The Call
Peadar O’Guilin
David Fickling Books

Vanessa Doherty (Nessa) is fourteen and attends Boyle Survival College, an Irish institute the main purpose of which is to teach its attendees how to survive The Call of the Sidhe. Young humans start training to survive The Call from age ten. Long, long ago the Sidhe were banished from Ireland to live in a hellish underworld and in their quest to win back Ireland from the humans, have placed a magical seal around the whole island.

To get revenge the Sidhe use The Call to kidnap Ireland’s young and transport them to a horrendous underworld. However, if a pupil can evade the faerie Sidhe for a whole day (three minutes in the human world), their life is saved, though they may well be sent back badly maimed.

Nessa, a fiercely determined, quick-witted, brave hero, permanently disabled from polio who does her training using crutches, and wants to be treated like her fellow students is less likely than most to survive the ordeal but she’s spent all her life preparing, so maybe … It’s from her viewpoint that much of the story is told. But will she or will she not survive The Call. And will the Nation survive?

Well paced, with credible characters and excellent world building, this is a truly gritty tale that blurs the boundaries between Irish mythology, fantasy, science fiction and horror, and will appeal to readers around Nessa’s age.

Control Alter Delete
K.L. Kettle
Little Tiger

Thanks to tech genius Francis Knox and the pioneering work done by her company, Halcyon Green (Hal) lives in the seemingly perfect World 2.0 and is fully engrossed therein, having pretty much everything she wants apart from her family. There’s one thing remains that Hal really desires though, to win the hugely competitive Knox Cup; however she lacks to funds to enter. Then, unexpectedly, her guardian challenges Hal to prove herself and arranges for her to compete.

If she manages to win, she will meet Frances Knox and then there’s a possibility that her real wishes might come true. As she moves through the competition rounds, Hal finds some thoroughly unpleasant things buried deep beneath the world’s seemingly perfect facade. As a result she must decide what it is that she truly wants.

A hugely thought-provoking, timely Young Adult story, superbly crafted, with great world-building that really draws you in, and a wonderful protagonist who finds herself in a complex situation.