Cambridge High School Library 2024

By: Jennifer Niven Location: FIC NIV Genre: YA, Romeo and Juliet for the 21st Century... This is the latest book from the author of 'All the Bright Places' which was eye-opening enough for me. This novel is equally as amazing and really makes you think about humanity and relationships. Libby is America's 'Most Overweight Teen' and Jack is a typical high school jock- the sporty, popular, good-looking guy. Niven loves the Romeo and Juliet concept (I mean, I haven't actually asked her... but this is my interpretation) and she enjoys writing about two 'star-crossed lovers' who shouldn't be together... but are.  I don't want to give too much away, but I think it's fair to say that everyone can figure out the book is going to be about Libby + Jack. Along the way there are cringe-worthy moments, moments of disgust, and moments that made me hope that teenagers really aren't that mean to each other (if they are- tell someone!)...

This movie is going to be amazing, sad, challenging and thought provoking. Take your tissues and be reflective!!! Even this trailer gave me goosebumps and bought a tear to my eye!!

By: Martha Brockenbrough Location: FIC BRO Genre:Historical Fiction- race relations “We do not choose whom we love...We can only choose how well.” ― Martha Brockenbrough, The Game of Love and Death  Antony and Cleopatra. Helen of Troy and Paris. Romeo and Juliet. And now... Henry and Flora. For centuries Love and Death have chosen their players. They have set the rules, rolled the dice, and kept close, ready to influence, angling for supremacy. And Death has always won. Always. Could there ever be one time, one place, one pair whose love would truly tip the balance? Meet Flora Saudade, an African-American girl who dreams of becoming the next Amelia Earhart by day and sings in the smoky jazz clubs of Seattle by night. Meet Henry Bishop, born a few blocks and a million worlds away, a white boy with his future assured—a wealthy adoptive family in the midst of the Great Depression, a college scholarship, and all the opportunities in the world se...

By:Brandy Colbert Location: FIC COL Genre: Contemporary Youth- eating disorders "Gritty and raw...a must read"- Parade.com This book has a range of interesting things about it. First the protagonist is a black ballet dancer, there is also some pretty big issues to deal with- abduction, rape, paedophilia, eating disorders and anxiety disorders . Eating Disorders are so flipping difficult- I have seen them up close and it is like waging war against an unending enemy... I have never felt so hopeless as watching a loved one go through this heinous disease. it has a happy ending thankfully!  A warning with this book- pick a happy one to read after it!!! Theo is better now. She's eating again, dating guys who are almost appropriate, and well on her way to becoming an elite ballet dancer. But when her oldest friend, Donovan, returns home after spending four long years with his kidnapper, Theo starts reliving memories about his abduction—and his abductor. Donovan isn...

By: Rachel Dunne Location:FIC DUN Genre:Fantasy Series: Bound Gods#1 "Brutal and cold, In the Shadows of the Gods is a stunning debut. A must have for fans of dark fantasy!"- Michael R. Fletcher A breathtaking talent makes her debut with this first book in a dark epic fantasy trilogy, in which a mismatched band of mortals, led by violent, secretive man, must stand against a pair of resentful gods to save their world. Eons ago, a pair of gods known as the “Twins” grew powerful in the world of Fiatera, until the Divine Mother and Almighty Father exiled them, binding them deep in the earth. But the price of keeping the fire-lands safe is steep. To prevent these young gods from rising again, all twins in the land must be killed at birth, a safeguard that has worked, until now. Trapped for centuries, the Twins are gathering their latent powers to break free and destroy the Parents for their tyranny—a fight between two generations of gods for control of the worl...

By:Adrian Tchaikovsky Location:FIC TCH Genre: Fantasy- Shapeshifters Series: Echoes of the Fall #1 "It's addictively brilliant" John Gwynne ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE Maniye's father is the Wolf clan's chieftain, but she's an outcast. Her mother was queen of the Tiger and these tribes have been enemies for generations. Maniye also hides a deadly secret. All can shift into their clan's animal form, but Maniye can take on tiger and wolf shapes. She refuses to disown half her soul, so escapes, rescuing a prisoner of the Wolf clan in the process. The killer Broken Axe is set on their trail, to drag them back for retribution. Maniye's father plots to rule the north, and controlling his daughter is crucial to his schemes. However, other tribes also prepare for strife. Strangers from the far south appear too, seeking allies in their own conflict. It's a season for omens as priests foresee danger, and a darkness falling across the land....

By: Michael Donaldson Location: NF 796.352 DON Genre: Sporting Heroess💦   Lydia Ko is proudly ours- a kiwi sporting icon. But what is her story, what made her so amazing so young? What influence has Korea had on her career, why did she move to New Zealand? How come she is such a cool cucumber that despite the pressures of being Number One in the world- she can still be 19 and have a bit of a giggle. I like her- I think we all do! I am so excited to read a book with all the answers to Lydais story! Lydia Ko’s ascendency to the top of the women’s golf world has been stunning. The youngest player of either sex to win a golf major – and then the youngest player to go on and win two – Lydia Ko continues to amaze the world with her golfing feats. She became the number 1 women’s player at just 18 and has cemented her dominance of the game by never finishing far from the top of the leader board. This book reflects on the unique influences that shaped Lydia Ko into such a st...

