Before we say goodbye / Gabriella Ambrosio and Alastair McEwen

Myriam and Dima both live in the same city but belong to different worlds - Myriam is Jewish and Dima is an Arab. On one fateful afternoon their worlds collide...
When there is a news item about a suicide bomber in the Middle East, it is very easy to dismiss it because it doesn't affect us. In this story however, you are faced with what is happening for the ordinary  people on both sides of such a tragedy. Even though you have a sense of impending doom you want to keep reading to find out why this is happening and to try and understand  the choices each person is making.

Who would enjoy this? This is a somber story based on a true incident. It is not possible to 'enjoy' such a story but it does  reward the reader with thought provoking realities and insights into how and why people get caught in futile and destructive patterns of behaviour. It is an important story to read.

Reviewed by Amy

Bluefish / Pat Schmatz

Travis is a quiet boy. He never was one to talk much, preferring to confide in his dog. But now his dog is dead, and Travis is as silent as a stone, in a new school and new house, forced to live with his reforming alcoholic grandfather. But then he meets Velveeta. She is everything he isn't - funny, fast-speaking, and light. And so it begins. Bluefish is a beautiful book. The characters are wonderfully easy to relate to and understand, yet the book still retains a sense of story and narrative that is rarely seen in modern YA books. A must read.

Who would enjoy this? Anybody who enjoys beauty in a piece of work. This book has it.

Reviewed by Liam

Candor / Pam Bachorz

Watch the book trailer!

In Candor, you are what you hear. The citizens of this model town are secretly brainwashed by subliminal Messages which will control their behaviour. Son of the creator of Candor, Oscar Banks is the perfect Candor teen. He's got the looks, the grades, and the perfect behaviour. Or so that's what everyone thinks. But no one knows he has found a way to protect his own thoughts and that he has built an entire business helping new kids escape before the Messages take control. Then Oscar meets Nia, a girl he can't stand to see changed. But saving her means losing her forever, and keeping her in Candor means risking everything. This isn't just your typical love story. The town seems too unreal, yet the characters are totally believable. I really enjoyed this book as it can really let you see the art of brainwashing and Oscar's struggling battle with his own mind. The book shows you that, no matter how hard you try, there is no such thing as a perfect world or a perfect person.

Who would enjoy this book? Anyone who wants to read about brainwashing and how our world can never be perfect

Reviewed by Chi-Yen

Chomp / Carl Hiassen

Watch the book trailer!

Wahoo (!) has  a father who is an animal wrangler, which means that he tames wild animals enough that they are relatively safe to use in movies. Unfortunately he has been injured by a frozen iguana falling on his head(!), the mortgage desperately needs to be paid and his mother has had to go to China to make some money. Wahoo accepts a TV job with a survivalist, and the chaos that follows made for a funny, gripping and interesting read. I really liked the book and recommend it highly.

Who would enjoy this book?  If you like a book with lots of action, craziness and downright fun, try this one out.

Reviewed by Jason

Epitaph Road / David Patneaude

Watch the book trailer!

When a virus wipes out 97% of the male population, the world becomes a different place. Years down the track, those remaining with a Y chromosome are still at risk - and not just from the virus. Teenager Kellen Dent is used to being in this very small minority and up to now he and his friends haven't has reason to doubt the official history of what actually happened but when there are rumours of a new outbreak it's time to discover the truth.
This is a completely believable and original story with plenty of twists and turns that keep you reading and wondering, could this really happen?

Who would enjoy this book? Readers of 'what if?' scenarios  will enjoy this book. Plenty to think about no matter if you have an X or Y chromosome.

Reviewed by James

Empty / Suzanne Weyn

'Coming to a town near you' ...sounds promising doesn't it? But in this story  what arrives on everyone's doorsteps is the end of the world as we know it because there is no more fossil fuel. Suddenly there is little or no electricity and just getting enough to eat and drink fills up the day. Throw in some resourceful teenagers (Gwen and Tom) and you have an attention grabbing story that makes you want to buy a bike and instal solar panels, immediately!
 Although this story has a serious message you just have to keep on reading. Fortunately it also gives you hope that we can find a more sustainable way to live.

