GIRL, GODDESS, QUEEN by Bea Fitzgerald

To hell with love, this goddess has other plans...

Thousands of years ago, the gods told a lie: how Persephone was a pawn in the politics of other gods. How Hades kidnapped Persephone to be his bride. How her mother, Demeter, was so distraught she caused the Earth to start dying. The real story is much more interesting.

Persephone wasn't taken to hell: she jumped. There was no way she was going to be married off to some smug god more in love with himself than her. Now all she has to do is convince the Underworld's annoyingly sexy, arrogant and frankly rude ruler, Hades, to fall in line with her plan. A plan that will shake Mount Olympus to its very core. But consequences can be deadly, especially when you're already in hell .

This is a funny and romantic retelling of the Hades and Persephone myth, interwoven with mythical family dynamics. Persephone is no shrinking violet and it's great to see such a strong female character who's not afraid to be ambitious (and vulnerable, when it comes to the vagaries of love!) The 'will they, won't they' romance with Hades is appealing - one can't help but swoon - and the fraught relationship with her parents is well written. This will appeal to many of our older readers.

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Catfish Rolling by Clara Kumagai

 This tells the story of Sora, who lost her mother and other family in an earthquake - when the catfish rolled. According to legend, earthquakes are caused when the giant catfish sleeping under the islands of Japan wakes and rolls. This time the quake caused some very disturbing fractures in time; in some areas it moves slower and in others faster. Everyone caught in the different time zones disappeared. Sora and her father are desperate to find out more about the zones and what happened to Sora’s mother. However, frequent exposure to the different time zones has affected her father and she fears losing him too. I loved the magic realism of this story and the weaving together of myth and legend with hard headed science. The grief felt by Sora and her father was very vividly displayed and I thought that the other relationships were well portrayed.

This book would certainly appeal to fans of Studio Ghibli and I’m hoping to entice a few manga fans into reading this!

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Edinburgh International Book Festival

We really enjoyed our visit to the Edinburgh International Book Festival today. 

As well as trying out all the activities at the Teen Takeover Day, we loved browsing through all the wonderful books in the Book tent (and Mrs Lumsden's 'wish list' is longer than ever). Too many books, too little time!

We attended a talk with with Lauren (Wren) James, a prolific author who read from their new novel, 'Last Seen Online'. They also spoke about the writing process and love of crime novels, and true crime. Lauren also talked about her work with the 'Heartstopper' series and the adaptation of 'The Loneliest Girl in the Universe.' Students were also gifted a copy of Lauren's latest novel and were delighted to be able to meet them and get the books signed after the event. 

 

AdelAIDE Just Wants to Help

 AdelAIDE is the second techno-thriller by Melinda Salisbury for Barrington Stoke. We read the first, Echostar”, with book group. Freya and her friends are environmentalists and are keen to highlight local climate issues. However, Freya is intensely jealous of her ex best friend, who is also climate aware and has a much bigger social media following. Freya wants to be an influencer too. When her dad brings home a prototype AI, Freya realises that it can help her realise her ambitions. There is a price, however…

Being rather nervous about AI and the effect it and social media can have on your life, I did expect to enjoy this story, and I was not disappointed. Whilst it was slightly stretching the bounds of credibility that Freya would have followed all the suggestions, despite the activities of some  more radical climate warriors, it was an enjoyable read. Freya’s friends and parents felt real but I think more could have been done with Enzo and Eden. This is a good story which highlights the need for climate change both at local and global levels, and makes us think about the dangers of becoming too invested in social media (or relying on AI).

⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

 

LOVER BIRDS by Leanne Egan

When Isabel Williams moves to Liverpool, she criticises seemingly everything in Eloise Byrne’s life – her city, her accent, her trademark boldness – so if, when she catches Isabel staring, Eloise feels her pulse race, it must be because they hate each other. It surely couldn’t be for any other reason, could it? Eloise needs to get her ADHD under control in time for A-Levels, but when she meets Isabel, school becomes the least of her concerns. What begins as outright contempt turns into an oddly satisfactory rivalry, but for their rivalry to shift further into romance, their relationship must withstand Isabel's classism, Eloise’s distrust, and whatever secrets their friends are hiding from them.

I just loved Eloise’s character – her boldness, her vulnerability, and her loyalty. Her ADHD was wonderfully represented, as was her burgeoning relationship with Isabel, and her friends. The representation of toxic masculinity and the challenges of school (and exams) are excellent. This is also a love song to Liverpool. This is a tender, funny read and I would strongly recommend this book.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Treacle Town” by Brian Conaghan

 

“Treacle Town” by Brian Conaghan is a tough but ultimately inspiring read. It’s set in Brian’s hometown of Coatbridge and the setting and context will be familiar to many of our students, and anyone involved with 'Young Teams'.

The story unfolds in a world of brutal gang violence, sectarianism, and personal tragedy. The main protagonist, Connor, is stuck in a world of deprivation and unemployment, and desperate to escape from the pointless gang warfare and lack of opportunities.

He happens across the world of slam poetry online and sees that this could offer a glimmer of hope for him, and that he was allowed to become part of that world. He joins a group in Glasgow and realises that he is not stuck and he can succeed. Meanwhile, his friends are still mired in the despondency of ‘Treacle Town’, and he has no option but to pull himself free.

This is a thought-provoking, emotional, and compassionate novel. The relationship with his friends and the pointlessness of their lives read true, and I loved the interplay between Conner and his dad.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Wild East

This powerful and inspiring verse novel by Ashley Hickson-Lovence tells the story would-be rapper, Ronnie. Following the the tragic death of his best friend, Ronny’s mum decides to relocate to Norwich. Ronny has to adapt to a new city as well as coping with his loss. He finds solace in his writing – his dream of becoming a rapper is encouraged by his English teacher and a visiting poet. This coming-of-age story has multiple strands covering racism, identity, football, gangs and county lines, poverty and more. Despite this, the story never feels forced and the story lines are handled deftly and come together well. 

Ronny is a likeable and sympathetic character, and all the characters are similarly well written – I particularly liked Leigh and Malachi. At first, I thought the emphasis on poetry might dissuade some readers who would otherwise love the book, but Ronny’s verses read true and will appeal to most young people. I also think the verse novel format will make the book more appealing.

Highly recommended. 

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