Booktrust Teenage Prize 2009

The 2009 Booktrust Teenage Prize shortlist has been announced. Last year's winner was The Knife Of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness and previous winners include Henry Tumour by Anthony McGowan and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon. Teenagers could apply to be judges at Booktrust.org.uk. The winner will be announced in November. Here's what Bookbag thought of the books. Why not tell us what you thought too.

Shortlisted books

Review of Auslander by Paul Dowswell Teens A well-researched and pacy WWII thriller about a Polish orphan taken in by a Nazi family because of his Aryan appearance. It's thoughtful and exciting - the perfect combination. Recommended. Full Review

Review of The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman Teens Utterly, utterly gorgeous fantasy novel about life, death, family and growing up. It combines the charming and macabre and has something for everyone aged eight to eighty-eight. Highly recommended. Full Review

Review of Ostrich Boys by Keith Gray Teens A wonderful glimpse into the world of the teenage boy. Warm, funny, heartrending and perfectly plotted, it will steal your heart and a great many awards. Full Review

Review of The Ant Colony by Jenny Valentine Teens A deeply humane and heartwarming story of mistakes and regrets and how to put them right. Witty, wise and full of unforgettable characters. Jenny Valentine just gets better and better. She was kind enough to be interviewed by Bookbag. Full Review

Review of The Vanishing of Katharina Linden by Helen Grant Teens A thoroughly satisfying and out-of-the ordinary story combining the mystery of disappeared girls with a child living through a family break up. It's elegantly written and has a great deal to offer. Full Review

Review of The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness Teens Riveting second volume in the Chaos Walking series. The breakneck pace belies what is a wonderfully-realised and tremendously subtle dystopian novel about power and control and love and loyalty. I loved it. Full Review

Longlisted books

Review of Tales of Terror from the Black Ship by Chris Priestley Teens Henry James and Edgar Allan Poe eat your heart out. This second volume of macabre tales from Chris Priestley is as chilling as they come. It's very literary horror for children. Super. Full Review

Numbers by Rachel Ward

Review of Furnace: Lockdown by Alexander Gordon Smith Teens Welcome to the future for the punishment of youth offenders: Furnace -- the borstal from hell. The writing, the story and the characters (especially the bad guys) are fantastic. Full Review

Three Ways to Snog an Alien by Graham Joyce

Review of Bloodchild by Tim Bowler Teens Absorbing fantasy thriller in which a young boy's accident leaves him without memory. Great tension, wonderfully atmospheric, and a nice dollop of the unexplained makes this a must-read. Full Review

Solitaire by Bernard Ashley

Review of Exposure by Mal Peet Teens More wonderful stuff from Mal Peet in a genre-defying novel of great thematic depth and complexity. Hung around an updating of Othello, it talks about football, homelessness, politics and celebrity culture, and it grabs you from beginning to end. Full Review

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