Who would enjoy this book? If you are interested in what the future might  be like then this is a thought-provoking and encouraging story.

Reviewed by James

Your inner fish / Neil Shubin

We live in a world of amazing discoveries and achievements. But there is still so much we don't know. Where do we come from? How closely related are we to flies and other life? These questions, and more, are answered in this book. Neil Shubin takes the reader on a journey examining why we are the way we are, and how you can use a gene from a mouse to put an eye on the back of a fly. The writing is simple and clear, and the concepts, though incredibly complex, are easily presented and completely understandable. An inspiring read.

Who would enjoy this book? Anybody who is interested in how our world functions and finding out how awesome it is.

Reviewed by  Liam

Six rules of maybe / Deb Caletti

Watch the book trailer!

Scarlet's life is about to undergo change that would have been unimaginable even days before. Her sister arrives home married and pregnant, Scarlet starts to love her husband, Hayden, far more than is appropriate, her mother seems about to marry a totally unsuitable man and Scarlet herself feels as if all that she has built her life on is crumbling before her eyes. This book is amazing - the story is gentle, compelling and absorbing, and the writing is beautiful. I think it is going to stay with me for a long time.

Who would enjoy this book? A love story with a difference, beautiful writing and a satisfying ending: if you like these things, try this book.

Reviewed by Amy

Erebos / Ursula Poznanski

Watch the book trailer!

If you like computer games, you're going to like this book. There's a new game going round the school, and it's being given out secretly. Once you start playing it's almost impossible not to get addicted to it. The catch is that to keep playing, the game directs you to do certain things in the real world, and sometimes those things are dangerous and even downright illegal. Nick, Emily and Victor race against time to prevent a murder being committed. This book is intriguing, absorbing and very thought-provoking: it left me wondering if it really could be possible for games to manipulate real life.

Who would enjoy this book? If you've ever wondered about the effect of computer games on real-life, or if you just like an interesting and intriguing story line, this should meet your need!

Reviewed by Hamish

Starters / Lissa Price

Watch the book trailer!

Sixteen-year-old Callie is desperate to provide a proper home for herself and her little brother, but when you're living on the streets it's not easy. In desperation she rents out her body to a rich Ender, an old person wanting to experience  life as a teen again. But the Ender who is inhabiting Callie's body has a sinister motive for being young - murder. 

I really liked the idea of taking over someone else's body, and found this an exciting read. Callie is a strong character, and I really want to read the next one in the series when it's published.

Who would enjoy this? Anyone who enjoys Scott Westerfield's Uglies trilogy

Reviewed by Charlotte

The outcasts / John Flanagan

Watch the book trailer!

If you've read and enjoyed any of the Ranger's Apprentice series, you'll be as happy as I was to see the first book in The Brotherband series by the same author on the shelves. I wondered if I would like to read about different characters in the same world, and I really did. The book is set in Skandia and is about the way the 16 year olds in this country learn how to become Wolfship sailors. They have to work incredibly hard and put up with bullying and pretty dreadful demands from their teachers. It is exciting and I loved it. Don't know if I'd survive the training though!

Who would enjoy this? John Flanagan fans, and anyone who likes adventure stories set in different places.

Reviewed by Jason

Everybody sees the ants: a novel / A.S. King

Watch the book trailer!

Lucky is being bullied by Nader McMillan and has been all his school life. He has hardly any friends and a strange and dysfunctional set of parents. He also has a close relationship with his dead grandfather (strange, huh?), who is a strong presence in the family because he went Missing in Action during the Vietnam War. After one particularly bad bullying incident, his mother takes him to stay with his uncle and aunt. After this life-changing time the future looks brighter. It's a great book - different and engaging and just really interesting about all sorts of things. This quirky story got under my skin and I'm still thinking about it. I especially enjoyed learning a bit about some of what happened in Vietnam - dreadful things

Who would enjoy this? If you're looking for a different and original story, with action, great characters and a chance to learn something new, then try this book!

