No one can believe it, but the sirens that make the city, “….sound like it’s screaming” leave no doubt. Kat and her family must follow other citizens down into the underground train stations to try and avoid the bombing. But even that is no guarantee of survival as Kat soon learns. She hates being separated from her classmates and normal life, but knows there in no option in their current lives.

When they are rounded up and ordered onto buses, they are fearful but glad they are all together… until they aren’t. Kat’s Papa and his best friend are detained as Kat, her mum and her sister climb aboard the buses. Or so her mum believes.

Kat decides in a moment she must stay behind too. Living alone on the bombed out streets of her beloved city, Kat looks for a way to find her father, and get him back.

Adam is missing home. But at least he now has something to write home about as his unit are moving on a city that needs them. Liberation of its citizens is an exciting prospect, as they will be sure to welcome Adam and his fellow soldiers as they march on the city.

He is teased by others in his unit about all the letters he writes home, but he is missing the farm he grew up on and is looking forward to returning for Christmas. That is not to be as they move further and further into the city, discovering return gunfire, not open arms and smiles.

The third in this thought provoking and sobering series about serious issues around the world, WAR is directly mirroring what is happening right now on our News screens or directly for thousands of people.

Seeing both points of view from the attacker (Soldier Adam) and citizen of a city (Citizen Kat), allows readers to see both sides – even if one has been told untruths about the mission they are on. In doing so, Kat rises as the courageous hero as a mindless army attacks a peaceful city.

But of course, this graphic novel has been written to highlight all wars, the waste, the horror and the scattering of dreams, futures and lives.

In sobering colours of war – mud browns, camouflage greens, dark blacks, and fiery yellow or orange, this graphic novel also portrays the emotions of grief, fear, and hopelessness, but also courage, relief and hope.

A true story from a refugee of war is shared at the end of the novel – also in graphic novel format.

Sobering.

(Thank you to Source Books for the ARC)

Authors – Eoin Colfer / Andrew Donkin

Illustrators – Giovanni Rigano

Letterer – Chris Dickey

Graphic Novel

Age – 10+

(2026, Source Books, Graphic Novel, War, Tanks, Bombs, Gunfire, Soldiers, Family, Courage, Hunger, Separation, Escape, Action, Grief, Real Life, Conflict, Poverty)

The post War Book Review appeared first on whatbooknext.com.

12 year old Alfie Piper is grieving the loss of his mum. He now lives with his dad and his wife Sophie and new baby sister Alice. He is trying to come to terms with the sudden loss of his mum, and the uncomfortable relationship he had with his stepdad.

Plot summary of Six Weeks (No Spoilers)

Alfie Piper introduces himself to the reader. He has something to tell us. He’s struggling to voice it, and warns us it’s bad. His mum died.

He tells us how quick it all seemed to happen, about the funeral and his aunt and grandmother’s pain. Alfie finally talks of him – his mum’s partner.

Even though Alfie has known him since he was three, they never connected properly, only sharing his mum. But now she’s gone and she asked Alfie to do something before she died.

It’s a year before Alfie sees him again. The Summer holidays have arrived, and even though Alfie’s school friends have drifted away, he has a good life with his Dad, Sophie and Alice.

Six weeks of school holidays stretch before him. Six weeks of riding his bike wherever it takes him, and maybe even thinking about his mum’s last request of him.

Review

I thought my heart would break while reading The Final Year, but Six Weeks is even more powerful. Matt Goodfellow knows his characters – their hearts and their very souls. And this is how he breaks ours.

The beginning is masterfully done as a 12 year old boy introduces himself. He’s tentative, unsure and apologising for his revelation. Having his words in white text upon black pages is a masterful punch in the gut – where I gasped aloud. I hadn’t read the back blurb, just knowing I’d love another Matt Goodfellow novel regardless.

Alfie takes the reader on his painful passage from grief, loss, and confusion at his extended family’s behaviour, to more understanding of those around him and how it has affected his own life and relationships.

A slow healing, that he never thought possible; is aided by love, patience and time from close family, and honesty from others.

Wow. Simply beautiful storytelling of grief, complicated family relationships, and their fallout. But healing is possible, as loved ones share their truth.

Tissues definitely required.

Book Style

293 Pages /Verse Novel

FAQ’s

What age is it for?

10+

Where & When is it set?

Summer Holidays, England. The present

What is the Point of View / Tense of the novel?

1st person / present tense

Is there Violence?

No

What genre is ?

Middle Grade Real Life / Contemporary Fiction

Themes

Family/ Grief / Loss / Growing Up / Real Life

Is it part of a series?

No

Find more books by Matt Goodfellow here

Author

Matt Goodfellow

Illustrator

Joe Todd-Stanton

Publisher

Hachette Children’s Books

(2026, Hachette, Intermediate (NZ), Starboard, Wow, Grief, Loss, Family, Connections, Bike Riding, Walking, Sharing, Change, Growing Up, England, Manchester, Blended Family, New Baby Sister, Summer Holidays, Real Life, Heartbreaking, Tissues required, Love, Music)

The post Six Weeks Book Review appeared first on whatbooknext.com.

A 14 year old boy aiming to play for the NBL one day, loses his father in an accident. His dad was everything to him. Not only his coach, but all things basketball.

The tryouts he’d been training so hard with his dad for, come and go as he grieves. Instead of playing for the top school team he saw as the first step to his dream, he ends up in a training squad – deemed the worst in the school.

Plot summary of The Rebound (No Spoilers)

Harry and his dad love watching basketball together, training together and sharing everything about the sport. Their goal is to get Harry ready for his high school tryouts for the top team – the 1st step to his dream of playing for the NBA.

Being called to the school office one day is the first inkling that something is wrong, and Harry learns that his dad has died in a car accident.

Reeling from loss, the funeral and his world pulled out from under him, Harry pushes everything aside – even the tryouts. He’s not ready to face everyone. When he finally is, it’s too late.

His best mate Jamal has made the top team without him, and is soon caught up in a relentless training schedule with others from school. Harry feels the gap between him and Jamal growing wider, and himself feeling angrier.

He takes this anger with him into a new team – the bottom training team in the school, with a coach he doesn’t believe knows what he’s doing. He decides he’s in the team for one reason – to keep fit for next year’s tryouts. But with a councillor, a new friend who knows what he’s going through, his mum, aunt and even the new coach, Harry finds a different path.

Review

If you didn’t like Basketball before, I challenge you to not enjoy it – at least as long as you are reading this book!

