Well clearly not on my nightstand any more because finished! Also don't really use a nightstand because I tend to read on the couch!
So I'm loving YA/ teen fiction because it's so readable and the good stuff is so satisfying. Lately I've been enjoying these reads:
Zeroes by Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan, Deborah Biancotti
If you like X-men and fast paced stories told from multiple perspectives this is a story for you. This is a teen novel with very little swearing (about 2 words and in context) and a small amount of kissing. Each of the characters in the story has some kind of power that they don't fully understand. As the story unfolds the powers they have both help and hinder them. I really enjoyed this read and it made me reflect a bit on how all of us have 'powers' (traits) that both help and hinder us to influence others. Definitely a book I'll be giving my boys to read when they are a bit older. Also the book is massive but every chapter is really short so I think it will be a hit with the less 'lost in a book' kind of reader too.
Details - Allen and Unwin, October 2015, RRP $19.99
Newt's Emerald by Garth Nix
This is billed as a 'regency romance' and is a young adult novel but again I really enjoyed it as an adult read too. The book reminded me of a mash up of Pride and Prejudice, meets The Merchant of Venice (shakespeare's play - with hidden identities), meets something more magical. I really enjoyed this story. It has some fabulous characters and all the conventions of the mistaken identity and romance where the characters are on and off again before all the loose threads get woven in at the end. Perfect for any wannabe heroine who also has some spunk but really appropriate levels of romance (one kiss) for a younger teen reader. I would really recommend this for any teen reader who loves romance, history, magic and would happily give it to a keen pre-teen as well.
Details - Allen and Unwin, October 2015, RRP $18.99
Wonder by R.J Palacio
I have seen this book everywhere in schools but not actually read it. I started it in a class I was relieving one day and really enjoyed the beginning so I went and bought a copy at my favourite bookshop. (As I tend to do!) This book feels like a stream of consciousness from different characters, rather than a firm narrative as such. Told from multiple perspectives the story is essentially August's story. A boy with hideous facial deformities starting mainstream school for the first time (having been homeschooled prior). This is one of those books that really draws the reader in but also has a hugely important story to tell - the story of seeing beyond how someone looks or how they are different from you and to be able to stand against the crowd. Essential reading for any pre-teens/ teenagers who are entering that difficult phase of life where you feel like any difference is the worst thing that could happen and when you are tempted to compromise yourself to fit in with the crowd. Immensely readable. I think there would be a great deal of reflection and discussion that could come out of this.
Details - Random House, 2012, RRP $18.99
KidGlovz by Julie Hunt and Dale Newman
This is a graphic novel that follows Kidglovz musical prodigy and prisoner of his 'uncle' and manager. Full of mystery and intrigue it is a compelling tale. The illustrations are pencil and charcoal. The whole narrative features a lot of dream sequences and there are time flashbacks as well. I really enjoyed reading this as graphic novels are a departure from my usual choice. I think this would appeal to readers from about 10 years onward and I can see readers spending time in the illustrations. It would also be really interesting to use for art and media arts studies in terms of how the story is told graphically and the interplay between the text and illustration.
Details - Allen and Unwin, September 2015, RRP $24.99 HB
love you more than all the emotions xxx
