SCREEECH!!! If you thought Savage Island was tricksy and brilliant you ain’t seen nothing yet. The terrifying sequel Cruel Castle ups the stakes yet concentrates the action into a claustrophobic space with the horrors of living after the events of the island and what happens when Gold wants more. For fans of Escape rooms whether … Continue reading Cruel Castle- Bryony Pearce
Savage Island is a deeply clever account of secrets, lies, family and friendship under strain set amidst a high stakes Duke of EdinburghXgeocaching treasure hunt perfect for teens who may have begged to watch Squid Game, but parents are hesitant to expose to that level of violence.
Rita Wong and the Jade Mask is a curious story. It has this whimsical feel that has whispers from a wide range of modern MG influences, of Pages & Co, Podkin and Stubbs and Dragon Detective meets with portal magic, tumbling into a strange magical world like The Midnight Hour trilogy. It’s very different from … Continue reading Rita Wong and the Jade Mask- Mark Jones with illustrations by Seamus Jennings
You may have gathered from my blog that if a book has a folklore inspired setting, I'm going to be piqued, if it also has connotations of fae, as in dark fae like The Call by Paedar O Guillin then even more so, throw in historical fiction and I'm chomping at the bit. A Hunter's … Continue reading A Hunter’s Moon – Danny Weston
Across September we have been reading or rereading Kidnap in the Caribbean by Lauren St John, the second story in the series which finds young Laura Marlin on a dream holiday cruising into a nightmare as the Straight As strike back.
Freeze is the newest offering from Chris Priestley, recognised as a master of horror writing for children drawing in the weaving, building style of classic Gothic writers such as Mary Shelley and Edgar Allen Poe rather than gore or shock tactic. These tales creep into you consciousness rather than jump scare you, and oh so … Continue reading Freeze- Chris Priestley
I devoured this book and my immediate thoughts were please Chicken House I want some more?! I want to know what happens next and how did the protagonist Sol even arrive at this mysterious place!!! That or just hungry to slip into Angharad’s writing and worlds again!! In my review I reflect on the surreal … Continue reading Review & Guest Feature: Blurring genres with The Ash House by Angharad Walker
