Shelter / Harlan Coben

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Harlan Coben usually writes for adults and I have enjoyed some of his books. This is for young adults and I wondered if the author would be able to do a good job of this genre. He can! He did! I enjoyed reading about Micky Bolitar settling into a new high school and making friends after a really tough year with his father dying and his mother going into rehab. And on top of all of that he gets mixed up with seriously strange and dangerous characters and is lucky to escape with his life. The ending is a bit unusual - I'm still trying to work out whether it is reasonable or not.

Who would enjoy this? If you like a good mystery and a range of interesting characters, this should be a book you will enjoy.

Reviewed by James

Pathfinder / Orson Scott Card

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This book is by the same author as Ender's game, and it was great to see it on the shelves because Orson Scott Card is one of my favourite authors. Most of his books are great, with Ender's game being the best in my opinion (and if you haven't already read it, then you should read do so immediately!). This new one is a real mixture of an exciting and gripping story, and an almost mind-bending exercise in trying to follow Card's take on time travel. It's well worth the read but probably best after exams rather than before them since it makes you think so hard!

Who would enjoy this? Anyone who likes Orson Scott Card as an author, and anyone who likes to read about humans populating new worlds, and time travel.

Reviewed by Hamish

Faith, hope and Ivy June / Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Ivy June goes to a big city not too far from her home in the backblocks of America for two weeks, and then her host, Catherine, comes to stay with her in her much more primitive home. The girls learn a lot about each other and discover that though there are many differences in the ways they live their lives, when it comes to the crunch their feelings are exactly the same. I have always wanted to go on an exchange visit to another school because I reckon it would be very interesting to try out a different way of living. That's why I liked this book so much.

Who would enjoy this? It is very interesting reading about the two girls and their completely different lives: if you like to discover new things then you will probably like this book too.

Reviewed by Katya

Coffeehouse angel / Suzanne Selfors

If you haven't yet found what you are good at, then you are in good company. Katrina Svensen has a collection of cast-off sports equipment in her Closet of Shame to prove she has at least been looking. It's not until she does a good deed for an angel - one with the unlikely name of Malcolm - that she is forced to discover what she really wants in life.I liked the setting for this story - a quirky little town called Nordby, somewhere near Seattle on the U.S. Pacific Coast. Nordby has a strong Scandinavian flavour to it that prevents the book from being too predictably American.

Who would enjoy this? Anyone who is looking for an entertaining and relaxing read

Reviewed by Sophie

The betrayal of Bindy McKenzie / Jaclyn Moriarty

Being number 1 for everything is harder then it seems for Bindy Mackenzie. She is the most perfect girl at Ashbury.... no wonder someone wants to kill her.Her perfect life begins to fall apart when she finds herself obsessed with her F.A.D. ( friendship and development) classes. She falls ill and fails tests, but the worst part is she just doesn't care! She finds herself stuck in the middle of a serious crime. Lots of people hate Bindy but enough to kill her?With so many enemies she finds herself in a world of hate. Is it madness? Is it jealousy? Or is it murder?!She must find answers before it is too late.I highly recommend this book.

Reviewed by Kat