The Rebound is so full of heart, from the first page to the last, in so many ways. The relationship between the main character Harry and his father with basketball begins the story, with dreams to soar for. When it seems that all is lost, my heart went out for Harry in his confusion and grief.

His plans (made with his dad), are suddenly awry and his behaviour is so authentic, albeit terrible. But he finds his way through and winning has a whole new aspect to it. The heart he finds within his team builds slowly but surely and will fill your own as they conquer one obstacle after another.

The basketball component is high, and although also about loss, this is ultimately a feel-good story.

A great read for any sports fan.

Book Style

274 Pages / Thirty Seven Chapters with dates from Sat 29/3/25 to Thurs 25/12/25

Three sections – Off Season / In Season / Off Season

FAQ’s

What age is it for?

10+

Where & When is it set?

A fictional Australian town / 2025

What is the Point of View / Tense of the novel?

First Person / Present Tense

Is there Violence?

No

What genre is The Rebound?

Middle Grade Contemporary Fiction

Themes

Family / Loss / Sport / Basketball / Friendship / Teamwork / Real Life

Is it part of a series?

No

Author

Fiona Harris

Publisher

Allen & Unwin

If you liked The Rebound, you might like this:

The Crossover

(2026, Allen & Unwin, Australia, Intermediate (NZ), Real Life, Friendship, School, Family, Grief, Love, Sport, Basketball, Coaching, Bullies, NBA, Life Goal, High School Basketball)

The post The Rebound Book Review appeared first on whatbooknext.com.

A teenage girl is found dead in the woods behind a high school. The crime has happened during school hours after a fire alarm was set off. Blame instantly falls on the Abbott triplets who were implicated in a girl’s death the year before. Everyone knows it’s always the boyfriend. But is it?

Plot summary of Beware the Abbott Boys (No Spoilers)

After a girl is found in the woods behind their high school, the gossip is swift and merciless. The girl named Kennedy, was hugely popular in school and the easiest culprits to blame are the three Abbott boys, Bram, Henry and Adam.

A year before, Adam’s girlfriend died in a terrible car fire, leaving Adam scarred for life and unable to play football any longer. He also changed on the inside, losing his confidence and outgoing personality. Blame swirled around the brothers as they were working on the car only minutes before, and their town’s opinion was even further swayed when influential people got involved. The triplets spend the following months at home, doing their schooling alone.

Now, after no charges were laid and the triplets are only recently back at school, Kennedy’s murder threatens to wreck everything again. Surely, one of the Abbott boys did it. Certain clues, camera footage and rumours all point to them.

Their neighbour and close friend Hadyn sticks up for them once more, fiercely opposing any blame. She can’t imagine any of the brothers committing murder. Closest to Henry, they decide together that she will looks for clues, ask around at school, and try and figure out who was in the woods with Kennedy that day and why.

But the more she digs, the more complicated things get. She personally is confused with her own feelings about the brothers. She discovers rivalries between them over girls in the past. Was Kennedy a victim of this too?

Review

If you liked Good Girl’s Guide to Murder or The Reappearance of Rachel Price, you’ll love Beware the Abbott Boys. The Abbott Triplets are all very different, and they all have their parts in this mystery, told in third person. This gives the reader an insight into what happened the year before to earn these brothers the terrible reputation they have in their small town.

The narrative gets more twisty the further you read, making me wonder which brother was telling the truth about the murder that has thrown them all under suspicion once more. Their neighbour Hadyn is a good friend to them all, and after knowing them for so long, has mixed and confusing feelings about them.

They aren’t the only ‘villains’ in the novel however, and a popular person looked up to in the town is particularly nasty. All the dramas of high school are stirred into the mix, with all the gossip and local news stations making everything a whole lot worse.

An entertaining Young Adult mystery.

Book Style

368 Pages

FAQ’s

What age is it for?

13+

Where & When is it set?

A fictional town called Silver Creek, Vermont, USA

What is the Point of View / Tense of the novel?

1st person / Past tense – Now   +   3rd person / past tense – mostly 1 year ago

Multiple viewpoints

Is there Violence?

Girl found murdered

Is there any sex in the novel?

No

What genre is Beware the Abbott Boys?

Young Adult Mystery Thriller

Themes

Family / Friendship / Crime / School / Mystery

Is it part of a series?

No

Author

Chelsea Ichaso

Publisher

Penguin Random House

If you liked this, you’ll love these:

Tell Me What Really Happened

Four Good Liars

(2026, Source Books, Friendship, School, Crime, Betrayal, Courage, Family, Grief, Love, Murder, Mystery, Prejudice, Secret, Sibling Rivalry, Brothers, Triplets, Intermediate (NZ), Neighbours, Suspicion, School)

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10 people volunteer to be part of a televised survival competition run on an island swarming with 1000’s of Pyres – flesh eating zombies. They will be joined up in pairs with 10 islanders (by force) who have grown up on the island and know how to protect themselves.

The last two standing win the competition. The mainlander wins a large cash prize and the islander gets to leave the island for good.

Plot summary of To The Death  (No Spoilers)

Astrid has grown accustomed to her life of survival on an island overrun by Zombies. Named Pyres, she and her friends live behind tall walls, are all adept with weapons like crossbows, knives, and machetes, which all require getting far too close to a Pyre to kill it.

She lost her family one night four years before, and her frenzied response to the murderers of her father and sister gained her the nickname – The Executioner. Cameras caught everything. There has always been cameras on the island as it is also used as a prison by the mainland,  and a powerful corporation named Bloodwatch.

Bloodwatch arrives one day to tell Astrid she will soon be in a televised survival program called Escape From Blood Island. Her friends aren’t keen for Astrid to leave them, but she is given a choice. Accept her place in the game and her friends will receive months of much needed supplies, or don’t accept and watch them burnt to the ground.

Other islanders are also recruited, and they are soon teamed up with 10 mainlanders, who have all joined up for different reasons. Most are not there for the large money prize. Astrid can’t believe these strangers would place themselves in so much danger for any reason, but she tries to make the most of the person she is teamed up with.

They are given increasingly dangerous challenges to survive, and Astrid has to let the anger and grief that earned her Executioner title free, in order to counter everything thrown at them by Bloodwatch. She also has to play the game to earn more favour from the live stream viewers on the mainland.

She finds more than courage during each test, building bonds with others in the fight to stay alive. The longer they fight and the more horrors they see, the more determined Astrid is to bring Bloodwatch down.

Review

The comparison of To the Death being The Hunger Games crossed with The Last of Us is spot on. This first book in a duology is full of gruesome scenes with both bloodthirsty contestants, and others trying to keep as many people alive as possible. When the villains show their true selves it’s always a shock, but all the more gripping for it.

