Clever, quirky and hugely imaginative, discover the eagerly anticipated new eco-adventure series from the bestselling author of A Place Called Perfect.

I am from Kilkenny, a medieval, haunted city in the south of Ireland, which was the inspiration for the town in A Place Called Perfect. I write stories full of adventure because I get bored really easily. A Place Called Perfect was my first book. It was published in August 2017 and was a Waterstones Book of the Month. It won numerous awards including Crimefest Children's Book of the Year and was nominated for the Irish Book Awards and Waterstones Children's Prize.

Let's start with the mystery at the heart of the book. It's totally gripping! There are strange, cloaked figures floating around, letting themselves into people's houses, hunting people through the streets. There's a missing sister and a missing grandfather. A tech genius who's just too good to be true. It's complex and exciting and utterly mysterious. Sometimes as an adult reading middle grade I can predict everything that will happen, but I found that this book was genuinely keeping me guessing, it was a really fun reading experience. The Light Thieves follows a world where the Earth has tilted onto the side, and the story of Grian, his friends Jeffrey and Shelli, when his sister goes off to a new city created by billionaire tech genius Howard Hansom to fix the problem of the Earth tilting. But when the three reach the city, Grian's sister is nowhere to be found, and mysteries abound.

This was a great book, I think it's the perfect middle grade book to be enjoyed by all ages. There are fun characters, exciting action and genuine twists, while also talking about some pretty realistic topics. The world has shifted on its tilt and a dark mark has appeared on the sun. But the majority of the population believe in the tilt and trust billionaire Howard Hansom as the man to save the world. Helena Duggan writes boldly, wildly almost outrageously combining humour, fear and friendship to keep you on the edge of your seat.

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Grian was a likable protagonist that you couldn't help but root for throughout the story. His bravery and willingness to do what's right were inspiring, and I am excited to see how he grows throughout the series. His friendship with Jeffrey and Shelli was heartwarming to read about, and the dynamics between the three brought some comic relief to what could be quite a serious read.