By: Lauren Oliver   Location:FIC OLI   Genre: Young adult, Dystopia, Clone wars (not that clone wars) 1. Lauren Oliver is FAB-U-LOUS. If you haven't read 'Vanishing Girls', 'Panic' or the 'Delerium' series then hop to it for the summer reading programme (ask Mrs Bichan what that's about). 2. I love the concept of this novel- you flip the covers over and there is another story for you to read- genius! The two covers are beautiful and bright. 3. The story was great- a nice young adult piece of writing which explored themes that are important to everyone: individuality, identity, and what it means to be human. We get one half of the story from Lyra's perspective, and the second half from Gemma's point of view. Both parts of the story are needed to understand the whole novel. And it really does raise questions about perspective and how we view others. 4. Any novel about clones and the crazy foreboding dystopian world is interesti...

By: Cath Crowley Location: FIC CRO Genre: Contemporary Youth Fiction- a love story with books This book hits a great combo for me- fiction centered around a bookstore and books. I loved The Little Paris Bookshop . I love the idea I could be a "book apothecary" I am about to read Mothers by Britt Bennett! I loved Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore. I adored Potato Peel Pie . I devoured The Storied life of A.J Friky. Now we have this one... oh my!!!!! "Before you say it words do matter. They're not pointless. If they were pointless then they couldn't start revolutions and they wouldn't change history and they wouldn't be the things that you think about every night before you sleep. If they were just words we wouldn't listen to songs, we wouldn't beg to be read to when we're kids. If they were just words, then they'd have no meaning and stories wouldn't have been around since before humans could write. We wouldn'...

By: Hand, Ashton and Meadows Location: FIC HAN Genre: Historical Fiction with a Twist It was amusing. It was romantic. It was slightly based on medieval history. And it was a gem. I'm dancing like a happy ferret!- Katarina The Authors: Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows and Brodi Ashton. Think...  Unearthly series, Everneath series and NewSoul series. this is a powerpack of authors collaborating in one book!!! And there are great quotes that make you smirk that flow in this book! It even references Princess Bride with a hint of Jane Austen and  a touch of Monty Python infused through it! What a combo- this book is a combo of combo's!!! “ No horse jokes," he said. "My lord, I apologize for the horse joke. If you put down the book---unharmed!---I will give you a carrot." He brandished the book at her. "Was that a horse joke?" "Neigh." "Was that a horse joke?” “He pretended to stretch his arms, in order to shift even closer to her. ...

By: Jack Grimwood Location: FIC GRI Genre: Thriller/Mystery/Crime 'Even better than Child 44 ' Daily Telegraph 'A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma . . .' This Cold War novel begins in 1985, with the discovery of the body of a frozen boy, found in Red Square clutching a wax angel, and goes back to Berlin in 1945. The shadow of WWII looms over this novel and over Russia itself, as our hero finds himself involved in the search for the missing step daughter of the British ambassador, Sir Edward Masterton. January, 1986. A week after disgraced Intelligence Officer Tom Fox is stationed to Moscow the British Ambassador's fifteen-year-old daughter goes missing. Fox is ordered to find her, and fast. But the last thing the Soviets want is a foreign agent snooping about on their turf. Not when a killer they can't even acknowledge let alone catch is preparing to kill again . . . A Cold War thriller haunted by an evil legacy from the Second Wor...

By: Peadar O'Guilin Location: FIC OGU Genre: Horror, dystopian survival & Irish folklore fantasy all rolled into one!   Christine describes this book like this: Imagine the Hunger Games, but instead of only one group of kids a year having to go, every single teen has to go at one point. And, instead of fighting each other to the death, there are ugly, twisted, vicious monsters chasing you down to torture and kill you. You only have to survive the day, but only 1 in 10 makes it out alive. And, even then they are not without emotional and physical scars . " Imagine a world where you might disappear any minute, only to find yourself alone in a grey sickly land, with more horrors in it than you would ever wish to know about. And then you hear a horn and you know that whoever lives in this hell has got your scent and the hunt has already begun. Could you survive the Call?" "3 Minutes You wake up alone in a horrible land. A horn sounds. The Call ha...

By: Kristen Simmons Location: FIC SIM Genre: SciFi/ Dystopia- feminism   This is good- it is a stand alone dystopia- not part of a drawn out series! The Handmaid’s Tale meets Blood Red Road in Glass Arrow, the story of Aya, who lives with a small group of women on the run from the men who hunt them, men who want to auction off breeding rights to the highest bidder. "My ma taught me one thing from the beginning: My body is mine. My own. No one else’s. Just because somebody thinks they have rights to it, doesn’t make it true. I thought I understood that before, but here, in this place, it’s become more clear than ever how right she was. My flesh and blood–it’s the only thing I own, and I’ll defend it until I can’t fight anymore.”   This quote is not from someone scarred of  Trump- it is from this book.   In a world where females are scarce and are hunted, then bought and sold at market for their breeding rights, 15-year old Aya has learned how to hide...