Learning the back stories and reasons for the contestants to put themselves at such risk is compelling, and the desire for revenge among the islanders brings ever increasing tension.

Packed with action from start to finish, gut-twisting choices and close calls, readers will cheer for their favourites fighting to win. A building love interest is woven through, even if riddled with doubt. I enjoyed learning about Astrid and eagerly waited for her to let ‘The Executioner’ out, but she mostly used her smarts learnt while growing up on the island.

With a killer ending (scuse the pun) I can’t wait to see what happens next in the sequel – Hunting Season (2027)

Book Style

324 Pages / 31 Chapters

FAQ’s

What age is it for?

13+

Where & When is it set?

A fictional dystopian island / Future

What is the Point of View / Tense of the novel?

1st person / Past tense

Is there Violence?

Graphic Violence

Is there any sex in the novel?

No

What genre is To The Death?

Young Adult Dystopian

Themes

Dystopian, Zombies, Courage, Grief, Action

Is it part of a series?

Yes – It is a duology (To the Death Series)

1. To the Death (2026)
2. Hunting Season (2027)

Author

Melissa Welliver

Publisher

Hachette

Find a link to Look Inside here

If you liked this, you’ll love this

Find more Dystopian Reads here

(2026, Hachette, Zombies, Courage, Dystopian, Island, Television Show, Cameras, Ruthlessness, Violence, Danger, Action, Weapons, Corporation, Competition, Fight to survival, Survival, Tests, Series, Revenge, Murder, Horror)

The post To the Death Book Review appeared first on whatbooknext.com.

14 year old Tess is unhappy about leaving the city she grew up in and moving to where her parents are from. It means navigating another new school, and leaving behind the special tree in their backyard where memories and more of her younger sister Chloe are.

A story of complicated family and friendship, Shakespeare and sorrow – and how they gradually lift a grieving teen to her feet, finding happiness again.

Plot summary of Degrees of Happy

Tess can’t believe it. Not only is she moving from the home she knows and loves, her parents have been planning it for ages without telling her. She’s a little happier about being closer to her older half sister, and older half brother in the new city, but she plans to keep to herself and under the radar at her new school.

It’s a relief to also be away from people who know about her younger sister. No one knows who she is, so Tess decides that she doesn’t have to be who she was before. She doesn’t have to be the perfect student either. She’s been used to private schools, and the public one she chooses is messy, chaotic and just what she needs to hide within.

But in spite of her prickly demeanor and slipping grades, those around her see through it – especially her half brother from her parent’s previous relationships. School teachers and classmates are also much more attuned than Tess gives them credit for.

Involuntarily joining a small group for an upcoming Shakespeare Festival Competition, another chink in her armour is made. Maybe she doesn’t have to be the old perfect Tess, or the new prickly one? Maybe there is something in between?

Review

Philippa Werry is one of New Zealand’s outstanding YA writers, and Degrees of Happy is a beautiful read. The scenes inside classrooms are so realistic I felt like I was there with them, and each time main character Tess’ sharp tongue caught someone, I winced. She hides her pain well, but hiding it affects her physically and prevents her from moving away from it.

Her complicated family life and chaotic school classrooms help her hide, but what’s so brilliantly done in this novel is the way the people around Tess begin to chip at her tough exterior, ignoring her indifference and aloofness. She makes the most of her parents being busy settling into new lives, but the teens and even some teachers around her are there to lift her up. It really is wonderfully written and true to life in so many ways.

The author spent around 10 years writing and rewriting this novel, and I’m so happy the characters didn’t let her give up on it.

(An earlier draft of this manuscript was shortlisted for the Storylines Tessa Duder Award in 2024)

Book Style

250 pages / 46 Chapters

FAQ’s

What age is it for?

13+

Where & When is it set?

New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand – Present (2026)

What is the Point of View / Tense of the novel?

First person / Present tense

Is there Violence?

No

Is there any Sex?

No

What genre is Degrees of Happy?

Young Adult Contemporary Fiction

Themes

Grief / Family / Friendship / School

Is it part of a series?

No

Find more books by this author here

You also might like these:

Wandering Wild

Sisters of the Moon

Author

Phillipa Werry

Publisher

Cuba Press / Ahoy

(2026, Cuba Press, Ahoy, Aotearoa, New Zealand, Intermediate (NZ), NZ Author, Friendship, Blended Family, New Plymouth, Taranaki, Loss, Grief, Siblings, Half Sister, Half Brother, Shakespeare Festival, School, Drama, Acting)

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A trained hunter hunts down and captures reapers in her city. Reapers follow their addiction for stolen magic – siphoning it from children which usually results in death.

This reaper hunter has a painful past which comes back to meet her in the shape of a family member who has become a reaper.

But he’s not who or what she believes him to be.

Plot summary of Shadow Reaper

Viridian Solace is an accomplished Reaper Hunter. When one of the most hunted and powerful reapers is arrested – she knows she must speak with him.

She has been seeking retribution and answers about her parent’s death by reapers 7 years before. But what she uncovers is even worse. Children are going missing from her city and no-one seems to have noticed.

The more she digs, the more she discovers about the captured reaper, the past 7 years, and her own past.

Myth and magic are in the mix, and a simmering attraction builds between her and an enemy – even after she learns the truth about his connection with her parent’s deaths.

The tension mounts as an age old plan for power approaches with the coming of a comet. This plan might begin with missing children, but could end in a citywide catastrophe.

Review

Shadow Reaper is a fast-moving, YA fantasy with tons of action, twists and a simmering romance between enemies. There were several times throughout the novel where I exclaimed “No way!”, out loud, and lots of fight scenes where I held my breath.

This novel is cleverly constructed within great world-building and finishes with a humdinger of an ending.

Book 2 cannot come fast enough.

Book Style

Beginning with a map showing the City of Aravell and its surrounds, it is followed by a glossary of terms used in this YA fantasy world.

Dispersed between the chapters of this nearly 500 pages of magic and enemies-to-lovers adventure, are sections of a journal written by an ancient mage of Aravell.

FAQ’s

What age is it for?

14+

Where & When is it set?

A fictional fantasy city of Aravell in the isle of Elverdine

What is the Point of View / Tense of the novel?

Third person / Past Tense

Is there Violence?

Yes

What genre is Shadow Reaper ?

YA Fantasy

Is there any sex in the novel?

No

Themes

Fantasy / Magic / Romance / Action / Family / Power

Is it part of a series?

Yes. Shadow Reaper is No. 1 in a duology.

