Children’s / Teenage fiction: Speculative, dystopian
Permuted Press Terminal Dispatch
Book Synopsis
£14.45
Entangled Publishing, LLC Malice
Book SynopsisCould you kill an innocent life today to save millions in the future? Seventeen-year-old Alice has spent her entire life in the shadows of her charismatic twin brother. And she's utterly content to stay there, as not taking risks means that she doesn't get hurt. Until the day a strange voice appears in her mind, demanding that she approach Bandit, the cute Thai boy in her physics class - and kiss him. Never mind that she's never spoken a word to him before. Compelled by the excruciating pain in her head, Alice reluctantly obeys. But submitting to the voice sets off a series of bizarre demands, tasks that don't seem to follow any rhyme or reason. Determined to figure out who the voice is and what it wants, Alice hurtles into a dangerous investigation into the tangled link between the future and the present. What she discovers shakes her to the core. Twenty years from now, a boy from her class will launch World War III, and it is up to Alice to stop him. Problem is, she doesn't know his identity. And even if she can figure out who he is, will she be able to take the biggest gamble of all: killing his still-innocent self today in order to save millions of lives in the future?
£13.29
Erewhon Books Rise of the Red Hand, Volume 1
Book SynopsisA rare, searing portrayal of the future of climate change in South Asia. A streetrat turned revolutionary and the disillusioned hacker son of a politician try to take down a ruthlessly technocratic government that sacrifices its poorest citizens to build its utopia. The South Asian Province is split in two. Uplanders lead luxurious lives inside a climate-controlled biodome, dependent on technology and gene therapy to keep them healthy and youthful forever. Outside, the poor and forgotten scrape by with discarded black-market robotics, a society of poverty-stricken cyborgs struggling to survive in slums threatened by rising sea levels, unbreathable air, and deadly superbugs. Ashiva works for the Red Hand, an underground network of revolutionaries fighting the government, which is run by a merciless computer algorithm that dictates every citizen's fate. She's a smuggler with the best robotic arm and cybernetic enhancements the slums can offer, and her cargo includes the most vulnerable of the city's abandoned children. When Ashiva crosses paths with the brilliant hacker Riz-Ali, a privileged Uplander who finds himself embroiled in the Red Hand's dangerous activities, they uncover a horrifying conspiracy that the government will do anything to bury. From armed guardians kidnapping children to massive robots flattening the slums, to a pandemic that threatens to sweep through the city like wildfire, Ashiva and Riz-Ali will have to put aside their differences in order to fight the system and save the communities they love from destruction.Trade Review"Chadha's prose is equally gorgeous and precise, and always full of energy and movement." -- John Vernon "Elegant prose and deft cultural insight." -- Debra Ginsberg "Her talent is evident on every page." -- Greg Ames
£14.24
Erewhon Books Rise Of The Red Hand
Book Synopsis“Steeped in elements from real-life South Asian cultures, the worldbuilding is original and intriguing, incorporating dystopian and utopian elements along with current hot issues such as societal inequities, digital surveillance, and technology’s impact on humanity. . . . [A] strong and intricate story.” —Kirkus ReviewsThis 2022 Colorado Book Award Winner is a rare, searing portrayal of the future of climate change in South Asia. A streetrat turned revolutionary and the disillusioned hacker son of a politician try to take down a ruthlessly technocratic government that sacrifices its poorest citizens to build its utopia.The South Asian Province is split in two. Uplanders live in a luxurious, climate-controlled biodome, healthy and artificially youthful forever. Outside, the poor and forgotten scrape by with black-market robotics, in slums threatened by rising sea levels, unbreathable air, and deadly superbugs.Ashiva works for the Red Hand, an underground network of revolutionaries fighting the government, which is run by a merciless computer algorithm. As a smuggler with the best robotic arm and cybernetic enhancements the slums can offer, her cargo includes the city’s most vulnerable abandoned children.When the brilliant Uplander hacker Riz-Ali stumbles into the Red Hand’s dangerous activities, he and Ashiva uncover a horrifying conspiracy that the government will do anything to bury. As armed guardians kidnap children, massive robots flatten the slums, and a pandemic threatens to decimate the city, Ashiva and Riz must put aside their differences to fight the system and save the communities they love.Trade Review“Steeped in elements from real-life South Asian cultures, the worldbuilding is original and intriguing, incorporating dystopian and utopian elements along with current hot issues such as societal inequities, digital surveillance, and technology’s impact on humanity. . . . [A] strong and intricate story.” —Kirkus Reviews “Olivia Chadha’s heartfelt, adroit, brisk and thoughtful debut novel proves that everything old is new again. . . . Rise of the Red Hand proves itself willing to shatter daringly all its initial assumptions and verities, putting its cast through life-altering fires, in order to create new forms of beauty and hope and possible salvation.” —Locus Magazine“Rise