The miracle stealer / Neil Connelly

Amy lives in Pennsylvania with her mother and little brother Daniel. After an accident which Daniel miraculously survived, the people in their town think he is a miracle worker who can heal sick people. Amy is determined to give him a normal life, which means she comes into conflict with almost everyone she knows. This book raised all sorts of questions for me - why do people want Daniel to be able to heal? Does God even exist? And what really happened at the end of the book anyway?

Who would enjoy this? This fascinating book is worth reading just to see if you can work out truth from imagination.

Reviewed by Charlotte

When we wake / Karen Healey

It's extremely disconcerting to say the least, to wake up from an accident and find that one hundred years have passed. Tegan Oglietti is definitely no sleeping beauty waiting around for things to happen, but the Australia she has to deal with is still much the same. All of the problems the world was facing in her old life - global warming, people smuggling, environmental degradation and more - are still there. Now there are other challenges too, and Tegan is right there in the thick of it being the first person to be successfully cryogenically frozen and restored.

This is a fantastic story which is shockingly believable. Tegan herself is a strong character (she has to be to deal with her unusual circumstances) and you are with her every step of the way. This book gets you thinking about so many different issues - refugees, the power of science, the power of celebrity, them versus us and even the state of one's soul.

Who would enjoy this? Connoisseurs of great reads will appreciate this engaging story with its fast moving plot and captivating protagonist.

Reviewed by Amy

The hunt / Andrew Fukuda

Gene is part of a shrinking minority (humans) living in plain sight under the noses of the majority. So far he's managed to survive but at seventeen, his future is looking uncertain when he's chosen to take part in the government sponsored hunt - for his very own kind. Gene is an interesting character and as you can imagine, to have survived so long, he's pretty canny. But things start to get very tricky when he has to be around the other 'lucky' hunters and he can't take his usual precautions.
Even though it features vampires (groan!), this is a nail biting, first rate survival story that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Who would enjoy this? Anyone who appreciates a great read will enjoy this book. It is as far from a 'vampire romance' as you can possibly get!

Reviewed by James

Freaks like us / Susan Vaught

Freak is just that, a freak, at least in the eyes of the world. He has two friends, both with disabilities like him. Sunshine goes missing and, because he has a mental illness, people assume that he is the cause of her disappearance. Can he hold it together long enough to work out what has happened so he can find his best friend and true love? This book is a great story, fast-paced and exciting. A bonus is that we get to understand a little about how hard it must be to have disabilities and still live some kind of normal life.

Who would enjoy this? Those who like a fast-paced mystery, a bit of love and a lot of insight into how others live their lives, will find this absorbing and worthwhile.

Reviewed by James

Freakling / Lana Krumwiede

'The first time Taemon's brother tried to kill him was the night Uncle Fierre came over with his unisphere.' So begins this amazing story, set in a society where the ability to move things by telekinesis is so normal that you are cast out of the city if you can't. Taemon used to have the ability and now doesn't, and he has to learn how to do everything for himself. In the process he finds out what is most important to him and he begins to work to returning society to something fairer for everybody.

Who would enjoy this? This is a great book, and I loved it. I recommend it to anyone who wonders what it would be like if things were different than they are.

Reviewed by Katya

Arabesque / Colin Mulhern

The last thing Amy and Mia expect on their way home from gymnastics practice is to be ambushed and kidnapped. The kidnappers can hardly believe their luck - Amy has some very useful skills that she can be forced to use. That is, if she wants Mia to be unharmed. But Amy has a few tricks up her sleeve and eventually the kidnappers may regret snatching her.

Amy and Mia are great characters and you have every confidence in their abilities, even when they come up against some nasty customers. This makes for an absorbing action-packed story, the first in a great new series.

Who would enjoy this? Anyone looking for a relaxing and easy-to-get-into thriller will find this a satisfying read.

Reviewed by Charlotte

Colin Fischer / Ashley Edward Miller & Zack Stentz

Colin has Asperger's syndrome, which presents many challenges at high school. He is bullied by Wayne Connelly on the first day, and though this would make most people do all they can to avoid the bully in future, Colin does the opposite. After a gun is brought to school and accidentally discharged, and Wayne is arrested, Colin sets out to prove that he could not in fact be the culprit. So begins a really good detective novel: fun and fast-paced, and an interesting insight into what it might be like to be so different from everybody else. I'm hoping this is the beginning of a new series!

