Review: The Spirit of Loughmoe Abbey by Megan Wynne

The Spirit of Loughmoe Abbey is a heart-breaking, haunting ghost story, a story that captures pain, hope and healing, and one which held me enthralled throughout.

Gwen has been home-schooled but, when her mother needs to go in to hospital, a reluctant Gwen is sent to boarding school at Loughmoe Abbey – an impressive, old house within the grounds of a monastic site. But she immediately feels lost and trapped, finding it difficult to make friends, to adapt to sharing a dorm with four other girls, and struggling with the expectations for learning in a classroom. Her only comfort is that she has been allowed to bring her dog, Bella – even though she has to stay in the kennels.

On a walk with Bella, Gwen finds herself at the Bell Tower, the only place which students are forbidden to enter without written permission from the Principal. When she is met by an older girl who has clearly been crying, Gwen’s curiosity is stirred, and she is determined to find out what happens in the Tower. After a strange occurrence which frightens Gwen, she is told the secret of the Tower by the Principal. But surely, there could not be ghosts in the school – and why would one want to communicate with her?

Gwen is given permission to visit the Tower and, when she does, she meets a spirit who shares a secret with her and tells her that she wants to help both Gwen and her mother. But can she trust this ghost? Can they work together to help Gwen’s mum heal?

This is such a heart-achingly moving story that deals with some powerful themes, including grief and mental health, in a sensitive manner. I loved the idea of a boarding school that brings people who need help to it, the blend of school life with the supernatural and the unexpected twists that were just perfect. I think there is so much potential to learn the stories of other students at Loughmoe Abbey and I really hope there’s a return to this wonderful school which is definitely not a typical boarding school.

Gwen is such a sympathetic young girl whose only understanding of education before joining Loughmoe Abbey is her mother’s very relaxed home-schooling which has meant that she finds herself academically behind the other students. She struggles with understanding what friendship is, with learning in an environment and in a manner that are not suited to her neurodivergence, and with the constant worry about her mum, putting extra pressure on herself to do well in the hope that this will make her mum better.

A stunning story of family and friendship, of healing and hope, of loss and connection, perfect for young readers of 9+.

Thank you to the publisher, Our Street Books, for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Review: Clem Fatale has been Betrayed

*Written by Eve Wer*socki-Morris
*Illustrated by Honie Beam*
Published by *Little Tiger*

Clem Fatale has been Betrayed is a high-octane gangster heist set amidst the shady underbelly of 1950s London and, my goodness, what an utterly fantastic, fast-paced compelling adventure!

Twelve-year-old Clem Fatale is on a heist with her father and boss, jewel thief extraordinaire and leader of the notorious Spider Gang. Despite the gang planning the theft of Lord Weatherdale’s Fool’s Canary diamond to perfection, the robbery goes drastically wrong when Clem discovers that her father has disappeared, the diamond is missing and the police are on their way. Oh, and she has accidentally kidnapped Lord Weatherdale’s son.

Whilst Clem is reluctant to hide out at her socialite mum’s home in the countryside, the rest of the gang are eager to lie low away from the city. But Clem is determined to find her father and find out the identity of those who double-crossed him. When the other members of the gang refuse to help, she leaves with Lord Weatherdale’s son, Gilbert, and starts her mission to find her father …

And so begins the most incredible, fast-paced adventure as intrepid Clem and her prisoner (or is that sidekick?), Gilbert find themselves thrown into an intriguing mystery that involves daring, danger and dastardly villains. They find themselves hanging out in glamorous nightclubs, greasy spoon cafes, secret safehouses and involved in high-speed car chases as they follow a trail of clues which leads them into so much danger and discovery. Could someone have betrayed the Spider Gang? Can she work out who is friend and who foe, and find her father, before it is too late?

I absolutely loved the post-war 1950s London criminal underworld setting which shows both the darkness and glamour of this world with an added touch of noir. Oh, and did I mention the sea-themed socialite party – pure genius! The streets of London still show the damage caused by the Second World War yet also the resilience of people getting on with their lives in this post-war era where rationing is still in place. There is also reference to the racism and prejudice faced by immigrants from both Europe and the Caribbean. But there are also those who are prepared to stand up for those who need help, those who seek a new path to counter their disillusionment with a society which does not seem to have learned from their recent past. I think this story would make a brilliant class read aloud not only because it is completely compelling and would hold a class enraptured, but also because it would open up opportunities for rich discussion.

