Cover Story: Adventure

Here are our librarians' picks of the best teen reads in the adventure genre.

The Immortal Games

Annaliese Avery

Every year the gods on Mount Olympus hold games, selecting humans to represent them in dangerous challenges from which only one will emerge alive. This year is different, however, as they have unknowingly picked someone with a dark secret- she is planning to kill a god. This story blends dramatic action, characters from Greek mythology and a sprinkling of romance. 

9780702306099 Scholastic: 2023 - ebook available 

A Game of Life or Death 

Triona Campbell

Set in the not-so-distant future, where tech giants control everything, Asha and her sister Maya are trying to make their way in the world without getting embroiled in the dark web. But when Maya is found dead of unknown causes, and all clues lead back to her employers Zu Tech, Asha knows she has to return to her old life of underground hacking and VR gaming to reveal the truth. Fans of video games and The Hunger Games will love this suspenseful, high-tech thriller.    

9780702317880 Scholastic: 2023 

The Girl who Broke the Sea

A Conners

When Lily and her Mum arrive at Deephaven, an experimental deep-sea research station three miles below the sea level, they are both hoping that she will be able to get a fresh start and leave her troubled past behind. But something else is lurking in the deep sea, something very old, and it doesn’t want to be alone anymore. Combining action-filled sci-fi with ancient mythology, this is a thrilling tale set at the bottom of the undiscovered ocean.   

9780702317583 Scholastic: 2023 

Daughter of Darkness

Katherine & Elizabeth Corr

Deina is a Soul Severer, forced to spend her life taking souls to the Underworld. She is desperate to escape, and jumps at the chance when King Orpheus offers freedom to any Soul Severer who can rescue his wife from the Underworld. But the task is dangerous, and to succeed Deina has to work with other Soul Severers that she does not trust. An exciting fantasy rooted in the world of Greek myth. 

9781471410918 Hot Key: 2022 

Electric Life

Rachel Delahaye

Alara has grown up in the city of Estrella, where there is no poverty, disease or even loneliness, so when she visits London Under, the ruined city that lies beneath Estrella, she is totally overwhelmed by the pain and disease that she encounters there. As she gets used to the place she also discovers other things, like freedom to just be herself, that make her wonder if Estrella is really so perfect after all. Fast-moving fantasy adventure that also makes you think. 

9781912745326 Troika: 2023 

Wild

Ele Fountain

After the loss of his father, Jake begins to get into trouble and shuts out his workaholic mum. Trying to reconnect with her son, she decides to take him on her work trip into the rainforest to find an isolated and secretive native tribe. But danger is everywhere, with piranhas, snakes and bullet ants just some of the creatures they have to contend with. Forced to step up and save lives, will Jake change for the better? Full of excitement and adventure. 

9781782693840 Pushkin: 2023 ebook available 

Wild Song

Candy Gourley

Luki has lived a tribal life in the Philippines since her birth, but the expectation that she will become a wife and mother just doesn’t appeal to her. When her tribe is invited to an event in America, she jumps at the chance to escape the traditions of her ancestors. But will America be welcoming to Luki? An insightful look into the history of the Philippines and how native communities were treated.   

9781788452076 David Fickling Books: 2023 

Warrior of the Wild

Tricia Levenseller

Banished from her village after failing the trial that would have made her a fully-fledged warrior, Rasmira is facing an uncertain future avoiding flesh-eating monsters in the wilds. Her only hope of returning home is to complete the challenge that she has been given- kill the cruel god Peruxolo who terrorises her village. But how can you defeat a god who can kill people with just a look? Viking-inspired fantasy adventure.  

9781782693741 Square Fish: 2023 

A Magic Steeped in Poison

Judy I Lin

In Ning’s world shennong-shi can conjure magic by tea-making and are much prized. When she is invited to take part in a competition in the Imperial capital that will select the princess’ new shennong-shi, Ning discovers a Court riddled with intrigue and back-stabbing, while the tea competition itself turns out to be bloodily ruthless. But Ning must win, because she knows that it is the only way to save her sister’s life. Atmospheric fantasy infused with Chinese mythology. 

9781803362182 Titan Books: 2022 ebook available

Mountainfell 

Katharine Russell

The villagers of Loftbory have always lived in fear of the cursed mountain that towers above them, regularly offering human sacrifices to the cloud dragon who is said to live at its peak. When Erskin’s sister is snatched away by the terrifying beast she sets off on a quest to save her, an adventure that uncovers the incredible truth of Mountainfell and the magic within Erskin. Fantastical and thrilling with a fierce heroine and wonderfully imagined mythical creatures.   

9781529503296 Walker: 2022 ebook available 

A Curse of Salt

Sarah Street

In this retelling of Beauty and the Beast, Ria sacrifices herself to save her sisters, facing the monster that everyone in her kingdom fears, the Heartless King. She soon discovers that there is more to him then she realised. He is just a misunderstood man, bound to the seas by an ancient curse. As their chemistry turns into something more, Ria finds herself tangled in a web of secrets. 

9781444967661 Hodder: 2023 

Hotel Magnifique

Emily Taylor

Jani and her sister Zosa have managed to get employed in the infamous Hotel Magnifique – a building full of magic and glamour, where the guests are treated like royalty and the location moves every midnight. But beneath the beautiful rooms and exquisite food, something is not quite right at the Hotel. Why does the mysterious owner want none of the guests to leave, and what is he really searching for in their endless journey to Elsewhere? Jani is determined to find out. 

9781782693499 Pushkin: 2023 ebook available