The November young adult review
Discover the new books for young adult readers that our booksellers are excited about this month! From a gothic fairytale to a complex YA dystopia, a classic fantasy favourite, and more.
Don’t Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews
Reviewed by Bella Mackey, digital content lead
C.G. Drews’ return to young adult fiction is a gloriously gothic exploration of fairytales, isolation and obsessive friendship, set in an elite boarding school and a dark, untouched forest.
Andrew feels too fragile to exist properly in the world, thanks to the intense anxiety that either paralyses him or sends him spiralling. But between his polished and high‑achieving twin sister Dove, and his bold and fearless best friend Thomas, he’s able to keep himself mostly together.
But now, after a long summer apart, something is different. The close trio of friends is fractured but Andrew can’t work out why. And there’s something lurking in the dense forest that surrounds their secluded boarding school – something that’s following Andrew. Is it related to the bloody disappearance of Thomas’s parents? Or the twisted, macabre fairytale monsters that Andrew and Thomas have concocted together? And what price will they have to pay to keep the forest at bay?
This is a dark and emotional fantasy thriller, and a must-read for fans of dark-academia books like Leigh Bardugo’s Ninth House or M.L. Rio’s If We Were Villains. It’s spooky and evocative, and C.G. Drews perfectly balances the style with richly nuanced characters that provide plenty of substance. It’s also full of heart-rending pining, so I heartily recommend it for fans of romance – especially any readers who are keen to see romance for an asexual character. For readers 14+.
Comes the Night by Isobelle Carmody
Reviewed by Kate McIntosh, manager of Readings Emporium
The first book in the Obernewtyn Chronicles was published when I was nine years old; the seventh and final, when I was 37. To maintain that kind of dedication and loyalty from fans worldwide for 28 years is a remarkable feat, one only a legendary worldbuilder could manage. Fortunately, the highly anticipated and long-awaited new YA novel by Isobelle Carmody is a standalone and readers will be able to devour it, safe in the knowledge they won’t have to wait for more (although the ending is left open enough for a sequel to be perfectly possible!).
In 2070, the Australia Carmody imagines is somewhat different to the one we know today. Most cities, both urban and regional, have been enclosed in enormous domes, apparently to protect their inhabitants from the dangerous environment outside. Sixteen-year-old Will has never known his hometown of Canberra to be any other way, and it is through his eyes that we experience this futuristic but still familiar world. Grieving the loss of a beloved uncle, dealing with his parents separation, trying to decide what path to take after high school and realising that his feelings for his best friend might not be so platonic after all, should be enough angst for any young person to handle, but Will discovers his ability to dream walk at the same time as he unwittingly uncovers a huge government conspiracy.
Although a slow burn to start with, Comes the Night is a complex and intriguing masterpiece that is sure to win Carmody a whole new legion of devoted fans. For ages 12+.
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Reviewed by Rosalind McClintock, head of marketing
There is a great pleasure in re-reading the classics with a child. While my child is not yet a young adult, he was very keen to read The Hobbit. So, as a dutiful mother, I dusted off a copy and dived into Middle-earth, the world of Bilbo, Gandalf and Thorin et al. I was struck by the slower pace of the book in comparison to modern-day odysseys, but it is this pace that allows for the building of a rich world full of intricate characters, nuanced relationships and the realistic yet magnificent character arc of one Bilbo Baggins. J.R.R. Tolkien is a masterful world builder; while others have tried, no one since Tolkien quite captures the level of detail he does, right down to Bilbo’s buttons.
The basic plot is Bilbo, a Baggins (revered for their steady nature) and a Took (Hobbits with a wild and adventurous streak), is called upon by Gandalf (a wizard) to help 13 dwarfs defeat Smaug (a dragon) and so reclaim their home and treasure. Bilbo, very much a Baggins, is not at all keen. In fact, he is bamboozled into the mission. Along the way, he is forced to forego his creature comforts (he is particularly fond of food and hankies) and learns he is more than the sum of his parts. With the help of the ring (yes, THE ring), his wits and growing resourcefulness surprises Bilbo himself, his companions and his reader.
The Hobbit is a tale full of adventure, cunning and, of course, fights and battles. It transcends all ages; it’s great to read-aloud to a child, as a read-alone for a young adult and as a journey into the past for an adult. It is an inspiring story of rising to the occasion and accepting your whole self to do so.
Also recommended are:
Looking for Smoke by K.A. Cobell
Since moving to the Blackfeet Reservation with her parents, Mara Racette has felt like an outsider. So, when a local girl includes Mara in a traditional Blackfeet Giveaway to honour her missing sister, Mara thinks she’ll finally make some friends. Instead, a girl named Samantha is found murdered. The members of the Giveaway group were the last to see Samantha alive and are now suspects. Together they must clear their names, even though one of them may be the murderer.
Almost Nothing Happened by Meg Rosoff
Seventeen-year-old Callum’s summer exchange in rural France has been a failure: no epic adventure, no summer fling, and his French is still rubbish. Instead of boarding the Eurostar home, Callum decides to stay (and doesn’t bother telling his parents). As night falls on the hottest weekend of the year, he begins an adventure with his long-lost cousin, Harrison, an oboist. What follows involves a motorbike, a curfew, a stolen oboe, a Matisse, at least one police chase, a climate protest and the enigmatic, irresistible Lilou.
Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White
Sixteen-year-old trans boy Benji is on the run from the cult that raised him and is rescued by a group of teens from the local Acheson LGBTQ+ Centre (ALC). The ALC’s leader, Nick, is gorgeous, autistic, and a deadly shot, and he knows Benji’s darkest secret: the cult has infected him with a bioweapon that’s mutating him into a monster deadly enough to wipe humanity from the earth. Still, Nick offers Benji protection. But Nick has a hidden agenda, and more than a few secrets of his own.
Just Do This One Thing for Me by Laura Zimmermann
Seventeen-year-old Drew knows ‘Just do this one thing for me’ really means all the necessary things her scammer mother thinks are boring, including taking care of her 15-year-old sister and eight-year-old brother. In fact, Drew is the closest thing to a responsible adult they’ve ever known. When their mother disappears on the way to a New Year’s Eve concert in Mexico, Drew is faced with a choice: do the responsible thing and walk away – alone – from her mother’s mess, or hope the weather stays cold, keep the cons going, and try to hold her family together.
The Sweetness Between Us by Sarah Winifred Searle
Summer holidays are over. Perley and Amandine should be busy with their school’s knitting club and hockey, but instead they’re struggling with major life changes. Perley has been diagnosed with diabetes and Amandine, part of a respected vampire family, has been turned much younger than she expected after a near-fatal car accident. Bonding over hospital trips and dietary alterations, the two teens form a fast friendship. Will they be able to get their lives back to normal? And when so much has changed, what does ‘normal’ even mean?
