Adele Broadbent's Blog, page 14

Unhallowed Halls

Page Whittaker has never fitted in. Her mother knew she was different when just a baby, and Page figured it out after moving homes and schools over and over. She makes things happen.

After a disastrous event involving her girlfriend Cassidy at her last school, the offer of a scholarship from a remote Scottish Moor boarding school seems the perfect escape. Agathion College is not only far from everything and everyone she knows, it treasures the mind, taking students with high IQ’s and academic ability.

But Agathion College isn’t as expected. English Literature is not celebrated among these dark wood-panelled walls and corridors. Plato, Socrates and other ancient Greek philosophers rule here, along with ancient Greek texts and scholars.

The students aren’t as expected either. At first Page aims to keep herself apart to concentrate on her studies, but it’s not long before she must admit her yearning to fit in. Although a group of students seems to accept her, they keep her at arms length and she knows they have secrets they are unwilling to share.

Page’s tutors are also mysterious, asking her strange questions and not answering why she was offered the scholarship in the first place. Something is happening at Agathion. Something ancient and sacred. But how does Page fit into it all?

 

A boarding school story is a drawcard for many readers, and if you like creepy, rituals, Greek philosophers or horror, Unhallowed Halls is definitely for you.

Agathion College is almost a character in itself as the author portrays its vibe throughout the book. Dark corridors, cold that seeps into your bones like it does main character Page, along with the ever present weather that wraps itself around the school.

The author teases out Page’s past to the reader and we learn of what made her choose this remote place to hide in. The red thread on the cover is a hugely important part of the plot, and the pig you see in the doorway has a surprise for you.

An eerie read with twists and turns and solutions that are scuppered again and again as Page finds out who she really is, and thousands of souls are on the line.

 

Author – Lili Wilkinson

Age – 13+

 

 

 

(2025, Allen & Unwin, School, Romance, Secret, Betrayal, Fantasy, Magic, Friendship, Mystery, Action, Animals, Horror, Love, Loyalty, Goddess, Possession, Rituals, Ancient Runes, Stones, Scholars, Students, Secret Room, Demons, Boarding School, Dark Academia)

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Ice Apprentices

Oswin lives a tough life on a timber splinter farm in Central Tundra. His is a world of ice, planting timber splinters for his mother day in and day out, lucky to get a good meal if he has done a good day of work. He’s lonely now his big brother has gone to his training to become an Ice Apprentice. He’s been alone now with his mother for a few years, with no hope of change.

Despite this life, Oswin has a quick mind, keen to crack a joke and try to make his mother smile, even though she never does. He has excellent hearing, able to hear further than he should, and a photographic memory to boot. This all becomes very useful when he is unexpectedly called to begin an Ice Apprenticeship himself.

By rights this should never have happened. Many believe he shouldn’t even be alive. Oswin is a ‘Stray’ who is a person taken in by the Tundrans when he should have been left to perish out on the ice alone as a young child. Strays are deemed wasteful as food and resources aren’t plentiful and feeding and caring for them is pointless.

With this in mind at his new school, and students keen to remind him of his lowly status, Oswin is determined to prove himself useful and worthy of his training. His big brother is a great support and Oswin tries to make new friends. His adoptive mother hasn’t explained all he needs to know however, leaving his Tundran education lacking. His quick mind and endless curiosity has him asking question after question, but few will help. Especially when he ventures near unspoken topics.

One girl, as frosty as the ice around them, tolerates Oswin in small doses. No one else seems to want to share time with her, but Oswin is intrigued by her along with everything around him.

A very-unlikely-barely-there friendship is sparked as they begin to investigate strange goings on within the school. Monsters are wreaking havoc where monsters shouldn’t be and Oswin is hearing a voice in his head. Is it all connected? Will he pass the tests to enable him to stay, or will he be cast again as a Stray, as some wish for his fate?

 

Ice Apprentices is the first instalment of a new trilogy for middle grade readers. Oswin is the main character, and a likeable one at that. He might be deemed less than desirable by many due to his family status and name, but he does all he can to prove himself in a school that trains young teens to be Ice Apprentices and useful members of Tundran society.

The Tundran world is an interesting one, as is the training school Oswin attends. Imaginative world building shows the reader a talking gate swooning over a nearby fence, the ability to grow logs from wood splinters and three word spells that can hamper a monster or cause complete havoc.

I’m interested in Oswin’s past and how he came to be ‘adopted’ at 7 years old but can’t remember his life before then, and who the strange voice he hears might be. I do have an idea, but I’ll leave that to the reader to deduce for themselves.

Fans of Harry Potter, Skandar and the Unicorn Thief and Rise of the Remarkables Series will enjoy this new trilogy, learning about the world of the Ice Apprentices along with the main character. 

