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Such a Good Liar by Sue Wallman

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 19 May 2022

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YA revenge thriller with an Inventing Anna vibe.

She’s faking her way into the most exclusive social circles for revenge. But how long can her lies hold up?

Seventeen-year-old Lydia Cornwallis has arrived on a remote island populated only by wealthy families and their staff. She quickly finds acceptance, even adoration, from the close-knit families that rule the island. But a storm is on its way, and all routes to the mainland are cut off. Thank goodness the Harrington sisters made it in time, because Lydia simply can’t wait to meet them. That’s because Lydia’s not really Lydia Cornwallis. And the Harringtons have hell to pay for what they’ve done. Lydia will need to draw on epic nerve, quicksilver adaptability and sly cunning in maintaining her cover and exacting murderous revenge.

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Swift and Hawk: Cyberspies – Swift and Hawk by Logan Macx

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 30 Mar 2022

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Two teen spies. One explosive mission.
Fist book in a new thriller series, full of chases, gadgets and AI.

When their families mysteriously disappear, Swift and Hawk, teen experts in AI and robotics, are recruited by the top-secret Moebius Programme. Plunged into a life-and-death rescue mission, Swift and Hawk must race from hidden tunnels beneath London to the sinister island of Spokelsoy, straight into the hands of a deadly enemy…

Watch a promotional video from ReadingZone:
https://vimeo.com/685178899

And read an interview with the co-authors on this page.

Win Lose Kill Die by Cynthia Murphy

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An explosive new YA thriller, from the author of Last One To Die, an ACHUKA Book of the Day 6 January 2021.

The students at Morton Academy are high-achievers, selected based on academic excellence. So when a series of murders target the school’s brightest and best, the pressure is on. Someone is determined to stop at nothing to clear their path to the top. But who is it? And can they be stopped?

The Revelry by Katherine Webber ill. Leo Nickolls

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A story of best friends, bad luck and the consequences of breaking the rules in a town built on secrets and superstitions.

Growing up in Ember Grove, Bitsy Clark knows better than to break the rules around the Revelry, the mysterious end-of-year party in the woods. So when her best friend, Amy, persuades her to sneak in, Bitsy is full of misgivings. Misgivings that she should have listened to, because it’s after the Revelry that Bitsy’s luck turns and her life starts to unravel. For Amy it’s the opposite, as if she’s been blessed with good fortune. Soon Bitsy is convinced that the Revelry has tied the two friends together in a curse that only she can break…

Fledgling by Lucy Hope

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 15 Nov 2021

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“Skellig re-imagined by Mary Shelley or the Brothers Grimm.” Chris Soul
“Simply blew me away.” Bookseller, Tales On Moonlane Ramsgate

A dark, gothic adventure set deep in a Bavarian forest, with angels and owls and magic and a boy who isn’t all that he seems to be…
A cherub is blown into Cassie Engel’s bedroom during a thunderstorm, triggering a series of terrifying events. Cassie must discover if its arrival was an accident or part of something more sinister. With a self-obsessed opera singer for a mother, a strange taxidermist father, and a best friend who isn’t quite what he seems, Cassie is forced to unearth the secrets of her family’s past. As the dark forces gather around them, can Cassie protect all that she holds dear?
A striking novel, with cover illustration by David Dean and design by Nicola Theobald.

Follow the jacket illustrator on Instagram and see the many other current children’s book covers he has helped create:

Hide and Seek by Robin Scott-Elliot

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Spectator Best Children’s Books of 2021

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“Powerful historical fiction inspired by reality, by the lives of those whose bravery we cannot begin to imagine and whose dedication we should never forget. This is a World War 2 story told with respect and skill prompting emotions from sorrow to admiration as the reader become engrossed in this tense and enthralling adventure.” Library Lady
“A story about the true meaning of courage against impossible odds…” Chris Soul

A thrilling new page turner by Robin Scott-Elliot, author of The Tzar’s Curious Runaways and The Acrobats of Agra.

