A bright Poppy in the fields of Flanders

POPPY IN THE FIELD

by Mary Hooper (Bloomsbury £6.99)

MARY HOOPER’S historical fiction is both meticulously researched and beautifully written, and this powerful romance, set amid the nightmare scenario of World War I French battlefields, is pitch-perfect.

Although it’s the sequel to Poppy’s original story of falling in love with Freddie, the aristocratic son of the family for whom she works, it can be read independently as Poppy volunteers for nursing duties on the frontline when she learns Freddie is to marry a more suitable girl.

Hooper spares us nothing of the horrors of war: the physical mutilation and emotional pain of young men who die alone and in agony and the moral dilemmas of cowardice and shell- shock are elegantly stitched into this coming-of-age story, in which Poppy’s fiercely independent spirit is recognised by a more worthy lover.

A cast of witty, supportive female friends adds even more depth to this wonderfully atmospheric novel.

BITTER SIXTEEN

by Stefan Mohamed

(Salt £7.99)

THIS book, set partly in a sleepy Welsh town, won the Dylan Thomas prize for new writers — and it’s easy to see why.

It’s part superhero fantasy, part comedy, with an underlying love story and a creepy twist in the tail, all served up with panache, pace and punch.

Friendless loner Stanly lives with his warring parents and his dog, Daryl, a sharp-witted beagle who can talk (!).

But when Stanly turns 16, he discovers he can fly and move things kinetically.

His starring role as Romeo in the school play, opposite the lovely Kloe, is ruined when he accidentally reveals his secret, so he flees to London to stay with his cousin — who also has ‘powers’.

There, they become involved in a mysterious and violent battle against evil, which ends on an enticing cliffhanger.

It’s refreshingly original and slightly bonkers, with an energy that compensates for some of the rough edges and weaker minor characters, and sets up an appetite for the next instalment.

THIS IS NOT A LOVE STORY

by Keren David

(Atom £6.99)

I LOVED David’s last book, Salvage, and had high hopes for this love triangle story set in Amsterdam — which I enjoyed, with reservations.

Teenage Kitty and her widowed mother move from London to the Dutch capital, where Kitty meets moody, difficult, unpredictable Ethan and sensitive, heartbroken Theo, whose disapproving parents have banished him from London after an illicit love affair with his young teacher.

Kitty and Theo are both Jewish, and Kitty begins to fantasise about a relationship — until Ethan enters the complicated picture and the truth about who feels what becomes difficult to unravel.

Amsterdam, with its Jewish history and peculiar conflict between liberalism and conservatism, is woven cleverly into the story, which looks at sexual identity and burgeoning love with a contemporary, bold eye.

But the ending feels contrived and rushed, as the narrative strands are tied up too neatly for such a complex issue.