Enter a world where everything is not as it seems. In a settlement deep in the forest a civilisation lives under strict rules, separated into different duties and terrified of the forest beyond their walls. Boorman’s first novel, Winterkill is a thrill to read, full of secrets, fear and raw emotion, but the sequel, Darkthaw, will leave you rattled, adrenaline filled and unable to wait for the next chapter in this astonishing series. We read these books through the perspective of main character Emmeline, an intelligent, brave girl who has dreams that are bigger than her standing. From the blurb; 'In this world no one leaves the settlement if they want to survive. Emmeline knows this, but the trees beyond the walls are whispering to her, pulling her towards the wayward path. Within the walls of her home she is faced with a marriage she doesn’t want, and a boy she can never have. But outside the Malmaci lies in wait, and the freezing Winterkill is coming. It is up to Emmeline to decide which world she cannot live without.' In this first book we are introduced to this strange and wonderful world, built on fear and hope, which both stand on a careful balance between tipping a whole settlement into turmoil. This first novel is made all the more powerful by the lack of power our main character has, hated by many, she finds it hard to be heard within her home. Her dreams and hopes are repugnant and she is often regarded an outsider. It is these challenges that make her evolution all the more impressive however and when we join her in Darkthaw she is much changed. Where Winterkill was fierce, Darkthaw is distressing. We follow Emmeline into a world beyond what she knows, and what she has ever known. Faced with the struggle of who to trust, who to save. In this book Emmeline grows, her naivety and some of her selfish behaviour being removed by tragic and life threatening moments. Certainly not a book for the squeamish, Darkthaw will make your heart hammer, fill you with dread, and offer very little light at the end of the tunnel. An amazing series which is impossible to put down, lovingly written and oh so thrilling. We Give Winterkill Series Three Stars Winterkill; ISBN – 978-0-571-31369-3 Cover price - £7.99 Darkthaw ISBN – 978-0-571-31373-0 Cover price - £7.99

This outstanding trilogy will take you on a journey where two sides, the poor and the rich must come together to find the truth. Legend, Prodigy and Champion are the story's of two very different characters, from very different worlds. Through a wonderfully crafted storyline and stunning characters, Marie Lu crafts a series that you won’t be able to put down and will want to tell everyone about. All three of the books are written through the changing perspectives of our two main characters, Day and June Iparis, both of them the best of their kind, both of them set out against each other. Lu pulls off the switch between characters in rotating chapters flawlessly, giving us a full, rounded view of each situation and achieving the difficult balance between two very different characters. In legend, the first book, Day and June’s lives cross. They knew about each other from rumour but when they meet neither know who the other is. From the blurb; 'On the run and undercover they meet by chance, and are irresistibly drawn together. But Day murdered June’s brother and June has sworn to avenge his death. ' In this first book tensions run high as two enemies become something more, leaving the reader on edge about what they’ll do when they realise who the other really is. Lu crafts these characters so well that it is impossible to take a side, both are fighting for the same thing, in different ways. We follow them throughout the series as they uncover truths about the world they live in that change everything. As they change their own views on the opposing side, fighting between their own loyalties and their building appreciation, respect and love for one another. The series finishes with an explosive, climatic end in Champion where the two are pinned against each other once more and must decide, finally, where they stand in this political maelstrom of a world. In the Legend trilogy see YA fiction at its best. We Give The Legend Trilogy Four Stars Legend; ISBN – 978-0-141-33960-3 Cover price - £7.99 Prodigy; ISBN – 978-0-141-33957-3 Cover price - £7.99 Champion; ISBN – 978-0-141-33962-7 Cover price - £7.99

