branded witches for doing nothing wrong. Somewhere in the middle the story became a little bit slow, but it is worth sticking with, as it has a terrific finish. A Skinful of Shadows requires strong and confident readers; this author is not known for writing easy books and if you read it in primary school you’re probably too young. I would rate it for ages twelve and above. If you go with the flow and immerse yourself in Frances Hardinge’s world you will definitely finish the book feeling very satisfied. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys gripping, spooky fantasy novels or something just a little bit different. There are few better authors than Frances Hardinge at being different! 4.5/5 AJ A SKINFUL OF SHADOWS BY FRANCES HARDINGE Shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year 2017. 'A Skinful of Shadows confirms Hardinge's status as one of our finest storytellers. It's rare to find a book which is every bit as intelligent and stylish as it is riveting - I was enthralled' - Sarah Perry, author of The Essex Serpent. Frances Hardinge weaves a dark, otherworldly tale in A Skinful of Shadows, her first book since the Costa Award-winning The Lie Tree. When a creature dies, its spirit can go looking for somewhere to hide. Some people have space inside them, perfect for hiding. Makepeace, a courageous girl with a mysterious past, defends herself nightly from the ghosts which try to possess her. Then a dreadful event causes her to drop her guard for a moment. And now there's a ghost inside her. The spirit is wild, brutish and strong, but it may be her only defence in a time of dark suspicion and fear. As the English Civil War erupts, Makepeace must decide which is worse: possession – or death.    The horrors of teen social media shaming with a supernatural twist If you’re on the hunt for a YA novel which effortlessly blends the horrors of teenage social media use with the tale of a 400-year-old witch trial then look no further. This was a superb read which carries a powerful message about the dangers of social media and peer pressure, delivering it in a naturalistic style, which never becomes heavy handed or preachy. In no time at all you will be rooting for the teenage protagonist Anna who is dragged through a horrific emotional wringer. The Burning is horror with a light touch, in reality the pain and long-term repercussions of one naive decision becomes scarier than any supernatural bogeyman. This novel should be essential reading for any 12-15-year-olds as it makes obvious the fact that these days you cannot delete anything from the internet and that your past is never truly behind you if it is leaked online. Anna learns this bitter lesson and although we do not know exactly what she has done until some way into the novel the reader has a fair idea. The fallout was severe and The Burning opens with Anna and her mother leaving their old life in Birmingham behind to live in a small coastal village near Saint Andrews on the east side of Scotland. Anna also changes her name and dreams of a fresh start. Starting any new school is difficult and Laura Bates completely nails the awkwardness of this transition, but before long Anna becomes friends with local girls, but bullying is never far away and soon her past catches up with her. The two new friends, Alisha and Cat, could have been fleshed out more, as could potential boyfriend Robin, but overall they were strong support characters. The bullying and group peer pressure was incredibly powerful, as was the ‘not our problem’ attitude of the school to any kind of protection for Anna. With bullying there are always ring leaders and teenagers can smell a victim from a mile away. The Burning has a second main story which nudges it into the horror genre, beyond the horrors of everyday teenage life (which were more than enough). As part of a school history project everyone has to research a topic of local interest and after Anna discovers an obscure reference to someone who was suspected of being a witch 400 year earlier, a retired local historian helps her with the project. As she uncovers the story, the plight of Maggie, she realises the ‘witch’ has many startling similarities to her own story and starts to feel a strong connection to the long-dead young woman, part of which whose story is told in flashback mode. Potentially there was scope to expand upon this older story, however, with the target audience being teenagers of 2019 I think the balance was probably right. This very clever novel, both in the 400-year-old story and Anna’s predicament raise startling similarities in how the woman is very often seen as the blame or cause, rather than the victim in these types of cases. Once again, this is naturally woven into the plot and any teenager reading The Burning should be able to pick up this underlying message; it is very easy to blame girls for what boys do to them. I loved