YA (Young Adult) September Book of the Month

We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal

People lived because she killed. People died because he lived. Nobody knows that Zafira is the Hunter.

Forced to disguise herself as a man, she braves the cursed forest to feed her people. If she is exposed as a girl, all of her achievements will be rejected. Nasir is the infamous Prince of Death, assassinating those foolish enough to defy his autocratic father, the sultan.

If he refuses he will be punished in the most brutal of ways. Both are legends in the kingdom of Arawiya - but neither wants to be. And when Zafira embarks on a quest to restore magic to her suffering world, Nasir is sent by the sultan on a similar mission: retrieve magic and kill the hunter.

But an ancient evil stirs as their journey unfolds, and the prize they seek may pose a threat greater than either can imagine . . .

Set in a richly detailed world inspired by ancient Arabia, Hafsah Faizal's We Hunt the Flame - first in the Sands of Arawiya duology - is a breathtaking debut about discovery, conquering fear, and taking identity into your own hands.

We Hunt the Flame will be available for £7.20 through the month of September.  Send us an email to reserve your copy.

Christmas Ideas: Young Adult Books

Shadowblack, Sebastien de Castell - £12.99 

SORCERY IS A SCAM . . .

Four months after fleeing his own people, Kellen has discovered he's an even worse outlaw than he was mage. It doesn't help that his only allies are a swaggering card player and a thieving squirrel cat. Then he meets Seneira, a blindfolded girl who isn't blind, and whose secrets get them caught up in a conspiracy of magic, blackmail and murder.

Now Kellen must find the mage responsible before the entire frontier falls victim to the mystical plague known as the shadowblack. Perfect for fans of The Dark Tower, Firefly, Guardians of the Galaxy, Terry Pratchett, Ben Aaronovitch and Jim Butcher. 

Warcross, Marie Lu - £12.99

When a game called Warcross takes the world by storm, one girl hacks her way into its dangerous depths. For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn't just a game - it's a way of life. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally.

Needing to make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships - only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation. Convinced she's going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when she gets a call from the game's creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year's tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job.

Emika's whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she's only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire. In this sci-fi thriller, #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu conjures an immersive, exhilarating world where choosing who to trust may be the biggest gamble of all.

Turtles All the Way Down, John Green - £14.99 
Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there's a hundred thousand dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Pickett's son, Davis. Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts.

In his long-awaited return, John Green, the acclaimed, award-winning author of Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars, shares Aza's story with shattering, unflinching clarity in this brilliant novel of love, resilience, and the power of lifelong friendship. First edition includes an exclusive jacket poster featuring some of John's most brilliant and memorable quotes.

The Language of Thorns : Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic, Leigh Bardugo - £12.99 
From bestselling author of SIX OF CROWS, Leigh Bardugo, comes a lavishly illustrated collection of short stories filled with betrayals, revenge, sacrifice and love. Inspired by myth, fairy tale and folklore, THE LANGUAGE OF THORNS will transport you to both lands familiar and strange that millions have visited through the novels of the Grishaverse. Love speaks in flowers. Truth requires thorns. Travel to a world of dark bargains struck by moonlight, of haunted towns and hungry woods, of talking beasts and gingerbread golems, where a young mermaid's voice can summon deadly storms and where a river might do a lovestruck boy's bidding but only for a terrible price. 

Inspired by myth, fairy tale, and folklore, no.1 New York Times-bestselling author Leigh Bardugo has crafted a deliciously atmospheric collection of short stories filled with betrayals, revenge, sacrifice, and love. Perfect for new readers and dedicated fans of the Grishverse. This collection of six stories includes three brand-new tales, all of them beautifully illustrated with art by Sara Kiplin that changes with each turn of the page, culminating in six stunning full-spread illustrations as rich in detail as the stories themselves.

The Hanging Girl, Eileen Cook - £7.99 
Two girls, one fatal reading . . . because the truth always lies in the cards. Skye's mother believes she has 'the gift' - the ability to see the future. Skye however can only see the opportunity to make money - and happily fleeces her gullible classmates into handing over their cash to hear their futures through Skye's well-worn tarot cards. But it's all for a good cause, right? Skye needs to save her hard-earned cash to go to New York with her best mate Drew.