1. Shadow Reaper
2. ?

Author

Lynette Noni

Publisher

Penguin Australia

(2026, Penguin Australia, Fantasy, Magic, Power, Romance, Tension, Family, Kidnapping, Comet, Tension, Friendship, Secrets, Adventure, Action, Grief, Addiction, Series)

The post Shadow Reaper Book Review appeared first on whatbooknext.com.

Newly orphaned siblings Charlotte, Emily and Jack are sent to live on an island with a grandmother they never knew existed, let alone met. This is an island ominously cut off by the tide and surrounded by large black rocks. It is far from welcoming or friendly and is increasingly more malevolent, the longer the children stay.

Plot summary of Don’t Let Them Leave (no spoilers)

Charlotte, Emily and Jack are grieving the loss of their parents. Only days later they are whisked off to a strange island to live with their grandmother. Their father never mentioned her, so they are wary, but one must do as the adults say, so they follow all the instructions and get on a train.

They find little of the comforts they knew at home. Their grandmother’s home is on a strange island which is ruled by the tides. It appears empty and abandoned, but that is far from the truth.

The longer they stay, the longer Charlotte wonders about the swift change in their lives and the inhospitable life they have found themselves in. She reaches out to a boy who helped them on their journey, and learns more about the island and its history.

A history so horrific, she wants to leave, but there are building haunting forces that want to prevent it.

My thoughts

From the first page to the last, I was captured by this novel. Newly made orphans Charlotte, Emily and Jack grabbed my heart early, and I felt for their plight and hastily scraped together courage. I understood their apprehension in meeting a relative they knew nothing of, and how their lives were going to change so drastically, through no fault of their own.

The island itself adds more fear and indecision, as they nearly lose their lives trying to get to it, and the longer they stay the higher the tension rises. It’s positively creepy and the malevolence builds into pure horror, as a historical revenge plot reveals itself.

The answers the siblings are seeking are truly terrible, and nothing I imagined.  Gripping, creepy and well worth a read.

Characters

Charlotte (13)  Now in charge of her younger siblings, she has to keep pushing her grief at the loss of her parents down, just so she can keep functioning. She and her brother and sister have been raised in a wealthy home, so suddenly having to do everything for themselves is challenging. Charlotte bravely steps up to all that they face, and must work out how to ensure their survival from an island with evil intention.

Jack (9)  At only 9 years old, Jack has already picked up tips and behaviours from his father which are helpful in their sudden new and demanding life. He has always been a quiet boy and often kept mostly to himself at home, but now must be brave in all they face. At home, he and little sister Emily would often squabble, but now he sees the need to look out for her, and also help his big sister who he now looks to for guidance.

Emily (6) Always full of chatter and questions, Emily never goes anywhere without her beloved soft rabbit Munchkin. Being the youngest, she struggles to comprehend what is happening to them. She baulks at Charlotte’s instructions at first, but after only a few days in their new strange home, quickly learns to listen to Charlotte, even if she doesn’t understand all that they are experiencing.

Writing Style

A prologue begins the novel, set deep in a mine in 1855 – 3rd person/past tense.

13 year old Charlotte tells the story directly to the reader (1st person). The setting is 1930’s England, so Charlotte speaks proper English, the way she has been raised by her wealthy parents. We hear her inner thoughts throughout the novel as she struggles first with grief, responsibility of her younger siblings, and then the terrifying situation they find themselves in.

FAQs

What age is it for?

12+

Where & When is it set?

1930 London, then a journey to an island on the southern tip of England, which is cut off by the tides twice daily.

What is the Point of View / Tense of the novel?

1st person / Past tense.

Is there any Violence?

Yes

What genre is Don’t Let Them Leave?

Young Adult Horror

Themes

Horror / Family / Courage / Revenge

Is it part of a series?

No

Author

Mike Lucas

Publisher

Penguin Random House Australia

Find more creepy novels by this author

Click here

If you’re looking for more Horror Reads

Find some here

(2026, Penguin Books, Intermediate (NZ), Horror, Revenge, Island, Siblings, Grief, Tin Mines, Lodestone, Historical, 1930, England, Train journey, Grandmother, Ghosts, Cat, Ravens, Courage, Mystery, Creepy, Eerie)

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Theo has an ability to see how long a person will remain in his life by a number he sees when he looks in their eyes. He must learn how to deal with this gift/curse and overcome the all encompassing fears and worry they cause him.

Ultimately this YA novel is a beautiful love story with a twist, with a boy taking the chance to love a girl, with all the risk that might entail.

Plot summary of Counting Down with Theodore Brown (No Spoilers)

Theo is 19 and is studying Creative Writing at Community College. He has been told by his tutor to get some life experience to help flesh out his characters and writing itself.

He sets out (warily) to do just that, but has some hurdles to face along the way. He tells it like it is, with all the feelings he experiences from dark to light, hate to love.

He begins with how his gift affects him around about losing people close to him, then the reader follows him in his journey of first love and all it entails. This is all while he still sees numbers in loved one’s eyes.

Review

The intriguing premise attracted me to this book and the fact that the author is a fellow bookseller in Aotearoa New Zealand. I tried to imagine what it would be like facing the numbers in friend’s and loved one’s eyes and how I would possibly deal with that. This was especially true when Theo was young and didn’t know whether the number was a death sentence or not.

I enjoyed his personality, even when he was going through the hard stuff and was awful to his mum, as their mutual love soon shone through again. I also enjoyed meeting HeyJude, (Theo’s therapist) with his calm, wise advice, whether he believed Theo about the numbers or not.

Theo and Lil’s love of retro music and movies is fun, which also star in the novel’s Chapter Headings.

Counting Down with Theodore Brown is a beautiful love story with an intriguing twist. The end result is something we all should think more about.

Characters

Theo – 19 years old. He’s always been seen as a weirdo by others because he would avoid looking people directly in the eye at any cost. Discovering that wearing sun glasses helped what he was trying to avoid was a game changer, but didn’t change his weirdo status much.

He learnt what the numbers he saw in people’s eyes really meant the hard way, when he lost his father. They were very close and it affected him deeply, further moulding his character. Theo loves his mum and appreciates her support, even though she doesn’t believe what he sees.

He loves retro music and movies.

Theo is a sheltered teen with little life experience with girls or many friends. This makes his first romance all the more sweeter to experience along with him.

Theo meets his first love on an online game, and finally arranged to meet up in person.

Lil (Fly)

A talented artist, a straight talker and daughter of wealthy Mexican parents who don’t really understand her. They are tidy, driven and business minded. She is messy, fun-loving and also a talented gamer.

