Teen Space - Book Review

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The latest reads for young adults.

Like a River Glorious. Rae Carson
Orphaned and on the run from a homicidal uncle, Leahhas travelled to the Californian goldfields to seek her fortune. She must keep secret that she has a very special gift: she can sense the presence of gold. This novel follows on from “Walk on Earth a Stranger” which was also a great read from this award-winning author. If you like a good adventure story this is the book for you.

River of Ink Mortal. Helen Dennis
Time is running out for Jed, even though he is meant to live forever. Without a special elixir, the boy who has lived for a hundred years will cease to exist. In order to find the potion, Jed and his friend travel from Paris to Istanbul, escaping enemies as they try to find answers. The story is studded with fascinating illustrations, which match the intrigue that makes this a difficult book to put down.

The Great Hunt. Wendy Higgins
A giant beast is running rampant, and is on a killing spree. In order to cease the carnage, a royal proclamation is given: whoever kills the beast will win the princess’ hand in marriage. At first reluctant to cooperate, the princess soon becomes enamoured with one of the hunters who, in an ironic twist, isn’t interested in her. A fantasy to get your teeth into, this novel is full of bravado, romance and excitement.

The Secret Science of Magic. Melissa Keil
Sophia is a child prodigy in her final year of school. She has been having panic attacks, and is finding life more stressful than usual. When she finds that someone has been leaving playing cards in her pencil case, the mystery provides a good distraction from her studies. Joshua is into magic in a big way and has a huge crush on Sophia, but they have extremely different attitudes about life .

Zeustian Logic. Sabrian Malcolm
Life has taken a tragic turn for Tuttie and his young brother. Their father, once a famous mountaineer, has not returned from a sojourn up Mt Everest. Though his body has never been found, he is presumed dead. Tuttie, with an interest in mythology and a fascination for astronomy, tells his story in a surprisingly humorous way. This is a great book by a New Zealand author.

The Boundless Sublime. Lili Wilkinson
Ruby’s mother is chronically depressed, and her father is in jail, following the death of her young brother. She blames herself for everything that has gone wrong. Then she meets seemingly naïve Fox, and his calming influence offers her some hope. Ruby soon finds that the group he introduces her too may not be the safe haven she was promised. Can she and her new friend escape from what she realises is a dangerous cult?