the way the book ended and I hope any teenager who gets to the end of the novel will be shouting “COME ON ANNA!” as loudly as I was. If I was being harsh, you could say this ending was a tad too much like an American high school movie, but hey, it was cool anyway and I was very happy to go along with the flow. In my experience in YA fiction kids generally avoid books which obviously have a heavy-handed message, The Burning works because it combines the message of the dangers of social media with a top-notch story, believable story and a convincing dose of history. This might be the first YA novel by Bates but she has written widely on sexism and so it comes as no surprise that she tackles the subject in such a convincing manner. A totally irrelevant side-note: I grew up in the north of Scotland and the village of St. Monans really reminded me of a local village called Gardenstown on the North East coast. It was cliquey and had kirks (Scottish churches) everywhere! 5/5 Tony Jones THE BURNING BY LAURA BATES 'The Burning lights a fire in you - one that makes you want to fight for change and ignite sparks in others so the fire spreads and spreads.' - HOLLY BOURNE A rumour is like a fire. You might think you’ve extinguished it but one creeping, red tendril, one single wisp of smoke is enough to let it leap back into life again. Especially if someone is watching, waiting to fan the flames .. New school. Tick. New town. Tick. New surname. Tick. Social media profiles? Erased. There’s nothing to trace Anna back to her old life. Nothing to link her to the ‘incident’. At least that’s what she thinks … until the whispers start up again. As time begins to run out on her secrets, Anna finds herself irresistibly drawn to the tale of Maggie, a local girl accused of witchcraft centuries earlier. A girl whose story has terrifying parallels to Anna’s own… The compelling YA debut from Laura Bates, founder of the Everyday Sexism Project and bestselling author of Girl Up.   ‘SUMMER SCARES’ READING PROGRAM: GINGER NUTS OF HORROR BREAKS DOWN THE ‘YOUNG ADULT’ CATEGORY
3/4/2019
 United for Libraries, Book Riot, and Library Journal/School Library Journal and the Horror Writers Association have banded together to publish a list of nine books they hope will act as gateways into the horror genre for new readers, both adult and child. You can read more about it here: https://bookriot.com/2019/02/14/summer-scares-first-annual-reading-list-announced/ The nine books below form their first Summer Scares Reading List and it is hoped that these books will lead their readers to other lists and books creating life-long readers. This is an admirable idea and certainly one worth getting behind. But will it work? As I am writing from a Young Adult fiction point of view I am only going to comment upon the titles in the YA section. You can draw your own conclusions on the adult titles by following the link above for more information. At first glance I found the YA selection to be very underwhelming and I see little point of releasing a list (and making such a big deal out of it) with so few books on it. Horror is a very wide-ranging genre and a mere three selections does not do it justice. However, we’ve been told the Summer Scares committee will also release themed lists of even more “read-alike” titles, so hopefully these later lists will include a much broader range of titles. These are the books included; I’m only going to comment on the YA three: YOUNG ADULT Rotters by Daniel Kraus (Ember, 2012) Slasher Girls and Monster Boys, edited by April Genevieve Tucholke (Speak, 2016) Devil and Winnie Flynn by Micol Ostow (Penguin Random House Publisher Services, 2015) MIDDLE GRADE Doll Bones Holly Black (Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2015) Through the Woods by Emily Carroll (Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2014) The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste (Algonquin Young Readers, 2016) Ginger Nuts of Horror reviewed Rotters in 2016 and this is what we said: “Highly original, and pretty demented novel, about a straight-laced teenager sent to live with the father he doesn’t know in rural Iowa. Moving to the sticks is the least of Joey’s worries as is father soon introduces him to the world of modern-day grave robbing. Kraus is relatively unknown in the UK, but is an established filmmaker, columnist and novelist in the USA.” Rotters is an outstanding novel but it is not a good entry point for new horror readers. It is a very challenging read and many teenagers will find it very difficult and it will not have broad appeal. From a librarian’s point of view, it is also a VERY difficult sell, I know this from experience. I have had this book in my school library since 2012 and it has been borrowed ONCE in those six or seven years! I recommend horror all the time, know YA inside out, so public librarians who do not know the subject