A mystical series based in today’s world, with the underworld of magic creeping in. The first novel of this four part adventure is, to say the least, the best. Beautiful Creatures sets this series off to a brilliant start, but too high was the bar, as following novels do not quite reach the same heights in Beautiful Darkness, Beautiful Chaos and Beautiful Redemption. This is not to say however that the series as a whole is not good, in fact on concluding Beautiful Redemption, the finale, readers will be left quite sated. In the first book our main characters Ethan Wate and Lena Duchannes lives cross. Lena is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, made only stranger as she struggles to conceal and contain her building power, causing a series of unlikely events. Ethan is haunted by dreams of a girl he has never met and whose face he can never see as he counts down the days till he can escape the small town of Gatlin forever, where everyone knows everything about everyone else. But in this small town where no secret stays hidden, Ethan finds himself drawn to Lena when she moves onto the town’s infamous plantation. As the connection between them is revealed and the curse that haunts Lena and her family comes to light we are thrown into a tragic love story, a fight for life and a world where monsters look like normal men. Throughout the series we follow Ethan and Lena as they, together, grow powerful and dangerous to others of their kind. We are drawn into their love story, one that seems fraught to fail at every turn and we join them in their fight for each other and the future. Throughout the series a new secret and connection between these two characters is revealed and a new challenge for them is laid out, each one harder than the last. An excellent, well-conceived series which opens the door to a brighter, more mystical world within the one we already know, and which brings in a different view of the mythological creatures we all grew up with. We Give The Beautiful Creatures Series Three Stars Beautiful Creatures; ISBN – 978-0-316-07703-3 Beautiful Darkness; ISBN – 978-0-316-07704-0 Beautiful Chaos; ISBN – 978-0-316-12351-8 Beautiful Redemption; ISBN – 978-0-316-12356-3

The Selection, The Elite and The One are all beautifully written stories, combining to make a thrilling series about the mystery of love, and the difficulties of a class-system in society. Based around the idea of a selection, held by the ruling family for their son to find a wife from a pool of thirty-five, handpicked women from the nation, in this futuristic world the selection is the chance of a lifetime. For America Singer, however, it is a decent way to make some money and to enjoy the riches of the highest level of life for a few passing months, or at least that is all she plans. America leaves her secret lover Aspen when she is chosen for the Selection, but her love with Aspen is doomed from the beginning as he is a caste below her and would bring her family down through their marriage. Though when she enters the royal palace and meets the Prince she thinks so little of, America realises that the life she dreamed of may not compare to the future she never imagined. Do not be fooled however, The Selection series is no Cinderella story, America is a strong, stubborn character who you cannot help but love. We follow her through the series as she discovers the difficulties the country she lives in face and as the series moves forward Cass throws us and America into greater peril. All the while, America fights to survive the process of the Selection and her heart is being stolen by the Prince, who proves to be a more worthwhile person with greater personality than she had believed. This series is fast paced, beautifully crafted and powerful, fraught of the options which a ruling family face in an ever changing world. We Give The Selection Series Five Stars The Selection; ISBN – 978-0-06-220313-7 The Elite; ISBN – 978-0-06-226285-1 The One; ISBN – 978-0-06-232547-1

So rarely in novels today do we get the joy of reading from the perspective of the villain, to see into the mind of the enemy. To understand their evil ways. The Young Elites series is just that, and a triumph. This is not a novel about a hateful character, but a novel about a powerful, lost girl, who not only can we understand, but who we are voting for. Introduced to us as the scared, disgrace of a rich widowed man, with a younger sister of far greater beauty, Adelina Amouteru is a main character with fire. As the survivor of the blood fever, which swept the country, killing hundreds in its wake, Adelina is marked by a jagged scar where her left eye used to be. She is branded as a Malfetto, an abomination in society and cast out from all she ever knew and loved. Once she sets out on her own, Adelina is swept up with a group of other Malfettos and discovers that the disease has left her with more than just a scar, but a great and powerful gift. She becomes a Young Elite; feared, loved, hated. But Adelina is different from the other Young Elites, she is stronger than all of them. If she cannot control her power she will kill them all. It is in this, this vengeful, twisted, darkness which brews in our main character that makes Marie Lu’s latest series so addictive. These are novels you won’t want to put down, filled with passion, action and pain they are quick paced and surprising. The Young Elites will leave you breathless, but the follow up novel, The Rose Society will leave you thrilled. In the first book Adelina is trying to be something she is not, but in the Rose Society Lu lets this character loose, and it’s a journey you won’t want to miss. Adelina is left filled with hatred and a burning desire for revenge after the first book, and enters the second known and feared as the White Wolf. Her goal is to strike down the Inquisition Axis, the military who have destroyed everything she held dear. She and her sister bring together their own band of warriors and prove themselves powerful allies. The question is whether Adelina will survive it. Readers of The Rose Scoiety should note that careful attention to the paragraphs starting each of the chapters will boost this final story to greater heights. Do not miss The Young Elites series, do not miss Adelina Amouteru’s story. We Give The Young Elites Series Five Stars The Young Elites; ISBN – 978-0-141-36182-6 Cover price - £7.99 The Rose Society ISBN – 978-0-141-36183-3 Cover price - £7.99

