Florence & Giles by John Harding is a tale of isolation, fear, madness and risen spirits. It is simultaneously a classic ghost story and a modern psychological thriller, with a truly unique narrator. What at first seems to be a fairly standard story of a lonely child living a secluded life in a haunted house soon turns into an intriguing, compelling, spine-tingling and original story that is impossible to put down.

The second book in the Lorien Legacies series, The Power of Six, is a step in the right direction for the series. This step is away from the eponymous character of the first book (I Am Number Four), who is angsty, lovestruck and irritating. Instead we are introduced to several new characters including Marina, or Number 7, and the plot expands and evolves.

The Necromancer and The Warlock by Michael Scott are the fourth and fifth books respectively in the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series. The first three books were good, but in truth they were merely a warm up for the complicated, winding, explosive penultimate books.

And there is still more to come...

Michael Scott's world, the world of Immortal Nicholas Flamel, is one of mythology and creatures of nightmare, of magic and mayhem, but a world that is believable and engrossing. The first three books in the series, The Alchemyst, The Magician and The Sorceress, are the perfect launch pad into a vast, fast paced and gripping story...

Another year, another Mortal Engines prequel. The previous two, Fever Crumb and A Web of Air were OK. They were really quite good when compared to most books out there for teens. The problem was that they just couldn't live up to the pure brilliance, and I say that with conviction, of the original Mortal Engines quartet.

So, with Scrivener's Moon, was Philip Reeve able to bring back some of the va-va-voom?

I Am Number Four by “Pittacus Lore” is the real next-big-thing, with the rights to the film sold before the book was published and written mainly with sales in mind. So does this hype, coupled with the relative lack of passion behind the writing, make for a poor book?

Read on to find out...

The wise cracking Djinn is back, and I could not be happier. The original Bartimaeus trilogy was brilliant, I loved them to bits – they were fun, funny and exciting, whilst retaining a strong level of darkness and danger... helped along with some colourful gore!

So, the prequel must be brilliant by default, surely? Well, as my recent run-ins with prequels will tell you, things are not always as great as they could be...

The fourth and final instalment of the Tiffany Aching series is different to the other books, although it does keep many of the attributes that made the other books great.

What makes the book different , thought, is the focus on the humans in the novel, and on human nature in general.

Fun and funny yet often dark and profound, I Shall Wear Midnight is a great book, but how does it stand up as the last book in the series?

All books are unique, some less so than others, but in essence each has something about it that makes it special.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret takes this uniqueness to a whole new level, immersing you in 1930's Paris (although in truth the location is not that important) with a combination of carefully selected words and lovingly crafted pencil drawings.

Catching Fire – The Hunger Games part II. The repercussions from Katniss Everdeen's escapades during book one are starting. Slowly at first, but soon the iron fist of the evil Capitol will strike and nothing will ever be the same again...

After a wait of just under two years, the latest instalment of the Artemis Fowl series is finally here.

This time the boy genius – though not so boyish any more – is determined to save the world from humanity, but it won't be easy. With Commander Root's villainous older brother plotting to destroy him, the fairy-folk elite and the underwater city of Atlantis, coupled with the fact that Artemis has developed the fairy equivalent of OCD and multiple personality disorder, this is turning out to be his most deadly challenge yet...

From the ashes of North America rose a new civilisation. This world, comprising of twelve colonies and a central, rich city, is a harsh and unforgiving place. Those in the central city live a life of luxury whilst those in the colonies toil to sustain that lifestyle. Many years ago there was a thirteenth colony and all 13 joined together in an uprising against their oppressors. The colonies lost and the 13th was wiped off the face of the earth. That was when the Hunger Games began. Created as a punishment for the remaining colonies, and as a reminder of who is in charge. 2 children from every colony are sent to an arena, filmed from every angle, and pitted against each other.

Only one will survive.

A Web of Air is the latest outing by Brighton born author Philip Reeve. The book is the sequel to Fever Crumb and as such is a prequel to the Mortal Engines quartet.

Nation by Terry Pratchett was the first non-Discworld book that the author has written in quite a long time, so I was fairly worried when I first picked up my copy. I really shouldn't have worried, it was excellent.

The Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman is Hoffman's first fantasy novel and a huge leap from his previous outings – The Wisdom Of Crocodiles an odd and harsh look at modern life, and The Golden Age of Censorship, a black comedy based on Hoffman's experiences as a film censor – it follows Thomas Cale, an acolyte from the barren and vicious land of The Sanctuary of Redeemers, and his friends on a journey as they escape their torturous existence at the hands of the brutal and zealous Redeemers, through to a blissful life of sinful pleasure in the city of Memphis, but the Redeemers will not give them up easily.