She shares Theo’s love of retro movies and music – especially Dolly Parton, which helps the early stages of their relationship. She also loves any movies with Jeff Goldblum starring in them.

Writing Style

Theo talks directly to the reader explaining his ability to see numbers in people’s eyes. eg. (I shit you not – this is my unfortunate truth).

FAQs

What age is it for?

12 – 18 years

Where & When is it set?

A small town called Fairview, Indiana, USA.

What is the Point of View / Tense of the novel?

First person / Past tense

Is there Violence?

No. There is bigotry and homophobia without physical violence.

What genre is Counting Down with Theodore Brown?

Coming of Age / Romance

Is there any sex in the novel?

Yes

Is there any swearing in the novel?

Yes

Themes

Family, Love, Loss, Becoming an adult

Is it part of a series?

No

Author

Daniel Devenney

Publisher

Allen & Unwin NZ

(2026, Allen & Unwin NZ, Aotearoa New Zealand Author, Humour, Love, Romance, Coming of Age, Growing Up, Grief, Loss, Therapy, Bigotry, Family, Gaming, Fear, Road Trip, Retro Music, Retro Movies)

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But she was also Roslyn’s older sister – someone she looked up to, with an adventurous and rebellious spirit. Still, when Adeline leaves to spend time with an aunt at a quiet lake spot for her mental health, Roslyn was relieved to be away from her for a while.

When Adeline goes missing and is found dead, Roslyn and her parents are left in shock. Roslyn slowly loses herself in grief and guilt, losing any friends along with it. It’s only when a rowdy group of girls her age come to town, claiming to have known Adeline before she died, does Roslyn feel something again.

Determined to learn what happened to her big sister, Roslyn accepts their invite to travel with them on a road trip.

She has no idea, it will be to hell and back.

With an intriguing title, cover and premise, When I Was Death follows a grieving sister and a group of teenage girls who have made a pact with… Death.

There are six girls in this confident, rambunctious, vibrant group which is what attracts Roslyn to them. The reader doesn’t really get to know any of them very deeply, but they all have their own personality and place in the plot.

They have all chosen to live or die with dire consequences they must live by. Life or death is a pretty big tension builder, and their choices become more dangerous as they get to know each other. With time counting down to the ultimate test of survival, this is a gripping read.

Author – Alexis Henderson

Age – 12+

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Publisher – Penguin Random House

Set in – Present

Orphan – No

Violence – Yes

Real Life – Yes

Fantasy – Yes

Sex – No

Blend – Horror / Mystery / Grief

(2026, Penguin Random House, Intermediate (NZ), Horror, Siblings, Sisters, Grief, Guilt, Death, Pact, Mystery, Family, Road Trip, RV Travel, Secret)

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They used to be mates when they were younger, playing cricket in the street with wheelie bins as the wickets, daring each other to swim across newly found waterholes in the river, and hanging out at each other’s homes.

Now, after drifting apart for different reasons and with school nearly over, they’re looking forward to leaving Carraway Point.

Kallum has already experienced Sydney. A skilled footy player, and with dreams of playing for the NRL, he won a scholarship to a Sydney boarding school. Things were great until he got in a fight with another student. He’s certain a white boy wouldn’t have been expelled for the fight, but the reason behind it all still burns inside him.

Jordy and Kallum used to be mates, but when Kallum joined the footy guys at the gym and on the field, they drifted apart. Jordy coming out has changed his friends dynamic completely, but he’s too busy at home to spend much time thinking about that. With his mum gone, his dad is drinking every night, leaving many of the home responsibilities up to Jordy. He doesn’t mind looking out for his little sister and brother, but he’s leaving for acting school in Sydney, and he worries about leaving them behind.

Dylan wishes they could go back to the fun memories of their childhoods. Ever since he saw his best friend Brandon shot dead in front of him, he’s all but consumed by it. He’s the only witness, besides the white policeman who shot him, and as the trial approaches, the town is abuzz with what will happen.

Anger rises when White Power graffiti is found on the supermarket wall, and protests are building. Will the officer get off because he is white and Brandon, Aboriginal? Dylan feels the pressure from both sides, his only real escape is his film making.

Gary Lonesborough’s writing is always so authentic, and I was quickly and easily immersed in these young men’s lives at fictional Carraway Point.

Told in three sperate viewpoints, in one section of the novel after the other, time also moved on over several months. This allows the reader to get glimpses of the other character’s lives within that viewpoint as time passes.

There are powerful conflicts in the novel, both inner and outer. There are those who spew the White Power hate speech and actions, the boy’s inner turmoils on their sexuality or parental expectations, and the misconceptions they have of each other after they have drifted away from changing friendship dynamics.

A touching, powerful read.

Author – Gary Lonesborough

Age – 16+

Find more Gary Lonesborough novels here

Publisher – Allen & Unwin

Set – Fictional Australian Coastal Town / Present

Viewpoint – 3 viewpoints / 1st person

Violence – Yes

Sex – Yes

Real Life – Yes

Blend – Real Life / Racism / LGBTQ+

(2026, Allen & Unwin, Bullies, Conflict, LGBTQ+, Crime, Family, Real Life, Friendship, Grief, Growing up, Murder, Secret, Friendship Dynamics, Gay, Relationships, Football, NRL, Dreams, Film making, Coastal Town, Aboriginal, Racism, Prejudice, Coming of Age)

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Evelyn has lived multiple lives across the centuries. She has experienced first hand the 1472 ottoman Empire, the Western Front trenches, and the time of the Witch Trials.

In 1290 she travelled across the Sahara in a camel caravan that trades across the sands, lived in Athens in its historical prime, and been an inmate at a horrific insane asylum. She was incarcerated for speaking the truth of her existence. She and her beloved named Arden are doomed to the fate of living their lives over and over and over – reborn near each other, to enable Arden to find her and kill her before she turns 18.

They are born in both girl and boy existences, sometimes at the same time, drawn to each other regardless of time or gender. Evelyn wants to know why Arden does what he does. She yearns to live her life to the full, to age, have a big family and wrinkle and love them all, even as she loves desperately the one who kills her again and again.

This fate was struck at the beginning of time, and Arden will not tell Evelyn the answer she’s desperate to know. Why?

Now living in Wales in 2022, she just needs to stay alive until she can give the hospital the stem cells her sister needs to survive. Each time she is reborn, she doesn’t remember her fate at first, but when she does, she is hyper aware of those around her as she ages.

Could her work colleague at the bookstore be Arden? Watching. Waiting.

Could it be the cute boy at a nearby cafe? All she needs is a few more days to save her sister.

