Up to the minute…well, almost!’

Fitting in with a theme sometimes means some of the books I talk about are not that new, so this time I have gone for recently published – and yes, I am interpreting the last 6 months as recent!

Please click here to hear me talk to Jesse Mulligan about these books on Radio New Zealand on Tuesday 10 March 2026.

For Ages 10+

Dr Zeus

By James Patterson (co-authored by middle grade author Chris Tebbetts)

Published in January 2026

The mythology and gods of ancient Greece continue to be a popular theme, and this book is definitely inspired by Rick Riordan’s brilliant Percy Jackson series but aimed at a slightly younger audience.

This story is about Nick, who is 12 years old, home schooled by his grandfather and working at his family’s Greek diner. He doesn’t have any friends, though he does have a bully and an unrequited crush, but life is predictable and he’s certainly not looking for anything to change – except maybe for Orson Mackelmore (or 'The Dingus' as Nick calls him) to leave him alone!  But then a campervan parks outside the diner and things are about to change whether Nick wants them to or not. The king of the gods, Zeus himself, has a quest for him and if he isn’t successful, he and his entire family line right back to ancient Greece will fade out of existence … so no pressure then!

This is not a clever or particularly well written story (it is just very generic and uninspired in its use of language or literary devices – I even wondered if AI might be involved…), but there are a lot of things in here that readers just verging on teenage-hood can relate to. Our hero has low self-esteem and no self-confidence, is dealing with a spectrum of awkward interpersonal relationships, some substantial family trauma, while putting pressure on himself to be the perfect son. It is definitely for the younger end of the middle grade range and has lots of cartoon-ish pictures scattered throughout to keep more reluctant readers engaged.    

For Ages 11/12+

The Experiment

By Rebecca Stead

Published in September 2025

I am a big fan of Rebecca Stead’s work – she writes very well for a middle grade audience, not dumbing down or shying away from big, difficult themes, which is exactly what books for this age group have to be to keep them engaged at this vital stage when reading starts to drop off.

While this particular book is not her best, it is still a challenging, well-paced, interesting story. The publicity describes it as a ‘coming-of-age novel – with aliens’, but in the attempt to be glib and clever, that does the story a disservice. At its heart it’s a science-fiction novel, with a good dose of action/adventure and the whole story is also a rather intriguing mystery, which has a lot to say on what makes a family. Multifaceted? That is definitely Stead’s speciality.

Nathan is about to turn 12 years old, and all his life he has kept a huge secret – even from his best friend Victor. Nathan and his parents are from another planet and his whole life has been an experiment to see if they can survive and adapt to life on earth. But it seems that Nathan has gone and done something unforgiveable and while several of the other 'experimentees' have already disappeared, now Nathan and his parents have been called back to the mothership.

Nathan’s time on the ship, the strength of his friendships and his bond with the two adults he has called his parents all his life are the highlights of this story. There are some flaws in the story which annoyed me a bit – and don’t get me started on how uncomfortable the whole concept of the tail made me - but I doubt they would trouble a reader from the age range the story is actually aimed at! The best thing about this book is the mystery – what is going on? Who are the actual aliens? What is the mothership? And who or what is Hester?

For Ages 13+

No Escape

By M.A. Bennett

Published in September 2025

While the previous two books did leave me feeling a little flat, this one was the complete opposite.

It was clever, confronting, fascinating and ended up being largely historical fiction (not how it is marketed) which is always a bonus for me, especially when it is based on real people and real events.

Teenage twins Mabel and Kai have lived apart since they were babies, so it’s fair to say they are slightly apprehensive when they receive an invitation to stay for a week at their millionaire grandfather's Parisian chateau together.  When they arrive, they discover their grandfather is bed bound and dying and he has a task for them. They must solve a notorious puzzle book, one no one else has managed to solve yet … that he just so happens to be the author of. Oh … and they are also trapped in the house until one of them wins ... or dies trying.

There are so many elements to this book, the escape room puzzle obviously being one, but far more interesting is the history behind the house and its incredible art collection, their grandfather and the mysterious visitors to the house that the twins keep encountering. If I say think about the movie ‘The Sixth Sense’ I’ll be giving those of a certain age a huge spoiler, but hopefully not revealing anything to readers’ of the target age group!

I do feel the need to put a warning here – the book deals with a dark topic, Nazi human experimentation, betrayal and generational trauma and guilt, but it is thought-provoking and confronting for a modern teenage reader.   

For Ages 14+

Gone for Good

Sarah Crossan

(verse novel)

Published in February 2026

Verse Novel = written in ‘free verse’. Often classed as poetry but not recognisable as such, it does not necessarily rhyme or follow a particular formula. It’s defining characteristic is far fewer words – much of the narrative and descriptive language is absent, while maintaining story and character development. You need to be an extremely talented writer to create good verse novels, so most are very good.

Sarah Crossan is a safe pair of hands when it comes to YA, she is especially good for reluctant readers, as she writes about mature, challenging topics in verse format, so much easier for teenagers who struggle with concentration, vocabulary recognition and comprehension. Her latest book is no exception.

16-year-old Connie is grieving her mother’s death and not dealing with it well – she is acting out and causing trouble. When she is taken from her home in the middle of the night, she holds on to the fact that her dad will do everything he can to get her back from her abductors…until she finds out her dad was the one who organised it.  She has been taken to Silver Lake Academy – a remote, high-security facility for ‘troubled’ teens. Ahhh…yes, that old chestnut!

Here the vulnerable and the violent are locked up together under a brutal regime that aims to improve their behaviour.  As Connie struggles to adapt to her new reality, she learns the girl whose bed she had now actually went missing from the school. As she investigates Belle's story, Connie is drawn into a sinister web of secrets and lies.

Despite the sparsity of words, the story is palpable – Connie’s confusion and betrayal, the caged anger and restless of her fellow students at the terrible school and the growing sense of dread as Belle’s story unfolds. It is suitably tense in a very misunderstood teenage way and not a bad mystery – should appeal to most YA readers.

Click here to access some of my past chats with Jesse on Radio New Zealand.