Clem and Gilbert are absolutely wonderful and make the most brilliant sleuthing team. Clem is strong-willed, determined and courageous, being prepared to take risks and stand up both to, and for, others. Gilbert is a very polite young boy who has led a sheltered life where he is lonely and mostly ignored by his rich father, but he is so open for adventure and I loved how excited he is to be solving the mystery with Clem, despite his fear. I loved the humour that develops between them as they bond of friendship and trust grows. I’m definitely looking forward to more adventures from this quick-thinking, clever and courageous duo!

The full-page illustrations are absolutely stunning and complement the 1950s gangster setting and excitement of the story perfectly.

An exhilarating, clever and action-packed mystery, brimming with heart and humour, perfect for readers of 9+.

Thank you to Little Tiger for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Review: The Great Theatre Rescue by Judith Eagle

The Great Theatre Rescue is a dazzlingly exciting historical adventure set in the West End in the 1930s: a real showstopper that held me utterly entranced throughout.

Twelve-year-old Charley is excited to be giving her first performance at The Wren, the smallest theatre in Soho, a place where she has grown up with the performers – her theatre family. But when the unthinkable happens and she is frozen by stage fright, she fears that her dreams of dancing on stage might never be fulfilled.

Life gets even tougher for Charley when her dad leaves to visit his poorly father and she gets sent off to a boarding school on the coast. The school is run by a cruel and unscrupulous pair who steal from and exploit the girls to line their own pockets. Charley has no intention of staying in this terrible place and is determined to make her way back to her beloved theatre …

And so begins the most incredible, action-packed adventure as Charley discovers that her beloved theatre is in danger of closing down, and is determined to make her way home to rescue the theatre before it is too late. I absolutely loved this edge-of-your-seat adventure brimming with danger, discoveries, twists and revelations. Will Charley learn the incredible truth behind the reason the theatre is in financial difficulty? Can she convince a star to help her rescue the theatre? And, can she overcome her own fear to fulfil her dreams?

I really enjoyed the intriguing mystery which runs throughout this story and loved the unravelling of clues to reveal unexpected twists and links to the past that made this a real page turner. A story of deception and betrayal with a dark and cruel villain, but also a story of hope and family pulling together when faced with adversity.

The portrayal of the world of 1930s London theatre life is absolutely wonderful and I felt happily immersed in this world with its American influences through jazz and dance styles, its colourful costumes and exuberant performances. I also really enjoyed the depiction of those who work in the theatre as a family who help and support each other.

Charley is an incredibly likeable young girl who shows great courage and determination when faced with difficult situations and decisions. She faces her fears and opens herself up to friendship even when there are barriers to overcome. I also must mention Max who is the most wonderfully loyal dog and friend to Charley – absolutely adorable!

Curtains up for a dazzling, daring adventure brimming with peril and secrets, with family and friendship, and with the most smashing ending!

Thank you to Bethany Carter and Faber Children’s Books for sending me a proof copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Review: The Zombie Project by Alice Nuttall

*Written by Alice Nuttall*
*Cover Illustration by Ali Al Amine*
*Published by Chicken House Books*

The Zombie Project is a gripping, thought-provoking, one-of-a-kind zombie story that completely captured me from start to finish.

Eleven-year-old Merian wakes to a familiar sound: a zombie tapping at her cabin window. Unperturbed by such occurrences, she traps it and drops it into a dead-trap pit and then takes her cat for a walk in the forest … where she is confronted by another zombie. Luckily, friend and ranger, Justin, is on hand to help her deal with the danger. Despite this perilous situation, Merian does not wish to kill zombies as she knows human survival depends on them …

Merian is the daughter of scientist, Dr Gwen Hope, who is the leading expert in the field of death-flies, the world’s most important pollinator after the extinction of many other insect pollinators, including bees. The larvae of the death-flies incubate in humans and are activated when they die, turning them into zombies until the death-flies hatch. This makes zombies a vital part of the ecosystem and instrumental in the survival of the human race, but what if there are those whose greed supersedes the needs of humanity?

As Merian and her mum leave their home to attend a science exhibition in the city where her mum is facing challenge from those with opposing views, they leave behind possible sabotage and head towards dangerous encounters. Will they be able to convince people that zombies are essential to survival, or will others persuade people that they have been fed a lie about the necessity of zombies?

And so begins an action-packed, edge-of your-seat read that I absolutely couldn’t put down. With plenty of scares, horror and unexpected twists and turns, this is a story that completely gripped me as tension builds and danger intensifies to heart-pounding levels. A perfect blend of excitement and terror!

This is such a thought-provoking read with so many powerful messages around environmental issues, media manipulation and influence, corporation control, activism and fake news conflicting with science. I found the portrayal of zombies as both something to be feared, but also absolutely necessary to the survival of humanity, absolutely fascinating. I won’t deny that I found the zombies scary but they also engendered pity and, with dawning realisation, hope.