so well are going to struggle to sell this book even more than I have. For programs like this to succeed the chosen books require hooks which will reel teenager readers in with quick thirty second sells. This book is great but has the hook of a lead balloon. Our accompanying article has a selection of horror novels with great teen grabbing hooks. Here’s three examples from the other article: The Death House: Teens with an undisclosed virus are sent to remote prison hospitals to die. Frozen Charlotte: Tiny killer dolls the size of a Nickle will sew your eyes shut if you don’t watch out. The Call: Kids are ripped out of time for three minutes and sent to ancient Ireland to fight or die. I have been a school librarian since 1994 and over these years have seen many reading programs rise, fail and fall. What makes a good one? First and foremost, it is the quality of the books and this is where Summer Scares comes up short, the books just are not good enough. You need a strong short-list to back up your flag-ship program, I do not even think three books is substantial enough to qualify as a proper short-list. The school where I work participates in such a program, called the Trinity School Book Award, which we internally call the Six Book Challenge, and because of the strength of the short-list a massive amount of kids have read all six books. It is not genre based but connected by theme. Over twenty local schools have participated, but it would have achieved the fraction of its success if the books had not been appealing to the kids involved. Selection is the key and the group of librarians on the committee spent a massive amount of time and discussion on the shortlist. There are some big names of the Summer Scares committee, so I’m surprised by the limited choice of books. I was equally surprised to see the Devil and Winnie Flynn on the list of three books, as it is a very slow and dull story of a teenage girl who goes to work on a supernatural virtual reality TV show with her aunt. It might have some fans, but I would never consider this book as a good entry point for those new to horror. It is loaded with horror in-jokes, is not scary and many kids will find the slug-slow pace turgid. One of Ginger Nuts of Horror reviewers thirteen year-old-daughter covered this book in the accompanying article. She is a very confident YA horror reader and she also gave it the thumbs down and found the ending particularly weak. ‘AJ’, or reviewer, also provides a list of what she believes as excellent entry points to kids and YA horror, many of which have previously been reviewed on Ginger Nuts of Horror. Some of these cross into other genres including fantasy, very realistic horror and an adult novel accessible to stronger teen readers. The third book is probably the strongest Slasher Girls and Monster Boys a multi-author anthology which features many top YA authors including Kendare Blake, Jonathan Maberry, Carrie Ryan, Danielle Paige, Cat Winters and Marie Lu. Who between them sell a lot of YA novels. Short stories play a major role in horror fiction, it’s a shame so few kids seem to read them. Let’s hope this book will help change that. Summer Scares has the likes of Grady Hendrix involved in the program and dropping his own recommendations. I love Grady, but I’m afraid his name will mean nothing to any teenager, and it’s a shame there are not any contemporary YA authors on their panel. I’m sure the likes of superb authors, such as Amy Lukavics, would have loved to be involved. You can find out who the panel of six are here: Of course, you’re welcome to disagree with everything I say. Should you fancy it check out what the Monster Librarian has to say about Summer Scares, she really knows her stuff and has and informed opinion: Ginger Nuts of Horror tracked down Becky Spratford who is on the panel and she had this to say and comments upon why the lists are so short: “The Summer Scares Program is NOT supposed to be comprehensive. The idea is to take 3 titles in each category picked by American Librarians to get horror in the mix for established summer reading programs. Then we will be leading them to longer lists like your [Ginger Nuts of Horror] and others to give them more options. It’s more an advertisement to librarians saying ‘Hey, here are some horror titles that are preapproved. And hey, here are some more lists.’” Let’s hope that Summer Scares truly does expand beyond these very limited initial selections and taps into the vast range of reading lists on the Young Blood section of Ginger Nuts of Horror and other sites which cover YA otherwise this program will disappear without trace and very quickly. Be sure to check out our accompany review of Devil and Winnie Flynn which also includes a dozen great horror ‘entry’ novels chosen by our teen reviewer ‘AJ’ for kids aged around 10-14. Tony Jones   |
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