of the Red Hand mixes the best of cyberpunk and anime with a tale of family and revolution to create something completely unique--intimate yet action-packed, touching yet thrilling. Olivia Chadha delivers as much action as she does heart, all with a healthy dose of mecha. It kicks ass.” —Mike Chen, author of Here and Now and Then“A captivating sci-fi debut that masterfully weaves in commentary on climate change, technology, and class inequality. Rise of the Red Hand delivers on its promise of an action-packed story of rebellion and resistance, and you'll be rooting for the badass revolutionary hero, Ashiva—a girl with teeth, and a metal fist.” —Farah Naz Rishi, author of I Hope You Get This Message“An exhilarating and relevant story that gives voice to those often unheard and sticks with you long after that last page.” —Alechia Dow, author of The Sound of Stars“Innovative, smartly written, and harrowingly relevant.” —Julia Ember, author of The Seafarer's Kiss“It's everything I want in a cyberpunk story: devastating political and existential stakes, a surging pace, and profoundly rad cybernetics.” —H. A. Clarke, author of The Scapegracers“This is speculative fiction as we rarely see it—with the global south speaking up in a powerful and compellingly imagined near future. Rise of the Red Hand explores the most urgent issues of our time, the soullessness of technology and the gap between rich and poor, with non-stop action propelled by a sharp young cast. More brilliant speculative fiction like this, please!” —Ausma Zehanat Khan, author of The Bloodprint“Fun, exciting, thoughtful, and very hard to put down. If you're looking for a story about resistance and family set against a world that blends the best of cyberpunk and anime, this book is for you.” —Mary Kenney, author of Gamer Girls
£10.74
Pixel+Ink Plotting the Stars 1: Moongarden
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£9.89
Levine Querido The Last Cuentista
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£17.09
Levine Querido Alebrijes
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£17.09
Levine Querido La Última Cuentista
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£9.99
Simon & Schuster Kingdom of Without
Book SynopsisA wily young thief must use her wits to survive futuristic, alternate history Beijing in this Les Misérables–inspired young adult cyberpunk that is perfect for fans of Six of Crows and Fullmetal Alchemist.When Zhong Ning’er takes the job, she expects a smash-and-grab burglary she’s doing to make rent and help out a friend. What she doesn’t expect: a sad-eyed army boy who dreams of insurrection, a former rebel leader trapped inside a secret lab, a group of aspiring revolutionaries who are first collaborators, then compatriots, and then, perhaps, friends. But this is Beijing, nearly a hundred and fifty years after General Yuan Shikai successfully declared himself emperor in 1915. His descendants rule the country from their seat in the imperial city, their gendarmerie—the Beiyang Army—run the streets, aided by cyborgs and the Brocade Guard. Walls have risen, dividing the city into districts called Rings—nominally only by geography, but in truth by class. Earthquakes devastate the northern farmlands, crops drown in the southern typhoons, and all over the country people are hooked on a drug they call Complacency. As a Sixth Ring girl who watched previous uprisings crushed brutally by the court, Ning’er isn’t much of an optimist, and she’s certainly no revolutionary. But that might not be up to her—as the stakes get higher, the time for passivity is quickly running out, and she must decide if she wants to sit idly in her cynicism, or embrace the breathless, terrible possibility of hope.Trade Review"Clever, intricately plotted, and wildly fun, Kingdom of Without is the heist novel done to perfection. What a joy to step into Tang's Beijing; I never wanted to leave." -- Grace D. Li, New York Times bestselling author of Portrait of a Thief"Sharp, sophisticated, and stirring, Kingdom of Without presents a brilliant tale of revolution crackling with action, wit, and humor and interlaced with moments that so poignantly explore what it means to be human — all set against the backdrop of a cyberpunk, futuristic Beijing. I am wholly in love with the gritty world and clever crew that Andrea Tang has created in one of her best works yet." -- Amelie Wen Zhao, New York Times bestselling author of Song of Silver, Flame Like Night "A high-octane novel set against the stunning backdrop of an alternate cyberpunk Beijing, Kingdom of Without is an unmissable sci-fi adventure. I fell under the spell of this band of young revolutionaries whose desperate fight against incredible odds is filled with breathtaking action, love in its many forms, and the painful but enduring hope for a better world." -- Axie Oh, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea"Wickedly clever, outrageously fun, and bursting with heart, Kingdom of Without is a razor-sharp story of heists, found family, and revolution that pulls no punches and beautifully explores how far we'll go for the ones we love and the world we want to build. This is Andrea Tang at her best." -- Rebecca Mix, New York Times bestselling author of The Ones We Burn"This cyberpunk story with well-constructed worldbuilding offers a strong mix of wit, humor, action, and heart. Centered on revolution, the story addresses a range of social and identity issues. A fun and powerful adventure for lovers of alternate histories." -- Kirkus Reviews"With parallels to real-life opioid crises set against a futuristic backdrop, this fast-paced heist balances lofty ideals of change with snappy dialogue and pulse-pounding action." -- Publishers Weekly"In a well-constructed world, Ning’er is a tough, talented, and sympathetic character, and Cheng Yun is charismatic and complex, aware of the ethically shady aspects of his double life. The pacing balances heart-pounding action with extended sequences in which Ning’er and Cheng Yun build their doomed romance...[h]and this dystopic-heist-romance in an alt-world China to fans of Marissa Meyer’s Cinder." -- School Library Journal