 

Author – Jacob North

Age – 8+

 

 

(2025, Simon & Schuster UK, Action, Adventure, Bullies, Courage, Fantasy, Friendship, Magic, Mystery, Prejudice, School, Secret, Series, Ice, Training, Spell books, Monsters, Trilogy, Big Brother, Tests, Trials, Frozen)

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Tales Through the Cat Door

Enzo is cranky. His humans have brought an invader into their home. It is taking all their attention and even causing friction between Enzo and his humans. The invader named Pawsha, according to the humans, “…is so cute.” But Enzo isn’t having a hair of it. This cute bundle is allowed to do things that Enzo has never been allowed to do, and even lands Enzo into trouble for its behaviour.

Longing for escape to a new mission at the PAWS spy agency that he has been recruited to, Enzo is put out again by learning that the kitten is already an agent. What makes things worse is they are to be sent together on a new mission. Enzo tries to claim seniority on the assignment, but Pawsha isn’t having that, making decisions without Enzo’s approval and launching them into danger.

What follows is a surveillance job through a busy shopping mall, a tactical move into the villain’s lair and several things going terribly wrong along the way.

 

The 2nd in this series about a special cat door that takes a cat to a secret cat spy agency named PAWS. This episode can be read without the first in the series. I enjoyed this adventure as much as the first, with the added twist of a cute kitten in the mix.

Enzo is back, but this time he has competition. A cute kitten named Pawsha has invaded his home and his place in the PAWS agency. Thrown together on a mission, Enzo is keen to prove himself, but so is Pawsha – bringing an action packed tale about tails.

Enzo’s humans might think this kitten is cute, but his jealousy at being left out of cuddles by his owners, and the kitten’s close connection to the PAWS agency leaders, consumes him. A gradual understanding and respect that builds between them is never smooth as tension rises in their mission to prove the evil doings of a winklepicker villain.

I particularly enjoyed Enzo’s interpretation of human behavior and daily life. I’ll let you determine what a rain booth and human-mover are, among others.

The story finishes with a promise of more missions to come.

 

Author – Belinda

Age – 8+

 

 

 

(2025, Bateman Books, Aotearoa New Zealand, NZ, NZ Author, Action, Adventure, Animals, Courage, Crime, Family, Series, Cats, Tails, Artist, Villain, Jealously, New kitten, Rivalry, Secret Agents, Spy Agency)

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This is the Ship that Jack Built

Jack is setting sail in the ship that he built!

On board is a pirate sack of gold that Jack has stashed in the hold – believing it is perfectly safe…

But a rat has other ideas and nabs the sack! Where there is a rat, there is bound to be a cat, and sure enough – he wants that gold.

There might be cats and rats on board, but the ocean is full of creatures including giant squid, whales and more. And they ALL would like Jack’s stash!

From one creature to another goes Jack’s pirate sack, and he follows it as fast as he can. Will he EVER get it back?!

 

A rollicking read in perfect rhyme in the style of the classic – The House that Jack Built.

Brilliantly matched to all of the action are full colour illustrations full of movement and emotion on the character’s faces. The pages fill as one animal after another tries to snatch the bag, but still remains part of the story as they lose the treasure. The action builds and builds as the pirate sack of treasure gets stolen again and again!

I loved the surprise in the centre of the book where you must turn the book to see the action. All is well by the last page as Jack sails off into the sunset – as all good pirates should.

Another kiwi treasure by award winning NZ author Peter Millett and sooo much fun to read.

 

Author – Peter Millett

Illustrator – Sam Caldwell

Picture Book

 

Find more books by this author here

 

(2024, Hardie Grant Publishing, NZ, New Zealand, Aotearoa, Action, Animals, Humour, Ocean, Sea, Perfect Rhyme, Classic, Funny)

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Tim Possible & the Time-Travelling T.Rex

Tim & Tito are best mates, despite being completely different. Tim is a mega worrier, and Tito is a doer – keen for action, adventure and excitement.

But one sunny afternoon in Tito’s backyard, they are hanging out when a loud POP sound hits the air. Something small, spiky and strange appears. It hovers over the grass before landing softly. Staring, and open mouthed, the boys see a hatch open and a small green creature appear. Is it an alien? No, it’s a small T-Rex called Oskar.

Oskar’s story of where he came from and how he got in Tim’s backyard is incredible. But Tim and Tito have seen nothing yet. The small spiky capsule is ginormous inside, and as Tito learns about the amazing gadgets and gizmos inside, Tim explores. They learn that it runs on a special fuel that…

“…transforms the impossible into unlikely, the unlikely into plausible, the plausible into possible, the possible into likely and the likely into certain!”

