Adele Broadbent's Blog, page 244

One

TEEN – CRO

Author – Sarah Crossan

Age – 12+

Tippi and Grace are 16 yr old twins. Twins are special, but these sisters even more so. They are joined at the hip – literally. They both have their arms but share intestines and other organs and one pair of legs. Tippi and Grace have learnt to get around on crutches, with their inner arms around one another. They are very different in personality but are very close emotionally, just as most twins are. Tippi is outspoken and brave, wanting to try new things like alcohol and smoking, whereas Grace is quiet and kind and aware of what the alcohol and tobacco can do to their bodies.

They live with their mum who works long hours to support them and her sister Dragon (nickname) their Grammie (Dad’s mum) and their out-of-work drink-away-his-sorrows dad.

The story begins with Tippi and Grace going to a normal school for the first time. It’s a private school and they are worried about the stares, name calling and laughs aimed at them their whole lives. But they are given a guide for the first few days who is small but fiery, and who defends them against any maliciousness, becoming one of their best friends.

The other best friend is Jon, who Grace falls for – dreaming of what it would be like to be his girlfriend, what his kisses would be like and how it could ever be possible.

But there are other things on the horizon. Much bigger worries and important decisions to make – not just for them, but for their whole family.

‘One’ is beautifully written in a poem type format – just as her previous book ‘The Weight of Water’. It is wonderfully clever how so little words can tell this gorgeous but sad story. Loved it.

(Conjoined, Siamese twins, Siblings)

Soon

TEEN – GLE

Author – Morris Gleitzman

Age – 13+

No.5 in this hugely popular series, here in NZ. Felix is now 13 and living with Gabriek who spends a lot of his time drinking his cabbage vodka. But living in the rubble of a city after the war is just as tough as during it. People are just as desperate for food and will kill to get it.

Gabriek has warned Felix to keep to himself, but he can’t ignore people who need help. This attracts a leader of thugs. When Felix stops to help a young boy who has been shot, Gogol kidnaps Felix and demands he help an injured man in his gang. Felix does the best he can and doesn’t realise that he will be in charge of a small baby boy by the end of the day. Again, with the help of a new friend Anya, they do their best for the baby boy.

This story might be set after the war is finished, but it is no less harrowing. Great series.

(War, Conflict, Courage, Friendship, Historical, Series, Secret, Poverty)

Damage Done

TEEN – PAN

Author – Amanda Panitch

Age – 15+

Julia Vann has a twin called Ryan. They are incredibly close. After all they were holding hands even before they were born. But something isn’t quite right with the Vann twins.

Julia becomes Lucy when something terrible happens. When they are 17, Ryan locks 10 teenagers (including his twin sister) and a teacher in the school band suite and then opens fire with his father’s gun.

Why did he do it? When the family is ostracised they move and Julia becomes Lucy, with a new best friend and the spunky Michael Silverman to drool over in Spanish class. But Lucy’s past isn’t far behind her and when she begins to suspect someone following her, everything begins to unravel.

This was a great story, with only enough clues to keep you wanting to know more, but not enough to spoil the horror of what was coming.

(Crime, Secret, Family, Friendship, Siblings, Twins, Shooting, Lies)

Taken

TEEN – BOW

Author – Erin Bowman

Age – 14+

Taken is the first in a series of 3 books. Taken/Frozen/Forged and begins in a small community of Claysoot. There is no power or plumbing, or any technology. The community runs well with little conflict – except when a Heist is approaching. A Heist is what they call it when one of their young men disappears in a blinding flash on the eve of their 18th birthday. No-one openly questions this, but when Gray’s older brother Blaine is taken, he wants to know why. His questions burn even more when he discovers half a letter addressed to his brother from their mum (who has since passed away), telling him something secret about Gray. What did the other half of the letter say?

Gray can’t ignore his questions any longer and he and a friend (Emma) escape the community by scaling the wall that surrounds them. This is a huge risk as they both know what happens to people who try to leave….

Fans of the Hunger Games or Divergent series’ will enjoy this one. Taken is written in the male voice of Gray, making it a nice change from a female main character.