£15.99
Atheneum Books for Young Readers The House of the Scorpion Paperback Duology
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£20.79
Atheneum Books for Young Readers The House of the Scorpion
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£12.59
Atheneum Books for Young Readers The House of the Scorpion Duology (Boxed Set):
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£35.19
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers Bite Risk
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£16.14
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers Bite Risk
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£8.54
Permuted Press The Expedition
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£13.60
Black Rose Writing Resistant: A World Divided
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£16.26
Sourcebooks, Inc The Chaperone
Book SynopsisLike every young woman in New America, Stella knows the rules:Deflect attention.Abstain from sin.Navigate the world with care.Give obedience.Embrace purity.Respect your chaperone.Stella can't go out by herself, or spend time with boys except at Visitations. Girls in New America must have chaperones at all times until they marry, so Stella's lucky that Sister Helen is like a friend to her. When Sister Helen dies suddenly, she's devastated, especially when the Constables assign Stella a new chaperone just days later.Sister Laura is... different. She leaves Stella alone and knows how to get into the "Hush Hush" parties where all kinds of forbidden things happen. As Stella spends more time with Sister Laura, she begins to question everything she's been taught. What if the Constables' rules don't actually protect girls? What if they were never meant to keep them safe?Once Stella glimpses both real freedom and the dark truths behind New America, she has no choice but to fight back against the world she knows. She sets out on a dangerous journey across what was once the United States, risking everything.
£12.28
Sourcebooks, Inc You Won't Believe Me
Book SynopsisBrace yourself for the unexpected in this chilling novel that will thrill suspense and horror readers alike! Willow can't remember what landed her in captivity, but she'll do anything to survive. For fans of Natasha Preston, Stephen King, and Gillian Flynn.Willow is alone, confined to a bed with restraints. She can't remember how she got there...or how long she's been there.An old lady appears in her room to feed her twice a day. Granny doesn't talk, but Willow can hear thumping from somewhere beyond her door. It's not Granny's shuffling steps. It's too loud to be Granny's cat. Is it someone? Something?Then Granny's cat dies in Willow's room. And Granny follows a few days later. Willow will do anything to survive. But freeing herself from her bed is only the beginning... Because there is someone else in the house. Who is this mysterious teen who calls himself Elijah? And is he the reason she's hostage or the key to her escape?Don't miss these other gripping novels from Cyn Balog:AloneThat NightUnnatural Deeds
£8.54
Sourcebooks, Inc The Warning
Book SynopsisThe end is coming. What would you do? The first in a fast-paced and gripping YA dystopian series for anyone who's ever felt like their life-their world-is on the brink of destruction.Like most high school seniors, Alexandra Lucas is caught between living in the moment and an unknown future. Her anxiety disorder doesn't make that any easier. But she's coping-until her train stops on the way home from a concert with her boyfriend. At first, she's worried about breaking curfew. Then terror echoes through their train car.A mysterious doorway has appeared beside the tracks, and a hologram claiming to be a human from the future shares a sinister warning. A comet is on a collision course with earth. All life there will end in six months' time. To survive, people must step through one of the many portals that have opened around the world.The holograms claim to offer safety. But how can anyone be sure? Stay or go-everyone must make their own choice. Alex's family, her friends, her boyfriend all have different ideas. Alex is only sure of one thing: she wants to decide for herself. But every decision comes at a price.Finalist for the Philip K. Dick Science Fiction AwardWinner of the PEN New England Susan P. Bloom Children's Book Discovery Award
£8.54
Sourcebooks, Inc The Fallout
