 Welcome to 2022 and our first roundup of the year. The books here are predominately titles published last year I have caught up on over the Christmas holidays. There is a nice mix of fantasy, thriller and horror, including a couple of older books I recently came across. They are listed alphabetically. Please get in touch if you have anything we might like to review.  Laura Bates – The Trial The Burning (2019) was one of my favourite YA novels of recent years, with a similar feminist theme which is also a feature of the non-fiction writings of Laura Bates, including Girl Up (2016) and Men Who Hate Woman (2020). The Trial is her first novel since The Burning which sees seven teenagers (the only survivors) crash on a remote island, the group is made up of three basketball players and four cheerleaders who were heading home after basketball playoffs in a private plane, whilst the rest of the squad were in another craft. What follows is a highly entertaining page-turner which is both concerns their ongoing survival and a party which got out of hand before they exited the competition, which is revealed in flashback. On one level The Trial is a tight and very readable thriller, but it also tackles other issues including sexual consent, assault, privilege, toxic masculinity, misogyny, and gender without ever getting particularly preachy about it. The group quickly realise to survive they have to work together to find food and shelter, whilst tempers fray and anger rises there is mistrust in the group and perhaps somebody is looking for their own special revenge which circles back to The Trial of the title. This is YA fiction at its best, clever, sassy and spiky which carries a powerful message which is delivered in the harshest of environments. AGE RANGE 13+ Jessie Burton – Medusa Dabbling in YA for the first time Jessie Burton continues the recent trend of humanising the creatures of Greek and Roman mythology and retellings them from a female or feminist point of view. The final product is a beautiful and profound vision which is backed up by striking illustrations and at times it is the artwork (Olivia Lomenech Gill) which reminds the reader that Medusa is a teenage girl rather than a monster who has the power to turn those who gaze upon her into stone. The story is framed around the exiled Medusa and her solitary life on a remote island until Perseus arrives. Although she cannot allow the boy to see her, she falls in love with him from a distance through their intimate conversations, but as this is Greek mythology betrayal is never far away. The story captures the angst of the teenager and delves into the backstory into the unfortunate circumstances which turned the young beauty into a monster. Medusa brings to life the girl behind the legend, humanises her, explores her relationship with her snakes and is loaded with thought provoking gems. It is not a long book and breathes new life into a much-maligned mythological character and is perfect for reluctant readers bringing a YA feel to an age-old story for today’s generation. AGE RANGE 12+ Kayla Cottingham - My Dearest Darkest Although Kayla Cottingham’s debut had its moments My Dearest Darkest failed to convince 100%, but perhaps I have read too many YA novels sat in posh boarding schools? Even though boys were present, they were mere wallpaper and this was yet another YA horror novel solely seen a female perspective and there was nothing to distinguish it many other similar novels. Proceedings open with Finch Chamberlin auditioning for a place in prestigious arts school Ulalume Academy, on the way home there is a crash and both her parents drown after seeing a ghostly stag on the road. Finch survives, (or does she?) and when she later takes up her place at the school is very pale, has an irregular heartbeat, and has a weird supernatural connection to an entity which lurks in the caves under the buildings and seems to have the ability of granting wishes (but at what cost?) The supernatural story failed to convince me and the balance between this and the ‘mean girl’ style situations did not always work. The second narrative takes in Selena St. Clair, who is one of the most popular and bitchy girls on campus, after a music project pairs them together the two slowly click and a romance develops. Considering the two girls were very different, I was surprised that the bisexual Selena was attracted to the mousy and quiet Finch. There was a fair bit of sexual angst and tension thrown into the story, underage drinking, partying with the supernatural story bubbling in the background. AGE RANGE 13+ Jacqui Dempster – PJ and the Paranormal Pursuers, The Mackenzie Poltergeist I struggled to get through PJ and the Paranormal Pursuers, finding it a rather clunky slog. After the death of his mother American teenager PJ is forced to relocate to Edinburgh to live with his elderly aunt Katie and initially desperately wants to return to New York. Struggling to settle and come to terms with his loss he attends a bereavement counselling group where he makes new friends who help him make a fresh start, he also discovers a shared interest in the supernatural which leads from the belief that the spirit of his dead mother remains close to him. Led by PJ, the group (Freya, Sunny and Shuggie) try to prove that there is life after death and that their loved ones are still with them. The following investigation failed to convince, was rather uninspiring, was not remotely scary and the supernatural scenes were ham-fisted and failed to get the pulses racing. I would be surprised if many kids took to this book, which was populated with unconvincing dialogue with a cliched feel good ending aiming for a sequel which I will most definitely avoid if it ever appears. One to avoid. AGE RANGE 12+  Tara Goedjen - No Beauties or Monsters If you are seeking a dark fantasy thriller twister then look to further than No Beauties or Monsters which was a complex