-Cora has a dilemma, her brother works for a state of the art company called Pomegranate, what they do there is mysterious yet intriguing. Cora's father isn't very impressed with Pomegranate or anything they do. However, when Cora strikes up an unlikely friendship with the CEO of the company, her life becomes confusing and complicated. Torn between her friendship and what she thinks is right, Cora becomes entangled in a mysterious web of lies and misdirection. A truly stunning new novel featuring a neuro-divergent protagonist and a whole slew of interesting, deep characters. A near-future pre-dystopia with a power punch of a message. I loved it, and you will too. It's the perfect read for ages 11+. It's vital that books that represent neuro-diverse students are in our libraries and bookshops, for too long their voices haven't been heard, this a book that demands to be heard. Show Us Who You Are by Elle McNicoll is out now, published by Knights Of. If you’d like to join her for the official launch event with Jen Campbell on 10th March, tickets are available at www.blackwells.co.uk/bookshops/events/.
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When Sarah's parents buy her an android, a Troofriend 560 Marj IV, she's not really happy about it. She'd rather have a dog, and she makes this clear to her parents. Needless to say, the original meeting between Sarah and her new "friend", whom she names Ivy after the Roman Numerals "IV" on her arm, isn't very positive. Sarah thinks it's weird and a little annoying to have something like Ivy in the house. Then Sarah realises that her school is having a "Bring Your Tech to School" day. It's the perfect chance for her to show off Ivy to the popular girls, the inner circle she hopes to join. Maybe having an android friend won't be too bad after all. Meanwhile, Sarah and her parents are acutely aware of the persistent news stories about this model of android. Protesters have camped outside of the manufacturing plant, demanding that the androids be set free due to the theory that they have developed human feelings. Then other stories emerge, stories about the androids getting out of control, even hurting humans around them. There's also the buffering, Ivy has started to stutter, whirr and experience a strange feeling in her chest. She sends error reports to company, but they become more and more frequent as she spends time with Sarah. As the protests gather strength and the pressure from her concerned parents grows, Sarah must come to terms with what it truly means to be a friend. Trooffriend is a really amazing novel that touches upon several important issues like friendship, bullying and the ethics surrounding AI. We exist in a time when AI will be integrated into society one way or another and Troofriend captures the hope, anxiety and fear around this topic for ages 9+ in a truly seamless matter. I really loved this novel, fans of Slick my M.M. Vaughan will want to have this in their hands asap! London has been flooded, Kara and Joe scavenge their way through a rickety part of the city. To some, they are considered scum, urchins who don't deserve to live, to others they represent an opportunity to bring about change. When the siblings come into possession of a bizarre looking map, they find themselves on the run. Captured by sea pirates, they must escape from their prison in order to save the only home they've ever known. FloodWorld is fast paced near future in a terrifying dystopian world where climate change has ravaged our planet and threatened our way of life. The world is split between the super poor and the super rich, there is no in between. I really got pulled into this world and enjoyed every minute of it. Kara and Joe's plight is gut wrenching and nail biting at the same time, they've got nothing in this life but each other so the stakes are very high as they tumble into one twist after another. Fans of Sarah Govett's The Territory will really sink their teeth into this thrilling adventure! Thirteen year old Beth has just become captain of a giant colony ship called Orion. It wasn't how she intended on starting the week. There was a bizarre "Event" that the ship's ever-present AI system, aptly named "Ship" won't discuss in detail. The event has left the actual captain and all other adults in a coma-like slumber leaving Beth a few other young teens in charge. They know the basics, but there's real trouble brewing in the form of alien ships and especially Scrapers. Scrapers are space infamous space pirates that answer to no one and do whatever they want, especially to crippled space stations stranded in the middle of the galaxy. To get everything up and running, Beth must use all of her wit and cunning, not to mention tons of elbow grease. She needs to convince the crew that she's up for the job and keep from going insane. Full of laughs, scares and huge twists, Orion Lost is an amazing space romp that will have you asking for more. I truly wanted to spend more time with these characters, they are a clever, resourceful and caring group that keeps going in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. The villains are pitch perfect and the endless black void of space is always there, hovering around them. I will be purchasing multiple copies of Orion Lost for our Library as it is an amazing fast paced read that both boys and girls will love. Highly recommend it for ages 10+ Sanity & Tallulah are best friends, they have a normal life, except that they live on a space station called Wilnick in the "middle of nowhere" in outer space. When Sanity decides to go "mad scientist" and grow a 3-headed cat named Princess Sparkle Destroyer of Worlds, her parents get super annoyed. Then, to make matters worse, Princess Sparkle Destroyer of Worlds goes missing and strange things start to happen on the space station. Namely, lights go off and on and the entire electric system goes out of whack. Sure that Princess Sparkle Destroyer of Worlds is to blame, Sanity and Tallulah set out to find her, but what they discover is something far more sinister than they imagined. Hilarious, smart and fast paced, Molly Brooks has created an amazing universe that readers will not want to leave. Sanity & Tallulah are a great team with caring yet constantly annoyed parents who have to try to clear up after the trouble they inadvertently cause. They are a wonderful duo and I can't wait to read more of their adventures. Eighteen months ago Raxter School for Girls was put under quarantine. The Tox, as they call it, started in the woods on their isolated little island. The trees and other plants started growing at a phenomenal rate, then it got into the teachers, then the students. It turned their bodies into something bizarre, extra spines, two heartbeats, everyone gets affected differently. What they all suffer is an eventual death, slow and painful. Hetty is infected, she lost her eye to the Tox. With her friend