Book SynopsisThey chose survival...but at what cost? A fast-paced, empowering YA dystopian novel for anyone who's ever felt betrayed, then came back stronger. The sequel to The Warning.Senior year would have been stressful enough without an apocalypse. When the holograms arrived, allegedly offering safe passage to those who stepped through their vertexes, Alexandra Lucas thought going or staying would be the hardest decision of her life. She was wrong.Because she is the one person who knows the truth, a truth that will change everything: the holograms lied.Alex can't deny this new world is mesmerizing. Holo technology lets her customize everything from her clothes to her surroundings. But she can't let it distract her from searching for her boyfriend, best friend, and brother. They need to know what happened. Because there's a rebellion brewing, and every utopia has a breaking point. What price must they all pay to survive?Praise for The Fallout:"An absolute mind bender." -School Library Journal"It's a rare treat to see a protagonist who suffers from an anxiety disorder, showing readers humanizing frailty even in the context of a technologically advanced world. It is Alex's strength, sense of humor, and vulnerability that make this read compelling." -Kirkus ReviewsPraise for The Warning:"A fast-paced adventure that will keep readers- compulsively turning pages to see what happens next." -School Library Journal, starred review"An engrossing exploration of what if..." -VOYA MagazineFinalist for the 2017 Philip K. Dick Science Fiction AwardWinner of the 2015 PEN New England Susan P. Bloom Children's Book Discovery AwardOne of Barnes &Noble Teen Top 13 Anticipated YA Sci-fi books of 2016
£8.54
Sourcebooks, Inc Swarm
Book SynopsisOn a sunny September morning, the creatures first appear. Shur sees one of them hovering outside the window in history class: it looks like a giant butterfly, at first too beautiful and strange to seem like a threat. But when emergency alerts light up everyone's phones around her, she realizes something very, very wrong is happening outside. These... things are everywhere.By the time Shur makes it back to her house with her brother, Keene, and their two best friends, it's clear they must face whatever comes next on their own. A terrifying species the world's never seen before has suddenly emerged, and few living things are safe. As the creatures swarm and attack outside, life for Shur and her friends becomes a survival game. They board the windows, stockpile supplies, and try to make sense of the news reports for as long as the power stays on.Yet nothing can prepare them for what follows. The butterflies are only the beginning. The next onslaught will be deadlier, and even closer to home.
£8.54
Sourcebooks Fire The Stranded
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£11.99
Cormorant Books,Canada ValHamster
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£7.99
Inanna Publications and Education Inc. The Meadowlands
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£11.35
Groundwood Books Catch Me If I Fall
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£12.99
Tundra Books Rebel Skies
Book SynopsisAnn Sei Lin's enchanting and action-packed debut, first in a series, will sweep readers away to an aerial world of magic, danger and political intrigue. Perfect for fans of Elizabeth Lim, Kalynn Bayron and the films of Studio Ghibli.Kurara has never known any other life than being a servant onboard the Midori, a flying ship serving the military elite of the Mikoshiman Empire, a vast realm of floating cities. Kurara also has a secret — she can make folded paper figures come to life with a flick of her finger. But when the Midori is attacked and Kurara's secret turns out to be a power treasured across the empire, a gut-wrenching escape leads her to the gruff Himura, who takes her under his wing. Under Himura's tutelage, and with the grudging support and friendship of his crew, Kurara learns to hunt shikigami — wild paper spirits sought after by the Princess of Mikoshima.But what does the princess really want with the shikigami? Are they merely enchanted figures without will or thought, or are they beings with souls and minds of their own? As fractures begin to appear both across the empire and within Kurara's understanding of herself, Kurara will have to decide who she can trust. Her fate, and the fate of her friends — and even the world — may rest on her choice. And time is running out.
£16.14
Hachette Children's Group The Dance of the Red Death
Book SynopsisAraby's life is on the line. The mob wants her. The rebels want her. Her brother is dead. Soon, her best friend could be too. Her mother is prisoner and her father is in hiding. And the two boys who stole her heart have both betrayed her. But Araby is going to fight back. In the superb sequel to MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH, what Araby decides may just decide the fate of humanity. Stunning dystopian romance and adventure from a talented storyteller, DANCE OF THE RED DEATH is the riveting conclusion to the dark and fascinating saga of an unforgettable heroine.Trade ReviewThe world within Dance of the Red Death is frighteningly realistic, nevertheless not without hope. Bethany Griffin captures the fear, the quest for survival and the disintegration of values brilliantly through powerfully descriptive writing. Dance of the Red Death provides a stunning conclusion to Araby's story. - Amazon.co.ukDance of the Red Death is a brilliant conclusion that I could not bear to put down! Action and mystery riddled on every page, with romance on the side to make the story that much more interesting. I'm anxious to see what Bethany Griffin may have for us next! - Amazon.co.ukBecause I absolutely loved Masque of the Red Death, Dance of the Red Death had some big shoes to fill. I knew this book was going to focus more on the revolution and wasn't sure I could love it as much as I had loved book 1. But once it really got going, it had me in its grip and I could not stop reading. I stayed up until 5am to finish it last night and it was worth every wink of missed sleep. - GoodReadsAbsolutely breathtaking end to the series, so much adventure and drama...dark, beautiful and cunning. I adored the masquerade ball scenes, because it really brought [Edgar Allan] Poe's original story to life. Araby Worth is the best kind of heroine - flawed, but beautifully so. - GoodReads
