Inkbound Meticulous Jones And The Shadow Compass - Philippa Leathley

 

Metty is spending Founder's Day at the parade with her father and Faith when a tombstone bearing her name appears, followed by another and another.  Following the trail leads Metty and Faith to an underground cathedral and a group known as the League of Shadows who are desperate for Metty to join them, all she has to do is complete three tasks.  Before she can make a decision, Aunt Mags appears and drags Metty away, but she isn't to be put off, especially when someone threatens to tell the world about Sundar.  Metty feels like joining the League of Shadows is the only way to help, so she vows to complete the challenges before the next full moon.  It's a race against time and one Metty isn't certain she can make but she's going to do everything in her power to try.

I was woefully late to the party with The Skull Tattoo (you can read my review here) but I quickly learned the error of my ways, and Philippa's visit to school last term ensured that Inkbound fever was rife amongst the children!  It will come as no surprise then that my pre-ordered copy of Meticulous Jones And The Shadow Compass jumped my reading pile when I picked it up.

Following the events at the end of The Skull Tattoo, Metty is clearly nervous but she is also a Jones and one with fierce determination running through her bones.  She is not to be put off once she has an idea in her head, even if Aunt Mags and her father are telling her to stop (in fact, this spurs her on more than anything!).  The challenges she faces push her to her limits, especially as it's a race against time for more than one reason.  The plot unfolds in an exciting mix of adventure, jeopardy and twists - but exactly who can Metty trust?

Usually, when I begin a book on a Sunday evening during term time, it takes me until at least the following weekend to finish it; however, I found myself grabbing every spare minute I could to read just a few more pages, such was the gripping plot (yes, this did mean I stole some reading time whilst eating my lunch, and numerous children saw me reading as I walked down the corridor before school in the mornings!).  The tension and the excitement ooze through the pages which is what makes the book unputdownable.  I gobbled it up in a few short days and I'm now desperate for book 3!  Several children in school are also reading The Shadow Compass at the minute so Metty book chats in my office are currently a regular occurrence - I love that!

Out now, I think it's safe to say that Inkbound: Meticulous Jones And The Shadow Compass is a grippingly brilliant read and Inkbound fever is, once again, sweeping the school!

Love Me Tomorrow - Emiko Jean

 

Emma is struggling since her parents' divorce and feels that it is better not to fall in love than to have your heart broken, but then she starts receiving letters from an anonymous person in the future claiming to have loved her 'from the beginning' and promising to change her life, and she begins to search for the author.  Whilst continuing to correspond with the unknown writer, she begins to discover more about herself and that perhaps love isn't something to be ignored after all. 

Emma really is juggling more than many other teenagers her age: as well as having to deal with her parents' divorce when she was eleven, she now has to cope with the idea of her dad moving on.  He's about to introduce Emma to his new girlfriend and her daughter, and this comes with its own challenges.  On top of that, she feels responsible for the care of Jiji, her grandfather, who lives with her and her mum.  As her mum's arthritis grows steadily worse, Emma is forced to take on more of her cleaning jobs to help make ends meet; and she still needs to do her school work, and attend the college prep-programme at at Sherwood - it turns out Emma is a brilliant violinist.  I'm really not surprised that she feels love isn't worth the bother!

But as the book unfolds, despite Emma's quiet personality, she begins to come out of her shell.  Is it down to the letters she is receiving or would this have happened anyway?  It's a question that lingered in the back of my mind through the book but I like to think the letter write played their part.  The more she corresponds with the mystery writer from the future, the more she begins to hunt for their identity in her current life.  Could it be her childhood friend and neighbour, Theo, who is like a brother to her; or Ezra the musician she's always had a crush on; or even Colin whom she meets whilst cleaning his family home?  Before she knows it, not only is she doing things she wouldn't normally do, but she's looking at these boys in a different way.

Love Me Tomorrow really is the most gorgeous book.  Gentle at first glance, it really packs a punch as you lose yourself in its pages.  I had great sympathy for Emma who is battling her emotions as well as trying desperately to keep it all together (I really empathised with her need to cry - I was exactly the same at her age ... and probably still am today!).  This book is more than just a lovely YA romance (which it is!): it's a message to everyone that it's ok to put yourself first at times; it's a reminder that taking a risk can lead to wonderful things; and it's a book that will warm your heart.

Does Emma find love?  Does she discover the identity of the mystery writer from the future?  You'll just have to read Love Me Tomorrow when it publishes on the 12th February.

