Inkbound Meticulous Jones And The Skull Tattoo - Philippa Leathley

Metty Jones is spending her tenth birthday the way most ten year olds do, by getting her fate tattoo, the mark that will tell her and the rest of the world how her life will pan out. However, when her fate is revealed as a skull in the palm of a violet glove everything changes, for Metty discovers she is destined to be a murderer.  Her dad quickly moves her to the countryside and people start avoiding her fearing that she will kill them and Metty finds herself feeling very isolated.  Then when Metty's dad disappears, she becomes worried.  The arrival of her Aunt Mag brings hope, especially when she takes Metty to New London, but it quickly becomes apparent that there are people who are desperate to get hold of Metty and they will stop at nothing to achieve their goal.  

I'd heard great things about Inkbound when it came out in hardback, but it was a book that I'd just never got round to buying despite it being on my wish-list (I realise now the error of my ways!).  And so it was, last Saturday, that I bought the paperback version (Waterstones Children's Book of The Month).  I began reading it over lunch and realised an hour later that this clearly was a gripping book as I was still sitting in the café with a cold cup of tea next to me!  

Reasons why I loved Inkbound:

• the idea of your fate being predetermined and everything that brings up (so many discussions to be hand around this!);
• the intricacies and vividness of the world-building (I need to visit New London despite already feeling I've been!);
• the adventure and twists that unfold as the plot progresses;
• there's just the right amount of MG darkness to build suspense;
• the characters: they're fully formed, intriguing and come with flaws that make them human; there's a big question about who can be trusted and there are also those I began to enjoy hating!  Metty and Mag are definitely my favourites!
• the drip-feed of Metty's family history; 
• the exploration of family, friendship and loyalty;
• the magic that flows through the plot, measured in ink and controlled by individual tethers (please can I have one?!);
• the steampunk/Victorian/fantasy vibe;
• how quickly I became engrossed in the plot (which didn't let up until the end);
• it's the start of a new series and I can't wait for more;
• Philippa is coming into school before the end of the month and I can't wait to discuss the book with her!

From the start, the plot is intriguing and will capture readers' imaginations; it's fast-paced and guaranteed to keep you guessing. Perfect for fans of Vashti Hardy, Peter Bunzl and Jessica Townsend, Inkbound is a book that will stay with you even after you've finished reading it. 

Ministry of Mischief The Takeover - Alex Foulkes

Joe and Harry are back in their second adventure.  Things have changed over recent weeks and good luck seems to be everywhere due to the Imp King having lost his power and the Sprite Queen being in control.  With the sprites ruling the land, misfortune may disappear unless the gang can help the Imp King regain control.

I read the Ministry of Mischief last September and loved getting to know the array of wonderful characters (you can read my review here) so I was delighted when The Takeover arrived last week and I was able to catch-up with them all (as well as meet a few new ones).

It's been two weeks since the crew arrived back from their last adventure and, with the imps living in the humanrealm unseen, things are interesting from the start.  When things start going right for a change and good luck appears to be following them it seems unusual, and then with the arrival of Chirry the sprite, the gang begin to realise what's going on.  What ensues is a delightful adventure that is fast-paced and full of events that will make readers chuckle.  It's a book that will entertain and warm hearts at the same time.  With positive messages woven in, this is a book that would be a great read aloud, either at home as a family or in school.

Publishing 25th September, Ministry Of Mischief The Takeover is a great book to put a smile on your face as the weather begins to turn autumny.  I know that it will go down well in school when it hits my shelves on Monday.

Lessons In Death - Sophie McKenzie

Georgia and her best friend Billy are trying out for the school play that's being organised by Mr Truckle.   After the first rehearsal, Georgia realises she's left her bag in school and returns to fetch it from the rehearsal room when she hears a noise.  Going to investigate, she finds Mr Truckle dead in the library.  She races to get help but when she returns, Mr Truckle has vanished.  Unfortunately, none of the staff believe Georgia when she tells them, so she confides in Billy who promises to help her find out exactly what has happened.  And so the pair embark upon solving the mystery.  

