Laura Hewson reviews a selection of young adult books.
THE ICE DRAGON
George R. R. Martin & Luis Royo
HarperCollins
Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin first published his short novel The Ice Dragon in 1980.
It was later toned down for children and rereleased and has now been released again, this time with illustrations by Spanish artist Luis Royo.
Set in an undisclosed land, it tells the story of Adara, a child born into the worst freeze remembered, which killed her mother and left Adara cold and distant. She's only ever happy in the winter, especially after she meets the ice dragon.
As Adara grows closer to the dragon each winter, a conflict in the North draws nearer until it eventually reaches her farm, bringing first refugees then wounded and finally enemies on fire dragons.
Adara must decide where her loyalties lie and, in true Martin style, sacrifices must be made. While the story may be a bit graphic and sad for some children, The Ice Dragon is beautifully told and illustrated and should appeal to adults as well.
Ages: 9+.
WITHERING-BY-SEA
Judith Rossell
ABC Books/HarperCollins
The first book in the Stella Montgomery Intrigue series, Withering-by-Sea is a Victorian fantasy adventure about a plucky 11-year old with a thirst for knowledge and an inability to behave with decorum.
Stella is living with three unloving aunts in a large gloomy hotel by the sea when she witnesses the murder of a fellow guest and becomes tasked with protecting a valuable item from the professor, a magician with a steampunk vibe and an evil plan.
There are some lovely fantastical elements here - a man with singing cats, a boy who can ''see'' events and a troupe of dancing acrobat girls - and the illustrations are nicely done.
However, sensitive readers may find some parts a little scary. Stella is a brave, intelligent heroine with secrets of her own to discover and I look forward to her next adventure.
Ages: 8+.
Jacqueline Wilson
RandomHouse
Growing up in Edwardian England, Opal Plumstead is a bright ''plain'' girl who likes eating sweets with her best friend, frequently irritates her teachers and is horribly envious of her beautiful, popular sister.
Her family is not well off and when her father ends up in prison, Opal is forced to give up her scholarship and work full-time at the Fairy Glen sweet factory.
Opal is pretty much universally unpopular, mostly because she's a bit of a know-it-all, but she soon finds a champion in Mrs Roberts (the wealthy factory owner and a committed suffragette) as well as an admirer in Morgen, Mrs Robert's son.
This is Jacqueline Wilson's 100th book and, timed to coincide with the centenary of World War 1, is sure to be popular with her fans.
What seems set to be a tale of personal growth and triumph over adversity becomes quite sad and a bit dark near the end as war begins and loved ones are lost.
Ages: 9+.
THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE LANDAU-BANKS
E. Lockhart
Allen & Unwin
Something has happened to 15-year-old Frankie Landau-Banks.
Over summer she's gone from scrawny and geeky to beautiful and ambitious and she's no longer content to be her family's ''Bunny Rabbit''.
Once back at her private boarding school she begins dating a popular senior but, happy as she is to be his girlfriend and hang out with his friends, Frankie is desperate to be accepted by the boys and become part of their not-so-secret society.
And so the games begin as she spies, schemes and pranks in the name of equality.
Author E. Lockhart (We Were Liars) manages to highlight gender imbalance while mostly keeping things fun, especially if you ignore some of Frankie's more obsessive and unlikeable moments as well as the fact that her priorities are questionable.
This is a funny, intelligent book, with plenty of pranks and an ending that makes you want a second Frankie book, perhaps one where she aims a bit higher.
Ages: 11+.
Jennifer Niven
Penguin
Some characters stay with you long after you've put the book down and Theodore Finch from All the Bright Places has stayed with me.
An intelligent, creative guy who suffers from an undiagnosed mental illness, Finch starts out in a relatively good way.
He's just ''woken up'' from weeks of being blanked out and has met Violet, a popular girl who's facing demons of her own. Finch's campaign to restore her is inventive and romantic but his fascination with death becomes increasingly intense and, as Violet begins to come back to life, he starts to struggle more.
I loved the relationship between Finch and Violet and their shared adventures.
My one concern with the book is whether it romanticises suicide or not but, either way, it's a beautiful, sad, thought-provoking story that isn't only for teens.
Ages: 15+.
Abbie Rushton
Atom/Hachette
Megan doesn't speak. She hasn't spoken since the death of her best friend Hana, which she secretly blames herself for.
The arrival of a bubbly new girl named Jasmine shakes things up and, as the girls grow closer, Megan finds herself dealing with unexpected feelings and an increasing urge to speak again.
Unspeakable touches on a lot of issues - sexuality, jealousy, guilt, bullying, body image, abuse - but it does only touch on them.
There's no chance to explore anything in real depth, especially when there's also the mystery of Hana's death and the added threat of a stalker.
This lack of depth and a predictable (though slightly unbelievable) ending don't stop this being a good read.
Anyone who has felt trapped in their own head will identify with Megan, and the mystery of what happened to Hana will keep you turning the page.
Ages: 14+.
• Laura Hewson is an ODT subeditor and mother.
WIN A COPY
The ODT has five copies of The Ice Dragon, by George R. R. Martin and illustrated by Luis Royo (RRP $24.99), to give away courtesy of HarperCollins. For your chance to win, email helen.speirs@odt.co.nz with your name and postal address in the body of the email and ''Ice Dragon book competition'' in the subject line by 5pm on Tuesday, February 17.
LAST WEEK'S WINNERS
Winners of The Life I Left Behind by Colette McBeth, courtesy of Headline and Hachette, were: A. Sarah, of Oamaru, Liana Scarf and Rosemary Smith, of Dunedin, Bernadette Costello, of Wanaka, and Beverley Rivett, of Mosgiel.