Then the local mayor's daughter, Paige, disappears - and Skye has a tip off about her whereabouts. Skye is uncomfortable about the source and masks the tip off as a vision. But things get wildly out of control when Paige is found murdered and Skye is a prime suspect .

They Both Die at the End, Adam Silvera - £7.99

From the bestselling author of History Is All You Left Me comes another unforgettable story of life, loss and making each day count On September 5th, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: they're going to die today. Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they're both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: there's an app for that.

It's called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure - to live a lifetime in a single day.

Noah Can’t Even, Simon James Green - £7.99

Poor Noah Grimes! His father disappeared years ago, his mother's Beyonce tribute act is an unacceptable embarrassment, and his beloved gran is no longer herself. He only has one friend, Harry, and school is... Well, it's pure hell.

Why can't Noah be normal, like everyone else at school? Maybe if he struck up a romantic relationship with someone - maybe Sophie, who is perfect and lovely - he'd be seen in a different light? But Noah's plans are derailed when Harry kisses him at a party. That's when things go from bad to utter chaos. 

A Shiver of Snow and Sky, Lisa Lueddecke - £7.99

On the frozen island of Skane, the sky speaks. Beautiful lights appear on clear nights, and their colours have meaning: Green means all is well, and the Goddess is happy. Blue means a snow storm is on the way.  And then there's red. Red is rare. A warning.

Seventeen years ago the sky turned red just as Osa was born, unleashing a plague that claimed the lives of hundreds of villagers, including her own mother. This time, when the night sky once again bleeds crimson, she must discover what it means before so many lives are lost again.

Neurocomic, Matteo Farinella - £14.99 
Do you know what your brain is made of? How does memory function? What is a neuron and how does it work? For that matter what's a comic? And in the words of Lewis Carroll's famous caterpillar: "who are you?"

Produced in association with the Wellcome Trust, one of the world's largest medical charities, Neurocomic is a journey through the human brain: a place of neuron forests, memory caves, and castles of deception. 

Along the way, you'll encounter Boschean beasts, giant squid, guitar-playing sea slugs, and the great pioneers of neuroscience.

Books for Christmas 2016 - across courts, circuses, time and space - top teen and YA reads for Christmas

Ah Christmas! But wait - you need to buy a gift for a teenager, and you'd love to get him or her a book? What do they read? What would they like?

Relax, we've got you covered. Perhaps a sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat adventure? Or a beautifully written fantasy novel filled with magic. Whether you are buying for a teen chomping at the bit to become an adult, or someone who still is really a child at Christmas - just pop into the shop and ask.

We've got some great titles to get teens reading - here's our pick for Christmas!

Crooked Kingdom - Leigh Bardugo
Imogen’s book of the year and the sequel to Six of Crows, this carries on the story of Kaz Brekker and his gang. After pulling off a seemingly impossible heist in the notorious Ice Court, criminal prodigy Kaz feels unstoppable. But life is about to take a dangerous turn - and with friends who are among the deadliest outcasts in Ketterdam city, Kaz is going to need more than luck to survive in this unforgiving underworld. The city closes in on them, with old enemies and new alike trying to hunt them down and stop them all, the cost of freedom is high in the sequel- and the cost of survival may be even higher.  With more twist and turns than the last book, as well as action, schemes and every single thing going wrong, it will have you on the edge of your seat and guessing right up until the last moment.

Beck - Mal Peet and Meg Rosoff
Both harrowing and life-affirming, the final novel from Carnegie Medal-winning author Mal Peet is the sweeping coming-of-age adventure of a mixed race boy transported to North America.

Born from a street liaison between a poor young woman and an African soldier in the 1900s, Beck is soon orphaned and sent to the Catholic Brothers in Canada. Shipped to work on a farm, his escape takes him across the continent in a search for belonging. Enduring abuse and many hardships, Beck has times of comfort and encouragement, eventually finding Grace, the woman with whom he can finally forge his life and shape his destiny as a young man. A picaresque novel set during the Depression as experienced by a young black man, it depicts great pain but has a truly uplifting, inspiring and hopeful conclusion with lessons for us today.