To Tim, none of this seems likely, but to Tito everything is awesome and totally believable. After all, it’s all right in front of them! Tim only starts to believe what’s happening when he realises he’s gained a super power.

This super power is like nothing he’s heard of. He must master it to save the world from fluffy poos, robots and a very evil Artificial Intelligence he warned Oskar about all along.

 

Chock full of laughs, action, funny illustrations and the impossibly impossible, Tim Possible & the Time-Travelling T-Rex is a fast-moving, completely zany novel for any readers who love a little bonkers in their books!

This is the first in a series, and it will be interesting to know if Oskar will take Tim and Tito on his next adventure through time after invading theirs. These three work together to help Tim with his anxiety, give Tito a thrill a minute, and allow Oskar to survive the meteor that killed all his dinosaur mates millions of years ago.

 

Author / Illustrator – Axel Maisy

Age – 7+

 

 

(2025, Scholastic, Humour, Time travel, Fantasy, Science, Friendship, Action, Adventure, Series, Dinosaur, Worry, Worries, Anxiety, Superpowers, Spanish, Brave, Robots, AI, Funny, Silly, Technology)

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Youth Group

The last thing Kay wants to do is attend the local church youth group, while her mum attends the church service once a week. But it’s been tough lately during the divorce that has sliced her life in half, and she wants to support her mum. Dad has done the expected, spending money on jet skis for his new batchelor life, but mum seems to be struggling. Doing this one thing for her souldn’t be too hard.

It’s the music that hits Kay first when she enters the youth group hall. She rolls her eyes at the song lyric changes that connect the song to God and the youth group’s teachings. She can’t believe how excited the teens are at the songs and music. She’s especially suspicious of the temptation chart she’s asked to fill in. Fighting the temptations of drugs, sex or music with swearing with song, exercise or the advice of an elder? Ridiculous. Kay wonders what she has done by promising to do this for her mother.

But as she gets to know the leaders, she realises she knows one of them from when he wasn’t a god fearing, singing musician for a youth group. What brought him to the church?

It’s only when she sees something she shouldn’t, far from the confines of the church that she rethinks her involvement. Demon slaying is definitely more her style and these people are experts. She’s still mad at her father, but when he is swept up in it all, she knows she must help in any way she can.

 

Different viewpoints allow the reader to delve deeper into this story and its connections, as the forces of evil clash with the agents of good.

Sassy, authentic and kickass characters fill this book as a church youth group hosts demon hunters within their ranks. Other forms of religion star along with the Christian youth Group. Catholic & Wiccan groups are in the mix, all with the same objective but never previously working together.

Kay helps change this while being an atheist demon hunter throughout.

The style of the illustration panels are in full colour and varied from multiple pictures on a page, to full page spreads. 

I love the cover which shows both faith and atheism and the line – “Kay’s New Friends Pray Together and Slay Together.”

 

Author – Jordan Morris

Illustrator – Bowen McCurdy

Age – 14+

 

 

(2024, St Martins Press, MacMillan, Graphic Novel, Youth Group, Church, California, Friendship, Demon Hunters, Humour, Religion, Faith, Beliefs, Courage, Bravery, Rituals, Fantasy, Teamwork, Good vs Evil, Horror)

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Frankenstein

The classic tale of Victor Frankenstein and the fallout of the monster he created. Close to the original tale, this graphic novel captures the horror in colours of green, greys and black as Victor’s life falls apart.

Once a promising young university student, his curiosity and interest in the electricity made by lightning sends him down a terrible path of grave digging and experiments. What he creates haunts his dreams and waking hours as he tries to escape the responsibility of it.

But when it begins taking loved ones, he knows he must finally face it. A deal made is not a deal kept, and more pain and anguish for all follows.

A tale that has been rewritten in a plethora of ways from 1818, this graphic novel allows younger readers to know the original story in its abridged format.

A quick bio of Frankenstein‘s author Mary Shelley in the rear of the book is just as engaging, as we learn how one of the world’s most loved and well known gothic horror classic tales came to be.

 

Author – Mary Shelley

Retold by – Nick Pierce

Illustrated by – Isobel Lundie

Age – 8-88

 

 

(2025, Bonnier Books, Allen & Unwin, Classic, Retelling, Graphic Novels, Monster, Historical, Horror, Murder, Secret, Revenge, Family, Friends, Love, Loss, Grief, Studying, University, Science, Electricity, Graveyards, Body Snatching, Grief)

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After Life

Amber Crane doesn’t know why her mum is screaming. She’s just arrived home from high school as she does every day, on the bike her much-loved aunt bought for her birthday. Others her age are driving to school, but Amber still loves her bike painted the same colour as her name. So why is mum still screaming?

