Liz Hyder won the older readers’ category in the Waterstones children’s book prize for her memorable debut Bearmouth. Now, in The Twelve (Pushkin), Kit and her friend Story must travel back in time to find Kit’s sister, who goes missing close to an ancient stone circle on the eve of the winter solstice. Channelling the dark menace of classic British fantasy writers such as Susan Cooper and Alan Garner, this is a beguiling tale of ancient magic, good and evil, deeply rooted in the Welsh landscape. Haunting illustrations by Tom de Freston add to the eerie atmosphere.
Jandy Nelson weaves an unforgettable tapestry of love, loss and magic realism in When the World Tips Over (Walker). Following the sudden departure of their father many years earlier, the three Fall siblings still bear scars and the arrival of a rainbow-haired stranger triggers a tumultuous emotional journey for each of them. Nelson’s lyrical writing has a folksy, dreamy quality in this rewarding and complex multigenerational epic, which spans more than 500 pages.
Kathleen Glasgow’s The Glass Girl (Rock the Boat) follows 15-year-old Bella’s journey through alcoholism as she struggles to cope with a fragmented family life. When Bella wakes up in hospital, with no memory of the night before, she is sent to rehab and the beginning of a long, heart-wrenching journey towards recovery. Told with honesty and realism, this is a raw but ultimately hopeful read; Glasgow shows great respect for both her characters and teenage readers.
Seventeen-year-old Neon is hiding in the bathroom in the opening scenes of Twenty-Four Seconds from Now, by Jason Reynolds (Faber), full of nerves as he prepares to make love to his girlfriend, Aria, for the very first time. The pair’s relationship is explored in a series of flashbacks as the story rewinds by 24 seconds, minutes, hours, weeks and months to their first meeting. The innovative storytelling deftly reveals their growing bond and the mutual respect that underpins it. A smart, tender look at teenage relationships and intimacy.
Elle McNicoll’s award-winning middle-grade novels, including A Kind of Spark, put neurodivergent characters at the centre of every story. Now she puts a fresh twist on the Christmas romcom in her young adult debut Some Like It Cold (First Ink). The trope may be familiar – a golden girl returns to her small home town after a long absence and falls unexpectedly in love – but our heroine, Jasper, is a big-hearted, talented and funny autistic girl. A deliciously cosy winter romance, paired with a thoughtful look at family tensions and societal expectations.
The Dagger and the Flame (Simon & Schuster) by Catherine Doyle is first in a new “romantasy” series set in the glittering magical world of Fantome, where rival guilds known as the Cloaks and the Daggers control a scarce and deadly “shade-magic”. After her mother’s murder, Seraphine seeks sanctuary with the Cloaks, quickly pitted against Ransom, an assassin and heir to the Order of the Daggers. Lush world-building, witty dialogue and romantic tension abound in a highly addictive fantasy romp.
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