By: Andrus Kivirahk  Location: FIC KIV  Genre: Fantasy   “At that moment it seemed to me that we knew perhaps too much that others didn’t know, and on the other hand too little that was known to everyone else…” 'Marvellous in all the senses of the word" Le Monde 'A strange wonderous book"- Toronto Star "An incredible novel, a mystifying treasure of a book"- Pschologies Magazine Andrus Kivirahk is the most popular contemporary author in Estonia, known as a satirical journalist and a bestselling novelist. This novel, which appears to take place in a fantastic version of his homeland during the early middle ages, is his first to be translated into English. It is a thoroughly engaging tale of old ways giving way to modernity, filled with episodes of comic invention, family drama, young love, and the sadness of old traditions giving way to a modernity that offers much but exacts a stiff toll.   Unfortunately people...

By: K.B.Wagers Location: FIC WAG Genre: Sci Fi- Space opera with a political twist Series: The Indranan War #1 Once a Gunrunner- now heir to an empire! A gun smuggler inherits the throne in this Star Wars-style science fiction adventure from debut author K. B. Wagers. Full of action-packed space opera exploits and courtly conspiracy - not to mention an all-out galactic war - Behind the Throne will please fans of James S. A Corey, Becky Chambers and Lois McMaster Bujold, or anyone who wonders what would happen if a rogue like Han Solo were handed the keys to an empire. Quick, sarcastic, and lethal, Hailimi Bristol doesn't suffer fools gladly. She has made a name for herself in the galaxy for everything except what she was born to do: rule the Indranan Empire. That is, until two Trackers drag her back to her home planet to take her rightful place as the only remaining heir. But trading her ship for a palace has more dangers than Hail could have anticipated. Ca...

By: Meg Leder Location: FIC LED Genre: Young Adult- romance It is something we see in our library quite a lot. Heartbreak. Sad endings to once happy moments. Misunderstandings and confusions, sad faces, broken smiles. It is not just teenage romance, it is the mates that hurt each other, the cutting words spoken, the families they are not there to be there. As the cover of this book says maybe in life there are not too many happy endings... But what if you kept a memento of the things that break your heart, a shrine of brokenness maybe. What would be in it? I would have a fluffy toy dog, a bangle, a letter from a guy that has since been murdered by his wife, a bell to remind me of the school bully- it was her surname.  I guess I would have  a few books and music that connects me to those times and places. "The Museum of Heartbreak is a unique story about a girl dealing with all sorts of heartbreak. I loved the main character and found her to be so relatable. The theme...

By: Monica Hesse Location: FIC HES Genre: Holocaust- Historical Fiction An unforgettable story of bravery, grief, and love in impossible times. The missing girl is Jewish. I need you to find her before the Nazis do .   I have heard of a few stories first hand of those that resisted in Holland. My friends father was 13 during the war, he shifted to New Zealand as soon as he could after it. He was a bread delivery boy with a basket at the front of his bike full of yummy dutch bread- and resistance pamphlets hidden underneath. One day he was riding his bike to deliver 'bread" and a german plane flew low overhead- it scarred him so much he drove his bike off the road, he fell off and the bread tumbled out of the basket. the pamphlets flew out of the basket  in the opposite direction before he could react. He jumped on his bike and peddled as fast as he could to somewhere, anywhere- he stuck to the bread rolls after that! He was 13!!! Amsterdam, 1943. Hanneke spends her...

By: Michael Adams Location: FIC ADA Genre: Young Adult Sci Fi Series: Seven Signs #1 Seven talented and driven teenagers from around the world have been selected by trillionaire Internet King Felix Scott to form an elite group of young people committed to help make a difference in the world. They meet at the ceremony announcing their selection, then their lives are bound together on a quest as they come to realise that each of them has been sent part of a code that predicts an unknown disaster.   Skyfire begins The Seven Signs series where seven young people are entangled in a dangerous and compelling mystery that puts the whole world in danger. It is fun, fast-paced and full of action. Seven young people have entered a competition that is set to change their lives. As the winners, they are granted the chance to work with the internet and technology king Felix Scott. They are gifted the latest in phone technology, rides aboard space-skimmers and even one million...

By: Megan Shepherd Location:  FIC SHE Genre:Historical Fiction- Horror Series: Madman's Daughter #1 “The last thing the justice system is, is just.” ― Megan Shepherd, The Madman’s Daughter  Wow! this book surprised me in the best way possible. So interesting and mysterious. A must read! And that plot twist at the end....gahhhh! On to book two!!- Sasha Alsbarg London, 1894. Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself-working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumours about her father′s gruesome experiments. But when she learns her father is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations were true. Juliet is accompanied by the doctor′s handsome young assistant and an enigmatic castaway, who both attract Juliet for very different reasons. They travel to the island only to di...