Her sister looks different. Her hair is blue and she’s taller. How can that be? Her father arrives and whilst not screaming, seems to be in shock. So is Amber when she’s told that she died seven years before, on the very bike she just rode home on.

Still in disbelief herself, Amber realises it must be true as everything she left behind has changed. Her little sister is now the same age, her mother is a mess, and her father doesn’t even live with them any more. She reaches out to her boyfriend and others she knew to try and make sense of it all. This causes even more fall out and she wonders why she has returned at all.

Her family however don’t want to lose her again, and start to plan….

 

Told in multiple viewpoints – which don’t seem to make much sense at first, After Life is a beautifully told young adult novel about our effects on people in life and in death. These effects are like a rippling pond, reaching further than we can ever imagine, and Gayle Forman portrays this brilliantly.

Like no other ghost story I’ve read, main character Amber is solid and real in every way to her loved ones, but Amber herself can’t feel them. All of the emotions are front and centre however. Shock, Grief, Love, Betrayal, Joy, Confusion and more, as Amber along with her family try to make sense of what has happened.

The multiple viewpoints all tell their own stories, finally ending up woven into Amber’s at the end.

An enjoyable read.

 

Author – Gayle Forman

Age – 14+

 

 

(2025, Allen & Unwin, Hot Key Books, Betrayal, Family, Friendship, Ghost, Grief, Love, School, Secret, Boyfriend, Future Plans, Death, Truth, Faith, Miracles, Confusion, Questions, Siblings, Sisters, Guilt, Families, Flow on effects)

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Sam’s Super-Secret Survival Guide to Assembling an Army of Cats, Perfect Potatoes and Surviving School

Sam has written this diary especially for others her age at nearly 9 years old.

From getting ready before school, finding friends, or lunchtime tips, Sam has perfected excellent instructions and has hilarious advice on all things school.

Being a cat lover, she has also incorporated ways of gaining a feline following, along with games to play at school like ‘Perfect Potato.’ Everybody loves to be involved and this gains her kudos on the playground. (At least according to her.)

 

Sam’s Super-Secret Survival Guide to Assembling an Army of Cats, Perfect Potatoes and Surviving School is one of three in this funny series of diaries for junior readers.

Black and white illustrations by Amy Li fill the pages around the text, following Sam’s advice and tips throughout.

 

Author – Robin Twiddy

Illustrator – Amy Li

Age – 6+

 

 

(2025, Booklife publishing, Freedom Readers, Humour, School, Friendship, Series, Animals)

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The Last Bookstore on Earth

Liz has been alone for a while now. Besides the folk that pass through her deserted suburb on their way to somewhere else or leaving a message with her for someone, she hardly sees a soul. Her only consolation after the world fell apart, is that she is living in the bookstore she was working in a year ago. A year since she lost her family and caused the death of her twin. But at least she is surrounded by books.

Getting through the days the best she can on cold canned baked beans and tap water, she feels safe. Sure the front door won’t lock and she hasn’t left the bookstore for a year, but life is okay. It was better when a colleague was there too, but Eva left months before – for a bigger piece of the world and some adventure.

It never dawned on Liz that she was unprepared for others wanting the little she has, or another life taking storm coming. When someone breaks in, Liz’s life changes. This girl called Maeve is a little older and a lot more sure of herself. She has supplies, a weapon and seems completely in control of her life. A deal is made and in exchange for shelter in the bookstore, Maeve will fix up some of the crumbling building. It seems a good plan to Liz, once she begins to trust Maeve.

But not everyone is trustworthy and there are others out there who aren’t so helpful. They know of another storm on its way and they need the shelter of the bookstore. And they will take it by any means necessary.

 

A post apocalypse tale set in a bookstore in New Jersey. No zombies, gun totting gangs or viruses lurking in every crevasse, but plenty of malice present in other ways.

Main character Liz isn’t the most likeable character, but her obliviousness to possible threats is reasonable enough after not experiencing any dangerous people for an entire year after the world fell apart.

The thread of guilt woven through the story keeps you guessing about what she did to her sister, and when I found out, it didn’t make me dislike her any less.

Liz is very impractical, unable to do or even try much in the way of improving her living conditions and it seems, a little too lazy to try anyway. There of course will be people like Liz if ever doomsday comes – lucky enough to survive terrible global events and then avoid the worst of the world. But even Liz’s luck runs out eventually, completely changing the new closed off world she has made for herself.

 

Author – Lily Braun-Arnold

Age – 13+

 

 

 

(2024, Penguin Books NZ, Dystopian, Friendship, Love, Courage, Grief, Family, Action, Betrayal, Queer, LGBTQ+, Alone, Fear, Postal Service, Messages, Bookstore, Acid Rain, Survival)

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