Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Abuse / exploitation

Book SynopsisBut Monday’s mother refuses to give Claudia a straight answer, and Monday’s sister April is even less help.As Claudia digs deeper into her friend’s disappearance, she discovers that no one seems to remember the last time they saw Monday.Trade Review“A mesmerizing, punch-in-the-gut story about the power of friendship and the horrors hiding right in front of us.” — Laurie Halse Anderson, author of Speak and Chains “This thought-provoking thriller examines issues such as abuse, gentrification, and the marginalization of people of color with nuance and sensitivity. The narrative deftly moves back and forth between past and present, building to a devastating conclusion. A spellbinding, profoundly moving choice for YA collections.” — School Library Journal (starred review) “Jackson effortlessly weaves elements of suspense with issues of race, class, and gender, casting a harsh light on a world that often refuses to notice the disappearances of black and brown girls. The twist at the end is both gaspworthy and heartbreaking.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review) “Jackson doesn’t hold anything back when it comes to the pain of abuse and the ramifications of turning a blind eye. It’s a frank, devastating read filled with real and flawed characters, and it’s a story that needs to be read.” — Booklist “In addition to a gripping plot line, underlying social issues bubble beneath the surface, such as neighborhood gentrification, race, poverty, community, the healing of connection, and the destruction in disconnection.” — The Horn Book “The gravest, most fundamental challenge in Tiffany D. Jackson’s devastating novel is leveled at a society that purports to value children while allowing untold numbers of them, particularly poor children and children of color, to fall through the cracks.” — Chicago Tribune PRAISE FOR ALLEGEDLY: ★ “With remarkable skill, Jackson offers an unflinching portrayal of the raw social outcomes when youth are entrapped in a vicious cycle of nonparenting and are sent spiraling down the prison-for-profit pipeline. Dark, suspenseful.” — School Library Journal (starred review) ★ “Her novel effectively joins Ava DuVernay’s documentary 13th and Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow (2010) to become another indictment of the penal system’s decimating power beyond its bars and, more subtly and refreshingly, a pro-reproductive-justice novel. Searing and true.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) ★ “The characters are complex, the situation unsettling, and the line between right and wrong hopelessly blurred. It’s also intensely relevant, addressing race, age, and mental illness within the criminal justice system. Well conceived and executed, this is an absorbing and exceptional first novel.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) ★ “Suspenseful without being emotionally manipulative, compelling without resorting to shock value, this is a tightly spun debut that wrestles with many intense ideas and ends with a knife twist that will send readers racing back to the beginning again.” — Booklist (starred review) “Seen through Jackson’s dark portrait of the legal system and the failures of parents and social workers, Mary’s environments are as grim as the stories that play out in them; readers fascinated by procedural dramas will be thoroughly hooked.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books “A well-executed, powerful journey into the claustrophobic life of a young girl trying to navigate what little is left after the world has judged her, and what she will do to escape it.” — Mindy McGinnis, Edgar Award-winning author of A Madness So Discreet “A riveting, gut-wrenching thriller and a stunning debut.” — Daniel José Older, New York Times bestselling author of Shadowshaper “Tiffany Jackson’s timely and chilling debut will haunt you for a long time. An extraordinary new voice.” — Justine Larbalestier, author of Liar and My Sister Rosa

Read more less

Book SynopsisMaleeka suffers every day from taunts about her dark, black skinfrom other kids. When a new teacher, whose face is blotched witha white patch, starts at their school, Maleeka can see there is boundto be trouble for her too. But the new teacher's attitude surprisesMaleeka. Miss Saunders loves the skin she's in. Can Maleekalearn to do the same?

Read more less

Book SynopsisA gripping, haunting and beautifully written book for fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, They Both Die at the End and Holly Jackson.How can the things you love hurt so much?17-year-old Luka isn't looking for love. She's trying to piece her life back together after a heartbreaking loss. But when she meets the gorgeous and charismatic Cosmo under a meteor shower at the Greenwich Observatory, it feels like destiny has played a hand. Surely theirs is a love written in the stars.But Cosmo isn't what he seems, using Luka''s love for him to slowly take control of her life. As the pandemic starts to make headlines and lockdown sets in, she is trapped emotionally and physically in a coercive relationship. Luka's friends and brother can see what's happening, but struggle to reach her. Something will have to be sacrificed so Luka can set herself free but what will be left of her when she does?(TRUE) LOVE(TOXIC) LOVE(LOST) LOVEThis is a different kind of love story.Trade Review“A topical and thought-provoking novel for older teens”.Irish Times, 24th April 2022 “Utterly compelling, completely devastating, and so, so beautiful.”Simon James Green, author of Noah Can’t Even,Heartbreak and Boys Club! “Accomplished, confident, and compelling, nobody tunes into the emotional complexities of being a young adult as beautifully and as reverently as Sera Milano. There's heartbreak and humour, grief and grit, and the characters' energy leaps out of the page.”Justin Myers (@theguyliner) “Hard-hitting but ultimately hopeful, told from multiple perspectives.”The Bookseller’s Children’s Preview ‘It gripped my heart on page one and still hasn’t let go.Absolutely stunning.’ – Kat Ellis, author of Harrow Lake Praise for This Can Never Not be Real: ‘ Heart-rending and utterly gripping’ – Kat Ellis, author of Harrow Lake and Wicked Little Deeds. A much -needed novel for our times that shows that no matter what horrors we might have to endure, we will always come out stronger . . . Mel Darbon, author of Rosie Loves Jack.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe only thing worse than being lost . . . is being found. Keely planned to keep her head down at her new school - she isn''t there to make friends or memories, she just wants to be left alone. In order to get into college, she is roped into a programme that involves camping in the Welsh wilderness with five over-keen try-hards. Her plan is to keep her head down, keep her mouth shut and get through the next few days.But Keely is running from something. Something that drove her family out of their home and to this quiet town. And when her fellow explorers start disappearing and the bodies begin to pile up, she has to ask herself: did she run far enough?The second spine-chilling standalone from the author of Someone is Watching You, Tess James-Mackey.