This first book in the series left me wanting to read more.

(Action, Betrayal, Conflict, Courage, Family, Love, Secret, Revenge, Series)

13 Days of Midnight

TEEN HUN

Author – Leo Hunt

Age – 12+

When Luke Manchett learns that his Paranormal TV star Dad has died, he’s more intrigued than upset about it. He has instructions to meet his dad’s lawyer and is told he will inherit $6 million. Instantly he thinks of the flash cars he can buy to impress the girl he likes at school. But what he should’ve been thinking about is why one of the things he signed was on an ancient goat skin.

Later that week to his shock, he discovers the men that seem to be following him are in fact two of eight spirits called The Host that are part of the bargain. These eight spirits (some nicer than others and some truly evil) are now bonded to him as they were to his father.

Only the strange girl (Elza) at school can help him, when she admits she can see his ghosts too. She has always had the second sight. Now Elza and Luke have to try and unscramble his dad’s notes, and open the strange green book with a star on the cover. Halloween is approaching and his eight spirits can wreak some true havoc on him, his mum, his friends and the rest of their town of Dunbarrow, because he doesn’t have the same necromancer skills of his father to keep them in line. How will he learn enough in time to stop them?

Great story for Skulduggery fans or anyone who enjoys tales of the paranormal.

(Black Magic, Devil, Spirits, Action, Conflict, Family, Courage, Ghost, Horror)

Being Rebecca

TEEN BEA

Author – Fleur Beale

Age 13+

Third in the story of the Pilgrim Family, Being Magdalene tells the story of 12 yr old Magdalene Pilgrim and how her world is falling apart around her. Desperate to protect her younger sister Zillah from any backlash for her strong-willed behavior, Magdalene is suffering herself. Her older brothers Abraham and Luke are balking against The Rule and Magdalene isn’t sure what to believe. Their leader Elder Stephen is attacking the Pilgrim family every chance he gets, since their 16 yr old sister Rebecca ran away from their impending wedding.

But Abraham, Luke and little Zillah are much surer than Magdalene about how they want their lives to be, and they find a way to break away.

Zillah thrives away from The Rule, but Magdalene is still torn between her duty to her parents, and the regime of The Rule, and it takes much longer for her to find out who the real Magdalene is.

A fabulous ending to this wonderful series. Very believable in the fact that nothing was clear cut and tidy and straight forward. There was much hurt, duty, sadness, confusion and anger, between the different relationships within the family dynamics.

Fantastic Kiwi Fiction.

(Cult, Family, Secret, Depression, Art Therapy, Bullying)

Evie’s War

TEEN MAC

Author – Anna Mackenzie

Age – 13+

‘They say women should ‘stay home and sit still’ – but how can I?

This is a story about war – wondering whether it will come to them, trying to live with it when it does, and wishing it would finally end. It is a story of loss, of love, of sacrificing your own comfort, way of life and almost every shred of energy you have – to help the wounded, dying and broken.

Told in a diary format, Evie’s voice is real, true to the time (between 1914 – 1918), taking the reader on Evie’s journey through four years that will take thousands of lives and leave thousands of others, including Evie’s -changed forever.

Evie and her family travel to England, making new friends on the long ship voyage. When in the UK, they stay with Evie’s aunt and uncle. Evie is looking forward to travelling to Europe on a family trip, but talk of war and then its arrival changes all that. With her brother Edmund keen to join up, Evie is keen to help, first with women’s groups to raise funds, knit socks etc, and then volunteering at a hospital against her parent’s wishes.

Evie sees the war how it really is, through the filthy, infected, near dead soldiers who are brought in, day after day, sometimes hour after hour. They are in contrast to the newspaper reports hailing victories however small, to the public.

Evie finds love and friendship along the way, drawing the reader into her life and her growing up in England surrounded by the effects of war.

Meticulously researched, not only giving any keen student of WW1 the events of the war, but a feel for the time it spanned.

Not only Excellent Kiwi Fiction, but Excellent Local (HB) Fiction from an Award winning author.

(War, Love, family, Friendships, Grief, Diary, NZ Author, Award, WWI)