and entertaining novel. It is aimed at strong YA readers as the story takes its time and is convoluted, which less confident readers might find frustrating. However, for high-concept thriller fans this is a great read which is set in the small town of Twentynine Palms, in the Mojave Desert, which was a vividly drawn location. Seventeen-year-old Rylie and her family (brother, stepbrother, mother and newish stepfather) returns to live in the town after four years away. Rylie dreads this return, as it resurrects memories of her father and other personal difficulties which are slowly dropped into the story. The teenager is a very fragile central character with a whiff of unreliable narrator and reader can feel her anxiety and angst when she begins to see things which are not there. Early in the novel she believes her car has run a boy, but when she looks nothing is there. What is going on? For large parts of the novel, including a spell when she disappears and blacks out, it is very hard to tell and that is part of the fun. Nothing is what it seems and although she looks forward to catching up with her old friends Nathan and Lily, she soon realises that Lily has disappeared. Things then begin to get more complex, there is a potential killer on the loose and the plot circles around her late grandfather who had a bad relationship with the rest of the family. Throw is a Stranger Things or X-Files vibe, weird creatures in the desert, shifts in reality, memory problems and trauma connected to the events of four years earlier and you have a heady mix. Loaded with strong twists, great atmosphere and the end result is a wildly creative and original novel which is highly recommended. AGE RANGE 13+ Finbar Hawkins – Witch Witch (2020), the debut of Finbar Hawkins was nominated for both the prestigious Carnegie Medal and Branford Boase (for debut novelists) awards and is a fascinating look at the power of women, witchcraft and revenge in the 17th century. The story cleverly dances around traditional folk horror tropes, mixing in the church, revenge, countryside, the rules of historical Britain and the persecution of witches. It lacks the depth of the Celia Rees masterpiece Witch Child (2000) but nevertheless is a highly impressive debut and I looking forward to Stone (more dark fiction) which is published later this year. The story is a deceptively simple one: after witnessing the brutal murder of her mother by witch-hunters, Evey vows to avenge her and track down the killers whilst keeping her little sister Dill safe. The narrative is absolutely beautiful, the eye on historical detail is superb, and the raw emotions connected to revenge are so vivid the reader can almost touch them. Witch does not pull any punches or shy away from a very troubling period in history and creates a captivating story which many young teens should enjoy. AGE RANGE 12+ Phil Hickes – Aveline Jones Series, books one and two I really enjoyed The Haunting of Aveline Jones (2020) by Phil Hickes so much so that I bounced straight onto its sequel The Bewitching of Aveline Jones (2021)! If you’ve after a non-too threatening or scary blend of mystery and spooky goings on then these books are absolutely perfect for the top end of primary or lower secondary. In book one ghost story loving book worm Aveline finds herself on half-term holidays with her mum when she discovers a spooky book in a second-hand bookshop. She finds out the fascinating item once belonged to a girl who mysteriously vanished some years earlier and even though there was a wide search she never reappeared. Intrigued, Aveline decides to investigate Primrose's disappearance, with some help from her new friend, Harold and the mystery is off and running. I loved one of the quotes which go with the book: “where mysteries are always solved, spirits are always laid to rest, and everybody gets to bed on time” and I guarantee kids are going to enjoy spending time with Aveline and her sidekick Harold, who also returns in the second novel which is based around another half-term holiday in which their rental home encroaches a haunted stone circle. These were wonderfully constructed stories, with vivid settings, strong characters and the perfect balance of supernatural and thriller. For a ten-year-old gateway spooky stories do not get much more engaging than this. AGE RANGE 9-11 Richard Lambert – Shadow Town Richard Lambert’s second YA novel Shadow Town is more dark fantasy than horror and is perfect for kids looking for some gentle escapism. The prologue introduces a shadow which infiltrates our world and ends up sleeping in the front garden of main character, thirteen-year-old Toby. He is a very well- drawn, but rather sad character who lacks friends, is a bit young for his age and is caught between his feuding parents who are heading for a separation. Toby’s ‘real’ world is very convincing, however, once he heads down a dark shadowy tunnel he reappears in another world which have some weird similarities to our own, as well as some striking differences. Accompanied by his cat Albert and new friends he makes along the way Toby goes on a coming-of-age voyage of discovery to find a way home back to his family home. The fantasy land nicely blends magical realism with gothic elements in a land where dreamers (such as him) can turn dreams into reality which remind Toby of the failed novel his dad has been working on for as long as he can remember. Although it lacks the edge of darker fantasies Shadow Town has a big heart and sometimes a soften narrative can also hit that literary sweet spot. AGE RANGE 11+  Lorien Lawrence – Fright Watch 2 – The Collectors Ginger Nuts of Horror previously reviewed The Stitchers (2020) which was the debut novel of Lorien Lawrence and the first book in the excellent Fright Watch series which is perfect for Middle Grade readers. I was delighted to hear that after defeating the ‘Oldies’ in their previous supernatural mystery Quinn