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Today's guest blog is from Dexter aged 16.
Although my favourite pastime is reading, finding something interesting to read isn't always easy and I am certain many of you get bored just upon hearing the word, however, with the right novels it is much easier believe me. Here are ten page-turners for teenagers to get you started.
In a dystopian post-apocalypse world, children are sent to almost certain death for the entertainment of the totalitarian Capitol. The series will leave you short of breath through its staggering pace: it is a thrill ride that is not to be missed. However, Collins' brutal and unflinching style leaves no character unscathed so try to not become too attached throughout the series’ twists and turns. While Katniss’ strength and sheer will to survive is inspiring for the reader making her one of pop culture’s most beloved fictional icons and creating a modern-day classic not to be missed.
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Jacob is unwillingly thrown into the world of time loops and the supernatural after a spiral of mysterious events. The books are funny but most definitely not for the faint-hearted: action, scares and gore come thick and fast. What makes Riggs’ fantasy ring eerily true to reality is the real pictures that he employed to frame the stories around, whether it be the floating girl or a boy with angel's wings it makes the reader question the circumstances under which they were taken and adds an air of mystery making these novels even more fascinating and unique.
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When a plague hits the world contaminating anyone older than fourteen, turning them into blood-thirsty undead horrors children are left to fend for themselves. With intertwining narratives, plenty of likeable(and despicable) characters and most importantly heaps of bloody gore Higson creates a sprawling apocalyptic teen-masterpiece. Whether you choose to align yourself with posh-boy David and his Buckingham Palace dwellers, the Morrisons group or the Waitrose group, this is certain to become a personal favourite. The shady morals the children adopt lead asks the question, what would happen if adult supervision desisted? Making the novels fascinating conceptually in addition to being masterful works of teenage-literature.
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This tale of August's battle to overcome bullying and adversity due to his facial abnormality resonates on a deep-level with us all. We are thrown with August into the cruel world of school, bearing witness to his horrendous mistreatment and understanding his endeavour to simply be ordinary. This extremely significant novel teaches the crucial lesson to not judge a book by its cover and to sympathise with all, something all of us should follow in our everyday lives.
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What more can be said about the Harry Potter series that hasn't been said before? For fantasy fanatics Potter is read or else; the series created major waves at its time of release and is unquestionably one-of-a-kind. The world of Hogwarts, muggles and dementors has generated a cult following over the years with fans becoming wholly entranced by the series' charm and lore. As evidence of its tremendous status you can even take university courses in everything Harry Potter. Needless to say fantasy doesn't get any better than this.
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Charlie upon attaining a lucrative 'Golden Ticket' lives out his dream of visiting the magical yet mysterious factory of confectioner Mr.Wonka. An undoubtedly classic enjoyed and cherished by those of all ages and acts as a perfect introduction to the works of Roald Dahl one of the most exceptional children's novelists. Charlie and the Chocolate factory is moving, heart-warming and funny: everything you could want from a book.
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Love, loss and loyalty run deep in Morpurgo's semi-true story where one horse bears witness to the horrors of The First World War and through this Morpurgo shows us humanity's darker side and our innate capability for destruction. This gut-wrenching tale is sure to leave you in tears even when reading it for the second , third or even fourth time. Morpurgo's novels are not only excellent examples of prose at its best they are also extremely educational due to them largely centring around real historical events.
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How Muchamore had the idea to write books about a spy agency that uses orphans to find intel on international criminals I don't know but I am glad he did. James takes centre-stage after his mum passes away and he is recruited by Cherub, his first mission after rigorous training sees him try to unravel the mystery surrounding a group of hippy environmentalists at Fort Harmony and is filled with plenty of unexpected twists and turns. Packed with action, this highly thrilling masterpiece of a teen novel is hard to put down, the same goes for the rest of the series with each sequel seemingly better than the last.
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In a similar vein to Cherub Alex Rider also allows us to live out our dreams of taking down criminals and being super-spies. Alex is the extremely likeable protagonist with extremely bad-luck, upon finding himself in a world of terrorists he must fight to save every child in the country from being murdered but the clock is ticking. The series is reminiscent of Bond, stimulating to the highest degree and most importantly virtually impossible to set-down.
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A masterful blend of action, fantasy and Colfer’s wit: needless to say the series is a must read for fellow action addicts or anyone for that matter. Artemis the moody, protagonist manages to be relatable whilst also being a high-functioning teen genius who with the aid of his butler and a menagerie of characters transports you to another world of fairies, pixies and dwarfs. The novels are near impossible to set down making them the perfect option for reluctant readers.
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