Mind Games is a must read for any YA fiction fan. Exploring a futuristic world where technology and the people behind it holds greater sway over society than the government that is supposed to lead them, Mind Games will captivate any audience and leave them hungry for more. ​ Teri Terry’s unique writing style brings this novel, and its main character Luna, to life making it an addictive read. ​ Luna is a hard headed, independent character with a secret. She’s different, but no one must find out. ​ In this world you must play by their game, or it could cost you your life. ​ But will Luna discover her true destiny in time to save the ones she loves? ​ We join Luna as she lives her normal life, or at least the life she has grown accustomed to living. She has a lot of questions, and although Luna is incredibly smart, none of them seem to be the right ones. ​ But when Luna gets swept away on a mission to find the truth, everything changes, and it may not change for the better. ​ Luna goes through great strive to achieve her goal, making this novel even more impossible to put down but pumping the reader with adrenaline and leaving them desperate to find out what happens next at the end of every cliff hanger chapter. ​ But when Lunas life is turned upside down can she really trust the people who have supposedly saved her? Or is she just a pawn in everyone’s games? ​ This heart pounding novel has plot twists full of surprise and moments of great joy that lift readers up, only for Terry to send us crashing back to earth with a traumatic discovery. ​ An excellent novel that explores power, corruption and control. We Give Mind Games Five Stars ISBN – 978-1-40833-425-6 Cover price - £6.99 Available as an eBook

Enter a novel that will leave the hairs on the back of any reader’s neck standing on end. This book is a beautiful exploration into a world shattered by war. Based in 1943, Europe, we join main character Max Carver, a thirteen-year-old boy, as his father moves him and his family away from the city, to an old wooden house on the coast. As soon as they arrive, however, strange things start to happen and Max discovers a garden filled with statues so eerie, and so beautifully described they will leave the reader trembling. Max’s sisters are plagued by unsettling dreams and voices from the moment they move in, and a box of old films opens a window into the past which should have remained closed. Most unsettling for the young teens are the rumours that fill the village about the previous owners of their new home, and the mysterious disappearance of their son. We follow Max as he delves into the past, and encounters the terrifying story of the Prince of Mist – a sinister shadow who emerges from the night to settle old scores then disappear with the first mists of dawn. This novel is a beautiful insight into life in Europe during the war, sprinkled with an otherworldly magic that fills the characters with dread and wonder. Not just a thriller though, this novel also introduces young love, and life in its most precious form, highlighting the sacrifices made during the war not just on the battle field. An action packed adventure which brims with loss, survival and curiosity. We Give The Prince Of Mist Three Stars ISBN – 978-0-7538-2855-7 Cover price - £7.99

A partner short novel to the Death Note graphic novel series, The Los Angeles BB murder cases is both an additional story and a standalone novel. For those who have read Death Note, or watched the film adaptations, the BB Murder Cases is a great opportunity to learn more about the mysterious character L. However, this book is just as enjoyable without having background knowledge of the previous series. Full of tantalising moments, and a puzzle that the best of minds struggles to solve, this book is a proper problem solving adventure. There is a serial killer loose in Los Angeles and the local authorities need help fast. For an unknown reason the killer has been leaving a string of clues at each awful crime scene, but the clues are maddeningly arcane and seemingly impossible to solve. Each clue would appear to point to the next crime scene, and if they can crack the clues they’ll catch their killer. L is called in, he’s a mysterious genius with peculiar working habits. L is an accredit to the investigation, although no one has ever seen his face, he is the worlds most decorated detective and has never failed to solve a case. This time, however, L needs help and calls in FBI agent Naomi Misora. As L starts to snoop around the city of Los Angeles it soon becomes apparent that the killing spree has been designed just for him, in a battle of wits. Stuck between the killer and the investigator it’s up to Misora to solve the case. Full of delightful suspense this novel will have you trying to solve the crimes before the investigator, while trying to piece together the mysterious back story between L and the killer. Although this book is text based we are still treated to the beautiful artwork of Takeshi Obata, which when combined with the beautifully sculpted storyline creates an astonishing story. This is the perfect clash of modern Bond and Sherlock, certainly not a book to miss for the crime fiction, and mystery fan. We Give The Loss Angeles BB Murder Cases Five Stars ISBN – 978-1-4215-1883-1 Cover price - £9.99

