Heartstopper Vol 6 by Alice Oseman TEEN
This is the final instalment of Nick and Charlie’s story. Everyone in school knows Nick and Charlie. Everyone knows they’re going to be together forever. Charlie’s busy with his bid to become head boy. And while Nick is preparing to leave for university, he’s starting to wonder who he’ll be…without Charlie. This is a lovely conclusion to the series. As ever, the author does not shy away from the realities of relationships but this novel celebrates love, friendship and staying true to yourself.
Gone for good by Sarah Crossan TEEN
Connie Ryder is taken from her home in the dead of night and sent to Silver Lake Academy – a remote, high-security facility for ‘troubled’ teens. At Silver Lake, the vulnerable and the violent are locked in together under a brutal regime that aims to improve their behaviour. But when Connie learns she’s been given the bed of a missing girl named Belle, she is drawn deep into a chilling web of secrets and lies…Another brilliant verse novel from Sarah Crossan.
Last Hope Highway by Rachel Delahaye
Earth is dying and the only way out is to win a rare lottery ticket to Starlight, the newly colonised City that Kip’s family escaped to-without him. Stranded in the desperate settlement known as Last Hope Highway, Kip joins thousands waiting for their one chance at survival. This novel explores what home means and explores ideas of friendship, family and the harsh realities of environmental change.
Rusthead by Ross MacKenzie
When Kol and Sully discover a long-dormant spaceship beneath the junk, they are propelled into an adventure to save the universe. Ross has written some fantastic fantasies and his latest book does not disappoint. This is a thrilling sci-fi adventure where two boys must battle against an evil robot empire to save the galaxy.
Bury your friends by Benjamin Dean
Noah and his best friends are finally graduating from Woodthorn Academy and to celebrate exam results day, they’re hosting a party weekend at Black Stone but find themselves in the crosshairs of a killer who insists that every hour, one person must be evicted from the house or someone inside the house will die…Scary thriller which will keep you guessing and make you think twice about accepting an invitation to a party in a country estate…
Love on Sight by Asli Jensen TEEN
S
abrina has her life planned out – she’s going to pass her A levels and go to university. But then she meets Jalaal, a boy trapped on the wrong path, desperate for a way out. An English Jamaican girl and a Somali Muslim boy being together isn’t straightforward, with cultural expectations, disapproving family and religious differences to overcome. But is that the struggle you face when you fall in love on sight?
Love Romeo and Juliet? Well, you’ll probably enjoy this story too. This novel won the 2026 Branford Boase Award for debut writers.
The league of dangerous young ladies by J A Morgenstein
The daughters of famous men from Victorian literature and history come together to solve an ancient mystery. It’s 1909 and Rose Moriarty-teenage daughter of Sherlock Holmes’ greatest enemy-has made a name for herself fighting monsters and solving crimes. But that was before Rose met the one mystery she couldn’t solve: the disappearance of her headmistress. Now, her school has shut down, her classmates have scattered, and Rose is on her own.
Not Going to Plan by Tia Fisher TEEN
Marnie’s really messed up this time…
Thrown out of her posh boarding school just before GCSEs, the only empty seat in her new class is next to Zed, a nerd with zero tolerance for mistakes. Marnie (great at art and Spanish but definitely not numbers) can’t wait to lose her virginity – whereas Zed (great at maths and physics but definitely not languages) is a loner who can’t stand being touched. But they have at least one thing in common: they need good grades. And what starts as a trade in tuition, turns into an unlikely friendship… a friendship that’s tested to breaking when Marnie’s tricked into having sex without a condom.
Definitely one for our teen readers. I loved the characters in this novel – they were likeable and relatable. It was a gripping story line, which didn’t shy away from difficult subject matter, but dealt with it sensitively.
Some Like it Cold by Elle McNicholl TEEN
Having read Elle McNicoll’s other books, I was intrigued as to how her first foray into YA would fare. I will confess that I was little disappointed at first as I thought it was going to be the archetypal “rom com” churned out regularly on the Hallmark channel, with the golden girl loved by everyone, the evil older sister and the broodingly handsome Mr Darcy cipher. However, I soon realised that Elle had brought in many of the classic romantic tropes but there was much more to this story. For me, by far the best part of the story was Jasper’s neurodiversity which was described in an achingly effective way. I enjoyed the setting; who can resist a small-town vignette in the run up to Christmas? The characters were well written, and Elle fleshed out the selfish older sister and brooding boyfriend admirably. The minor characters also felt real. Best of all, there was a lovely happy ending, as you would expect with a rom com. I’m looking forward to recommending this to neurodivergent readers and those who love a great romance.