£6.39
Hachette Children's Group Half Lives
Book SynopsisThe present: Icie is a typical high school teenager - until disaster strikes and her parents send her to find shelter inside a mountain near Las Vegas.The future: Beckett lives on The Mountain - a sacred place devoted to the Great I AM. He must soon become the leader of his people. But when Beckett is forced to break one of the sacred laws and the Great I AM does not strike him down, Beckett finds himself starting to question his beliefs.As Beckett investigates The Mountain's history, Icie's story is revealed - along with the terrifying truth of what lies at the heart of The Mountain.A compelling and thought-provoking novel that explores the eternally popular YA themes of identity, love and friendship.Trade ReviewIt bound me up in its threads and didn't let go ... Sara Grant deserves the highest praise for this achievement
£7.59
HarperCollins Publishers Virtual Kombat (3) – Cyborg
Book SynopsisAs game becomes reality, can Scott save his world in time? An edge-of-your-seat dystopian thriller from Bodyguard bestseller Chris Bradford. Scott and his gang of techno-hackers barely escaped with their lives when they planted the virus that destroyed Virtual Kombat. Now that the game is gone, they think they're finally safe. But VK creator Vince Power's deadly scheme is far from over. Without a virtual world to host it, there's only one place for the brutal fighting and killing to go. VK will be played in the real world, and Scott's tech skills won't help him now. This is no longer just a game … Blade Runner meets Mortal Engines in the heart-pounding finale to the Virtual Kombat series. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant or dyslexic readers aged 9+Trade Review"Chris Bradford certainly puts the pedal to the metal in this one and the result is a breath-taking roller-coaster ride of action and thrills that will have any reader turning the page in anticipation" – The Letterpress Project "Sure to appeal to gamers and martial arts fans. Fast-paced, gripping and violent" – BookTrust
£7.59
Penguin Random House Children's UK Arena 13: The Warrior
Book SynopsisThe third exhilarating instalment in the Arena 13 series by Joseph Delaney, author of THE SPOOK’S APPRENTICEAfter everything Leif has been through in Arena 13, it’s finally time for him to fulfil his destiny and accompany his father’s people beyond the barrier that imprisons all mankind. Meanwhile, Kwin, the girl he loves, is making waves in the arena as the first woman ever to grace its fighting floor. In their own ways, each of them is fighting to bring down the superhuman monsters that threaten the last people on earth. They might have picked fights they can’t win. But freedom could be something worth dying for. Books in the series1: ARENA 132: ARENA 13: THE PREY3: ARENA 13: THE WARRIOR
£7.59
Salt Publishing The Bitter Sixteen Trilogy: Book 2
Book SynopsisThe Guardian: Fresh voices: 50 writers you should read nowStanly is frustrated. Having set himself up as London’s protector, he’s finding that the everyday practicalities of superheroism are challenging at best, and downright tedious at worst. So it’s almost a relief when an attempt is made on his life and Stanly finds himself rushing headlong into a twisted adventure, with enemies new and old coming out of the woodwork. However, even with his friends and his ever-increasing power behind him, he may have bitten off more than he can chew this time. The monsters are coming … and nothing will ever be the same!Trade Review★★★★★ Doing what so many sequels fail to do, Ace of Spiders soars, with a thrilling plot, brilliant character development, and fantastically funny cultural references. -- Luke Marlowe * The Bookbag *★★★★★ Old enemies mix with new enemies mix with Stanly’s own shortcomings and frustrations to create an explosive mix of plot twists and revelations that had me gasping in shock, or running to hide behind the sofa. -- Jen Gallagher * Medieval Jenga *A rollicking good ride that I flew through and now desire more. This is impressive, entertaining, addictive stuff. -- Jackie Law * Neverimitate *★★★★★ The long-awaited follow-up to Stefan Mohamed’s brilliant Bitter Sixteen has arrived. And it’s just as good as it’s predecessor. * If These Books Could Talk *Mohamed does everything right: the realistic tone, leavened by humour, is pitch perfect, as is the portrayal of Stanly as a precocious but vulnerable teenager. The plot careers from one dramatic set-piece to the next, with plenty of clever pop culture references along the way, before closing with a thrilling denouement. And Daryl the talking dog is an inspired creation. -- Eric Brown * The Guardian *
£7.59
Cornerstone Crazy House
Book SynopsisNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERBecca Greenfield, 17, disappeared one morning on her way to school. Everyone from her town, including her twin sister, is desperately searching for Becca.They won’t find her. Becca is being held prisoner in the crazy house. She's on death row, but is completely innocent. No one has ever gotten out of the crazy house alive. But there’s always a first time.
