KBR Recommends Summer Reads: Young Adult Fiction Part I

Some wonderful young adult books were released during 2010 - here are just some that will make for great reading over the summer holidays.

When Nick's mother dies suddenly, the fourteen-year-old is sent straight into a boys' home, where he finds institutional intimidation and violence keep order. After countless fights and punishments, Nick thinks life can't get any worse - but the professionally respected deputy head, Mr Creal, who has been grooming him with sweets and solace, has something much more sinister in mind.

The scarring, shaming experience he suffers at the hands of Mr Creal can never quite be suppressed, and when the old hatred surfaces, bloody murder and revenge lead to an unforgettable climax.

Title: Nicholas Dane
Author: Melvin Burgess
Publisher: Penguin, $19.95 RRP
Publication Date: July 2010
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780141316338
Type: Novel

This book is available online

Before the attack, sixteen-year-old Tom Harvey was just an ordinary boy.

But now fragments of a shattered iPhone are embedded in his brain and it's having an extraordinary effect...

Because now Tom has powers. The ability to know and see more than he could ever imagine. And with incredible power comes knowledge – and a choice. Seek revenge on the violent gangs that rule his estate and assaulted his friend Lucy, or keep quiet?

Tom has control when everything else is out of control. But it's a dangerous price to pay. And the consequences are terrifying...

Title: iBoy
Author: Kevin Brooks
Publisher: Penguin, $18.95 RRP
Publication Date: August 2010
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780141326108
Type: Novel

This book is available online

Persimmon lives a solitary life, pouring her passion into the florist shop she owns in the underground railway station. Her only companion is Rose, a talking cabbage. Intriguing young men come and go but Persimmon has yet to find the love of her life.

Several levels beneath Persimmon's shop lives a mouse called Epiphany. Epiphany has a questing mind. She wants to know what lies beyond the dark tunnels of her home. As in all good fables, Persimmon and Epiphany are destined to meet. And when they do, life will never be the same again.

Title: The Three Loves of Persimmon
Author: Cassandra Golds
Publisher: Penguin, $17.95 RRP
Publication Date: August 2010
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780143205012
Type: Novel

This book is available online

Oliver’s world has shrunk. It’s all about Year 12 finals. It’s about that magic 80% average he needs to get into uni, get his dream job and get cashed up. If only he can find a quiet place to study – away from the chaos and mess of living with two small kids and his Mum’s booming muffin business.

A study break in a small coastal town seems just the ticket. But Sunny Haven Recreation and Leisure Centre is like some weird parallel universe. He arrives cashless, bookless, phoneless and fuming in the back of his Dad’s clapped out Cortina only to find his new study space is home to an array of elderly citizens.

They’ve each got their own opinions on Oliver’s life plans and he “doesn’t wanna hear it!” But gradually, with their help Oliver’s universe expands.

Title: Wavelength
Author: A.J. Betts
Publisher: Fremantle Press, $17.95 RRP
Publication Date: August 2010
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781921696305
Type: Novel

This book is available online

Cassie is in grief over the death of her best friend, Julia, who died behind the wheel in a road accident. She had unrequited romantic feelings for her friend, and now she is determined to cycle from Illinois to California with Julia's ashes, so she can scatter them in the ocean that Julia never managed to see.

Over the course of her trip, through various experiences and encounters, Cassie confirms to herself that she is gay. And then, when her bike and most of her money is stolen, she discovers her true friends and a sort of unhoped-for salvation.

Interspersed through the narrative is the unfolding love story between Heather and Cassie, as Heather slowly reveals to Cassie her true feelings, and Cassie begins to open up to the possibility of reciprocal romance.

Title: A Love Story Starring my Dead Best Friend
Author: Emily Horner
Publisher: Penguin, $19.95 RRP
Publication Date: June 2010
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780143204312
Type: Novel

This book is available online

At last there is peace in the city. A shipment of vicious creatures will be exported faraway. Their containers rattle, howl and smell of death.

But not everyone is keen to see them leave. Shouldn't the place that makes the monsters keep them?

Ewan has returned to the city for his father's trial. May has joined a school for special talents. Andrew wants only to keep out of trouble. But trouble is sure to find them.

It has their scent.

Title: Lost Dogs
Author: Garrett Carr
Publisher: Simon and Schuster, $17.99 RRP
Publication Date: January 2011
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781847385994
Type: Novel