The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern
This is a new, redesigned  version of The Night Circus, specially produced for teenagers and YA readers, with extras in the back for any lover of the book and of magic.

The circus arrives without warning. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Against the grey sky the towering tents are striped black and white. A sign hanging upon iron gates reads: Opens at Nightfall Closes at Dawn. As dusk shifts to twilight, tiny lights begin to flicker all over the tents, as though the whole circus is covered in fireflies. When the tents are aglow, sparkling against the night sky, the sign lights up: Le Cirque des Reves.
The Circus of Dreams. The gates shudder and unlock, seemingly by their own volition. They swing outward, inviting the crowd inside...

But the circus is not as we imagine it to be - it is transformed in this novel, where two magicians are tied together in a challenge. The circus is their creation and their stage, and the book is beautiful and dreamlike, the writing just as stunning as the story itself.
 

Lydia - Natasha Farrant
A spirited, witty and fresh reimagining of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice! Lydia is the youngest Bennet sister and she's sick of country life - instead of sewing and reading, she longs for adventure. When a red-coated garrison arrives in Merryton, Lydia's life turns upside down. As she falls for dashing Wickham, she's swept into a whirlwind social circle and deposited in a seaside town, Brighton.

Sea-bathing, promenades and scandal await - and a pair of intriguing siblings. Can Lydia find out what she really wants - and can she get it? This is a fantastic idea, brilliantly realised. Lydia is perhaps the most appealing character for teens in Pride and Prejudice - but of course, nothing is ever that simple when you are young, head strong and imagine yourself to be in love...

Maze Runner: The Fever Code - James Dashner
The world has ended: the earth is scorched, and fever rages through the population. Out of the chaos, a boy emerges with the power to change everything: Thomas. This is the start of his story...

This is the second prequel to the original 'Maze Runner' trilogy, and there's plenty in here to satisfy fans, providing key pieces of the puzzle as to how the 'Maze' came to be built. And we have signed editions to make it an extra special gift.

Under Rose Tainted Skies - Louise Gornall
Agoraphobia confines Norah to the house she shares with her mother. For her, the outside is sky glimpsed through glass, or a gauntlet to run between home and car. But a chance encounter on the doorstep changes everything: Luke, her new neighbour. Norah is determined to be the girl she thinks Luke deserves: a 'normal' girl, her skies unfiltered by the lens of mental illness. Instead, her love and bravery opens a window to unexpected truths...

Full of twists, snark and unexpected humour, whilst this may be difficult reading for anyone who has experienced a social anxiety disorder, it's nevertheless a fantastic achievement and an uplifting, entrancing story.

Alpha: Abidjan to Gare du Nord - Bessora and Barroux
Alpha Coulibaly is just one of millions on the move, at the mercy of people traffickers, endlessly frustrated, endangered and exploited as he attempts to rejoin his family, already in Europe. With a visa, Alpha's journey would take a matter of hours; without one he is adrift for eighteen months. Along the way he meets an unforgettable cast of characters, each one giving another human face to the crisis.


The book is presented in graphic novel format, with artwork created in cheap felt-tip pen and wash, materials Alpha himself might be able to access. A powerful and important book.

Reckless 3: The Golden Yarn - Cornelia Funke
This is the third book in the thrilling adventure series 'Reckless' from German children's author Cornelia Funke, author of 'Inkheart'. As you might expect, there is violence, magic and the darkest of dark fairy tale at its heart - with amazing writing, and a story you really can't put down. The first two books have been re-issued with updated artwork as well.

After a perilous encounter with an Alder Elf - an immortal, trick-turning creature to whom he owes a great debt - Jacob must journey back into the enchanted Mirrorworld once again. Together with Fox, his beautiful shapeshifting friend, Jacob has no choice but to follow his brother on the trail of the Dark Fairy, who has fled deep into the East: to a land of folklore, Cossacks, spies, time-eating witches and flying carpets. But what exactly is the Dark One running from? Could it be the same danger that threatens Jacob and Fox? 