Merian is an incredible character: strong, determined, resilient and courageous. She understands the importance of the zombies to the ecosystem and, when she makes an important discovery, she takes great risks to ensure the future of the zombies – and the future of humanity! When she finds others trying to manipulate situations, she takes control, often placing herself in danger, to ensure that the truth unfolds.

An unmissable, one-of-a-kind zombie adventure for our time – a thought-provoking story of courage and determination, survival and hope, frights and horror … young readers of 11+ will absolutely devour this!

Thank you to Laura Smythe PR and Chicken House Books for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Blog Tour: Alex Neptune: Zombie Fighter

Written by David Owen
Illustrated by George Ermos
Published by Usborne

Alex Neptune: Zombie Fighter is the fourth amazing adventure for Alex and his friends Zoey and Anil in this action-packed, exciting and fun series … perfect for readers of 9+.

Out on their rowing boat, Alex Neptune is teaching his friends, Anil and Zoey, how to control their sea magic when a heavy fog creeps towards them. Racing it back to Haven Bay with the help of the new Water Dragon, they watch it blanket the town. When Alex arrives home and the pirate Brineblood’s skull begins to glow, he knows that the fog is bringing danger … and he’s not wrong! Hidden in the fog are frightening crab spiders ridden by creepy cloaked zombies … and they’re looking for their master, Brineblood.

And so begins a thrilling, fast-paced adventure as Alex, Anil and Zoey discover that the only way to stop the zombies from resurrecting Brineblood is to find a powerful weapon: a trident. There’s only one problem – it has been broken into three pieces. Actually, there’s two problems – each piece has been hidden in a perilous place. Can the children enter each of these places, overcome the danger there, and use their sea magic to retrieve the trident pieces before the zombies hunting them catch up? Can they trust in an old acquaintance to help save Haven Bay from the zombie hunters?

I absolutely loved being back with Alex and his friends for another incredible, page-turning adventure. The zombies, relentlessly hunting on the backs of huge spider crabs, are seriously creepy and gross. I really felt the danger and tension as they hunted for Brineblood’s skull whose twisted magic holds power over them. It felt like the children could never escape them as they get closer and closer to catching them as the friends are focussed on retrieving the hidden trident pieces.

Alex, Zoey and Anil make such a wonderful team with such a strong friendship, always ready to support and encourage each other. They face great danger with courage, determination – and a sense of humour! I really liked that the children’s families, especially Bridget (she’s seriously sassy and brilliant!) and Grandpa, are such an active part of the adventure, helping and supporting them in their mission. I also really enjoyed that the sea animals remain such a pivotal part of the adventure, helping their friends to save Haven Bay and its people.

This is an exciting, magical and humorous adventure brimming with wonderful friendships, courage and danger, and is a brilliant continuation of a series I’ve absolutely adored. I cannot wait to join this wonderful team in their next adventure: Dragon Champion.

Author Information

Having worked as a freelance games journalist and taught on a BA Creative Writing course for three years, David Owen’s debut novel, Panther, was longlisted for the Carnegie Medal, and was followed by three further highly
acclaimed YA novels. Alex Neptune is his first series for younger readers, born of his love for nail-biting heists, fantastical monsters and heartfelt friendships.

Thank you so much to Kaleidoscopic Tours for inviting me to be part of the Blog Tour, and to Usborne for providing me with a copy of Alex Neptune, Zombie Fighter in exchange for my honest opinion.

Do check out the other stops on this week’s Blog Tour below:

Review: The Glorious Race of Magical Beasts by Alex Bell

*Written by Alex Bell*
*Illustrations by Tim McDonagh*
*Published by Faber*

Wow! Wow! Wow! I know it’s only the start of the year but The Glorious Race of Magical Beasts is already a contender for my book of the year! A splendiferous, magical adventure that transported me into an incredible world that I didn’t want to leave. The sheer enjoyment, connection and immersion I felt whilst reading this is a testament to the brilliance of the storytelling. This is the kind of story that makes readers – and that’s a real-life magic power! If there’s any doubt – this is an absolute must-read!

