Blog Tour; Catwalk Criminal by Sarah Sky

Hi Guys!
Today I have a great post for you all by Sarah Sky. She’s here to tell you all about her top ten UKYA books!

Sarah Sky’s Top Ten UKYA Books

It’s hard to narrow it down to just ten, so I’ve come up with a mix of new and old favourites.

1. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

I couldn’t get this book out of my head for a long time afterwards – similarly We Are Liars, which I have to sneak in despite it not being UKYA ; ) I love books with unreliable narrators and plots, which lead me in the wrong direction. I didn’t see Code Name Verity’s plot twist coming: the narrator was the master of manipulation.

2. Silent Saturday by Helen Grant

Helen’s writing is filled with suspense and horror, which lurks around every corner. The scene where a serial killer stalks his victim through an empty, luxurious house gave me a sleepless night. I couldn’t put down Silent Saturday and the sequel, Demons of Ghent, is on my very large TBR pile. I could definitely see Silent Saturday being made into a movie.

3. Now You See Me by Emma Haughton

I love psychological thrillers. Emma is brilliant at building atmosphere and tension. She’s created a compelling page-turner, based on a real-life event. The book made me read up on the original story and I’m desperate to read Emma’s latest book, Better Left Buried, which is getting rave reviews.

4. True Fire by Gary Meehan

Brutal, armour-clad witches, mysterious prophecies, gruesome murders and a kick-ass heroine. What’s not to like? The book romps along and is sprinkled with lots of Gary’s distinctive humour. It’s a page-turner that kept me gripped. I’ve started reading the second book in the trilogy, True Dark, and it’s equally fab!

5. Blue by Lisa Glass

I thought this book was a smasher: a touching love story, a strong female MC, plenty of action, hunky surfers, beautiful locations as well as themes of friendship and trust.
Lisa’s surfing descriptions make you feel like you’re really there, riding the waves along with her characters in Cornwall. Blue is currently being made into a film and the sequel, Air, is out this week.

6. Seven Days by Eve Ainsworth

Already named one of the Telegraph’s best YA books of 2015, Eve explores bullying from two sides of the story: overweight Jess and her tormentor, Kez, over the course of seven days. The book has a cracking pace and lots of emotional twists. A must-have addition for every secondary school library.

7. The Sin-Eater’s Daughter by Mel Salisbury

A gripping story that immediately sucks you into the dark and scary world of Twylla who can kill with a single touch. Mel expertly ramps up the tension with villainous characters, political intrigue and dark twists. It’s the first in a trilogy, which is already getting rave reviews from across the world. Can already picture the movie!

8. The Next Together by Lauren James

I loved this powerful book, which is published by Walker Books in September. I was lucky enough to get an early read and was hooked from the first page. Two lovers are locked in a fast-paced race against fate, repeatedly falling in love across the ages. Lauren’s attention to historical detail and intricate, clever plotting is seriously impressive.

9. Geek Girl by Holly Smale

Who doesn’t like Harriet Manners? She’s funny, endearing and you really root for her throughout. This book made me laugh out loud. I received some strange looks when I was reading it on the tube as I was chuckling so much. I think Holly Smale is a revelation; her Geek Girl series will stand the test of time.

10. Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner

Combining dystopia with conspiracy theory, this hard-hitting book is disturbing, harrowing and impossible to put down. It’s brilliantly written and totally original. I’d hoped for a happy ending for Standish Treadwell, right to the end – and cried all the way through. This book stayed with me a long time afterwards and is undoubtedly a modern classic.

Models, spies and lipstick gadgets in this fast-paced teen series. Jessica Cole has been recruited to Westwood, MI6’s secret division of supermodel spies. Her first official mission seems simple at first, until it turns into the biggest cyber-attack ever known, threatening the security of the whole country. Then it emerges there is a traitor in the midst at MI6 – and suddenly Jessica herself is being accused. With no one believing her innocence, and the country on the verge of chaos, Jessica has no choice but to take matters of national security into her own hands and catch the culprit – fresh from the catwalk.

Sarah Sky is the author of Scholastic’s Jessica Cole: Model Spy series with Code Red Lipstick and Fashion Assassin. Catwalk Criminal is published in June 2015.

Sarah is a freelance education journalist and lives in West London with her husband and two young children.

She grew up in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, and studied English at Nottingham University before gaining a post-graduate diploma in journalism at Cardiff University.

She trained as a journalist at the Western Daily Press in Bristol. Her highlight was interviewing screen legend Charlton Heston and lowest point was being sneezed on by a cow at a fatstock competition.

Sarah worked as an education correspondent for a national newspaper before going freelance. She now divides her time between journalism and writing.

She loves reading, baking, table tennis and martial arts. She’s a green belt in kick-boxing and a brown with two white stripes at karate, currently training for black.

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