Honest injun - teenage fiction round-up

Published on Thursday 26 June 2008 17:48

The latest fiction releases for teenagers cover all bases, writes KEITH GRAY

THE POET AND WRITER SHERMAN Alexie bases his first young adult novel on his own experiences of growing up on an American reservation. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (Andersen Press, 5.99) is breathtakingly honest, heartbreaking and very, very funny. Arnold Spirit Jr realises that, as a smart 14-year-old and wannabe cartoonist, his only hope of fulfilling his dreams is to go off-reservation and attend an all-white school. He's then accused by those on the reservation of being an "apple" (red on the outside, white on the inside) and tormented by the kids at school.

But Junior perseveres. He's a remarkable hero, even though his triumphs are more bitter than sweet. Beautifully written, coupled with poignant drawings that reflect Junior's art, it's easy to see why this won the National Book Award in America.

Theresa Breslin is one of those rare writers who shift seamlessly between genres, from the angry, urban cry of Divided City to the Renaissance thriller The Medici Seal. Her latest novel has "adventure" written through it like a stick of rock. The Nostradamus Prophecy (Doubleday, 12.99) is the story of Melisande, the daughter of the King of France's favourite minstrel. She is privy to the machinations of the rival Catholic and Huguenot courts, and she is also present when Nostradamus foretells terrible doom; a prophecy she believes to be a warning for her own family. Murder, betrayal and a quest for truth ensue as Melisande follows Nostradamus to his home in Salon. The novel bounds along but never at the expense of the characters, or the author's eventual message.

The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs (Macmillan, 9.99) by Jack Gantos is a weirdly compelling tale of nature versus nurture. Ab and Dolph Rumbaugh are ageing twins who run the local pharmacy. They used to run it with their mother, whom they loved very much, and some would say all that love was a curse. They didn't know how they were going to cope when she died. Luckily, the twins are also expert taxidermists … I'm sure you see where this is going.

Ivy, the daughter of one of the twins' past loves, narrates the story with a warm, lyrical voice. Even so, right from the first chapter when she discovers Mrs Rumbaugh on her wheelie plinth in the basement, this stylish Gothic novel is a genuine skin-crawler. Ivy discovers she may also have the family curse, and soon realises she simply cannot bear to be without her own dear Mama.

Edinburgh-based JA Henderson's second novel for teenagers, Crash (OUP, 5.99), has enough pace and plot twists to keep fans of his action-packed debut, Bunker 10, happy, but this time there's a little more room for his characters to breathe. The main thread in this multi-stranded thriller is the story of Bobby Berlin's father, who has gone missing. Not physically, but somewhere inside his head, because Gordon Berlin suddenly believes the year is 1977 and he's a boy called Dodd Pollen.

Gordon/Dodd is aggressive and unpredictable. He becomes obsessed with finding his way to the Tay Bridge, and while scared and confused, Bobby accompanies him. Of course, there are problems along the way and the journey becomes an ordeal. There are tsunamis, gypsy visions and police chases. Most vital is how Bobby finds a connection with the father who abandoned him as a baby. Behind all the whizz-bang theatrics, this is the sincere heart of the novel.

Carnegie Medal-winning author Tim Bowler is terrified of knives. He makes this clear in his brief introduction to the first book in his new series, Blade: Playing Dead (OUP, 5.99).

Blade tells his own story, living on the streets, hiding from someone or something in his past. Through him, readers experience the harsh realities of street life and gang culture. But Blade is also perceptive and likeable. Despite his trademark knife, he's extremely vulnerable.

The author's despair of modern knife culture is apparent on every page. Bowler is far too good for it to become a diatribe, however. The story comes first, but the message is certain to linger.