Stealing Snow - Danielle Paige
Seventeen-year-old Snow lives within the walls of the Whittaker Institute, a high security mental hospital in upstate New York. Deep down, she knows she doesn't belong there, but she has no memory of life outside, except for the strangest dreams. And then a mysterious, handsome man, an orderly in the hospital, opens a door - and Snow knows that she has to leave.

Channeling the spirit of Maleficent and Frozen, this is a great twist on 'Snow Queen' for YA readers, as Snow discovers where she is from, and the choices she has to make in a strange, icy land...

Our Chemical Hearts - Krystal Sutherland
This is a bittersweet, funny, sad story of friendship, first love, and heartache, all rolled into one spellbinding debut tale - think John Green, Rainbow Rowell and E. Lockhart.

Henry Page, a hopeless romantic and film buff, is smitten as soon as Grace Town walks into his classroom. But Grace - who looks in need of a good bath, is dressed in guy's clothing, and walks with a cane - is unlike any leading lady he's ever obsessed over. And when Henry and Grace are both offered positions as editors of their high school newspaper, the mystery of Grace begins to captivate him.

Why does she visit a graveyard every afternoon? What secret does she keep locked away in her bedroom? Above all, why is Grace Town so deeply sad? Before he knows it, Henry is sure that he is the one to unlock her happiness. But Grace is capricious, changeable, infuriating, and, above all, damaged. Henry will need to be the strongest he has ever been to survive this particular love story.

The Diabolic - SJ Kincaid
This is a brilliant, imaginative book packed with twists, turns, and viciously vibrant characters - and not only that, it comes with two different editions so there will always be a surprise what you get. 

It's the story of Nemesis, a Diabolic. She was made to protect Sidonia. So when Sionia's life is in danger, Nemesis goes in her place to meet their power hungry emperor at his Galactic court. But plans have been in motion for longer than anyone realised, and there is another reason all the heirs have been gathered together in one place. Sidonia was meant to be little more than a hostage to keep her father’s rebellion in line - or so they all thought.

Nemesis must protect her real identity while protecting those that she has learnt to care about, at the same time as gaining revenge on those that have hurt her. But the humans around her just as dangerous as Nemesis herself, and her humanity that might be the only thing that keeps her safe...

Girl Online: Going Solo - Zoe Sugg
This is book three of the wildly bestselling series from blogging superstar Zoella - and we have signed copies sure to thrill any fans you are buying gifts for!

I’ll be home for Christmas
The UK's top teen authors join together in this collection of new stories and poems on the theme of home. Contributors include: Holly Bourne, Sita Brahmachari, Kevin Brooks, Melvin Burgess, Cat Clarke, Julie Mayhew, Non Pratt, Marcus Sedgwick and Lisa Williamson - and others too.

£1 from the sale of every book will be donated to Crisis, the national homelessness charity.

Books for Christmas Part 10 - Evil, Magic, Wishes and Fairies: our favourite Young Adult Books of 2015

Buying books for teens can seem daunting, but in many ways the teen - or Young Adult - book world is the most exciting area of publishing at the moment. We really passionate about books for teens at Mostly Books (at least two of the staff would claim this was their specialist area!), and we work hard to match the book to the reader - so come in and ask for our help!

In the meantime, here are some of our favourite titles of the year to give you inspiration...

Six of Crows- Leigh Bardugo (£9.99)

Six teenagers. One heist. Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price - and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy, Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone. Kaz's crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction - if they don't kill each other first. 

This is Imogen's favourite book of 2015, and perfect for anyone who likes going headfirst into a fantasy adventure with a set of criminals.




The Boy at the Top of the Mountain - John Boyne (£12.99)
The powerful, unforgettable new novel from the bestselling author of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, and, like that book, this is a powerful, thought-provoking read which will definitely challenge a few pre-conceptions about a specific period of history...