Who would enjoy this book? If you like detective novels with a difference, then try this one: it's great!

Reviewed by James

Red rocks / Rachael King

This book is about Jake who is staying in a quiet part of the New Zealand coast with his father. His father is pretty busy so Jake spends lots of time off exploring on his own. He meets up with Jessie who turns out to be an odd but interesting companion. Then there's Cara who seems to have his father under a spell. It all starts to go weird when Jake finds a sealskin and takes it home with him. I was fascinated by the strangeness of it all, and found myself wondering if selkies are real!

Who would enjoy this book? Anyone who likes a good read with a hint of supernatural thrown in.

Reviewed by Katya

My brother simple / Murail, Marie-Aude

Kleber needs to finish his last year of school, but can't bear to leave his learning-disabled brother in the institution he hates so much. He manages to find a flat they can share with four other people. Simple (his brother's nickname) is quirky, endearing, very appealing and brings out the best in most people, the new flatmates included. I loved this book. I enjoyed watching the initially wary flatmates fall under Simple's spell, and was reassured about how successfully love can change things for the better.

Who would enjoy this book? This is a GREAT book! Read it if you want a feel-good and thought-provoking experience.

Reviewed by Amy

The quicksand pony / Alison Lester

Two stories in one that come together in a great way near the end. Biddy loves horses and wants above all things to go on the annual muster with her parents. She's allowed but then disaster strikes and her pony gets caught in quicksand and they have to leave her to drown. Joe has always lived apart from other people after his mother took him with her when she ran away after her husband died. Now his mother has died too, and he's alone apart from his dog. Then he sees the drowning pony and rescues her, in the process rescuing himself. I think this book is a really worthwhile read.

Who would enjoy this book? Great if you like a quick and easy read, with horses, intrigue and an insight into another way of life.

Reviewed by Katya

Soldier dog / Sam Angus

It's 1917. Stanley's brother Tom is away at war and his father seems to have gone mad. He is being cruel and distant and Stanley is missing his brother hugely. Then his father commits the unforgivable and drowns the puppy that he has claimed as his own, so Stanley, in despair, enlists in the army despite being only 14 years of age. Once there, he becomes a keeper for the Messenger Dog Service and is given a dog to train. He falls in love with the dog, and this is the beginning of a dramatic and heart-breaking adventure. This book is a gripping and exciting read, and I enthusiastically recommend it.

Who would enjoy this book? If you like stories about war, or stories that tug at your heartstrings, then this is for you. 

Reviewed by James 

Mortal chaos / Matt Dickson

Watch the book trailer!

It's hard to imagine that a butterfly fluttering its wings could have so many consequences for so many people. This is chaos theory in action. It all starts when Jamie and Will are bunking school and head off to the woods (in England) for a spot of hunting. Mt Everest, Washington DC, Malawi (Africa) all seemingly disparate but become inevitably connected by a Purple Hairstreak butterfly innocently going about its business.

This is an intriguing story with an intricate plot that is cleverly put together. It is fast moving and hard to put down as you try and work out how all the events intertwine.

Who would enjoy this? This fast absorbing read will appeal to anyone who enjoys a well-written story that has the added bonus of helping you understand a complex scientific theory.

Reviewed by Matt

Friday Brown / Vikki Wakefield

Friday Brown is a girl with gumption. Luck hasn't been on her side, so she cuts her losses and goes on the run. With a bunch of street kids who are also trying to make a better life for themselves, she ends up in the outback ghost town of Murungal Creek. But far from the city, it's not just the outback that they have to do battle with...

Gutsy characters and the two very different settings (city and outback) make this distinctly Australian book a really great read. Friday Brown is the sort of person you'd really like to have with you in a fix, and it is her relationship with all of the other characters that pulls the plot together in a really interesting way.

Who would enjoy this? If you like a story with depth, an unpredictable plot and plenty of action, then this is the book for you.

Reviewed by Amy 

Other books by Vikki Wakefield