Reviewed by Hamish

Wintertown / Steve Emond

Evan and Lucy have been best friends forever, but then Lucy moved away when her family broke up. She comes back every Christmas to see her father, and she and Evan pick up where they left off. But this year everything is different. Lucy has come back as Goth Girl and she isn't talking. There's something very wrong. This book grabbed me, and made me keep reading. It's written in an interesting way with the chapters interspersed with parts like a graphic novel. I felt very "bonded" to both the main characters and I loved the ending.

Who would enjoy this? Someone who's willing to take a bit of a risk with a book - it's worth the effort!

Reviewed by Amy

Lone wolf / Jodi Picoult

Luke Warren is not your typical father. Instead of being with his family, Luke would rather be with a pack of wild wolves in the forest. His love and devotion to wolves is more than that to his own family, driving his family apart. One day, he has a car accident and is in a coma. His son, Edward, comes back to his father's side after leaving his family for five years after an irreparable fight with his father. Together, Edward and his sister Cara must decide their father's fate. Cara wants to wait for a miracle, but Edward wants to terminate life support and donate his father's organs. Is he driven by altruism, or revenge? To what length will Cara go to stop him from pulling the plugs? And what secrets have Edward and Cara kept from each other? As a family is reunited and secrets start to unravel, the Warren family must remember that within a pack, survival means sacrifices.
Jodi Picoult has again written another amazing profound book which makes readers pause and think about morals underneath the lines. I really enjoy her books, especially this one. I always learn something new and interesting from her books.

Who would enjoy this?  Any Jodi Picoult fan will not be disappointed by this amazing novel. Anyone who enjoys reading about family, love and wolves will also enjoy this book.

Reviewed by Chi-Yen

How to save a life / Sara Zarr

Watch the book trailer!

Jill's father died nearly a year ago, and she can't deal with the grief. She has pushed her friends and her boyfriend away rather than talk about things and life is pretty hard. Then, to her horror, her mother decides to adopt a new baby. Mandy is pregnant and because she doesn't know how she could possibly look after the baby she goes online to find a home for it. This book is about what happens when Mandy comes to live with Jill and her mother. I loved the whole story. I really empathised with both Mandy and Jill and even Jill's pretty strange mother. And the part about the boyfriend(s) really made me think about what makes a good relationship. There was a great ending too.

Who would enjoy this?  If you want a feel-good ending with an absorbing lead-up, then try this book!

Reviewed by Charlotte

Ready player one / Ernest Cline

Watch the book trailer!

The internet is a very strange and amazing place. And it becomes even more so in the future, where the world has  been ruined by climate change and peak oil, forcing everyone online to escape the horrors of life. And then, the creator of OASIS, the virtual reality, dies, leaving behind 130 billion dollars. But to claim it, users must take part in a game, based on his obsession with '80s pop culture... This book is definitely not pandering to a mainstream audience. It is proud of it's nerdiness, and the many obscure references are integrated well into the compelling story, which is a compelling look into our perceptions on the internet vs reality.

Who would enjoy this?  This is the kind of book that nerds dream of. It definitely helps to be one.

Reviewed by Liam

The future of us / Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler

Watch the book trailer!

What a great concept! Emma and Josh are next-door-neighbours back in 1996. Josh gives Emma a CD-ROM to download America Online so she can get an email account. But something goes badly(?) wrong and she ends up being able to see her Facebook account 10 years in the future - remember that Facebook wasn't even invented in 1996! Emma and Josh can see what their lives will be like and Emma particularly sets about changing things to give herself a better life. I thought having two different characters (and two different authors in real-life) write from their point of view made the story especially interesting as I got to see how girls think more than I usually would. How would you change your future if you knew what was coming? I'm still thinking about what I would do!

Who would enjoy this? If you like a book that makes you think and is a great read at the same time, you'll enjoy this.

Reviewed by Charlotte