£9.45
Vintage Publishing The Handmaid's Tale
Book Synopsis** THE SUNDAY TIMES NO. 1 BESTSELLER **Discover the dystopian novel that started a phenomenon before you read the Booker Prize-winning sequel The TestamentsNOW AN AWARD-WINNING TV SERIES STARRING ELISABETH MOSSOffred is a Handmaid in The Republic of Gilead, a religious totalitarian state in what was formerly known as the United States. She is placed in the household of The Commander, Fred Waterford – her assigned name, Offred, means ‘of Fred’. She has only one function: to breed. If Offred refuses to enter into sexual servitude to repopulate a devastated world, she will be hanged. Yet even a repressive state cannot eradicate hope and desire. As she recalls her pre-revolution life in flashbacks, Offred must navigate through the terrifying landscape of torture and persecution in the present day, and between two men upon which her future hangs.Masterfully conceived and executed, this haunting vision of the future places Margaret Atwood at the forefront of dystopian fiction.‘A fantastic, chilling story. And so powerfully feminist’ Bernadine Evaristo, author of GIRL, WOMAN, OTHER‘This novel seems ever more vital in the present day’ ObserverIncludes exclusive content: In The 'Backstory' you can read Margaret Atwood's account of how she came to write this landmark dystopian novel.Trade ReviewA fantastic, chilling story. And so powerfully feminist -- Bernadine Evaristo, author of GIRL, WOMAN, OTHERCompulsively readable * Daily Telegraph *Out of a narrative shadowed by terror, gleam sharp perceptions, brilliant intense images and sardonic wit * Independent *The Handmaid's Tale is both a superlative exercise in science fiction and a profoundly felt moral story -- Angela CarterMoving, vivid and terrifying. I only hope it's not prophetic * The Listener *
£8.54
Canongate Books Spontaneous
Book Synopsis'Truly the smartest and funniest book about spontaneous combustion you will ever read' JOHN GREEN, #1 bestselling author of THE FAULT IN OUR STARSA TIME magazine Top 10 YA Book of 2016!Mara's senior year is proving to be a lot less exciting than she'd hoped, until the day - KABAM! - Katelyn Ogden explodes during third period. Katelyn is the first, but she won't be the last senior to explode without warning or explanation. The body count grows and the search is on for a reason, while the students continue to pop like balloons. But if bombs or terrorists or a government conspiracy aren't to blame, what is? With the help of her oldest friend, her new boyfriend, a power ballad and a homemade disco ball, will Mara make it to graduation in one piece? It's going to be one hell of a year, where the only test is how to stay alive and where falling in love might be the worst thing you can do . . .Trade ReviewAaron Starmer skilfully welds sharp humour, deep loss, and roaring escapades. Truly the smartest and funniest book about spontaneous combustion you will ever read -- JOHN GREEN, #1 bestselling author of THE FAULT IN OUR STARSA compulsive, unexpected tale full of explosive energy, told with a balance of snark and sweetness by its wholly original (anti-)heroine, Mara. It gripped me as relentlessly as I gripped it! -- KIRAN MILLWOOD HARGRAVE, author of THE GIRL OF INK & STARSHits full force with glorious humour and breathtaking sadness. Spontaneous combustion never looked this good. I couldn't put it down -- DAWN KURTAGICH, author of THE DEAD HOUSEWonderful and weird . . . It's the beginning of a series of explosions and constant uncertainty about what will happen next - the perfect metaphor for growing up, of course, but also handled skilfully as a story device in its own right . . . The greatest strength of the novel is Mara's unsentimental voice . . . who is deeply - sometimes uncomfortably - relatable * * Irish Times * *A blood-soaked, laugh-filled, tear-drenched, endlessly compelling read * * Kirkus, starred review * *Will blow your mind * * People * *A complete treat * * Bustle * *A wholly original YA tale of identity, friendship, love, lust, and gory, grisly death . . . Explosive * * SLJ Review * *At its heart a book about growing up and saying goodbye * * Book Riot * *Bursting with heartache and gore * * Horn Book * *
£8.99
Canongate Books The Infinite
