Books mentioned:
Unveiling Venus, by Sophia Bennett
This sequel to Following Ophelia was a nerve-wrenching adventure full of glamour, art, architecture, romance, betrayal, and entrepreneurship! I really really really really hope that many more people read these books, firstly because they are fab, and secondly because I want a third book in this series!
Never Evers, by Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison
This was a delight! I’m very fussy about books for younger teens – I think it’s so difficult to get the voice right and some writers miss the mark but Tom and Lucy got it spot on. The book follows a group of boys and a group of girls on a ski/snowboarding trip. They find themselves staying in the same hotel and of course bets are made, crushes develop, and much hilarity follows.
The Darkest Part of the Forest, by Holly Black
Holly Black’s writing just gets better and better, and I loved this story about siblings Ben and Hazel, brother and sister, musician and knight, and the friends and foes they make in the faerie realm. The pacing is perfect and the world is richly detailed and captivating. I can’t wait to read The Cruel Prince.
I Am Thunder, by Muhammad Khan
A very timely tale about a British Pakistani Muslim girl, Muzna, whose dreams of being a writer are pushed aside by her parents. Alienated from friends and family, she is drawn towards the charismatic Arif, whose interpretation of Islam is very different from that she’s used to. The author wrote this book after hearing about British Muslim girls who go to Syria to join ISIS (Islamic State) and I hope it’s read widely. We read this for my book club, #bookclubYA, and had a really great discussion about it.
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