Read more less

Book SynopsisLiga endures unspeakable cruelties at the hands of her father, before being magically granted her own personal heaven, a safe haven from the real world. She raises her two daughters in this alternate reality, and they grow up protected from the violence that once harmed their mother. But the real world cannot be denied forever . . . Magicked men and wild bears break down the borders of Liga's refuge. Now, having known Heaven, how will these three women survive in a world where beauty and brutality lie side by side?Trade ReviewFunny, tragic, wise, tender and beautifully written. It also left me gasping with shock . . . It is with a mixture of respect and delight that I greet any book capable of blasting an entire genre out of the water with its audacity and grace. Tender Morsels is such a book -- Meg Rosoff * Guardian *A striking retelling of the Grimms' Snow White and Rose Red, told in a rich yet remote prose style, it is, like Lanagan's awardwinning collection of short stories, Red Spikes, likely to appeal to teenage girls with a taste for the original and the sinister -- Amanda Craig * The Times *A work of genius -- Dinah Hall * Sunday Telegraph *It's a rewardingly complex and emotional story told in highly imaginative prose. The worlds Lanagan creates are so rich and multi-layered it's easy to get lost in the book's 500 pages, never wanting to leave * Scotsman *Ambitious and difficult with multi-layered prose that will work its way into your very soul -- Jill Murphy * The Bookbag *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA dazzling and evocative novel about love and loss-with a dash of thrilling mystery-for fans of Mindy McGinnis and Courtney Summers.Owl has always been her freest self in the mountains, tracking, hiking, and exploring the steep forested acres of her aunt and uncle's maple sugar farm. They never speak of the childhood tragedy that left her partially deaf and sent her father to jail. All Owl wants is to stay safe at the farm, her favorite place in the world, her refuge from those who would treat her differently.Owl's sheltered existence is blown wide open by Cody-the magnetic, dangerous young man hired to help with the season's sugaring off. Cody seems to see the real her, to look past her hearing loss in a way no one else does. Together, they find comfort in their similarities and exhilaration in their differences, and risk a romance their families are desperate to stop.But then Owl hears her father will be released from prison, and a seemingly motiveless murder shakes the foundations of her small town. When the crime draws all eyes to Cody, Owl realized he is in far more serious trouble than anyone knows-and it's followed him to her mountain.*ITW Thriller Award Finalist*

Read more less

Book SynopsisEdward is four years old when he is locked away with his mother by her abusive, alcoholic partner, Harris. By the time an elderly neighbour spots his pale face peering through a crack in the boarded-up window and raises the alarm, he is seven. Rescue comes, but lasting damage has been done. Sent to live with a kindly foster family, and then adopted, Edward struggles to adapt to normal life. Even as a teenager it's still clear to his new family and schoolmates there's something odd about him. Then one fateful day, Edward catches a glimpse of himself in a photograph. What he sees shocks him to the core a vision of Harris. Was this monster his father all along? And does that mean that, deep down, another Harris is waiting to break out? Every step of progress Edward has made swiftly begins to unravel, and he has to decide whether his blood will determine his future.Trade ReviewStrong stuff from a writer who is never afraid to be outspoken -- Nicholas Tucker * Independent *Reading Anne Fine’s work is always a challenge as well as a delight. She’s like a difficult relative who appears at family events and tells everyone a few home truths, yet gets away with it because she has such a wickedly witty turn of phrase -- Tony Bradman * Guardian *A riveting read * The Bookseller *Once again Fine proves why she is such a prolific author with this dangerous and dark new book . . . Evocative, emotional and beautifully imagined * We Love This Book *Excellent -- Marilyn Brocklehurst * The Bookseller *