When Pierrot becomes an orphan, he must leave his home in Paris for a new life with his Aunt Beatrix, a servant in a wealthy household at the top of the German mountains. But this is no ordinary time, for it is 1935 and the Second World War is fast approaching; and this is no ordinary house, for this is the Berghof, the home of Adolf Hitler. Quickly, Pierrot is taken under Hitler's wing, and is thrown into an increasingly dangerous new world: a world of terror, secrets and betrayal, one from which he may never be able to escape.

Tinder - Sally Gardner and David Roberts (£7.99)
A young soldier, a captive princess, witches, wolves and Death walk hand in hand in Costa Award winner Sally Gardner's exquisitely written novel inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, The Tinderbox, illustrated by David Roberts.

Otto Hundebiss is tired of war, but when he defies Death he walks a dangerous path. A half-beast, half-man gives him shoes and dice which will lead him deep into a web of dark magic and mystery. He meets the beautiful Safire - pure of heart and spirit, the scheming Mistress Jabber and the terrifying Lady of the Nail. He learns the powers of the tinderbox and the wolves whose master he becomes. But will all the riches in the world bring him the thing he most desires? Fairy tales are often the cruellest stories of all; in this exquisite novel Sally Gardner writes about great love and great loss.

Doctor Who: Time Lord Fairy Tales (£12.99)    
A beautifully illustrated anthology of Doctor Who-themed fairy tales. Includes an original, specially commissioned illustrated cover and fifteen illustrated plates, one for each fairy tale, in a beautiful paper cut-out style. But aside from gorgeousness of how it looks, the stories themselves will thrill and captivate in equal measure...

These captivating stories include mysterious myths and legends about heroes and monsters of all kinds, from every corner of the universe. Originally told to young Time Lords at bedtime, these twisted tales are an enchanting read for Doctor Who fans of all ages.


Boy 23 - Jim Carrington (£7.99)
Boy 23 isn't in My Place any more. He can't see The Screen, he can't hear The Voice. Boy 23 is totally, utterly alone...

One dark night, Boy 23 is thrown in the back of the van and driven out of My Place - the only home he has ever known. He is abandoned in a forest with a rucksack containing the bare essentials for survival. Before the van drives away, a voice tells him he must run as far as he can. His life depends on it. Boy 23 has never known another human. Boy 23 has never even been outside. So who is he? Why do people want to kill him? And more to the point, who is the voice that wants to save him?

This is one of Julia's big recommends this Christmas: A hugely fast-paced dystopian page-turner which by the end will leave you in a state of shock. For fans of Chaos Walking and Charlie Brooker's Black Mirror.

Arsene Lupin vs Sherlock Holmes - Maurice Leblanc (£6.99)   
This volume contains two adventures which pit the gentleman thief Arsene Lupin against Sherlock Holmes, the world's most famous detective. In 'The Blonde Lady', Holmes must discover the identity of a mysterious female thief who is linked to Lupin, while in 'The Jewish Lamp' he finds out that the theft of a lamp containing a precious jewel conceals an astonishing secret. While their tone is at times ironic and firmly tongue-in-cheek, the two stories in Arsene Lupin vs Sherlock Holmes bear all the hallmarks of classic detective fiction, and will put a smile on the lips and set the pulses racing of all fans of mystery and detective fiction.

Anything That Isn't This - Chris Priestley (£6.99)
A Kafka-esque nightmare of a story…about love. Seventeen-year-old Frank Palp lives in a grim little apartment, in a grim little building, in an exceedingly grim (and rather large) city. He mostly hates his life, he definitely hates the ludicrous city he is forced to live in and he absolutely with complete certainty hates the idiots he's surrounded by...and yet he is in love. A love so pure and sparkling and colourful, Frank feels sure it is 'meant to be.' His love is a reward for all the terrible grey that he is surrounded by - which would be great, if the girl in question knew he existed.

And then one day, the perfect sign appears to land in his lap. A message, in a bottle. A wish, for 'anything that isn't this.' The girl who wrote this is surely his soulmate - and now he just needs to find her.

This is a rather splendid mash-up of stories, part horror, part dystopian fiction, all accompanied by the unsettling yet brilliant illustrations of Chris Priestley.

