reviews 10 – 14 Middle/Secondary continued Lois Lane Fallout 


Gwenda Bond, Curious Fox, 304pp, 978-1782023685, £6.99 pbk


Meet Lois Lane, sharp, sassy, would-           herself running up against authority, school and parents included. Yes, it is that Lois Lane, but this smart mystery novel imagines the Superman co-star as a teenager. She’s newly arrived        army general means the family move around a lot – and determined this time that she’ll keep her head down,  Waiting to meet the principal on her  some particularly creepy bullying that almost seems to be sanctioned by the head. No way can Ms Lane turn a blind eye to that. As a new reporter for the Daily Scoop, a teen subsidiary of the Daily Planet, she   thrilling, and very cleverly described  sinister tech development company is conscripting teenagers in a research  playing around with their brains to turn them into human weapons. Can Lois get to the truth while keeping her dad on side and – even more important – her new friends?      


Moth Girls 


Anne Cassidy, Hot Key Books, 284pp, 9781471405112, £6.99


Five years ago two twelve year old friends Petra and Tina suddenly disappeared and their friend Mandy was left wondering what had  by a crumbling old house nearby, which though still lived in, was somewhere that most people avoided. Mandy has been traumatized by the event and wants to know what happened after she left her two      by the certainty that she has seen Petra on at least two occasions in the  anniversary approaching things take  the answer to her questions. One again Anne Cassidy has


story, and Bond’s Lois is clever, brave and with a great line in dark humour. Readers are left in no doubt too as to the strength of her moral convictions, or the cost. “I don’t know if happy is   lonely life, righting wrongs.


Well, he’s there and with a big part to play. The two meet online, she’s ScepticGirl1 and he’s SmallvilleGuy! Their relationship is cleverly played out via instant messaging – honest and awkward, and with so much that can’t be said.     


intelligent writing that will have readers eager for more.


MMa


The Mystery of the Jewelled Moth





Katherine Woodfine, Egmont, 336pp, 978-1-4052-7618-4, £6.99 pbk


 adventure story returns to the world of Edwardian London, and particularly to Sinclair’s Department Store, where amateur detectives Sophie and Lil work and where they       The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow. Although this new title is a sequel and sees the return of familiar characters it can easily be read as a standalone story as a brief synopsis early on familiarises readers with previous events and  up in new intrigue as Sophie and Lil, together with fellow Sinclair’s employees and mystery solvers, Billy


And where is Superman in all this?


drawn into this story via the character of Mei Lim whose family runs a shop in Limehouse where businesses are being threatened by the villainous Baron, Sophie and Lil’s adversary in their previous adventure. Gradually all the threads of plot draw together as Sophie, Lil and friends solve clues, crack codes and put their lives in danger to discover thieves, murderers and fraudsters and to make the connection between the Jewelled Moth and the Lim family’s   Lord Beaucastle and the Baron as one and the same person. This latest addition to the current trend for lively historical detective stories with strong female leads will delight readers with its satisfying plot, appealing characters and combination of light-hearted tone with suspenseful action and social comment. The attention to Edwardian period detail and the wonderful descriptions of Sinclair’s Department Store and the Lims’ shop in China Town, each enticing in their own way, add sparkle to the story. Mei is a strong new character and the contrast between the lives     shop girls and East End dwellers is well portrayed. The book is beautifully produced with an eye- catching cover, detailed vignette-       up by newspaper clippings and  debutantes. This entertaining and fast-paced story with its resourceful heroines should keep old and new fans happy and there are enough intriguingly unresolved threads to ensure a readership for Sophie and SR


and Joe, become embroiled in an adventure involving the theft of the     presented to debutante Veronica by her prospective suitor, the wealthy     has disappeared and Veronica is desperate to recover it before Lord Beaucastle discovers its loss. The world of London’s China Town is


produced a masterpiece of suspense which draws the reader in so that        to the end. The story is told from two perspectives and whilst they tell a similar tale they also highlight differences that are important in the  is that from Mandy who is suffering from guilt that she did not tell the police where the girls had gone until several hours after their disappearance; if she has told them earlier would it have made a difference. The second narrator is Petra, one of the missing girls and her story takes the events in a different direction. The one person that we hear nothing from is the third member of the group, Tina and it is her fate that is the focus for much of the book. This is very much a story of relationships, those between friends and those within families. We are allowed to see the difference perceptions of friendship that people have and it is quite sad to see how Mandy and Petra view the dynamics of the original threesome, although we are reminded that they were only twelve years old. The family  but the author uses them to help create the framework for the story        actions.


teens and although it has female central characters the story will be MP


Phoenix Burning 


Bryony Pearce, Stripes, 978-1-8471-5670-9, 408p, £6.99 pbk


Toby, his father and the crew of       important solar panels which they need to power their ship. But a vital element is missing – and the only place one might be found is on the island of Gozo, home of the reclusive Sunworshippers. Can Toby, with Ayla, daughter of their enemy Captain Nell, work together to steal the inverters? This is the sequel to Phoenix Rising where we were introduced to the dystopian world inhabited by Toby and his friends. Here the stakes are raised and the adventure takes on a darker character as Toby and Ayla face trials reminiscent of the Hunger Games.


This is a great book for the younger


     which will delight those who have      stamina is required for the author does not stint on incident and the 400 pages are packed. There are many twists, turns and surprises before the reader reaches the end of this part  some may not make it, however it would be a shame not to be ready to follow Toby to the very end.


FH Rebel of the Sands 


Alwyn Hamilton, Faber, 978-0-5713-2525-2, 358p, £7.99 pbk


Armani Al’Hiza is desperate to escape Dustwalk, the desert mining town which is her home. She dreams of the big city, inspired by the tales her mother told. A shooting competition seems to be the answer – but when it is raided by  the run with the mysterious Jin. Will she achieve her dream? There is nothing unconventional about this novel or the beginning of the     in which the Arabian Nights meet the  wild horses born of the sands, there are  are also strong characters to attract younger teenage readers; Armani, – independent, strong willed – even      who has the power to destroy the desert. There are choices to be made, consequences to suffer, friendships to forge, betrayals to regret. Romance is hinted at, but action is paramount and the narrative drives on to set the scene  Attractively packaged by


publisher, this is an adventure for those who like to be taken to other        screen (Pirates of the Caribbean? Star Wars?). Armani tells her own story, allowing the prose to take on an  draws the reader in. This is a book to entertain – and I am looking forward FH


Car Wash Wish 


Sita Brahmachari, Barrington Stoke, 96pp, 978 1 78112 523 6, £6.99 pbk


Twins Ben and Fee MacTavish have There is so much to this deceptively simple story that it can be read over and over again and still reveal more each time you read it.


nearly 14, and he has Asperger’s syndrome. Through his narration of         like to think like Hudson, seeing patterns in letters and words all around him, and having to work hard at understanding people’s emotions and reactions. He’s having to come to terms with new situations and family    a baby, which means a new brother or sister for Hudson, and she’s going to marry her new partner Louis, which means Hudson will have a step-father.


Books for Keeps No.217 March 2016 27 Hudson is the


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