Demelza lives on the tiny island of Penfurzy with her father. Nothing much seems to happen on the island but that doesn't stop Demelza from creating fantastic adventure stories in her mind along with her pet goose Captain Honkers and her trusty Game Gauntlet (Anyone remember NES' Power Glove?). Then one stormy evening a girl crashes through her door. Her name is Nessa and she tells Demelza that she just needs a place to crash for a few days and doesn't want any questions asked. As they hang out together, Demelza tells Nessa about the legend of Penfurzy, knights who came across priceless treasure and curse that wiped them out hundreds of years ago. Through a series of chance circumstances, Demelza and Nessa start to unravel secrets buried deep in the island's history. These revelations make them wonder if the legend of the Penfurzy knights is really true. Knights and Bikes is a hilarious and fast paced fantasy adventure filled to the brim with nostalgia for 1980s video games and culture. I usually don't like it when I hear reviewers say a book is "This crossed with this" however I couldn't help think about films like The Goonies, tv shows like Scooby Doo, games like Dungeons and Dragons and of course books found in the Forgotten Realms or Dragonlance series and the amazing graphic novel Templar. It's a great, original story with friendship and adventure at its core and I was very happy to see that there's room for sequels. Do not miss this awesome story, any book that contains a bicycle that's been named "Neon Justice" is aces in my book anyway. Loved it! Recommend it for ages 9 and up.
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After Jake is given a box by a mysterious stranger, he discovers it contains nothing but a severed finger. It's not just any severed finger, however, it's an enchanted one that summons a grim reaper after him. After this event, Jake realises he can communicate and see ghosts, this puts him on a wild adventure with Stiffkey the undertaker, Cora, a ghost who likes to attack people with hockey sticks and a ghost fox known as Zorro. Together, they must right the wrong accidentally set in motion by Jake when he opened the haunted box. Their lives depend upon it! This is a fun new series with ghosts, spectres and lots of laughs. This is a welcome addition to the Library that I manage because we have a huge population of students who crave books with both silly and smart humour and this has both. It also has a lot of danger and a few frights, it's a great read worth your time, I recommend it for ages 10 and up! Frey, Juniper, Runa and Ovie are a band of female Mercies. They kill, but only mercy kills, only when people have reached their limits with their suffering do they call upon them. It's a hard life, dealing out death in such a way, but it's the only life they know. One evening they come across the tale of a murderous creature in the north called The Blue Vee Beast. The Beast has been razing villages and killing everything in sight. Many have tried to defeat it, all have failed. Frey and her friends decide to give up on mercy killing and seek fame and glory by killing the Beast once and for all. It's not a straightforward task, however. On the way they meet the murderous Cut-Queen, the mysterious Sea Witches and many more characters. Finding the Beast is in itself a dangerous task. Trying to kill it will prove to be the most dangerous thing the Mercies have ever done. This is YA fantasy at its best - a gender-flipped retelling of the epic story of Beowulf, The Boneless Mercies is a truly great adventure story chalk full of frightening creatures, heroic adventures and a sisterhood of loyalty and honour that will make your heart sing. Growing up on fantasy as a child this is a dark, disturbing, sad yet uplifting story that begs for a sequel. I feel like Tucholke has hit a real chord with her band of fierce female warriors and I hope to see a lot more of them in the future. I recommend it for ages 12 and up! The Californian summer is about to descend upon Reiko and her circle of popular friends. Reiko, however, is holding onto a secret. She still speaks to her sister Mika, who died five years ago in a tragic accident. Reiko not only speaks to her, she sees her, feels her and relies on her for advice. When she meets Seth, a troubled yet alluring boy in her school, she feels like she's met a kindred spirit. As the summer drifts on, Reiko and Seth's relationship starts to disintegrate and both teens must decide on what they want out of life. As university application deadlines approach, friendships are strained and Reiko's grip on what is real and what isn't wanes, she wonders if she's coming to a breaking point. Only Love Can Break Your Heart is a dreamy, smart novel about loss, love, friendship and consent. The characters all have flaws, some of them major ones but that doesn't stop you from rooting for them throughout. Webber knows how to write about the teen relationships and she knows how to tug at your heartstrings. We have teens that frequent the Library on a daily basis that are going to devour this novel, I can't wait to get it into their hands. Highly recommend it for ages 14 and up! Xiomara Batista has to be tough. She'd rather use her fists than her words when it comes to defending herself and her twin brother, Xavier. Under the strict rule of her fiercely Catholic mother, Xiomara writes furiously in her prized leather notebook, panting the pages with the words of her heart and soul. When she begins to develop feelings for Aman, the danger of being with a boy she knows her mother would disapprove of is stressful yet tempting for a girl desperate to connect with someone and have her voice heard. Then Xioamara is asked to join a slam poetry event and a whirlwind of events occur, propelling her into a new phase of her life. This is a phenomenal novel, Xiomara is a brilliant and strong lead character that defends her family and rebels against them like any teen would. Set in Harlem, the novel has a beautiful rhythm that would sit perfectly next to Sarah Crossan, Kwame Alexander and Jason Reynolds. I'm going to really enjoy getting the students in our high school turned on to this amazing novel, don't miss it! I recommend it for ages 15 and up! Peter Blankman suffers panic attacks. That's one thing you should know about him. He's also a maths genius. His mother is a scientist and a very important one. Peter's twin sister Bel, has always stuck up for him and looked after him. Peter is seventeen and heavily bullied at school. His best friend at school is named Ingrid. She too suffers panic attacks and has OCD where she scrubs her knuckles raw under hot water when she's stressed. Peter's mother, the very important scientist, is about to receive a huge award for her contributions in science. This is where things go haywire. At the award ceremony, there's a commotion, panic and Peter's life is immediately thrust into a jet-fuelled nightmare of paranoia, espionage and some serious "Forced Vengeance" level butt kicking. Jerome is twelve and lives in a neighbourhood where you need to be on your toes at all time. When he's shot to death by a policeman who mistakes his toy gun for a real one, he emerges as a ghost and watches helplessly as his family tries to maintain sanity after his death. Jerome watches the preliminary hearing of the policeman who shot him and visits the policeman's' daughter, who, miraculously, can see him. Joined by Jerome is the ghost of Emmett Till, who tells him of his horrible encounter with violent racism in America's deep south. Till helps Jerome work out why he was murdered and how he can process it and what needs to be done to make sure it stops happening. Throughout this journey, the policeman's daughter learns several valuable lessons as well. I think Ghost Boys should be required reading in high schools around the world, infuriating, mortifying and heart-breaking, it reflects both historical and current divides regarding race in America. It's a fast, always compelling read that I cannot recommend enough. I recommend it for ages 10 and up. Brynn Haper only has one consistent thing in her life: Television presenter Rachel Maddow. Other than that, she's dealing with a recent breakup, an abusive stepfather and a preppy jerk destroying the democratic political process in her high school. As a homework assignment, she writes a few emails to Rachel Maddow and is thrilled when she receives a response. As a way to catalogue her struggles, fears and determination, Brynn writes dozens of unsent emails to Rachel Maddow, all describing a life in turmoil and pain but full of hope and grit and spirit. When Brynn's ex and the aforementioned preppy jerk get involved in a game of high school rigged elections, Brynn takes matters into her own hands to not only expose them for what they are but to get politically involved herself. Dear Rachel Maddow is one of the sharpest YA novels out there today. Hilarious, infuriating and lightning quick, Kisner captures the excruciating pain that the high school experience can be and that there's still plenty of hope to be found in the youth of today. I recommend it for ages 15 and up! |
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