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This is a tension-led fantasy romance about a hidden witch and the witch hunter pursuing her. It combines alternating viewpoints, political intrigue, blood-based magic, secret identities, deception and a slow-building relationship between enemies.

A tense, emotionally charged survival story for readers drawn to alien threats, shifting loyalties and determined characters. Its strongest human focus is on protecting others and holding on to trust when fear encourages isolation.

This is a character-led coming-of-age romance about uncertainty rather than a straightforward love story. Ellie’s relationships, creative ambitions, family life and friendships overlap, offering humour, emotional complication and culturally specific family tensions.

A bleak, lyrical survival story that combines a flooded social landscape with a dangerous escape. Its strongest material appears to be the evolving bond between Kel and Rose, though the style and rushed plotting may divide readers.

This is a richly dramatic fantasy romance about two former lovers confronting inherited power, wartime injustice and dangerous secrets. It may appeal to readers who enjoy high-stakes adventure woven through emotional reconciliation.

This offers court intrigue, magic, desert adventure and a relationship shaped by unequal power, betrayal and difficult choices. Its central appeal is the girls’ developing bond and their resistance to a brutal system.

This is a warm but perilous time-slip adventure about a child coping with frightening family circumstances. Its emotional centre is the growing trust between two boys who must care for one another while trying to return home.

This is a humorous contemporary fantasy-romance about luck, self-knowledge and changing feelings. Its appeal lies in Jude’s creative interests, playful narration and a central magical question that gradually becomes a question about personal responsibility.

A dual-perspective story about two university students trying to belong while managing depression, anxiety, relationships and self-identity. Poetry and late-night journal entries give the book an intimate, emotionally direct form.

This is a humorous, emotionally serious story about a guarded young person whose magic, friendship and care for her grandmother bring questions about love, loss and opening up.

A character-led YA novel about Deaf identity, changing schools and deciding how far to trust new people. It offers a perspective on agency, communication and inclusion, alongside friendship and romance.

A contemporary coming-of-age romance about Simon’s identity, friendships and first relationship, told alongside anonymous email exchanges. It offers LGBTQ+ representation, humour and emotional growth, while placing personal discovery alongside school conflict and online communication.

This offers a tense journey story alongside a close account of sibling care. Clem’s storytelling, memories and uncertain perspective add emotional depth, while the political setting invites reflection on belonging, surveillance, displacement and how families preserve hope under pressure.

Expect an imaginative factory adventure centred on five children, with comic fantasy, moral contrasts and a strong focus on Charlie’s honesty. The story also includes poverty, rule-breaking and punishments that may prompt differing reactions.

This is a politically charged LGBTQ+ dystopia where romance develops amid authoritarian control and criminalisation. Its strongest offering is a tense exploration of how quickly rights, safety and personal freedom can be taken away.

A suspenseful mystery about a child pursuing truth while separated from her family. Its science-fiction ideas sit alongside friendship, courage and self-discovery, with a hopeful emotional thread reported alongside danger and uncertainty.

This is a dark, atmospheric fantasy about rival thieves and assassins, inherited conflict and a forbidden attraction. Its strongest features appear to be the city, magic system and emotionally charged relationship, though the later narrative is described as uneven.

This is a coming-of-age story about leaving home, making a new life and navigating first love while music gives Marty a route towards independence. It foregrounds identity, trust, relationships, friendship and found family.