A Forgery of Roses by Jessica S. Olson is an extremely captivating, standalone young adult, light magic, mystery. Stalking Jack the Ripper meets The Picture of Dorian Gray, as main character Myra’s unique ability in painting provokes unwanted interest in her magical talent. Many surprising twists and turns that invite the reader to continue into …
Harper Collins
An Ember in the Ashes
The novel begins with a country/territory suffering because they’ve been invaded and enslaved. Laia is living in poverty with her brother and grandparents, surviving by selling jam and healing people. When tragedy strikes, Laia jumps at the opportunity to try and save them, even if it means putting her life on the line. We also …
Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief
Rabbit Soldier Angel Thief is an enjoyable yet sorrowful book. This masterpiece has the right amount of description so that it feels as if you are in the moment. I felt many emotions when I read through each page, as it was extremely touching. I could sense the delicacy and the amount of effort the …
Nanberry
Nanberry is a historical fiction novel by Australian author Jackie French, which is set in the 1700s. Nanberry is an Aboriginal boy living with his family and tribe until an infectious disease wipes out his whole tribe and his only home. When the English colonisers come to Australia and destroy his home, Surgeon White takes …
Lunch with the Stationmaster
Lunch with the Stationmaster is a Young Adult novel written by Derek Hansen (and the third book in the Lunch with series). The book is set in between two different times, those being the modern day and the end of WWII. The plot is based around Milos Heyman telling his story of how he survived …
The Agathas
This book captured my attention for many different reasons such as why some cases were seen as more worthwhile or beneficial due to things like race, gender, age and class. It truly horrified me that some deaths would make headlines in the papers for days whereas other deaths would be dismissed and forgotten. The book …
Skulduggery Pleasant
Skulduggery Pleasant is about a girl in Ireland named Stephanie Edgley. The book starts with the revelation that her uncle is dead. Attending the reading of his will is Stephanie’s family, and one stranger, named Skulduggery Pleasant. When there is a break-in at her late uncle’s house, Skulduggery Pleasant saves Stephanie with magic. Now Stephanie …
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
Five years ago, Sal Singh killed Andie Bell. Everyone knows that. But Pip doesn’t think so. When she takes on the task of proving Sal’s innocence for a school project, she starts noticing that things don’t add up. Who really killed Andie? And what really happened five years ago? This book is gripping and addictive …
A Series of Unfortunate Events
Imagine waking up one morning to find your home destroyed in a fire. Imagine losing your parents and going to live with some terrible distant relative in the middle of nowhere. Klaus, Sunny and Violet Baudelaire were very intelligent children. They had been happy all their lives, loved books and stories, and had pleasant facial features – …