I Am the Cheese - Robert Cormier

Recommended for ages 8-18.

I loved this book. It is a gripping, perfectly crafted psychological masterpiece. It's not exactly scary like a thriller, but the ending will chill you and make you want to reread the book from start to finish.

It tells the tale of young Adam Farmer as he attempts to bike to visit his father in hospital many miles away. Interspersed, however with this first person narration is a much more disturbing insight into Adam's life, presented in third-person in the form of a series of psychiatric interviews between Adam and a mysterious character 'Brint'.

All is not as it seems. Adam does not remember who he is or what happened to his parents, and as the interviews progress he becomes more and more sure that Brint is part of the government consipracy that has controlled his family's life for a decade. As the plot thickens, the reader becomes more and more uncertain about who, or where Adam is.

This book eventually causes you to question everything the central characters say, to the point where you, like Adam, trust no-one.

Recommended for kids over 8 years old because the young'uns would probably be bored by its political and psychological intricacies.

The Help - Kathryn Stockett

Recommended for ages 15-adult.

The Help was recommended to me recently because of Stockett's unique writing style. It paints a vivid picture of American life in the Deep South in the 1960's, where politics were all about black and white. Written in three voices, The Help explores the world of the Black hired help through three beautifully crafted characters. Aibileen is a wise old woman with plenty of years of domestic service under her belt. Her friend, Minny, is a brassy woman with an awful reputation for speaking her mind to her employers. And Skeeter is the young white woman who dared to try to help them, losing her love but gaining her parents respect through her struggle.

This book kept me riveted to my seat and occupied all my waking thoughts until I finished it. The complex plot was tightly constructed, and then fleshed out with realism and clarity. Stockett's characters are adorable and very believable. From the insidious Hilly, to the almost hateful Elizabeth, Stockett's characterisation will make you laugh and cry.

Recommended for kids over 15 years old because The Help deals with some pretty confronting aspects of human nature including racism, hatred, domestic violence, and miscarriage.