Book-review post!
Catching up on my YA book reviewy thoughts… some older, some new.
Natasha Mac a’Bháird – Missing Ellen
This is out from the O’Brien Press in autumn, and is told partly in letters from teenage Maggie to her wild best friend Ellen, who’s gone – but the how and why of it all remains a mystery to the reader until the very end. Maggie’s always been the quiet one who follows behind Ellen, and now she must deal with life on her own, and her growing connection with Liam, the boy who had a crush on Ellen until her disappearance. The concerns of female friendship (and schoolgirl politics) are particularly well handled here. Even though some of the content (alcohol! boys! gasp!) is quite teenage, I’d probably recommend this for 10+ girls.
Jenny Hubbard – Paper Covers Rock
This is a very pretty and elegant and gorgeous and messed-up book about boarding school in the 1980s, and the diary that one boy writes after the death of his best friend. Caught between the honesty his young English teacher hopes from him, and the scheming of his old remaining friend, Alex makes decisions that are not always easy and usually not comfortable. Literary allusions abound (especially to Moby Dick, which Alex is trying to read and behind a copy of which he hides this journal) and the writing is terrific. Very much enjoyed this.
Sheena Wilkinson – Grounded
Two years on from Taking Flight, Declan has a lovely girlfriend in the kind, gentle Seaneen, and a future that looks bright – until having to cope with a number of new responsibilities. Seaneen’s pregnant, and there’s a young local lad who’s clearly in serious trouble – but Declan buries himself in rescuing and trying to heal a traumatised horse instead. As with the first book, there’s no pulling of punches – bad things can and do happen. I did miss Vicky’s perspective, I have to say (I may be the only one), but this is a strong follow-up and a book well worth reading for the 14+ crowd.
(Those looking for a cheerful pony book may wish to consult Sheena’s latest novel, Too Many Ponies, which is for a slightly younger age group.)