Dragonflare - Jamie Hammond

 

Flynn is desperately just trying to get by so he can support himself and his sister, and that means being a thief on the streets of Hornsport.  On the day we first meet him, Flynn is weaving his way through the bustling streets whilst everybody is heading to the pier following rumours that the dragons of Dragon Island are about to reveal themselves for a day for the Wingrider Trials.  As Flynn and the rest of the town look on, 11 o'clock strikes and dragons swoop, looking for riders for the trial.  It's an unwilling Flynn that is scooped up by River who takes him to the island for the contest.  What ensues is an exciting, interactive race to the treasure and to save the island.

Jamie's first book, Grumpfort, published in March last year (you can read my review here) and is a delightful combination of monsters and giggles, so I was thrilled when Dragonflare dropped through my letter box last week.  In need of a lift (the January weather is proving particularly gloomy), it zoomed straight to the top of my reading pile. 

I can categorically say that Jamie has done it again with Dragonflare!  The book is a delightful mix of adventure, puzzles, thrills and positive messages that will enchant readers.

Flynn is such a wonderful character: down on his luck, he's just doing his best to get by.  His priority is keeping his sister safe so he really doesn't want the inconvenience of being whisked away to Dragon Island.  He's very much the reluctant hero and his relationship with River gets off to a rather rocky start with neither really trusting the other; but they need each other so they are going to have to find a way.  

Then there are the other contestants, for it wouldn't be a competition with only one contestant!  A host of characters that readers will enjoy getting to know as they weave their way through the labyrinth.  

I have to mention both Jamie's wonderful illustrations that add so much to each page as well as the interactive element of the book; readers will love having to decipher codes, weave their was through paths and spot creatures hidden within mazes - I know I did!

With just the right amount of adventure woven into strong messages about friendship and being brave, Dragonflare is a book that will delight and thrill in equal measure.  It's already causing much excitement at school and I know it will be a big hit when it publishes on the 7th May.

I'm already looking forward to seeing what Jamie writes next.

The Monster In The Mines -Jennifer Killick

Travis, Zayd, Danielle and Selene are back, and this time they are determined to find a way to head down to the Red Rock Mines in order to get to the bottom of what is going on in Hazzard, and why the witch in the woods is the way she is.  Getting into the mines seems relatively easy, but once they are down there, things take a dramatic turn and the group are suddenly faced with more problems than they could have ever anticipated.  With danger lurking at every turn, they will need to work together and keep their wits about them if they want to escape unharmed. 

It's really no secret that I'm a massive Jennifer Killick fan, and the Dread Wood series remains one of my favourites.  When it finished, I sobbed that it was over but then rejoiced when Serial Chillers arrived in book stores.  I Loved The Witch In The Woods (you can read my review here) but I have to say that I think The Monster In The Mines was even better!

The scare factor is seriously ramped up a notch in this book as the friends prepare to investigate the mines beneath their town.  The drama begins from the very start with them sneaking away from the Hazard vigil to honour those who lost their lives in the sink-hole tragedy in order to locate the map of the mines.  And things just don't stop.  There are scare-jumps and starts a-plenty, along with unusual creatures... worms with sharp, bitey teeth, creatures that unfurl like Goliath spiders ... this book gives Dread Wood vibes in the very best way.

We get to know the main characters more as their personalities come to the fore (I love Seline's sass!), and we're also left with more questions about what is going on in Hazzard - this is a series I definitely want more of!

Prepare to be scared and captivated in equal measure in this unputdownable book that, once again, reminds us of Jennifer's MG horror writing prowess.

Top tip: unless you are seriously brave, read it with your teddy and a torch for company... or during daylight hours!

Monster In The Mines is out now.

Oceanforged The Wicked Ship - Amelia Mellor

Fleeing a life she doesn't like, Cori boards a ship with hopes that life will become better for her.  However, things don't get much better at sea, that is until she discovers the Oceanforged Gauntlet.  This is a piece of armour that belonged to the Champions Cori has seen in paintings that made her dream of what she may become.  And now, it would seem as if those dreams may become a reality.  But, once the gauntlet attaches itself to her, she is forced to flee the crew of the pirate ship she'd become part of, especially the captain who is desperate to have the gauntlet for himself.  

At the beginning of the book, Cori is orphaned, and is forced to fend for herself.  She's clearly a feisty character who isn't afraid to take a risk.  In her attempt to find a better life for herself, she ends up aboard a pirate ship with a truly awful captain.  It is during a trip to raid a village that Cori inadvertently ends up with the gauntlet when the captain sends her in to the booby-trapped vault (think Indiana Jones - I really loved this bit!).  When she discovers the glove and it permanently attaches itself to her arm, she flees in the hope that going it alone will finally provide her with the life she deserves.

