'Who let the gods out?' by Maz Evans

Stand aside, David Walliams, there's a new comic genius in town! The kid in me giggled and the adult chortled along. This is a book that will make you laugh and laugh. That's despite the fact that life for the hero, Elliot Hooper, is pretty grim. Not only is he the sole carer for his mum who has memory problems, but his greedy next door neighbour is desperate to get her hands on Elliot's house - by fair means or foul.

Enter Virgo - a young immortal - who falls into his cow shed. Together, they accidentally release the demon Thanatos from his prison beneath Stonehenge. Assisted by a cast of Greek gods and goddesses, Elliot and Virgo must stop Thanatos getting his evil claws on the Earth Stone. It's fast-moving and a lot of fun (you'll never see the Queen in the same light again, that's for sure!) There's a huge number of characters but they're all individual and memorable. Hermes is particularly brilliant, hanging out in Café Hero, engrossed in his iGod.

It was great to see a young carer in a book as these kids are often unseen. I really felt for Elliot as he struggled to balance caring for mum with school. With my most serious adult head on, there was just one point that worried me - that the greedy neighbour's actions were described by Zeus as legal when they were most definitely were not (under the mental capacity act) and it bothered me that young carers reading this book might consequently not speak up if the vulnerable adult in their life is being exploited. Despite this, I really enjoyed reading this book and I recommend it for anyone looking for something to put a big smile on their face.

'The Crooked Sixpence' by Jennifer Bell

Up front, I will confess that I adored this book. The world of the Uncommoners is so imaginative and fun and also a bit spooky. Lots of books get compared to Harry Potter but this one really deserves it, with many parallels, and yet it also feels very original.

The magic of this world lies in ordinary everyday objects which are possessed by a departed soul (which seems sad to me and I hope this is addressed in future books). These special objects are 'uncommon': eg a loo brush can be a weapon, a belt can make you fly, a candle can make you invisible. At certain times of the year, Uncommoners head for the markets of Lundinor where they can purchase these weird and wonderful objects.

But Lundinor is under threat from an old enemy, the Dirge, and this is where Ivy and her brother, Seb, come in. Their grandmother has something the Dirge want. Trouble is, they don't know what it is exactly. Granma is in hospital with amnesia and Mum and Dad have been captured by the Dirge and will die at midnight on New Year's Eve if Ivy and Seb don't find this mysterious object. The plot is really fast-moving and quickly hooked me in.

I totally want to be an Uncommoner! I especially want a bicycle bell that talks back-to-front! Book two is out soon and I absolutely cannot wait!