Such a fascinating premise, and written beautifully – Our Infinite Fates is an intriguing read!

Much of the novel is set in 2022 Wales, where main character Evelyn lives on a small farm, and works in a bookstore. Needing to stay alive for her younger sister with the imminent threat of her coming murder at age 18, Evelyn is constantly on edge. This amps up the tension as she does everything to stay alive.

She and a guy named Arden are inextricably linked in love and murder as they live their lives over and over, magnetically attracted to each other, but also in Evelyn’s case, trying to stay apart. The secret of why this must happen every 18 years is a jaw-dropping one which I much enjoyed.

I also loved the way their past lives were sprinkled throughout the story, showing Arden’s love for her even as he knew he had to kill her, and Evelyn’s love for everyone around her. Love in fact, despite the continuing murders through time, is a huge part of this tale.

“I love you. I have loved you. I will love you.”

Great read.

Author – Laura Steven

Age – 15+

Publisher – Penguin UK

Set in – Across 1000 years

Orphan – Lives multiple lives

Violence – Yes

Real Life – Yes

Fantasy – Yes

Sex – Yes

Blend – Romance / Determined Fate / Fantasy

(2025, Love, Betrayal, Family, Fantasy, Grief, Historical, Romance, Secret, Star-Crossed Lovers, Doomed, Murder, Deal, Leukemia, Hospital)

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Beginning in a wealthy, caring, kind home, he is well fed, cared for, spoken to often, and at four years is carefully broken in. After his early years in a meadow with his mother, he has to learn to put up with a metal bit in his mouth, blinkers on his face, and a stiff and heavy collar when hitched to a cart.  The sound of the cart wheels unnerve him, but the patience of his master and bond they already have, help Black Beauty to learn.

All of this training is for a reason. He is taken to a new stable where he meets new horse friends Ginger and Merrylegs, and his new master. This home is even better than the first, and Black Beauty learns more about being a working horse – this time pulling a carriage, or enjoying being ridden after being locked in the stables after being used to freedom in the fields.

But alas, it isn’t to stay this way, and Black Beauty has yet another new master. This time it isn’t for the better. He learns about the pain of bearing reins, which are for nothing but looks and vanity of his owner. He experiences drunken riders, inexperienced stable grooms and the uncertainty of being a job horse.

His next owner is a welcome one, with him and his family giving Black Beauty the care he needs. They treat him like a member of their family, and he works hard for them, but never too hard like many other times in his short life.

Again, his circumstances change – due to the thoughtlessness of people he has experienced again and again. Not just to horses but to people as well. Will they ever change?

But maybe, just maybe, there is kindness coming back to him.

This retelling of Anna Sewell’s classic brings Black Beauty to a whole new generation of readers.

Michael Morpurgo’s well loved and gentle style stays true to the 1877 original, but with more modern language. Although more suited to modern young readers, this doesn’t take away the feel of the Victorian England setting in the late 1800’s.

This is a sad story of the life of horses back then, but between the lines is an understanding of the lives of the owners too, and of empathy between horse and human. It emphasises how we can all be better at kindness and compassion, to animals and to each other.

Black Beauty is a window into the time, showing what life was like for people of all walks of life – especially the working class or poor.

Only some of the chapters are named as in the original, but it sticks to the four part tale, told directly to the reader by Black Beauty himself. This viewpoint brings the reader closer to what Black Beauty is experiencing and feeling as a horse through owners good and bad.

Although now thought of as a children’s classic Black Beauty was written by Anna Sewell in sympathy to the terrible treatment of horses she saw around her on an ongoing basis. 

This beautiful hardback edition, illustrated by Tom De Freston, is not only for horse lovers, but for children of all ages to enjoy and partake in compassion and understanding. Sticking to Anna Sewell’s moving ending, this retelling is ultimately hopeful for a brave horse.

Author – Anna Sewell

A retelling by Michael Morpurgo

Illustrator – Tom de Freston

Age – 10+

Find more reviews of books starring horses here

Find more historical reads here

(2026, 1877, Animals, Historical, Grief, Real Life, Bullies, Friendship, Poverty, Retelling, Classic, Horses, Victorian England, 18oo’s, 19th Century, Horse Care, Grooms, Kindness, Animal Cruelty, Mistreatment)

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She finds herself in a carriage with a stranger, who can instantly see she looks lost. She’s wearing summer clothes for a start, when it’s freezing outside. The ticket she holds means nothing to him, and when a weird looking train guard approaches them, the stranger jumps into action.

He is a salesman in this world. A world called New Davia. His job allows him to use the trains to travel within worlds. Worlds that don’t include Margo’s. So where did she come from? He bribes the guard, taking responsibility for this lost girl.

Margo is grateful, but frightened. Still, she’s intrigued by this salesman who looks only a year or two older, with a crescent moon scar down his face. She shudders when he tells her it did hurt, and the tattooist did it with malice. This salesman is called Moon – because of this very scar.

Off the train, and meeting more strangers, Margo is more and more confused. When she sees Police-like authorities, she tries to flee Moon and his friends, but changes her mind when she witnesses their brutality on another.

She’s soon swept up in a world made of multiple worlds, attached by train lines like no other. These worlds have different time zones and levels. Margo is used to a 24 hour day, but some of the places in Moon’s worlds have much less, down to even less than 5 hr days. This time change from one world to another messes with Margo’s mind and body, resulting in Skipshock. The more you travel between worlds, the more Skipshock will affect you. Until it finally kills you.

Worried about her mother who will be frantic at her disappearance from her world, she’s grateful for Moon’s help to get home again. But can she trust him? On her way, she hears about the inequalities of Moon’s world. Especially against his people. Some places in New Devia have much more than others, and the ruling authorities are squeezing more and more out of poorer places, for their own use.

Learning there is an opposing force to this power, greed and treachery doesn’t surprise Margo, but it does when these revolutionaries tell her that she is the key to their success. She can help them fight back, and get back what once was theirs. Their homes, their way of life and in Moon’s case – his very life.

Rich and imaginative worldbuilding,

a simmering romance,

a villain to despise

and a twist I never saw coming.

Skipshock is a scintillating read!

This novel’s world is original, intriguing to get your head around (and I did wrangle with it in the beginning), but well worth it, as we meet main characters Margo and Moon and we learn their back stories.

Margo grows up over the month or so she is in this parallel world to ours, as the time zones shorten and lengthen and her body changes with it. There are parallels to our own world with terrible prejudice against Moon’s people, and the growing gap between rich and powerful (with plenty of time), and the struggling poor (with little time in their days.)