A Thousand Nights - E.K. Johnston (£12.99)
"Lo-Melkhiin killed three hundred girls before he came to my village, looking for a wife." When Lo-Melkhiin - a formidable king - arrives at her desert home, she knows that he will take her beautiful sister for a wife. Desperate to save her sister from certain death, she makes the ultimate sacrifice - leaving home and family behind to live with a fearful man. But it seems that a strange magic flows between her and Lo-Melkhiin, and night after night, she survives.

Finding power in storytelling, the words she speaks are given strange life of their own. Little things, at first: a dress from home, a vision of her sister. But she dreams of bigger, more terrible magic: power enough to save a king ...if only she can stop her heart from falling for a monster.

Set against a harsh desert backdrop, A Thousand Nights by E K Johnston is an evocative tale of love, mystery and magic that would not feel out of place if Scheherazade herself were telling it. And perhaps she is...

  
Carry On - Rainbow Rowell (£12.99)
Rainbow Rowell continues to break down boundaries with 'Carry On', an epic fantasy following the triumphs and heartaches of Simon and Baz from her beloved bestselling book, Fangirl.

Simon Snow just wants to relax and savour his last year at the Watford School of Magicks, but no one will let him. His girlfriend broke up with him, his best friend is a pest and his mentor keeps trying to hied him away in the mountains where maybe he'll be safe. Simon can't even enjoy the fact that his room-mate and longtime nemesis is missing, because he can't stop worrying about the evil git. Plus there are ghosts. And vampires. And actual evil things trying to shut Simon down. When you're the most powerful magician the world has ever known, you never get to relax and savour anything.

This a ghost story, a love story, a mystery and a melodrama. It has just as much snogging and heart-to-heart talking as you'd expect from a Rainbow Rowell story - but far, far more monsters!
   
Liquidator - Andy Mulligan (£12.99)
Hilarious, terrifying and ultimately heart-warming - from the author of Trash comes the tale of a few ordinary kids doing work experience all over the city on the day of the launch of a new global brand. Liquidator - the new and incredibly popular sports drink is in fact a genetically-modified, sugar-based slime that's highly addictive. It's been trialed in Africa, and children have been left damaged and dying. What a shock, therefore, when a nervous girl on work experience stumbles upon confidential files revealing this hideous cover-up. Will she walk away? Or will she tell her friends?

Capsized into a world without principles - where your life is worth nothing and you are forced to rely only on each other. A bunch of kids using their work experience placements to take on the world...Liquidator is bang up to date, a fantastic, twisty-turny thrill ride, and you'll never look at a can of coke in the same way again...

Silence is Goldfish - Annabel Pitcher (£10.99)
The third YA novel from the bestselling and prize-winning author of My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece and Ketchup Clouds.

Tessie-T has never really felt she fitted in and after what she read that night on her father's blog she knows for certain that she never will. How she deals with her discovery makes an entirely riveting, heart-breaking story told through Tess's eyes as she tries to find her place in the world.

Pitcher's talent is beautifully-crafted, deceptively easy prose, which allows you to plunge headlong into a teen word, with all its heartbreak and loneliness, promise and excitement. Quirky, funny and a great alternative if you are really not that in to the dystopian vibe. 
   
Illuminae: The Illuminae Files Book 1 -
Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff (£8.99)
The year is 2575 and two mega-corporations are at war over a planet that's little more than an ice covered speck. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them Ezra and Kady have to make their escape on the evacuating fleet. But their troubles are just beginning. A deadly plague has broken out on one of the space ships and it is mutating with terrifying results. Their ships protection is seriously flawed. No one will say what is going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth its clear only one person can help her. Ezra. And the only problem with that is they split up before all this trouble started and she isn't supposed to be talking to him.

This is a fantastically original, heart-stopping adventure where everything is definitely more dangerous than it seems. There are hints of everything in here, from Orson Scott Card to Rainbow Rowell, great science fiction works and cutting-edge graphic novels. Spectacular.