Twelve-year-old Eli is an apprentice librarian at the Royal Library in the Port City of Harmonia. And this is a job that suits the quiet, tweed-wearing Eli perfectly. He can live a safe, sensible life with his best friend, Humphrey who just so happens to be a poetry-loving moon tortoise, looking forward to celebrating his hundredth birthday. Whilst Eli may not be looking for adventure, adventure has a way of finding those with courageous, true hearts …

When Eli discovers that his Nana is unwell, he decides to enter the Glorious Race of Magical Beasts in order to sell the prize to pay for the treatment his Nana needs. This is no easy decision for Eli as his parents died during a race. But Eli adores his Nana and is prepared to do anything to save her, even if this means defying her wishes, and sailing into the adventure of his life …

And so begins the most magical, daring and dangerous adventure as Eli boards his friend, Jeremiah’s, ship, the Nepo to compete to get to each checkpoint in the race. It is not long before he is joined by Raven and her ice hare, who has her own reasons for winning the race. Can this trio work together, not only to overcome the many perils placed in their path by the race, but also a threat from someone hunting one of them? Can they trust each other in a race which can only have one winner, or will their secrets pull them apart? I really don’t want to say anything more for fear of spoilers, but suffice to say that this is an action-packed adventure brimming with unexpected happenings, oodles of danger, both scary and wonderful magical creatures and the most exciting race through the most fantastical places.

The world-building is quite simply sublime from the Royal Library (oh yes – libraries of all sorts are an important part of this adventure – and I’m all for that!) with its own bats to a dessert-selling restaurant with chocolate penguin waiters and an island where you will never view balloons the same again! Be prepared to meet a sentient ship, a vampire librarian and a mermaid queen and so many other extraordinary creatures of sky, land and sea as the race unfolds. I must say I am in awe of the author’s imagination and wonder if she has her own inspire-rat!

Oh my goodness! I absolutely adored Eli who has so much inner strength, kindness and courage. It is so wonderful to see that quiet, bookish children can have great adventures whilst remaining true to themselves. We underestimate them at our peril! It was so wonderful to see Eli find that he has things in common with Raven as their friendship grows. There is so much more to these three remarkable children than I have mentioned, but I think this is something readers need to discover for themselves. I have no doubt that they will be just as awestruck by these revelations as I was. I just have to mention Humphrey, the moon tortoise, who is just adorable with his penchant for over-confidence in his own abilities which brought me lots of smiles.

The illustrated chapter headings include a range of magical beasts and are absolutely stunning.

A marvellously magical adventure into a fantastical world that will completely captivate its readers, and take them on an incredible reading experience that they’ll want to return to again and again … an absolute must-buy!

Thank you to Faber Children’s Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Review: Emba Oak and the Screaming Sea by Jenny Moore

*Written by Jenny Moore*
*Cover illustration by David Dean*
*Published by Maverick Publishing*

The Fantastically Fast-paced, Fun-filled Fight for a Friend

I absolutely loved the first two books in the Emba Oak series, so was eager and excited to join Emba on her third, and penultimate, adventure in Emba Oak and the Screaming Sea… and what an amazing adventure it turned out to be with oodles of daring and danger, a good dose of humour and heart and a plucky young heroine, ready to fight for family and friendship.

After the end of The Beckoning Bones, Emba could be forgiven for allowing herself a little time for self-pity, but this determined young girl has an important quest to undertake, a quest that involves rescuing her best friend and fighting for her guardian. Oh, and there’s also the small matter of saving both the human world and dragon realm from her power-hungry, immortality-seeking father.

After consulting the Tome of Terrible Tomorrows, Emba is given a rather cryptic prophecy which directs her towards the coast. Whilst journeying through the mountains with her loyal friend Whip, she stops to rest at a goatherd’s hut where she meets some unwelcome, but much-changed, acquaintances …

And so begins an exhilarating, action-packed and humorous adventure as Emba embarks on her mission to rescue her best friend Odolf from the clutches of her evil father. Will she be able to persuade the ~~kind-hearted~~ most dreaded Grand Thief Master to hand over a stolen item? Can she fight the monster who has returned to the Screaming Sea? And, can she stand against Necromalcom and his ghost army?

I absolutely loved the humour and playfulness in this exciting adventure with enough danger, twists and cliffhangers to make it a one-sitting read. I particularly loved the incorrect names Grimp gave to Necromalcolm and his description of what happened to him – brilliant! And I will never view a turnip in the same way again! I also adored the Grand Thief Master who thrives on being the meanest, nastiest thief around– when she’s not helping out those in need, but she’d definitely deny any helpfulness or kindness traits – after all, she has a reputation to maintain!

Emba is such a wonderful, kind-hearted and courageous young girl who is determined to embark on a rescue mission which leads her on an incredible adventure where she makes new friends, confronts her fears and learns more about herself. She faces an inner battle to accept the magic which she has inherited from her father, fearing that it will make her as evil as her father if she makes use of it. I also really liked that she keeps her connection to her mother and guardian through her dreams, especially as she finds herself undergoing some extraordinary changes.

Another fantastic, fast-paced, fun-filled adventure, perfect for young adventurers of 9+.

Thank you to Maverick Publishing for providing me with an e-copy in exchange for my honest opinion.