Reviews by Sarah Pollok and Catherine Robertson teen reads

TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN by John Green (Puffin, $30)

After the phenomenal success of The Fault in Our Stars, John Green returns with another novel teenagers are sure to love. Surviving high school is hard for any 16-year-old but Aza Holmes’ obsessive-compulsive disorder doesn’t make things easier — although the anxious teen’s life takes a turn when her friend’s billionaire father disappears and $100,000 is on the line for tracking him down. Poignant, light-hearted and packed with twists and turns, this is a tale anxious young readers will empathise with. (SP)

AN ABSOLUTELY REMARKABLE THING by Hank Green (Hachette, $35)

Mr and Mrs Green clearly did something right to raise not just one New York Times best-selling author, but two. Hank Green joined his brother on the #1 Bestseller list this year with this breakout novel. Fresh out of art school and working at a boring company, 23-year-old April May lives a regular life until a video she posts online makes her ridiculously, irreversibly famous. Thrown into the intense yet fickle spotlight of the digital world, April knows she has one chance to change her life if she can survive the pressure. Digging into the dark underbelly of social media, Green’s debut novel will resonate with teen readers. (SP)

IMPOSTERS by Scott Westerfeld (Allen & Unwin, $23)

Teen readers won’t be able to put down this gripping and action-packed story. Frey is an expert assassin trained to act as her sister’s body double. Trapped inside her father’s fortress, Frey has never known life outside the high walls until the day she is sent out in her sister’s place on a risky mission. When someone discovers her secret, Frey must decide where her loyalties lie. (SP)

WHITE RABBIT, RED WOLF by Tom Pollock (Walker Books, $19)

White Rabbit, Red Wolf follows the life of young math prodigy Peter Blankman. Wracked by anxiety, Peter knows he can always find solace in his best friend, Ingrid, his family and, of course, the reassuring logic of math. But when an awards ceremony for his mother ends with her attempted murder and the disappearance of his twin sister, Bel, Peter has to draw on the strength he never knew he had to save his family. A thrilling tale of espionage and secrecy, it also packs a heartfelt punch, proving how our biggest weaknesses can often be our greatest strengths. (SP)

TELESA ¯ The Covenant Keeper by Lani Wendt Young (One Tree House, $36)

The first in Samoan writer Lani Wendt Young’s Telesa¯ series is well-written contemporary fantasy, with the added bonuses of a Pasifika setting and a feminist storyline. Leila’s father dies and she leaves Washington D.C. to visit her dead mother’s homeland of Samoa. Leila is in danger but no one will tell her why. Could it be something to do with the Telesa¯ , the beautiful, lethal women of Samoan mythology? Leila is smart, amusing and fierce. The Samoan people and culture are depicted vividly and honestly and there’s romance and a lot of food. When Leila discovers the truth about herself, you won’t be able to put this book down. (CR)