Book Synopsis'Vivid, funny, exciting and inventive' Philip Pullman'Has a magic all of its own' Bernardine Evaristo 'What an inspiration. The future just got so much better' Benjamin ZephaniahFIGHT CRIME, ACROSS TIME!Leaplings, children born on the 29th of February, are very rare. Rarer still are Leaplings with The Gift - the ability to leap through time. Elle Bíbi-Imbelé Ifíè has The Gift, but she's never used it. Until now.On her twelfth birthday, Elle and her best friend Big Ben travel to the Time Squad Centre in 2048. Elle has received a mysterious warning from the future. Other Leaplings are disappearing in time - and not everyone at the centre can be trusted. Soon Elle's adventure becomes more than a race through time. It's a race against time. She must fight to save the world as she knows it - before it ceases to exist . . .Trade ReviewThe Infinite is vivid, funny, exciting and inventive. But there are books that are all those things and still don't work. This works brilliantly, and the characters are so delightful that I don't think anyone could fail to like them. I was so fond of Elle and Big Ben that I'd have followed them anywhere. Patience Agbabi has created something fresh and original here, and I look forward very much to what she writes next -- PHILIP PULLMANA fascinating, original and smart adventure tale with a rhythmic prose style that leaps off the page into scintillating life. It has a magic all of its own -- BERNARDINE EVARISTOThis time-travelling tale is a thrilling adventure with brilliant characters. Imaginative, unusual, exciting and funny * * The Week Junior * *The Infinite is so adventurous that it lit up parts of my brain I didn't know I had. Patience Agbabi has caused a wonderful supernova deep in the literary universe . . . Elle is curious, questioning and fearless. What an inspiration. The future just got so much better -- BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAHHighly original . . . It's 2048 and kids have gone missing. It's up to Elle and a cadre of friends to unravel what's really going on across time * * Observer * *Exactly as brilliant as I thought it would be. An exciting, bold, witty and magical book -- KATHERINE RUNDELL, author of ROOFTOPPERSAstonishing . . . I can't stop thinking about it, everyone should read it. It's rich and diverse and just brilliant -- FLEUR HITCHCOCK, author of THE BOY WHO FLEWElle is an engaging, self-aware character . . . and the environmental theme will strike a chord with young readers * * Guardian * *Fans of Hayley Long's Sophie Someone will love this imaginative time-travelling caper which follows 12-year-old Leaping Elle. A nail-biting adventure! -- JULIA FORSTER, author of WHAT A WAY TO GOIn this inventive, mind-boggling tale, Agbabi introduces us to Elle - determined, autistic, time-travelling crimefighter - whose voice will charm and astonish readers everywhere -- STEVE TASANE, author of CHILD I
£7.59
Usborne Publishing Ltd The Book of Stolen Dreams
Book SynopsisAn exhilarating, awe-inspiring debut from a master storyteller writing for children for the first time, perfect for fans of Katherine Rundell, Eva Ibbotson and His Dark Materials. Shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize."A new and important voice for young people." Michael Morpurgo"Dazzling! An instant classic. An eye-wateringly funny and jaw-droppingly fantastical adventure, chock-a-block with rare books, airships, and penguin-shaped hats." Ben Miller"A wonderful story. Gripping and magical." Anthony HorowitzWhen Rachel and Robert are passed a stolen book by their librarian father, they have to go on the run and protect it at all costs. With their father captured and everyone hunting for the Book, they must uncover its secrets and track down the final, missing page.But the cruel and calculating Charles Malstain is on their trail. When the children discover the astonishing, magical truth about the Book, they resolve to do everything in their power to stop it falling into his hands. For if it does, he could rule forever.Step inside the pages of an immortal adventure and discover a truly unforgettable journey of wonder, courage and magic...Trade ReviewA new and important voice for young people. * Michael Morpurgo *Told by a distinguished script writer with clarity, feeling and clever plotting, this involving tale asks who can be trusted in a world full of traitors, but finds the good in the end. * Children's Book of the Week, The Sunday Times *A heart-stopping adventure of the kind that should appeal to fans of Eva Ibbotson and Philip Pullman. * The New Statesman *An unforgettable adventure * The School Librarian *
£7.59
Troubador Publishing Inside Out
Book SynopsisIn a divisive world of mistrust and murder, there’s only one thing that matters growing up: you’re either in The Inside or The Outside. While the Insiders appear pampered and privileged, the Outsiders know only harsh realities. Believing themselves to be needlessly deprived of everything the Insiders have, the younger generation channel their rage into a terrorist group called The Freedom Fighters, a group intent on overthrowing the Inside at any cost. Now the Insiders must watch as the world they love collapses around them while the government resort to increasingly desperate tactics to try and contain the Outside threat. When the latest initiative catapults one of the young into the heart of the war, everything is pushed to breaking point. Loyalties will be tested. Lives will be risked. Their worlds will change forever.