The first in a new series, The Wicked Ship is an adventure that readers will absolutely love.  At 216 pages, it's a quicker read which helps to maintain the action, and the full-page illustrations and map add just the right amount of visual stimulus.  With the perfect mix of pirates, peril and pace, this is a book that will leave readers desperate for more. 

Oceanforged The Wicked Ship publishes on the 29th January.

The Overthinkers' Club - Nat Luurtsema

 

Birdie and her best friend, Chloe, both overthink everything in their life so their teacher, Ms Mulder, suggests they should tackle this together, and so The Overthinkers' Club is born.  The aim is to tackle their feelings in different ways, so they begin a list of ways to help them feel happy, each of which they will try out.  But can the list help these tweens relax and be happier?

Birdie is your typical twelve year old, but one who spends huge amounts of her time overthinking everything that happens to her (I can relate to that!).  And she feels she has a lot to overthink: her parents are divorced and she and her brother live with their dad whilst their mum is off saving the planet.  They are about to become a blended family as they are moving in with her dad's girlfriend, Maxie, and her children (and she's definitely thinking A LOT about the move!).  Then there's her best friend, Chloe, who has announced that she would like to make some new friends as well as having Birdie's friendship.  Add in addition to that, she worries about her elderly hamster, Pamela; she's concerned that she doesn't yet own a bra, and she thinks a boy at school may have a crush on her ... she has a lot going on!

At first, The Overthinkers' Club appears to be another diary-style story that is entertaining and a funny read, but once you begin reading, you realise that it is so much more than that.  Yes, it's a diary-style, first person novel; yes, it's funny (it definitely made me chuckle); yes, there are illustrations peppered throughout... But this book is so much deeper than that for The Overthinkers' Club addresses some big issues that occupy the minds of so many tweens.  Nat does this in a way that readers will be able to relate to; she uses humour but doesn't shy away from tackling issues that can be tricky, and I really like this.  Being twelve is such a tricky age and being able to see yourself in books is incredibly important.

I also like that there are some very valid ways to relax and calm the mind woven into the story.  Some are more useful to the girls than others, but they try them all and they list them in their book and the actual novel so readers will be able to try them themselves (although, I'm not certain I'd be as brave as Birdie with the cold water swimming!).

The first in a brand new series, The Overthinkers' Club is a brilliant, funny book that has mental health and anxiety at its heart.  It's a book that will help to reassure readers that they are not alone and I guarantee that it's a book that will be politely grabbed out of my hand tomorrow morning when I announce that it's available for borrowing in school (there's already been much interest as people have seen me reading it!)

The Overthinkers' Club publishes on the 12th March and is perfect for fans of Lottie Brooks and Dork Diaries. 

Clem Fatale Has Been Unpstaged - Eve Wersocki-Morris

It's the summer of 1951 and Clem and Gilbert are back in their second adventure.  This time the action starts at the London Palladium when one half of the Wade Sisters, Betty, goes missing, along with expensive jewellery.  Fearing the sister's disappearance is a kidnapping during a burglary,  the sisters' brother and manager, Eddy Wade, calls in Clem to investigate.  But time is of the essence as the girls are scheduled to perform on stage in performances set to earn them a lot of money so not performing will cost them dearly. It's up to Clem and Gilbert to save the day.

I absolutely adored Clem Fatale Has Been Betrayed and I gobbled it up last year when I read it (you can read my review here) so I was thrilled when a copy of Clem Fatale Has Been Upstaged arrived for me.  

Readers are once again thrown back to 1951 and the nostalgia of the London underworld.  The plot is fast-paced and entertaining, both in the action and the smile it will put on readers' faces.  The twists will keep you guessing and make the book unputdownable.  

Clem's fierce independence is once again at the fore, as is Gilbert's charming innocence (which really makes me chuckle), but behind Clem's strong façade there are doubts about her friendship with Gilbert for he is now torn between their investigation and life at his new boarding school (St Loquacious Institute for Little Lords), but instead of talking to him, Clem's stubborn streak comes out and she stews on her thoughts instead - the book definitely reminds readers that talking is better than letting your brain whir; after all, they make the perfect crime fighting duo (even with Clem's background!).  

Out now, Clem Fatale Has Been Upstaged is another rip-roaring success.  With new foes to meet, this is a book that readers won't be able to put down.  Clem Fatale may be the youngest crook in London, but she's certainly making a name for herself as the youngest crime fighter as well, and I can't wait to see what awaits her and Gilbert next.