and Mike were back up to their old snooping tricks in a brand-new spooky mystery. When I reviewed the first entry I noted: “The Stitchers main strength are the two main characters and their interactions with each other (and growing attraction) as the plot develops” and the same could be said of this sequel, with the strong central characters and friendship dynamics nicely balanced against a mystery story which slowly edges into the realms of the supernatural when new neighbours move into Goodie Lane. The arrivals own an interior design firm and although they charm some of the kids, Quinn and Mike wonder why Abigail, Eleanor, Jade, Brea, and Cami seem to always be together, dressed completely white. As in its predecessor the duo begins to investigate and get involved in a fun and spooky mystery which had a few chills but was not scary enough to trouble older kids. Parents or teachers could give this book to younger kids and feel reassured that it’s a great story but not have to worry about the appropriateness of the content. AGE RANGE 9/10+ Cynthia Murphy - Win Lose Kill Die Cynthia Murphy follows her breakout YA hit Last One To Die (2021) with another quality blend of page-turning horror and thriller, Win Lose Die Kill. In her latest outing the dangerous streets of London (and the supernatural) are abandoned in favour of exclusive boarding school Morton Academy, a remote countryside establishment which only the most intelligent teenagers attend. The action begins at the start of the new school year and the memorial of Morgan, who was to be the new Head Girl, but lost her life in a boating tragedy over the summer holidays. Within a few chapters the replacement Head Girl is also dead and so we realise someone is targeting pupils in high office. The story is told in the first person by Liz, who by some of her classmates standards, is a quiet member of the year group, a hard worker, and is happy to fade into the background. In the spirit of the nineties Point Horror novels bodies soon begin to mount (the police are totally absent or useless) and you’ll have fun trying to guess who the killer in as a few red herrings are thrown into the mix. At various points the narrative switches to the point of view of the gloating murderer and you may well wonder why the pupils hardly ever seem to be in class or do any work or studying! This was great escapism for a few hours, it was fast-moving fun, none-too-deep and unless you were on the killer’s hit list might find yourself wanting to attend Morton Academy yourself. An excellent read for both thriller and horror fans which I have already seen featured in the WH Smith the bestseller shelves. If you have a reluctant teen reader this novel might help them turn the corner. AGE RANGE 12+ Neal & Jarrod Shusterman - Roxy Down the years Neal Shusterman has written some incredibly creative YA dark fiction and whilst Roxy is very clever, does falls short of his best work which is probably the Unwind series or the incredible Arc of a Scythe trilogy. For an author who is so prolific I am amazed he is so constantly creative and Roxy is another example of his catchy high concept fiction, which is often built around one very clever idea (often a dystopian expansion of a real-world issue) and in this case the over medication of teens by prescription drugs. If you choose to read this, make sure you take the opening slowly as it is very easy to get confused by the character narratives, two of which are teenagers (Isaac and Ivy Ramey) and the other pair are drugs (Roxy and Addison). So ‘addiction’ effectively morphs into characters in this very quirky novel, in which the two drugs have a bet to see which of the two teenagers they are connected to can get addicted to drugs quicker. Roxy (oxycodone – Isaac’s pain relief) and Addison (Adderall – Ivy’s medication to treat her ADHD) soon begin to take hold in a story which is partially presented as a mythical battle between two (manufactured) gods trying to lure their victims to even stronger drugs or possibly death. Shusterman’s novels often have neat subliminal messages (body farming or overcrowding for example) and Roxy is no different and this oddball take on drug addiction will give teen readers much to ponder once they get their head around the far-out concept. AGE RANGE 13+ Angharad Walker – The Ash House Billing a debut novel as “Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children meets Lord of the Flies” is an ambitious move and although this quote was slightly misleading I found The Ash House to be an intriguing read. This rather beguiling tale has much to offer readers who show patience for what becomes a very thoughtful and odd piece of fiction. A new boy arrives at Ash House, which is a cross between an orphanage and a boarding school, there are no adults and the kids seem to self-police the premise. The child cannot remember his name, so is given the name Sol and soon finds himself joining the motley gang of children living in the shadows of the secretive and very secluded house. Inquisitive readers will have fun trying to figure out the location which seems to exist outside of time. It takes a long time for all the pieces to fall into place and as you proceed lots of questions (where was the Headmaster for example?) will spring to mind in a story which has elements of magical realism and an isolated setting which was top heavy with brooding atmosphere. The plot had many memorable scenes, with the children waiting for the telephone to ring (maybe the Headmaster again?) or ‘school’ being pre-recorded lessons! This was a very ambitious and original dark fantasy debut aimed at stronger readers. AGE RANGE 11+ Tony Jones TODAY ON THE GINGER NUTS OF HORROR WEBSITE PAPERBACKS FROM HELL: GWEN, IN GREEN BY HUGH ZACHARYTHIS IS WHERE THE FAMILY TREE MEETS THE FAMILY PLOT. THIS IS BLOODLINES. (BOOK REVIEW) the heart and soul of ya and mg horror fiction |
Archives
April 2023
|
RSS Feed
|
|