Byatt, they wait for a cure to come from the mainland. When Hetty is given the coveted boat shift, the opportunity to go out beyond the fence and pick up the supplies provided from those on the mainland, she learns a dark secret. A secret she can't contain. Soon. Raxter starts to fall apart, and when Byatt goes missing, Hetty embarks on a mission to find her friend before the Tox destroys everything she knows. I really got into the world of Wilder Girls, it's dark and at times terrifying and Rory Power's writing is at times razor sharp. I have no idea if a sequel is being written but there definitely could be one, or a prequel for that matter. I know i'd definitely read it. I loved Hetty and thought she was a very strong character right to the last page. I've already got a few students in mind that I know will want to pick this up, great dystopia thriller! Danny Lazio doesn't have any friends, he doesn't have the coolest new clothes, phone or other accessories deemed vital by the high school crowd. Danny also never really sees his father, which is fine by him. His mother works tirelessly as a nurse, leaving him alone most of the time to play his favourite online game, Land X. Eric is the new kid at school, and Danny thinks there's something off with him. He doesn't understand basic humour, he takes everything literally and he seems obsessed with the latest brands and gadgets. At first, Danny thinks Eric is just another jerk at his school, someone who will bully him in the future no doubt. But when they find a shared interest in Land X, the boys become friends. When Danny witnesses a bizarre interaction between Danny and his parents, he starts to wonder what's really going on with him. After some digging, spying and with a little help from his cousin Vito, they come to a startling conclusion: Eric is a robot. This is not a spoiler as it's written on the cover of the novel, but it's great to see the realisation appear in the characters around Eric. With this newfound information, Danny, Vito and Eric set out to discover who made him and why. What they discover is fascinating, terrifying and potentially dangerous for everyone involved. I really loved this novel, it's a very smart MG/YA sci fi adventure that you won't be able to stop reading. Vaughan has created a world that is so believable you can't help but wonder when it will become a reality. I loved the attention to detail she inserts into the products, games and toys that the characters engage with. I am very excited to give this to our students in September, I'll have to buy multiple copies! Ruby West's world is about to change forever. The Traditional Party, or Trads as they are called, have been voted in. Their political stance is hardcore, they want to "clean" up society using fascist methods. Ruby and her family belong to the Core Party, who are eventually rounded up in the middle of the night and brought to an unused army barracks in what has become a makeshift concentration camp. Confused, stunned and hungry, Ruby, her sister, her mother and her step father are thrust into a living nightmare. At first, they tell themselves that they'll be let out soon, that the Trads can't possibly keep them there against their will. But then more buses arrive with more Core supporters, then the food rations start to dwindle, then the guards get more violent and the prisoners more desperate. Ruby's fate is intertwined with the rest of the camp as she and her family tries to endure the unthinkable. I Am Not A Number gets dark, and then it gets darker. I was completely engrossed in this tale of terror featuring fascist politics, propaganda and the desire to control populations at all costs. In today's fragmented political climate, it's a potent reminder of the horrors of the past and of what could be our future if we allow alt-right parties to continue to spew their garbage online and in the streets. I Am Not A Number will undoubtedly be a huge hit at Glenthorne High School and I really look forward to getting it into the hands of our teens! Simon is a dog without a family. He survives with his friends Cliff the raccoon and Reynard the deer. Something has happened to the world, humans are gone, cities and towns burned to husks. The animals have taken over and their mission is to scrounge for food in order to survive. One day they meet Barnaby, another dog who has lost his family. Barnaby tells them there's another town nearby with humans in it. Simon becomes interested, hopeful that he'll find his family. Together the four animals set off to find the new town. Barnaby turns out to be a controlling jerk, however and isolates Simon from the other animals. When they come across an angry bear and a team of vicious coyotes, the trio's friendship is stressed to its limits. Garbage Night is reminiscent of Sweet Tooth, another post-apocalyptic scenario involving animals. Garbage Night appears on the surface much less dark and disturbing than Sweet Tooth but it's a series that has the potential to go down that route. The three animals' rapport is fun and interesting and I was genuinely concerned for their well-being as the story moved along. I wasn't aware of this series before but I'm glad I've come across it because I know a lot of students who enjoy things like Fallout, Fortnite and other similar games and this kind of scenario would be perfect for them, especially reluctant readers. Highly recommended for ages 11 and up! When aliens called the vuvv land on Earth, everyone is initially terrified. Then the vuvv announce that they are here to help -- their technology is superior, their medicine can cure any illness in seconds. They bring knowledge from the farthest depths of space to us humans. Nobody realised how much of a curse it would be. With everything now automated using vuvv technology, people lose their jobs by the droves. Sure, their medicine is amazing but the vuvv run a private practice. If you can't pay their currency, which is a lot, then you don't get treatment. Those who can afford the vuvv's high cost of living can really experience life to its fullest. The rest are pretty much left in the dark to scrabble and starve. Adam is an aspiring artist, but his family has no money to survive. He decides to get creative with his girlfriend Chloe. Together they create a 1950s style romance that the vuvv subscribe to and watch via their version of The Cloud. Turns out the vuvv are obsessed with American 1950s music and culture. However, when his relationship with Chloe goes south and his Merrick's Disease flares up dangerously high, Adam has to decide if he's going to stand up for what he believes in or cave and go along with vuvv rule like everyone else. This novel is sharp as a razor with some really biting commentary on class, consumerism, pop culture and teen apathy. Hilarious, sad and disturbing, it's a must read. I recommend it for ages 15 and up! |
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