I love a good murder mystery so was excited by the sound of Lessons In Death.  I must admit that the blurb, at first glance, made me think of Murder Most Unladylike; however, one chapter in and I was quickly reassured that the books would be very different (don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of Robin's books, I just didn't want them to be similar).

The pace of the book is fast and you are quickly swept away trying to work out what exactly has happened to Mr Truckle.  It's clear he's a well-liked member of staff and Georgia can't understand why staff aren't more worried.  Mention of messages from him don't reassure her so she feels she has no choice but to take matters into her own hands.  

There is a strong bond between Georgia and Billy, but then Wren enters the equation.  New to the school, she is keen to make friends.  Georgia is aware that her mum and Wren's were childhood friends but Georgia seems reluctant to befriend her.  Wren is just keen to fit in and is desperate for that sense of belonging so why is Georgia so reluctant - this element of the plot will create interesting discussions.  Georgia is resilient, stubborn and clearly has her faults - I like that about her. 

Set in a secondary school, there is a more grown-up feel to the book whilst maintaining an MG appropriateness, making it perfect for pre-teens who aren't quite ready for YA yet.  I already know that the book is going to be popular with my Year 6s.  

Publishing 11th September, Lessons In Death is a page-turner of a book full of twists that will keep readers guessing until the end (I didn't guess the outcome!).  I love that this is the first in a new series and I can't wait to read more.

Letters From The Upside - Katya Balen

Since his father left, things have been tough for Con and his mum. Not only are they struggling to make ends meet but Con's temper has really flared and is getting him into trouble.  When he punches a classmate and is suspended from school, things get worse.  His mum can't find anybody to cover her shifts at work and she worries even more about everything. In desperation, she leaves Con home alone whilst she goes to work.  At first, everything is fine (boring but fine) but then Con is convinced he hears his dad's voice and races out of the flat, only to discover he was wrong and he's now locked out.  That's when he meets Mr Williams who might just be able to help Con become the person he wants to be.

From the start, I have to say that I really felt for Con.  He blames himself for his father leaving, when it clearly wasn't his fault.  Because of this, his temper has become explosive to the point where his friends are afraid of him. He feels alone but doesn't know how to express his feelings which is why they explode out of him in angry outbursts.  Con feels alone and doesn't know where to turn so when Mr Williams comes along, he is keen to get to know him, especially when he discovers what's on the roof of their building.  The relationship that builds between the pair is lovely to read.  

Letters From The Upside would make a great class read aloud and is perfect for exploring empathy as well as discussing bullying and parental separation.  It is a beautifully written book and I found myself emotional throughout - then ending though filled my heart.

Publishing 25th September, Letters From The Upside is a shorter read but one that will definitely leave its mark on readers. 

The Book of Stolen Dreams The Final Battle - David Farr

Rachel and Robert are back in the final instalment of The Book Of Stolen Dreams series.  When famous movie star Emil Bonfleur goes missing in the desert, everyone is devastated, and when he turns up alive and well five days later celebrations are organised, but Rachel is wary: something doesn't feel right and she is determined to get to the bottom of what is going on.  It doesn't take long for her to discover that Charles Malstain is making a bid to once again seize power, and Rachel and her brother Robert have no choice but to risk their lives to save the day once more.

This has been a series I have adored since reading a proof of the first book in 2021 and I've been eagerly following Rachel and Robert's story ever since (you can read my reviews of the first two books here: The Book Of Stolen Dreams , The Secret Of The Blood Red Key).  The Final Battle was waiting for me when I got home from Paris after the bank holiday, bypassed my reading pile and I curled up with it as soon as I'd finished the book I was reading.

Like the rest of the series, the book is action-packed and full of adventure. The writing transports you immediately to Krasnia where life is good for the Klein family, which is lovely to see after everything they've been through.  However, this doesn't last long and, once again, the pair are forced into life-threatening situations in order to save their family and the people of Krasnia - they are truly brave characters and it's been so good to see them develop as the series has progressed. 

This is a rollercoaster of an adventure that is utterly unputdownable (yes, I did try to read it whilst making dinner!).  With numerous heart-stopping situations, readers will find themselves wondering whether the siblings can beats the odds.  With the pair needing to split up in the mission, we see Rachel really coming to the fore.  But be warned, I did shed a tear at the end...

