Mystery

Matilda has moved around a lot: her mother has always jumped from one relationship to another, dropping everything to take off to another country with her daughter trailing behind. But that’s all Matilda’s ever known, so when she receives an email from her father, a world-renowned artist that she’s never met, with an invitation to his beachside castle, she can’t help but wonder if he could help her to finally find herself after all this time. But of course, things at Hidden Beach are not quiet what they seem.

Are you looking for a sensitive read for your beloved pre-teen? Well, this book is not for you. However, if you are looking for fun, suspense, laugh-out-loud ridiculousness … if you like your (severed) fingers mysterious, independent-minded, green and putrid-smelling then this book is for you!

One year after their first run-in with the Carrington Ghoul in Let’s Split Up, the Sanera Four have reunited in their hometown for a brand-new Halloween festival, only to be met with worse than a copy-cat killer: someone who wants to rewrite the ending.

This is a story about searching for life, and finding the meaning of life instead. What do we miss when we focus too hard on outcomes rather than being curious and appreciating what is in front of us? What does it mean to get lost, and be found? With the absence of little space creatures in our immediate vicinity, what would it take to shake up our own malaise?

Viola and Wilmur, two teens who’ve been waiting for their parents to return to their baron, salt-filled island for fifteen years, decide to leave when adventure comes kicking down their door (literally). In exchange for a mysterious book, Captain Chase agrees to take the children on her pirate ship where adventures ensue.

Hilda and Twig Wake the Ice Man is a captivating return to Luke Pearson’s much-loved Hilda universe. This new adventure is filled with winter magic and gentle humour, and is full of the warmth which makes Pearson’s work so appealing. Funny and visually striking, it stands out as one of Hilda and Twig’s most charming tales yet, with a story that will grip readers from the first page.

Enchanted Ireland is a captivating journey through all thirty-two counties of Ireland, offering readers a rich tapestry of myth, geography and imagination. Each short story blends traditional folklore with real locations, allowing readers to travel the country through its legends. A map included in the book invites readers to follow their reading journey from county to county.

The Not-So Great Escape is an excellent example of how there is always more behind titles. First assumptions had this reviewer imagining a funny adventure, a buddy comedy full of shenanigans, perfect for younger readers. This itself would have been highly enjoyable, but instead The Not-So Great Escape is a much more complex story.

Poison Tides is beautifully choreographed. It has a rhythm and flow that echoes the journeys of its principle characters. In this sequel to Blood Flowers, the story is told in individual chapters from the perspective of the three protagonists; Bear, Felix and Meya, where they give a topographical sense of the places that they inhabit.