The Memory Cage by Ruth Eastham

The Blurb On The Back:

Granddad is getting worse. I try to cover up for him. But last night, he could have killed us all …

Alex’s grandfather keeps forgetting things. Desperate to help him remember, Alex starts collecting old photographs. But as Alex digs into his grandfather’s past, he stumbles across secrets that have been buried since World War II.

Uncovering the truth could save Granddad … but it might also tear Alex apart.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Ruth Eastham’s debut middle grade novel is a tender, touching and thought-provoking book that links secrets and the personal trauma caused by war. Although I didn’t quite buy Alex’s relationship with his brother, Leonard, that didn’t really detract from a powerful story that’s well told and I’m hugely looking forward to reading Ruth Eastham’s next book.

THE MEMORY CAGE was released in the UK on 3rd January 2011. Thanks to Scholastic for the ARC of this book.

Heist Society by Ally Carter

The Blurb On The Back:

When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her to the Louvre … to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie travelled to Austria … to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own – scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind.

But now her dad’s life is on the line, and Kat must go back to the world she tried so hard to escape …

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Ally Carter’s novel, the first in a new crime thriller series, is a mix of OCEAN’S ELEVEN and THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR for teens. It’s a frothy, light-hearted romp with an interesting, resourceful and dynamic main character and a promising series arc. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

HEIST SOCIETY was released in the UK on 1st September 2011. Thanks to Orchard Books for the ARC of this book.

Skellig by David Almond

The Blurb On The Back:

Michael steps into the crumbling garage. What is this thing beneath the spiders’ webs and dead flies? A human being, or a strange kind of beast never seen before? The only person Michael can confide in is Mina. Together, they carry the creature out into the light, and Michael’s world changes forever …

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

David Almond’s award-winning middle grade novel is a brilliant, sensitive and touching read about faith and love that frequently reduced me to tears. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Thanks to Hodder Childrens Books for the free copy of this book.

Diary Of A Wimpy Vampire: Prince Of Dorkness by Tim Collins

The Blurb On The Back:

Transformed into a vampire at the awkward age of fifteen, Nigel Mullet will remain this age forever, and must spend eternity struggling through adolescence.

In his latest hilarious diary, Nigel starts the new term as one of the most popular pupils in school, and he’s finally got a girlfriend after more than eighty years of being single. But his life soon unravels when a new pupil, Jason, joins his school …

When Jason steals his girlfriend, Nigel vows to get revenge. But the more he discovers about Jason the more confused he gets. Who exactly is this mysterious new classmate? And how can Nigel win his true love back?

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

This sequel to Diary Of A Wimpy Vampire is as funny as the first and takes the hapless Nigel Mullet through more triumphs and disasters. I really hope that this isn’t the last we see of him or his family.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the free copy of this book.

The History Keepers by Damian Dibben

The Blurb On The Back:

It’s time for a new hero …

Imagine if you lost your parents – not just in place but in time.

Jake Djones’s folks have gone missing and they could be anywhere in the world – at any time in history. For the Djones family have an astonishing secret. They belong to THE HISTORY KEEPERS; a secret society which travels through the centuries to prevent evil enemies from meddling with history itself.

The past is in danger; only Jake Djones can save it …

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Damien Dibben’s middle-grade novel (the first in a series) was, for me, an exposition-heavy, overly convoluted and ultimately dull take on the idea of a secret society protecting history from those who seek to exploit or destroy it. I didn’t gel with any of the characters, the pacing was weighed down by the explanations and the villains evil clichés. To be honest, Timeriders by Alex Scarrow is a more enjoyable take on the same idea and as such, I don’t think I’ll be reading on.

THE HISTORY KEEPERS was released in the UK on 1st September 2011. Thanks to Doubleday for the ARC of this book.