£10.24
Zephyr Publishing I am Margaret: 1
£12.34
Little Island Gold
Book SynopsisEsper and Starn are twin boys who live in a grim world that has been almost laid waste by massive volcanic explosions. Very little grows in Orchard, which used to be a fruit-growing area, but with the death of insects and birds, pollination of the fruit trees is a tedious and precarious undertaking. When the boys discover an intriguing old manuscript in a locked room in their apartment, which tells of gold on one of the forbidden islands the people can see from the coastline, they determine to go on gold-hunt. They manage to construct a glider that takes them far from their home territory, and so begins a whole new adventure for the boys, as they travel from island to island in search of gold. Their adventures are many and they come close to death. They do in the end, find the gold – but it is nothing like what they expected. Trade Review‘A mile a minute adventure story. Wildly inventive and imaginative. Geraldine Mills is an exciting new voice in children’s literature.’ – Patricia Forde, author of The Wordsmith -- Patricia Forde
£7.99
Ineja Press Untamed
Book Synopsis
£18.04
Clamp Limited The Kids Who Lived In A Hole
Book Synopsis
£10.44
Three Rooms Press Downdrift: A Novel
Book SynopsisNarrated by an Archaeon, a 3.8 billion year old species, the oldest on earth, Downdrift is a work of speculative eco-fiction that describes the impact of ecological pressures on animals that are adopting human behaviors, with droll and sometimes alarming, results. The book follows a year of changes and the travels of a housecat and a lion who are inexplicably driven towards a rendezvous. At first, a few isolated harbingers of change appear, but they quickly escalate. Squirrels take up manic knitting, wild hares steal earth-moving equipment, rats go in for disco music and form-fitting metallic leisure-ware. Data-sorting abilities appear among urban populations of birds, and frenzied domestic pets seek celebrity careers. Droll, melancholic, and poetic, the tale is crammed with witty vignettes and poignant reflections on the ways the pressures on the once-natural world are accelerating mutations in behaviors among the animals. Genetic material alters. The differences between animals blur. Odd mutant forms appear–goat-chicks and dog-flies, fish-birds and flying lizards–as if some mad rush is propelling genetic code to propagate across every form of flesh and living matter. As large-scale infrastructure projects make their appearance, each of the animals takes the role appropriate to its disposition—or not. Melancholic rather than apocalyptic, the book is a celebration of species as well as a mourning of the damage done in our time. Throughout, the emergent voice and character of the Archaeon extremophile records events as well as a slow coming to consciousness about its own identity as a hyper-organism.Trade Review“Occasionally books arise that explore unique and provocative universal potentialities, books that are provoked by scientific research and grow into speculative knowledge. Johanna Drucker's DownDrift is such a book. . . . Downdrift insightfully and rigorously explores questions of consciousness, processes of biological evolution, and the transformative impact of shifts in communication on society. Sound familiar? Downdrift is about our time, now, as human beings, navigating extreme turbulence and destabilized subjectivity: surveillance capitalism, populism, memes. . . . DownDrift is reminiscent of the best parts of Burroughs, Lispector, Pynchon, DeLillo, Patchen. And one hears residues of the poets: Charles Bernstein (for humor), Lorie Graham (on elegies), Lisa Robertson (in The Weather). The quantum world is strange. The human pinnacle of dominance, precarious. DownDrift's plot tension is lite. Its intellectual recruitment, high. Insight, agility, style, and humor far above average.” —Electronic Book Review “Rides the wave of the New Weird, combining elements of fantasy, horror, speculative, psychological, absurdist, and literary fiction. ... A work of tremendous ambition, strangeness, and most import, compassion.” —Library Journal, starred review “Tales of the many different animals are delivered in deliciously short chapters that build over the course of one year into a story that's by turns droll, subversive, pensive, brooding, off-the-charts weird, and wonderfully surprising. . . . Animal lovers will enjoy the antics of the beagles, bears, salamanders, cows, spiders, and other creatures, but the author's beautifully subtle message isn't just for pet owners or environmentalists. It's for all of us.” —Kirkus Reviews “Laughing or crying, Drucker skewers the current cultural moment in an novel extrapolation of epic proportions. Taken to the furthest extreme, Downdrift is dogged by an urgent need to understand the difference between the domestic and the wild, measure it, and recalibrate its implications for survival.” —Foreword Reviews (starred review) "A bold narrative . . . stunningly effective." Tulsa Book Review “In actual labs, we've already been able to engineer goats that manufacture spider silk, and tomatoes that are part fish. In Johanna Drucker’s brilliant meditation on the dissolution of species, cats process coffee beans in their guts, hyenas recycle foil and we are left to ponder what is lost when the wild grows out of place among the domestic and the domestic grows strange to itself. Just as profoundly, DOWNDRIFT invites us to take the long view of a humanless future.” —Steve Tomasula, author, VAS: An Opera in Flatland “A genealogical critique of morals—a migratory picture of that sometimes comic, sometimes tragic, working out of the West’s metaphysics of justice on a planetary scale.” —Ron Day, Professor, Indiana University at Bloomington
£11.99
Acutebydesign, Publishing The Winds of Truth
Book Synopsis
£13.32
Snowy Wings Publishing Aqua
Book Synopsis
£19.00
Snowy Wings Publishing Terra
Book Synopsis
£19.00
Tiny Fox Press LLC Herrick's End
Book Synopsis
£19.94
Rising Sun Press Works The Crown of Light: An Ancient Legend, a
Book Synopsis
£24.69
Leapfrog Press Jellyfish Dreaming
Book Synopsis
£8.54
