Louie Stowell. Walker Books. (240p) ISBN 9781406399752 I’m being so slow at getting these reviews out into the world, had read this quite a while ago now, but still laughing at some scenes that pop into my head. Odin’s had enough of Loki and his behaviour and has exiled him to our world in the …
Middle Grade
Lisette Auton – Q&A
Lisette Auton has her debut novel coming out on the 3rd of February 2022, The Secret of Haven Point. Lisette Auton is a northern disabled writer, activist, poet, novelist, spoken-word artist, actor, film and theatre-maker, and creative practitioner. She’s an award-winning poet who has performed at Northern Stage, ARC, the Southbank Centre and the Sage, …
The Haunting of Aveline Jones
Phil Hickes. Usborne. (224p) ISBN 9781474972147 Talk about a gripping read, picked it up at noon, finished it by 4:30pm, just couldn’t tear myself away! We follow the adventures of Aveline Jones (great name by the way) after she is left with her Aunt in Malmouth, a sea town on the south coast. Aveline loves …
Utterly Dark and the Face of the Deep
Philip Reeve. David Fickling Books. (288p) ISBN 9781788452373 A book I’d requested through work as I’m a huge fan of Mortal Engines (plus Philip Reeve’s other works). This latest book is a magnificent middle grade fantasy adventure following Utterly Dark, the ward of The Watcher of Wildsea. When her ward drowns it sets a chain …
How to be a Hero
Cat Weldon. Pan Macmillan. (256p) ISBN 9781529045031 I received this from Pan Macmillan at the end of last year in exchange for a review, the way time has been going recently that feels like an absolute age ago. How to be a Hero follows the (mis)adventures of Whetstone (a useless thief and an orphan) and …
The Last Spell Breather
Julie Pike. Oxford University Press. (304p) ISBN 9780192771605 I picked The Last Spell Breather up in a pack of proofs from OUP Childrens that had been in the staff room for a while. Wow! From the first page this was a non-stop adventure with an intriguingly original magical system, cracking cast of characters, and a …