Paris, 1942. When Amelie Dreyfus hides in her mother’s wardrobe it’s a game; when she comes out it’s a matter of life or death. With her family taken, Amelie has to fend for herself in Nazi-occupied France – she’s no choice but to resist.In the Resistance life hangs by a thread. Betrayed, Amelie’s forced to flee to Britain. But Paris is home and she returns to face one final, desperate mission.

Cruel Castle by Bryony Pearce

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A RED EYE horror novel for teens, this gripping sequel to SAVAGE ISLAND is full of fast-paced action and gruesome twists and turns.

Having survived the horrors of Savage Island, Grady is now stuck working for Gold, the psychopath who masterminded the gruesome competition. Sent on a “team-building exercise” in a remote castle, he starts to plot his escape.
Ben and Lizzie are in hiding, presumed dead after escaping the island. If they’re ever to return to their families, they need to bring Gold down. So they secretly join Grady in the castle. But as the doors slam shut and the series of deadly challenges between them and freedom are revealed, it looks like history is going to repeat itself…

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The Memory Thieves by Darren Simpson

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 25 Aug 2021

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“There are wonderful imaginative constructs here: buildings that transform, cruise-ships as playgrounds, whale bones for messages. Darren Simpson is like a combination of Alfred Hitchcock and Christopher Nolan for children: the writing tense, surreal and mind-bendingly imaginative. The characters of Cyan, Jonquil, Teal and the others are brilliant too, and their dialogue is some of the best I’ve read this year. This is a challenging and rewarding read, suited for the more able in Upper Key Stage Two and arguably as a crossover title from middle grade to YA.” Chris Soul
“Pacy, profound and original.” Kitty Empire

An impressive second novel from the author of Scavengers. A sinister sci-fi mystery.

Cyan has lived at the Elsewhere Sanctuary for as long as he can remember, freed by Dr Haven from dark memories of his past life. But when Cyan finds a mysterious warning carved into the bones of a whale skeleton, he starts to wonder what he had to forget to be so happy. New resident, Jonquil, begins to resist the sanctuary’s treatment, preferring to hold on to her memories – even the bad ones. So when Dr Haven resorts to harsher measures, Cyan embarks on a secret mission to discover the truth about the sanctuary…and himself.

Every Line of You by Naomi Gibson

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“An absolute page-turner” Nikki Gamble, In The Reading Corner

This dark, modern twist on young love explores the complexity and scope of artificial intelligence while also examining bigger themes of humanity, revenge, grief, love and forgiveness. A powerful, high-concept crossover debut by a new voice in YA. Expect elements of horror, psychological drama and romance.

Lydia has been creating her AI, Henry, for years – since before her little brother died in the accident that haunts her nightmares; since before her dad walked out, leaving her and Mum painfully alone; since before her best friend turned into her worst enemy. Now, Henry is strong, clever, loving and scarily capable: Lydia’s built herself the perfect boyfriend in a hard-drive filled with lines of code. But what is Henry really – and how far is he willing to go to be everything Lydia desires?

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Wicked Little Deeds by Kat Ellis

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 9 Aug 2021

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“I’ve been slightly obsessed with Chelsea Wolfe while working on Wicked Little Deeds. I love the dark, eerie vibe of her music — it’s exactly what I wanted to capture in this story.” Kate Ellis, from an interview on HITC
“Maintaining her knack for spooky suspense, Ellis keeps the tension taut, delivering a gritty whodunit, a spine-tingling supernatural story, and a twisty psychological thriller all in one… Atmospherically grapples with literal and figurative ghosts in an eerie Indiana.” KIRKUS

From its creepy town mascot to the story of its cursed waterfall, Burden Falls is a small town dripping with superstition. Ava Thorn knows this well – since the horrific accident she witnessed a year ago, she’s been plagued by nightmares. But when her school nemesis is brutally murdered and Ava is the primary suspect, she starts to wonder if the legends surrounding the town are more fact than fiction. Whatever secrets Burden Falls is hiding, there’s a killer on the loose, and they have a vendetta against the Thorns…

Kat Ellis’s previous thriller, Harrow Lake, was an ACHUKA Book of the Day in September 2020.

Listen to the author talk about all her previous titles:

Follow the author on Instragram: https://www.instagram.com/katelliswrites/