Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

Whenever I’m asked to find a book for somebody 12+ who hates reading, Skulduggery Pleasant is my first port of call. This series really has it all: a skeleton detective and his magical protégée who track down criminals intent on destroying the world. It’s fast-paced and action-packed, the characters are so vivid you’ll wish you could meet them in real life, and best of all, it’s funny. I can’t tell you the amount of times I was laughing out loud over the course of this series. Once you’ve got a reader hooked on Skulduggery Pleasant, you won’t be able to get them to stop reading.

Department 19 by Will Hill

We’ve all been there – your mum is kidnapped by vampires, and in order to save her you have to join a secret agency with Frankenstein’s monster as your partner. Okay, so, Department 19 might not exactly fall within the slice of life genre, but it’s a thrilling read that’ll suck readers in. Hill has created an intricate world within the walls of the secretive Department 19 that is populated by characters borrowed from literature and history (think Bram Stoker and Van Helsing). These are long books, but readers 12+ will be so swept up in the story that they’ll soon be begging for book two.

Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan

Magnus hasn’t had an easy life – he’s spent most of it on the streets after his mother was attacked and killed by wolves. But things go from bad to worse when he learns he’s actually the son of a Norse god, and only he can prevent a war of apocalyptic proportions. Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer is the latest from the author of the phenomenally successful Percy Jackson series, and it’s got all the same elements that made his previous books so readable. This is absolutely addictive reading for kids 10+.

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Kady and Ezra used to date, but then their home planet was invaded, and now they’ve got bigger problems. With the enemy in hot pursuit of their escape ship, a deadly plague making the rounds of the survivors, and a government conspiracy in the works, they’ll have to band together and put their feelings aside just to stay alive. Illuminae is one of the most original books I’ve ever read: an epic space opera told through a series of transcripts, emails and diary entries. Think Mark Z Danielewski’s House of Leaves but for the 12+ set.

Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi

After their father passes away, Emily and Navin’s mother relocates them to their great-grandfather’s rambling old house. The change is supposed to be good for them, but down in the basement they find something sinister – a gateway to a shadowy world filled with monsters. When their mother is kidnapped, they have no choice but to venture forth into this other world. Graphic novels like the Amulet series are a fantastic way to get kids 9+ hooked on reading. Eye-catching illustrations and text are woven together into a rich storytelling experience.

Holly Harper