The Black Book of Secrets by F.E Higgins
This is quite simply the best book I have read in a very long time. I loved every minute of it and think that F.E Higgins is a very talented writer that is destined for big things. The plot is extremely well thought out and quick witted, full of mystery and suspense as well as ridiculous humour that makes you laugh out loud.
The books main character is a small boy called Ludlow Fitch. Ludlow has not had an easy life forcing him to be a pick pocket from infancy… Ludlow used to sit on his fathers shoulders and steel posh peoples fancy hats from the top of their heads 
. When things in London get difficult, Ludlow escapes and ends up by chance in a small village called Pagus Parvus. There he meets Joe Zabbidoe, a mysterious pawn broker who trades in more than objects… he trades in secrets.
As the story slowly begins to unravel more and more characters are revealed, creeping up the hill at midnight to tell Joe and Ludlow their secrets which are dark and disturbing, but also comical. All the secrets seem to centre on a very nasty character called Jeremiah Ratchett. Ratchett has been blackmailing the villagers for year to line his own pockets. The question is will he ever get his comeuppance!! You will have to read to find out.
This is an excellent read and I definitely recommend it to everyone!! I LOVED IT!!
Ruby Red by Linzi Glass
I read this book over half term in the space of a day. I could not put it down. The story is set in Africa in Johannesburg in 1976 during the apartheid (the segregation of black people from white people) and is about a girl called Ruby. Ruby is the most popular girl at school, everybody loves her! She is good at sport, clever and the head girl. The only problem is that Ruby has a secret…. her family support the movement for black people to be treated equally to white people. Ruby is proud of her parents and their beliefs, but must keep their beliefs a secret else her families lives will be in danger. When Ruby falls in love with an Afrikan’s boy life gets even more complicated… and Rubies world begins to crumble around her!!
The Kissing Club by Julia Clarke
Emily thinks she has got her whole life planned out. At 14 she joins The Kissing club and vows she will wait until she is married before she is ‘intimate’ with someone. Her parents and all her friends are so proud of her commitment and Emily enjoys feeling ’special’… but then at 16 Emily finds herself pregnant right in the middle of her studies!! Worst still her parents won’t believe her and just think she has an eating disorder, and her Grandma comes to live with them because she is an alcoholic.
As the book unravels it tells the tale of exactly what happened to Emily. It is mixed with humour and neither condemns nor glamorises Emily’s predicament. Instead it tells the tale of a girl who made a mistake and not only deals with it, but learns a few lessons along the way – not least that people can surprise you and are not always what they seem! I definitely recommend this book. Though think it is probably better suited to year 8 plus.
Leaving Poppy by Kate Cann
Leaving Poppy is an intense thriller and all round scary book!! It will definitely stick in you mind for a long while. The book tells the story of a girl named Amber. Amber is shy and finds it difficult to make friends. This is largely due to her younger step sister Poppy who is both possessive and controlling over Amber and her mother. When Poppy is upset things get very UGLY!! And Ambers mom always puts Poppy’s need first.When Amber passes her A’levels she hatches a desperate plan. she defers her entry to the local university and tells her mom and Poppy that she is going on holiday for 2 weeks to Cornwall with friends. However she plans on staying there a lot longer, finding work and starting a new life for herself away from Poppy.
Amber soon begins to gain confidence and make friends in Cornwall. She moves into a student house, finds work as a chef in a local cafe and even makes friends with a very nice boy she hopes will one day see her as more than just a friend. But Amber soon realises there is something not quite right about the house. There is something strange about the attic, the shadow that moves at the bottom of the stairs is creepy, and the ‘crazy old lady’ over the road that keeps on stopping her and asking her questions about the house only adds to Ambers worries…
And then Poppy arrives on the door step and things really begin to get frightening!!!!
This book is definitely worth reading, and different the usual teen romance books Kate Cann has become well known for. It will freak you out in places!! I recommend it to Year 8 plus.