Read more less

Book Synopsis'It's good that I've found this secret place . . . No one can get to to me up there. It's totally safe.'In real life, Jake is never safe. He lives in constant fear of his mother's violent boyfriend. But in his imaginary tower he can dream up his own father - the stranger who gave him a cuddle and a fluffy duck the day he was born and went away for ever. Jake doesn't believe dreams ever come true. But sometimes they do - in strange and surprising ways.Shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal, Jake's Tower by Elizabeth Laird is a powerful and moving novel that spotlights the issue of domestic abuse.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA powerful and poetic novel from the multi-award-winning author of Tangleweed and Brine Ces longs to be a tattoo artist and embroider skin with beautiful images. But for now she’s just trying to reach adulthood without falling apart. Powerful, poetic and disturbing, Needlework is a girl’s meditation on her efforts to maintain her bodily and spiritual integrity in the face of abuse, violation and neglect. ‘Reading Needlework is similar to getting your first tattoo – it’s searing, often painful, but it is an experience you’ll never forget.’ – Louise O’Neill, author of The Surface Breaks and Asking For It ‘Needlework is a powerful novel that deserves to be read.’ – Sarah Crossan, author of One and We Come Apart ‘I loved Deirdre Sullivan’s Needlework, a novel that is just as sharp and precise as its title suggests.’ – Doireann Ní Ghríofa, poet ‘A modern, broken fairy tale that gets under your skin.’ – Tara Flynn, author and comedianTrade ReviewA word of advice: do not read this book after 2 am as you might start crying – although it’s definitely worth it. * The Guardian *The details of the skill, knowledge and painstaking preparation required are as alluring as the descriptions of delicate, powerful and enduring images, while the idea of blemishing the skin in order to create beauty is a metaphor for Ces’s path through life. * The Observer *This is a powerful novel that haunts you long after you have read the final page. -- Caroline Busher * The Irish Times *My number one most adored for this year has to be Deirdre Sullivan’s Needlework. -- Jacq Murphy * The Irish Times *So beautiful that you won’t want to put it down, even as your heart is breaking for Ces. -- Kim Hood * The Irish Times *A brave, necessary book that burned into my heart. -- Sarah Webb * The Irish Times *Beautiful and poetic. -- Catherine Doyle * The Irish Times *Material handled with all the delicacy of touch we would expect from the most talented of tattooists. -- Robert Dunbar * The Irish Times *

Read more less

Book Synopsis15-year-old Roza thinks she's leaving Albania for better things in the UK. As she arrives, she realises her father has sold her to get out of debt. Adelina and Jozif Braka now consider Roza their property. They work her hard, beat and starve her, and refuse to let her go out. But she must tell people they are her parents. She runs to the police, but the Brakas produce a forged birth certificate. She is dismissed as attention-seeking and returned to them for punishment. She doesn't think life can get much worse. However, when she tries to escape, she's sent to a holding house full of other enslaved girls. This appears to be the first British YA novel to explore child trafficking. It should appeal to fans of Miriam Halahmy, Anne Cassidy, and Laurie Halse Anderson. 'A riveting read, well researched and very informative about a little known subject... powerful, gritty and engrossing... will attract both teen and adult readers. Essential, compelling, deeply moving.' - Miriam HalahmyTrade Review'Compulsively readable, harrowing yet hopeful, this YA debut shines a fierce light into the shadows of child trafficking.' THE GUARDIAN; 'A riveting read, well researched and very informative about a little-known subject... powerful, gritty and engrossing... will attract both teen and adult readers. Essential, compelling, deeply moving.' - MIRIAM HALAHMY, author of Hidden; 'SOLD deals with important issues within an exciting story. I was gripped from the first page and travelled with Roza on every step of her horrifying journey.' - CHERITH BALDRY (writes as ERIN HUNTER, Warrior Cats series); 'SOLD is a gripping adventure story about a very important real-world problem, told with conviction and plenty of hard-hitting detail. Roza's story is entirely believable.' - JANE JOHNSON, author and publisher;

Read more less

Book SynopsisJulie is getting her life back together after the tragedy that destroyed her family. She has a passion for surfing, and is making new friends and finally starting to feel like she belongs. But when her brother Toby wants to leave Sydney and return to the bush to live, and Aunt Jean becomes unwell, Julie fears she is losing what’s left of her family, and wonders if she is being punished for being happy. While Julie continues to be besieged with dramas, she also finds an inner strength, and vows to stop crying and make this her laughing year.

Read more less

Book SynopsisHaunting ... teems with raw emotion, and McCullough deftly captures the experience of learning to behave in a male-driven society and then breaking outside of it.—The New Yorker I will be haunted and empowered by Artemisia Gentileschi's story for the rest of my life.—Amanda Lovelace, bestselling author of the princess saves herself in this oneA William C. Morris Debut Award Finalist2018 National Book Award LonglistHer mother died when she was twelve, and suddenly Artemisia Gentileschi had a stark choice: a life as a nun in a convent or a life grinding pigment for her father's paint.She chose paint.By the time she was seventeen, Artemisia did more than grind pigment. She was one of Rome's most talented painters, even if no one knew her name. But Rome in 1610 was a city where men took what they wanted from women, and in the aftermath of rape Artemisia faced another terrible

Read more less

Book SynopsisA contemporary, high-stakes thriller about how reality becomes more twisted than the fantasy novel two friends are writing when the real-life subject of their fiction turns up dead and they're the suspects, for fans of Mare of Easttown and One of Us Is Lying.

Read more less