Unable to make it to London for the Games of the XXX Olympiad? Don’t worry – you can visit London (virtually) with one of these teen reads:
The Death Collector by Justin Richards
Set in Victorian London, this mystery begins with a murder at the British Museum. George Archer, a young assistant at the museum, teams up with a homeless pickpocket and a minister’s daughter to track down the villain, a wealthy factory owner intent on reanimating the dead.
The Enemy by Charlie Higson
When London is ravaged by a disease that turns everyone sixteen and older into a zombie, teens are forced to barricade themselves in various buildings, emerging only to scavenge for food. When one group learns they can find safe haven at Buckingham Palace, they set out on a dangerous journey across the city.
Num8ers by Rachel Ward
Fifteen-year-old Jem has an odd talent – when she looks at someone, she sees a set of numbers, the date that person will die. During a day trip to London with her boyfriend, Spider, Jem realizes the tourists waiting to board the London Eye all have the same death date – that day. Spider and Jem are on the run in this fast-paced thriller, the first of a trilogy.
The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
Louisiana native Rory, a new student at a London boarding school, arrives in the U.K. just as a series of murders mimicking the crimes of Jack the Ripper are gripping the city. Rory is the only witness who has seen the killer, and she quickly becomes his next target.
The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud
In this fantasy set in modern-day London, Nathaniel, a magician’s apprentice, is publicly humiliated by a ruthless older magician and decides to speed up his education. Vowing revenge, Nathaniel summons a 5,000-year-old creature, Bartimaeus, to steal the powerful Amulet of Samarkand and soon ends up in over his head. This is the first book in a trilogy.
This is just a sampling of great London-based books. What others can you recommend?