Which world is real? The one we live in or the one we create. In this astonishing novel Scott Westerfeld marries two very different worlds and two very different lives. We read from the perspective of the author, as she dives into the world of being a debut YA author, a wonderful sneak peak into the reality of fiction writing, while on the other hand we are also seeing from the perspective of this author’s creation, reading the story of her main character. It is through this, and the art to which Westerfeld writes both storylines, putting them side by side in seamless chapter changes, that we have to ask which one we believe in more, the one which matches the things we know to be true in reality or the one we are told is the fiction of that reality. We read from the perspective of Lizzie, a girl who should have died in a terrorist attack, and who is left with something more than just a touch of death. Lizzie, however, is the creation of Darcy, taking the lead role in Darcy’s debut novel Afterworlds. Darcy’s book is sold to a New York publisher for a huge advance and catapults the young author into the world of book writing. Between re-writes, tours and parties Darcey is also drawn into the new and confusing world of love. All the while Lizzie is fighting to stay on the side of the living. A truly outstanding book, which is really two books flawlessly combined. Get a true insight into the skill of Westerfeld’s writing through Afterworlds. We Give Afterworlds Three Stars ISBN – 978-1-4711-2256-9 Cover price - £7.99

In this dark novel Unsworth gives us an insight into the fleeting beauty of youth, and the desperation of age that brings back an eager wish to return to our childhoods. In no other novel is the fleeting heart of childhood so beautifully and darkly described, Unsworth highlights both the beauty, hardship, and desires of childhood in this fast paced story. Our main character, Devin, is a young boy when he buries his grandfather and is left alone on the family farm, far from civilisation. But Devin cannot look after the farm alone and so sets out to find those who will join him there. The city is a cruel place for homeless children though, with water and food a rare resource in this modern hell there is no one willing to take in, or to care, for the many children abandoned on the streets of a rotting city. Devin does however make a friend in a young street girl, named Kit. Together they go to the safe haven, a rumoured place for children like them where food is bountiful, and where they are cared for like kings. But not all is what it seems in this twisted world, and Devin soon notices that the other children in the haven are not quite right, that they are closed or sometimes that they seem to be completely different people. This adventure of a story will leave you desperate, filling you with a feeling of dread and horror as each new surprise unveils itself, and each new plot-twist becomes apparent. A beautifully written view of the life of a child, and the life of the elderly, this book is stimulating, and completely unforgettable, no matter how hard you try to forget its horrors. We Give The One Safe Place Three Stars ISBN – 978-1-4440-1022-0 Cover price (hard back) - £10.99 Available as an eBook

Though technically the fourth book to The Selection series, The Heir, and those novels thereafter, feel like an entirely new chapter to the series. In The Heir we are brought forward a generation, to meet America’s daughter, now the princess of the royal family, on her eve of the Selection. Exciting not only because it gives us an insight into the accomplishments of our previous main characters life, but also because this time we are seeing the Selection process from the other side and for the opposite sex. Our main character, Princess Eadlyn, has grown up with the stories of how her mother and father met through their Selection, twenty years ago. But Eadlyn has no expectation for her own story to end in romance, in fact she has no interest in repeating the fairy tale. Eadlyn’s life, however, is not entirely her own, burdened by the needs of the crown and the whims of the nation, fragile after the abolishment of the caste system, she cannot escape the Selection. Once again Cass brings us into a world of deliberate beauty, and great detail. While on the surface this story is of romance, love and pretty dresses, underneath it is a political adventure. Like her mother before her, Eadlyn is hot headed and fierce, with a fair amount of intelligence, a lot of wit and a sharp tongue. An addictive read which will brighten your day and do everything but bore you. We Give The Heir Four Star ISBN – 978-0-00-758022-4 Cover price - £7.99

Every morning our main character A wakes up in a different body. There is never a warning about who it will be, but A is used to that. A never gets too attached, avoids being noticed and does not interfere. This works for A, until one day A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has lived by no longer apply. Because in Rhiannon, A, has found someone A wants to be with, every day. An astonishing book of many characters, lives, and stories. In this changing main character, Levithan introduces not only countless moral dilemmas, but a range of different people, lives and stories, all combining to make up the life of one character. We are given a beautiful insight into the varying lives of people all of the same age in, around about, the same part of the world. Highlighting not just the struggles faced by young teens of varying backgrounds, but the differences that seemingly small changes make to people’s lives. Into this Levithan throws a love story, one that cannot possibly end happily as our main character has no control over their own life in any way, in fact in many ways A does not have a life of their own as they are endlessly forced to live those of others. This is a novel that no one should miss out on, where it is painfully honest about life and emotion it is also funny and light-hearted, ensuring that readers do not get bogged down with heavy writing. An excellent and unique novel. We Give Every Day Four Stars ISBN – 978-1-4052-6442-6 Cover price - £7.99