Night Owls - Jenn Bennett (£7.99)    
Meeting Jack on the Owl - San Francisco's night bus - turns Beatrix's world upside down. Jack is charming, wildly attractive ...and possibly one of San Francisco's most notorious graffiti artists. On midnight rides and city rooftops, Beatrix begins to see who this enigmatic boy really is. But Jack is hiding much more - and can she uncover the truth that leaves him so wounded?

A unique and profoundly moving novel, Night Owls will linger in your memory long after the final page. Unashamedly romantic and blisteringly honest about love and sex.

The Rest of Us Just Live Here - Patrick Ness (£12.99)    
What if you weren't the Chosen One? What if you just want to graduate and go to prom?

Following a group of "normal" kids as their "indie" counterparts are busy saving the universe around them, Ness has huge fun subverting familiar YA tropes. But this is ultimately a book about what it is to be human, exploring the hopes, dreams and bonds that we all need to thrive.

Ness is one of the coolest YA writers around at the moment, and this book cements his reputation as one of the surest guides through the difficult and dramatic teenage years.

Asking For It - Louise O'Neill (£12.99)
Louise O'Neill won the inaugural UK YA Prize for her disturbing dystopian book 'Only Ever Yours', which took body-image concerns, sexism and female competition to a satirical climax. And she again asks awkward and profound questions in 'Asking For It', a book which asks: 'Does it matter if you can't remember?'

18-year-old Emma wakes up after a party, in pain and with no memory of the previous night. But thanks to smart phones and social media, everyone else has seen what happened - in explicit detail. A book which boldly tackles issues of rape, consent, betrayal, and victim-blaming in a blistering second novel. Without the cushion of dystopia the result is bold, brave and even more brutal

One - Sarah Crossan (£10.99)    
The story of an unbreakable bond and love between two sisters; the twist is that they are conjoined twins. No longer able to afford home-schooling, they must venture out into the world.

Heartbreaking, life-affirming and quite exceptional, can the girls get beyond the stares and cruelty to find friends, and even love? For fans of Wonder sure, but also fans of Crossan's other uplifting novels including the Carnegie-shortlisted 'Apple and Rain'.

Demon Road - Derek Landy (£14.99)    
Amber is just your average 16 year old, a bit plain with a few extra pounds, but her life is about to change forever when she has to go on the run from her parents who want to kill her. An ally teams her up with Milo, a man with his own secret, to protect her on a road trip with a difference along the demon road to find the one man who may be able to save her.

We love Derek Landy, his Skulduggery Pleasant series is a triumph and a modern classic, and this new book has it all, from Demons and Killer Cars to Vampires and even Witches. A gruesome supernatural fest, and not for the faint-hearted.
    
Trollhunters - Guillermo del Torro (£10.99)
In San Bernardino, California, children are going missing. The townspeople don't believe the rumours of trolls, but fifteen-year-old Jim Jnr knows that they're a very real threat. At night, is anyone safe? 

Trollhunters is a funny, gruesome and undeniably del Toro-esque adventure perfect for teen readers and fans of Pan's Labyrinth.




Queen of Shadows - Sarah J Maas (£7.99)    
"The fourth breathtaking instalment in the New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series. Bloodthirsty for revenge on the two men responsible for destroying her life, and desperate to find out if the prince and his captain are safe, Celaena returns to Rifthold, the seat of so much evil. She has accepted her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, there are dark truths to learn and debts to be paid. 

Readers will be held rapt as Celaena's story builds to an agonising crescendo, packed with heart-pounding action and swoon-worthy romance."


Jackaby - William Ritter (£7.99)    
Doctor Who meets Sherlock in the first in a series which features a detective of the paranormal and his adventurous, intelligent assistant in a tale brimming with cheeky humour and a dose of the macabre.

Don't get caught in 'The Rain': five questions with Virginia Bergin

Before Easter, we did a fantastic school event with YA author Virginia Bergin, author of 'The Rain' and it's newly-published sequel 'The Storm'. Fantastic because Virginia was born and brought up in Abingdon...and we got to take her back to her old school, Fitzharrys.

