 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.   |
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