The Light Thieves by Helena Duggan, reviewed by Catherine (11)

The planet has shifted on its axis in what is known as The Tilt, an enormous earthquake which also caused a black mark to appear on the sun. Billionaire tech genius Howard Hansomhas a plan to harness PEOPLEPOWER! to fix the earth – but not everyone is convinced…

I love it when they enter the Wilde Forest. It is a dark and mysterious place and you can tell that exciting things are going to happen there.

Catherine (11)

The main character in this story is schoolboy Grian Woods, closely followed by Jeffrey Slight, Grian’s neighbour and classmate, and Shelli, a Wilde girl. Both have unique and exciting abilities; Jeffrey has an impressive skill with all things technology, and Shelli can communicate with animals. The three team up to bring home Grian’s older sister Solas after she runs away to the Tipping Point – a city designed by Howard Hansom in the perfect position to save the world.

However, when the heroic trio arrive, not all is as it seems. Something dark is going on in the city of everybody’s dreams – could it have anything to do with Grian’s missing grandfather? It’s up to Grian and his new friends to find out and put it right.

My favourite character is Shelli’s clever fox friend Nach and I love it when they enter the Wilde Forest. It is a dark and mysterious place and you can tell that exciting things are going to happen there. I would recommend this book to ages 8-12. Other books by Helena Duggan are A Place Called Perfect, The Trouble with Perfect, and The Battle for Perfect. I haven’t read this trilogy but it sounds good!

The Reluctant Vampire Queen by Jo Simmons, reviewed by Catherine (11)

Fifteen-year-old Mo Merrydrew has her life sketched out perfectly. It’s all in The Plan, a scheme that she and her best friend have come up with together. Unfortunately, one evening, coming home from school, she encounters Bogdan, a vampire who insists that she is the Chosen One and must become the Vampire Queen of Britain. Mo doesn’t find it appealing, as she is a vegetarian. But the next day she meets Luca, Bogdan’s human servant, and suddenly the role of Vampire Queen seems a lot better…

The author is really good at making the reader want Mo to succeed – even though she faces a life of gruesome crime.

Catherine (11)

Bogdan and Luca ask Mo over and over again, trying to persuade her to change her mind. Just as the duo are leaving in defeat, Mo has a brainwave which solves everyone’s problems, usefully making her new crush stick around. But trouble is around the corner. The Vampire King is coming to England! Mo will need all the help she can get…or she might accidently become the royal dinner!

Mo likes hanging out with her bestie Lou, and eating mini Battenberg cakes. She is a person who values school and sadly she is bullied by a girl called Tracey Caldwell, who is also mean to Lou. Will Mo find the courage to stand up to her enemies so they leave her alone? The author is really good at making the reader want Mo to succeed – even though she faces a life of gruesome crime.

Throughout this story Mo finds her voice and discovers exactly what it means to be a Vampire Queen. I like how Mo seems to be a powerful role model and has strong feelings about women being equal to men. She criticizes Bogdan’s biased view that vampire monarchs should be male, but that he is willing to make ‘an exception’ for her. In her opinion (and mine too!) there is no exception to make!

The Offline Diaries by Yomi Agegoke & Elizabeth Uviebinené, reviewed by Catherine (11)

Ade is angry with her stepdad because his job has forced her family to move and leave everything behind. What’s more, he acts like such an angel that no one understands why she doesn’t like him. All of that changes when she meets Shanice, whose father owns the Powers hair salon, and an instant friendship is formed. It turns out they will be going to the same school – but can their friendship survive the ups and downs with bullies that lurk online and offline?

“I like how there are two perspectives in the story because the chapters switch between Ade’s diary and Shanice’s diary, which means you get more than one point of view.”

Catherine (11)

Ade and Shanice are the main characters in The Offline Diaries. They both have pink diaries which they write their thoughts and the day’s events in, hence the name of the book. Shanice lives with her dad and her annoying older brother James, and you learn early on that her mother has sadly passed away the year before. Ade is an in-the-middle child. Her big sister Bisi is a grump of a sixteen-year-old, and Funmi, the youngest daughter, is frustrating 24/7. Ade lives with her mum and stepdad, and rarely sees her father.

The trouble is, at Archbishop Academy (Ade and Shanice’s school), Ade takes a shine to Amy and Aaliyah, aka the Double As. They want Ade to be part of their gang, making it the Triple As – but they aren’t nice to Shanice, who’s a bit of a social outcast. Ade starts to drift away from her original BFF. Can she realise who really matters and make up with Shanice before it’s too late?

My favourite part is when Ade’s Aunty Kim comes over and Ade goes shopping with her, Shanice and (annoyingly) Funmi. Funmi gets to pick a toy, and Ade just can’t understand why she’d pick a frog – of all the animals, a frog! I like how there are two perspectives in the story because the chapters switch between Ade’s diary and Shanice’s diary, which means you get more than one point of view. There is also the occasional messaging on a social media called ChatBack, where the girls talk online. I would recommend this book to easygoing readers of ages 9-12.