The Rain tells the story of Ruby Morris, and what happens when something seeds the rainclouds and wipes out large numbers of the world's population. What really sets this dystopian novel for young adults apart - and why we love it - is it's British setting, and the central character of Ruby - who already had plenty of problems before the world started to end...

As you might guess, having always been a writer, Virginia was never the most likely pupil to be up on stage when at school, so the opportunity to stand up and talk to pupils was both exciting and terrifying.

After an (understandable) wobble at the start, Virginia got into her stride, and if there is one thing Virginia can do brilliantly it's to pick a great piece from her book, and read it to great effect. The pupils were stunned, and responded brilliantly...

Virginia signed copies for students, and gave them advice on everything to do with writing their own books.

Given her Abingdon heritage, we were particularly interested to learn as much about her writing life as possible - particularly with 'The Rain' coming out as H2O in the US (with an extremely cool cover with the effect of drops of rain burning through the book jacket!). Here's what she said... 

Five Questions with...Virginia Bergin's Writing Life

1.    What are you working on at the moment?
Being a multi-tasking octopus! Having just got back from The Rain/The Storm UK schools tour, I’ve got tons of news posts to do for my website, blogs to write, photos to post, emails to respond to and people to thank (including you, Mr Mostly Books!), plus Rain has just come out in Germany and I need to work on the American version of The Storm. Writing-wise, it’s pretty quiet – which is no bad thing as last year was non-stop crazy – but I’ve got a couple of new story ideas I’m thinking about. I can’t say more than that because they’re top secret at the moment!

2.    What is the best writing tip you’ve ever been given?
Hmmm . . . I’ve been writing seriously for about 20 years, so I’ve taken part in a lot of workshops and courses and writers’ groups and picked up a lot of tips . . . but I think you learn more by doing, so I’m going to tell you my favourite writing exercise instead! It works best when you don’t know why you’re doing the first part, but . . .

PART ONE:
Pick a subject – any subject – and give yourself 5 minutes to write down as many words as you can think of that you’d associate with it. Your subject could be ‘rain’, for example, so you’d write down things like ‘pouring’, ‘wet’, ‘drip’, ‘drop’, ‘torrential’, ‘cloud’, ‘storm’, etc. Be thorough. Be imaginative. Test your vocabulary.

PART TWO:
Now . . . give yourself 10-15 minutes to write a seriously chunky paragraph all about rain WITHOUT USING ANY OF THOSE WORDS.

(You can even do this with a friend; just swap your lists of banned words and challenge your friend to write about your subject.)

It is fiendishly difficult – but it will really push your writing!

3.    What’s the best thing and the worst thing about being a children’s writer?
OK, I'm going to change this question to 'Writing for Young Adults', OK? OK. The best thing? Up until the Rain/Storm schools tour, I would have said the best thing was the freedom it gives you. I like to have quite big/serious themes and ideas in my writing, but I also like to tell a cracking good story – and when I write for young adults I feel free to do that. It’s really liberating! But . . . maybe now I would say it’s getting to meet young people. It was brilliant!

The worst thing? Not having enough time to chat to those young people! Students usually have to rush off to their next lesson, I need to make sure I sign everyone’s book, so we’re all under time pressure. It’s still great to meet everyone, though!

4.    Do you have a writer’s survival kit, e.g. a place, thing or snack essential before you can start work?
No . . . but I think I work best in my little writing room in my flat. I’ve tried writing in other locations, but I find it too distracting. I’m so used to working in this tiny room I don’t even see the walls, I just see whatever it is I’m working on. Then I step out of it and realise my kitchen is in a mess and I’ve forgotten to go shopping.

5.    What was your biggest breakthrough?
Both in terms of my own writing and in terms of success in the outside world, it has to be The Rain. When I was writing the first draft, there was a time when I wanted to stop. Apart from the usual worry about whether what I was writing would be any good, I was afraid it was too horrific a story to write . . . but I found I couldn’t abandon Ruby Morris, my main character, so I kept going. 

I did it! I finished a novel! And then Macmillan wanted to buy it! 

B-R-E-A-K-T-H-R-O-U-G-H!