Introduction
While many over-fifteens will by now be reading adult books, there is also a wealth of books available at the upper end of the young adult spectrum that deal sensitively with issues of special concern to older teens. Things to look out for when choosing books for this age group are: more sophisticated language and themes to challenge and engage the reader, high quality writing and themes that are adult enough to engage the older teenager. Teenagers can easily be turned off by writing that they consider patronising or simplistic. In this section, there are titles catering to all levels of reading skill and interest in this age group; it has also been attempted to represent as many genres as possible. Humorous books rub shoulders with serious and subtle looks at first love and awakening sexuality; racism, pregnancy and death are all dealt with, but the books chosen are not mere ‘issue' books; all of them are high-quality fiction. Other issues that touch many adolescents, like family relationships, bullying and friendship are also represented, but overall, the common factor in all the books selected is that each is an excellent read. As well as being extremely worthwhile in their own right, these books will pave the way to, or complement, the young person's enjoyment of adult literature.
A note from author KEVIN BROOKS
Books for young people, or books about young people, are just the same as any other books. They're books. And books are about life, and life is about all kinds of stuff. Some of this life-stuff is good, some of it's not so good, and some of it is somewhere in between. But it's all there - from good to bad - and it all happens, and we all know it happens. Of course, that doesn't mean that everyone wants to read about the darker side of life, and not everyone wants to write about it either, but it's just as much a part of life as anything else. In fact, if you think about it, it's the dark stuff that really makes the world what it is.
Without sex, there'd be no life. Without violence, there'd be no history. Without bad feelings, there'd be no feelings. I know it sounds simple, but this kind of stuff - sex and violence, drinks and drugs - it's just stuff. It happens. It's life. And books are about life. And life is about all kinds of stuff. Kevin Brooks July 2006
MARIKO TAMAKI ILLUSTRATED BY JILLIAN TAMAKI SKIMWALKER Books 2009, £9.99 (PBK), ISBN 9781406321364
A graphic novel of a year in the life of Skim, a Japanese-Canadian goth-schoolgirl. The words and artwork merge seamlessly to show the frenzy of grief, heartbreak, disastrous dates and shifting friendships.
SIOBHAN DOWD SOLACE OF THE ROADDAVID FICKLING 2009, £10.99 (HBK), ISBN 9780385609715
This is the story of Holly Solace's childhood of neglect, cruelty and foster care in Ireland. Unstable love and friendship fill Solace with rage at her treatment and rage against the adult world.
ÁINE NÍ GHLINN TROMLUÍCOIS LIFE, b10.00 (BOG), ISBN 9781901176957
Tá gluaiseacht an-bhreá faoin scéal seo. Is aistear an-taitneamhach é, a bhogann go tapa ó eachtra go heachtra. Cuireann an malairt cló ar gach ré píosa leis toisc nach bhfuil tú cinnte cá bhfuil an tromluí agus
cá bhfuil an gnáthshaol.
TIM BOWLER
BLOODCHILD
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, £12.99 (HBK), ISBN 9780192719805
SEPTEMBER 2008
Fifteen-year-old Will is involved in a very serious accident. When he awakes in hospital he can’t remember who he is. His family takes him home to their sleepy seaside village and the boy tries to piece together his memory – and find out why there seems to be a sinister conspiracy against him. A hint of the supernatural adds to the mystery. A tense, fast-paced, atmospheric thriller where neither protagonist nor reader can be sure whom to trust. Bowler at his absolute best. Age: Older Teens
KEITH GRAY
OSTRICH BOYS
DEFINITIONS, £5.99 (PBK), ISBN 9780099456575
A powerful and skillfully developed novel that deals with the sensitive and rarely addressed subject of how teenage males deal with the unexpected death of a contemporary, particularly when there are suggestions that the friend, Ross, may have had a hand in his own death. This is a journey of self-discovery as much as a physical journey for Ross’s friends, as they steal the urn containing his ashes and take these to be scattered 261 miles away, in Ross, a small village in Scotland. Humorous, poignant, brilliant – not to be missed. Age: Older Teens
CELINE KIERNAN
THE POISON THRONE BOOK 1: THE MOOREHAWKE TRILOGY
THE O’BRIEN PRESS, €12.99 (PBK), ISBN 9781847171108
OCTOBER 2008
Fifteen-year-old Wynter Moorehawke returns with her father to the Kingdom after a five-year banishment. But much has changed, and religion and race have become divisive, fear and prejudice commonplace. Forced to abandon her ailing father, she and her friends attempt to restore the fragile kingdom to its former stability. The first in a trilogy, this novel, set in a fictionalised fourteenth-century Europe, is a remarkable combination of court intrigue, adventure and romance. Densely written, the narrator’s voice is strong and the writing stylish. An excellent story from a debut Irish author. Age: Older Teens