Clever – and I can’t wait for the next book after a truly shocking ending!

Author – Caroline O’Donoghue

Age – 15+

Find another great read by this author here

Publisher – Walker Books

Set – New Davia, a dystopian, interconnected world of varying time-zones.

Viewpoint – Two persectives / 1st person & 3rd

Violence – Yes

Sex – Yes / Alluded to

Real Life – No

Fantasy – Yes – Time Travel Trains

Blend – Dystopian / Revolution / Romance

(2025, Fantasy, Romance, Courage, War, Action, Betrayal, Grief, Time travel, Trains, Parallel Worlds, Danger, Gunfire, Loss, Watch, Prejudice,

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It’s her boyfriend Noah whose opinion matters the most, and he’s perfectly fine with her working on the town’s dearly departed, and comforting their grieving relatives. She loves her job and has become almost as skilled as her mother. Together, they make their ‘guests’ look nearly as good in death as in life, with expert makeup and sculpting too, when required.

Life is good, business is going well, and her skills are getting better with each ‘guest’. Then a terrible loss affects them all, and everything changes.

Months later, Meka is just beginning to emerge from the loss when she spies strangers following her. Her dad’s pet ravens are acting strangely, and then a shop assistant is attacked while they are in the store. Meka is wondering about her sanity, when she sees something impossible. Have her parents been hiding a secret her entire life?

Make Me A Monster is just as amazing as previous novels by this author – Cinderella is Dead and Sleep Like Death, which are also bended tales on classics.

With a twist on Mary Shelley’s famous story, this novel is perfect for Frankenstein fans, with the original story and author referenced, and a delicious shock I never expected in the plot.

The further I read, the more intense the tale becomes. There are so many times it looks as all is lost as Meka is outmatched against her foe again and again. How will she cope with one secret after another being revealed about her family, her past and most of all, her true self?

I’d love to say more, but too much on this one would spoil the journey the reader takes with Meka.

Set in the present with historical nods, Make Me A Monster is perfect for my Frankenstein collection. 

Author – Kalynn Bayron

Age – 12+

Find more novels by Kalynn Bayron here

Publisher – Bloomsbury

Set – Contemporary New York State USA

Viewpoint – 1st person / present tense

Violence – Yes

Sex – No

Real Life – Yes / Horror / Fantasy

Fantasy – Undead (NOT zombies)

Blend – Real Life / Horror / Undead

(2025, Retelling, Bloomsbury, Family, Love, Grief, Horror, Secret, Mortician’s Assistant, Death, Funeral Home, Rituals, Frankenstein, Ravens)

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When the young mouse slows down, he notices someone else out on their way somewhere. He looks down at the bright blue bug and asks,

“Where do you think it’s going?”

“Going home, perhaps,” answers Dad.

Their adventure continues through fields, along a river and even further. There are so many others out too, on such a lovely autumn day.

Together they have ice cream and swings, sit atop pinecones and watch butterflies, spending special time together remembering. A dandelion wish is made  – before they set off for home.

A sumptuous picture book in production and illustration. With gold tints on both front and back covers, exquisite illustrations throughout and an adorable story of father and son together on an outing – Going Home is simply gorgeous.

When adventures have been had, a tasty treat all finished, these mice sit and remember someone special.

Going Home is not a story to be rushed. My favourite page is with no words at all. It is quiet and gentle and full of love, for someone lost and between those left behind.

Just beautiful!

Author / Illustrator – Simon Howe

Picture Book

Learn more about Simon Howe here

Publisher – Walker Books

Set – A Mouse’s world

Viewpoint – 1st person

Real Life – No

Fantasy – Animal Characters

(2026, Walker Books, Father Son time, A walk, Autumn, Loss, Time together, Special Time, Remembering)

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There are more. Many more, and they are hungry.

Two years later, the family are hiding in a house far from the city. They have stayed other places, with other people. Each one left memories they’d like to forget, but life is now one of only survival. Looking back is pointless.

Everyone has changed. Hardened. The only light among them is their younger siblings who are fiercely protected by the older ones. The twins hardly know anything but this subsistence life, and their mother has become distant in her fight to keep her loved ones alive.

One day they find a teenage girl curled up and unconscious. Arguing on whether to leave her or take her in, Sara wins. She’s intrigued to talk to someone her own age for the first time since the Witches came. When the girl wakes, they learn her name is Parsley, but not much more.

Sara is intrigued, then soon enamoured, despite her family’s warnings. Who is Parsley, and where did she come from? Does she really know more about the Witches? Can she help protect them?

This book is sold and promoted as an adult read, but I found it would easily suit a Young Adult audience. If it was a movie, it would be an excellent ‘Creature Feature’. The ‘Witches’ are nothing like the witches we already know – even the really terrible ones.

These monsters pour fear into the characters. Trying to imagine these horrors as I read, stretched even my Horror loving brain.

We Call Them Witches also has a first-romance thread, with main character Sara (aged 17), experiencing feelings for a stranger new to their family unit. Sara is quick to defend this person, even as she knows she must be more careful in order to protect her family members. This inner struggle makes things interesting as the tension rises, and a twist is revealed.

Author – India-Rose Bower

Age – 15+

Find more Horror reads here

Publisher – Penguin Random House

Set – Contemporary England

Viewpoint – 1st person

Violence – Yes

Sex – No

Real Life – Yes / Apocalypse

Fantasy – Monsters

Blend – Survival / Horror / Monsters

(2026, Penguin Random House, Post Apocalypse, Britain, England, Horror, Family, Betrayal, Courage, Fantasy, Grief, Secret, Creatures, Pagan Rituals, Herbs, Lavender, Fear, Siblings, Responsibility, Romance, Survival)

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He works hard in class, but this too brings the bullies, taunts and jabs. Many kids don’t want to listen to teachers or learn. They’d rather talk about music, or gangs or street action. Jerome has no friends to speak of either, trying to keep out of trouble and to himself.

When a new boy joins his class, Jerome feels for him as his bullies quickly make fun of him. Jerome waves Carlos over to sit by him, and gives advice about the school. It’s not long before the Jerome’s bullies track them down, but Carlos has something to scare them off with. A gun.

Its not real, but is has the desired effect. When he offers it to Jerome to play with, Jerome isn’t sure. He decides it might be fun. He never sees Carlos again.

As a ghost, he must watch the trauma of his family losing him. He doesn’t want to be there and can’t understand why he can’t leave. But when he meets others that roam this realm alongside the live one, he begins to wonder if there is an important reason.