The book (and indeed the entire series) is the ultimate battle of good versus evil and Malstain's actions really made my skin crawl on so many occasions. He is a truly heinous villain, one readers will love to hate.     

Publishing 11th September, The Final Battle is a fitting and thrilling ending to what has been a wonderfully magical series which will no doubt be reader by generations to come.

When We Were Monsters - Jennifer Niven

 

Brighton Hove is a college set near the woods of north-eastern Massachusetts.  Every year in January, the college holds 'Jan Term' where eight of the brightest and luckiest students are invited to live and study at Moss House  (the sprawling house in the nearby woods built by the college's founder; the same forest where a girl was killed years earlier).  This year's lucky students include Effy, Isaac, Vanessa and Arlo who will spend 16 days being mentored by Meredith Graffam, the famous writer director and actress.  At first, the group are excited by the opportunity and in awe of Graffam, but as her teaching methods being to grow increasingly unorthodox, the group start to wonder if this really is the opportunity of a life-time.

I've been reading an increasing number of YA books recently and have very much enjoyed them, so when I saw When We Were Monsters on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance to read it.

Told in dual narrative from Effy and Arlo's point of views, it is clear that the main characters all have 'issues' they are harbouring: for Effy it's the fact that her father killed her mother in a road accident when she was six; Arlo is still trying to come to term with the death of his best friend; Vanessa is quiet and just wants to be accepted; whilst Isaac is struggling to live up to his family's expectations.  Each is being encouraged to dig deep within themselves and step outside their comfort zone in a way they could not have expected, but under the guise of needing to be vulnerable to help develop their writing.  The more you read, the more you discover about each character's individual demons and how they influence their lives.  But how much are they prepared to take in order to win that one coveted scholarship?

There is a real darkness to this book.  Yes, it's set in January in an old and sprawling house in the middle of the woods; yes, they are cut off during bad weather; yes they are without mobile phones and phone lines - these are things that help to build the atmosphere.  But the real darkness comes from the teaching; the expectations Meredith has on each character; the secrets that she is determined to prize out of them and the deepest thoughts she wants them to reveal.  She is a character who is fascinating: enigmatic and compelling yet happy pit the students against each other to get to her end goal.  

The book is well-paced and made the perfect read for my homeward flight yesterday evening.  It's a thrilling read, especially as the first chapter hints at what is to happen which means some of the suspense comes from not knowing when or how things are going to happen.  

Publishing on the 4th September, When We Were Monsters is a darkly immersive YA that will make the perfect read at the start of a new school year as the nights start drawing in.   

Uncle Zeedie - Colm Field

 

Siblings George and Lacey's parents are getting divorced so things haven't been great.  When both parents are due to be working, the siblings are taken to stay with a friend of the family (Uncle Zeedie) who is staying in a remote mansion in the Welsh woods.  As soon as they get there, both George and Lacey know that something isn't quite right, and their fears are confirmed the longer they stay there: rotten food, the smell of sour milk, blood stains and posters for missing children.  When George starts seeing the ghosts of dead children, they fear that Uncle Zeedie is the one who's killing them.

Uncle Zeedie is the second instalment of The Blood Texts series (you can read my review of You'd Better Watch Out here) and is certainly not for the faint hearted!  The creepy atmosphere is evident from the very start, even before George and Lacey arrive at the house, and it continues to build: the darkness, the lack of phone signal, the lack of people... Then we have to look at how the characters add to the atmosphere: George is clearly spooked by lots of things, stemming from an incident at a train station; and there's the Feeling he gets and the things he sees that others don't seem to be able to - it all sets readers on edge.  We know from the start that Lacey and George find Uncle Zeedie 'weird' and this is confirmed when we meet him: there's definitely something not right in the way he is behaving.  

At 168 pages, Uncle Zeedie is a fast-paced, short read that will set your heart racing.  Publishing on the 4th September it's a book to read during daylight hours (unless you're feeling particularly brave!) and is perfect for KS3.