If the hot weather has got you looking for the coolest summer read, then we’ve got the perfect books for you. In these stories, characters take down corrupt governments, investigate murders and defeat treacherous dragons! So, if you’re looking for a new favourite, look no further. Suggested by our site members’ reviews, here are the top five children’s and YA books you should be reading this as summer gets underway.
1. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard (teen read)
If you want to turn up the heat over the holidays, then this fast-paced fantasy novel may be the perfect pick for you. The first in a brand new trilogy, this story follows 17-year-old Mare Barrow, who lives in a world where those with red blood are commoners and those with silver blood are royals who possess special powers. Despite being red-blooded, Mare discovers she has powers and the King decides to hide her in plain sight by marrying her to his son. Trapped among the silvers, Mare must use her position to bring down the regime from the inside.
“It was an amazing book,” said teen reviewer Looking for Lauren. “It included aspects from The Hunger Games – with its corrupt ruling government and rebellion – as well as Game of Thrones due to having similar characters, such as Queen Elara who had the same coldness as Cersei Lannister”. It was the characterisation of the novel that really struck our reviewer, though:
“Mare was a great main character as she was sassy yet headstrong and never deviated from her initial goal ... I’d definitely recommend this book as it is a great read and I can’t wait for the sequel to be released!”
2. Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens
Or what better book for a school holiday than one set in a school?! Especially a boarding school with mystery and adventure lurking around every corner… In this tale of secrets and sleuthing, which was shortlisted for the 2015 Waterstone’s Children’s Books Prize, Hazel and Daisy form a detective society at their boarding school, just before someone is murdered (convenient!) and they vow to solve the mystery. “I couldn’t guess the murderer all through the book which made it more exciting,” enthused Sophiesbestbooks. “But you will have to read the book yourself to find out who did it!”
The best part about the book was that Sophiesbestbooks felt both boys and girls would enjoy it: “I would definitely recommend this story for any gender. Even though most of the characters are female, this book isn’t just for girls.”
3. Running Girl by Simon Mason (teen read)
Continuing with the theme of murder-mystery, our third pick follows the unlikely detective adventures of lazy teenage genius Garvie Smith. Popular and uninterested in school, his high IQ is kicked into gear when his beautiful ex-girlfriend Chloe Dow is murdered. Smith is determined to solve the mystery before the dutiful (but hopeless) local police officers.
“It’s a fantastically fast-paced mystery with a good dose of red herrings which kept me guessing right until the final chapter,” said teen reviewer SophieScribe of the book that was featured in our Teen book club last year.
“I really enjoyed this book, especially trying to discover the identity of the culprit. There were enough clues to keep me interested and engaged, but not so many that I felt the way to the answer was being obviously signposted. Overall, a fantastic murder-mystery that I highly recommend!”
4. Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl
On a lighter note, with elements of friendship and family, we’ve moving on to a Roald Dahl classic. In this typically side-splittingly funny tale illustrated by the great Quentin Blake, Danny lives with his father in a caravan, and together they plot to poach pheasants from the very rich Mr Victor Hazel.
Leila from reading group Wix Wordsmiths enjoyed the colourful descriptions in the book: “The description is so strong that you don’t even need to look at images! The humour is spread across the pages of the book.”
Leila also recommended the book to “absolutely everyone”:
“I think this book is great for children. I am absolutely convinced that everyone will love this book. I could write this 1000 or even 1000 000 times: I loved this book, I loved it, I loved it…”
5. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (teen read)
And finally, we end this roundup with a teen classic. In this book, introverted Charlie is a typical wallflower whose life changes once he starts high school and meets siblings Patrick and Sam.
“The book starts catching you and surprises you every now and then, at every turn of the page,” says ASHAPOORV. Our reviewer also praised the realistic portrayal of Charlie. “The book catches every part of an average teenager’s life and thoughts. The book is an easy read and forces the reader to finish it.”
Summarising the effect of the novel, ASHAPOORV stated: “What makes this book so special and authentic is its realism. As an adult it takes you back to when you were a teenager, as a child it shows you what lies ahead, and as a teenager it inspires you.”
So between new classics, old classics, and mysteries galore, we hope you’ve found something to whet your appetite this summer! Happy reading!
