In Crossfire (Penguin) Malorie Blackman returns to the world of her award-winning Noughts & Crosses series, set in a Britain where the dark-skinned Crosses are the ruling class. Complex family dynamics and the corrupting influence of power drive a thrilling, twisting plot told through a series of flashbacks. This may be the fifth novel in the sequence, but razor-sharp commentary on current events – from the far right to race and media bias – makes it as relevant as ever. The ending will enthral and infuriate fans in equal measure.
Equally topical is The Boxer (Hodder) by The Good Immigrant author Nikesh Shukla, a story of fear, hope and identity in Bristol. After being the victim of a racist attack on his way home from school, Sunny joins a boxing club, which brings him the confidence and community he craves. When a far-right march turns violent, Sunny risks losing his new friend, Keir, to radicalisation. The book is cleverly structured around a fight between the two boys.
Identity is also at the heart of Kit de Waal’s YA debut, Becoming Dinah (Hachette Children’s Group), part of the new Bellatrix series reimagining classics from a feminist perspective. Here, Moby-Dick becomes the resonant and original coming-of-age story of a teenage girl, although readers do not need to be familiar with Herman Melville’s classic novel. The story opens with protagonist Dinah shaving her hair as she prepares to run away from the commune where she has grown up. This metamorphosis sets the tone as Dinah heads off on a road trip of self-discovery.
Laura Wood’s Under a Dancing Star (Scholastic) also takes inspiration from a classic, Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. In 1930s England, 17-year-old Bea is stifled by parental and societal expectations. A chance invitation to her uncle’s Tuscan home heralds an exciting, bohemian summer and the charms of Benedick, a handsome but maddening young artist. Sparky bickering leads to a challenge: can the pair enjoy the perfect holiday fling without falling in love? Heady, sun-drenched and achingly romantic.
Darker but equally delicious is Deirdre Sullivan’s Perfectly Preventable Deaths (Hot Key). A move to the small Irish town of Ballyfrann initially intrigues twins Madeline and Catlin, with its quirky inhabitants and dramatic mountain scenery. But this is a place of secrets, where teenage girls have gone missing over the past 60 years. Sullivan’s prose bewitches in a tale featuring dark magic, supernatural predators and a plot worthy of Angela Carter.
Tamsin Winter is fast becoming a favourite for younger teenagers, chronicling those first years at secondary school with warmth and honesty. In Jemima Small Versus the Universe (Usborne) Winter tells an empowering story about body confidence. Jemima is funny and smart but feels defined by her size, not least when she is made to join the school’s Healthy Lifestyle club. When she has the chance to take part in a TV quiz show, it seems an opportunity to overcome the bullying and insecurity and find her voice.
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