There is a terrible history of shootings in their country. 1000’s of black people killed by police, KKK or racism. Is there a way to finally make it stop?

This graphic novel is a moving and potent adaptation of the 2018 novel of the same name. In muted colours, this story is told in sections separated by pages with one word in the centre.      alive   or   dead.

These pages indicate to the reader what happens to Jerome, stepping back and forth through events such as the walk to school, the moment Carlos gives Jerome the toy gun, right through to a preliminary court hearing, meeting other ghosts – and onto an emotional ending.

Shocking facts are revealed about shooting statistics in the USA, along with historical events.

This isn’t just a story for those who live there, but for everyone to think about their racial bias, prejudice and beliefs in stereotypes. Jerome’s family pays the horrific price of police brutality, and readers also see the fallout of the family of the policeman who fired his gun.

Angie Thomas says Ghost Boys is a Must Read, and I totally agree. 

Author – Jewell Parker Rhodes

Illustrator – Setor Fiadzigbey

Age – 12+

Publisher – Orion / Hachette

Set – Contemporary Chicago / USA

Viewpoint – 1st person

Violence – Yes

Sex – No

Real Life – Yes

Fantasy – Ghosts

Blend – Real Life / Ghosts / Racism

(2026, Orion, Hachette, Social Justice, Police Brutality, Shooting, Gun, Unprovoked, Crime, Police shooting, School, Poverty, Bullies, Ghost, Family, Friendship, Crime, Murder, Grief, Love, Real Life, Prejudice, Racism)

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The work is hard, but the pay much needed in the family’s poor, but happy enough life. Nell’s Pa is out of work, and her brother too young to bring in any money at the age of only 10. The estate is the biggest employer in the area, but also the landlord of all the land for miles around. Nell is pleased to be able to help out, but is uncomfortable at becoming the only breadwinner.

The fears of further afield finally come to Ballinkeel. The blight the newspapers shout about arrives, and Nell’s parents aren’t the only farmers watching their hand planted potato crop turn to black, and rot in the soil. They not only rely on the potatoes for food, but also to be able to pay their landlord, Lord Wicken.

Their only hopes are their oat crops, but will it be enough?

With all this on Nell’s mind as she scrubs pots, stirs stews and follows Maggie’s orders, she is in awe of the amount of food dished up to the Lord and his visitors, when everyone she knows and loves is starving.

The light in her day comes from spending time with her friends, her little brother’s antics at home, and most of all – meeting John Browning, the heir to the Wicken fortune.

He’s different from his strict, unfeeling Uncle, and at first Nell keeps her interest to herself. She feels foolish for such thoughts, but after spending more time together, she knows she’s treading on dangerous territory. Falling for an Englishman, when they are deemed the enemy of Ireland, is not wise.

Nell’s heart is soon broken again and again with the result of an all consuming hunger, and actions of desperate, starving, men.

An unflinching YA verse novel, depicting the potato blight and resulting famine that swept Ireland from 1845 – 1861.

Carnegie Medal Winner Sarah Crossan’s Where the Heart Should Be is a love story – between a servant and a wealthy heir to a fortune, and also between her and her family – hit by the famine along with her entire village.

The senseless greed by the landlord against his starving tenants is portrayed in verse, and a succinct way to show true events between Ireland and the controlling England of the time.

At first this heartbreaking novel shares the love among families, the age-old superstitions in Irish daily life and the excitement of a upcoming marriage. Getting to know these characters was vivid in verse and as rich as a full novel, so when their lives fall apart, my heart broke for them all.

A beautiful novel of a painful time in history.

Author – Sarah Crossan

Age – 13+

Verse Novel

Find more Verse novels here

Publisher – Bloomsbury

Verse Novel

Set – Ireland – Fictional town in County Mayo – 1846

Viewpoint – 1st person

Real Life – Based on historical events of the Potato Blight & resulting famine

Fantasy – No

Blend – Historical – based on fact

(2025, Bloomsbury, Historical, English greed, Ireland, Potato Famine, 184o’s, Lord, Estate, Starvation, Hunger, Grief, Loss, Death, Desperation, Love, Forbidden Romance, Kindness, Heir, Family, Scullery Maid)

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“The NSDE initiative was formed to save humanity from the chaos and dangers of Outside. Pollution, over farming and introduction of untested bio-engineered elements resulted in deadly droughts, pollen storms and mutated swarms. NSDE was humanity’s last chance.”

Children are trained to become soldiers of this regime, to police the inhabitants, and to prevent creatures called Spiravits from attacking them. Training includes lessons on how dangerous the Spiravits can be. They may look human, but their eyes are milky white and they can be vicious and calculating. They also have a strange power that can produce explosions, killing any living thing around them.

No matter how hard Naya trains, even with the help of her best friend and top cadet Kaven, she can never be ruthless enough, strong enough or single-minded enough to achieve the standards her mother insists upon. When she is given another way to graduate along with her class and Kaven, she accepts.

The General gives her a dangerous mission: Infiltrate the Spiravit’s lair and return with intel in order to eradicate them.

It’s risky from one moment to the next, and Naya discovers truths even more shocking than her mother’s mission request. Torn between both worlds, she uses a strange gift she has had since small – communicating with the city walls with her mind.

Split into two timeframes (during soldier training and then on a mission), main character Naya tells this dystopian story.

The soldier training shows the reader all the hard work, effort and pain (both physical and mental), Naya has gone through to try and impress her mother who is the leader of their entire city. Naya can’t seem to ever achieve the results she aims for but continues to struggle regardless.

This determination and grit aids her in a perilous mission outside the safety of the city walls, and allows her to see the truth that is hidden from city residents. This is shown cleverly on the cover of the novel. The city is clean, and ordered and if you tip the cover over, you see broken structures surrounded by trees and nature. The telling component is the way the human within those landscapes is composed. The city holds a running figure. The Outside, a calm, awed human being.

This theme of misconception between people is a common one, and one our world continuously finds itself in – INSIDE shows a dystopian view of it with an imaginative Sci-Fi twist.

A gripping read.

Author – S A Gales

Age – 11+

Read more Dystopian Novels here

Publisher – Allen & Unwin

Set in – Unknown Future / Inside & Outside a semi-sentient city

Viewpoint – 1st person

Orphan – No father present

Violence – Yes

Real Life – No

Fantasy – No

Blend – Dystopian / Sci-Fi

(2025, Allen & Unwin, Dystopian, Secret, Grief, Action, Betrayal, Future, Sci Fi, Cadet Training, Soldiers, Loyalty, Truth, Lies, Outsiders, Prejudice, Misconceptions, Control, Energy)

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