Books published by publisher Rock the Boat

‘There were friends once, but they melted away. Things are different now I am a MONSTER’ Frances is alone. Cast away on a small island in the middle of the Indian Ocean, she has to find water, food and shelter. But survival is hard. Especially when she is haunted by memories of the things that she did before, the things that made her a monster. Pushed to the limit in extreme conditions, she battles to come to terms with her past, and find a future worth fighting for. This is a gripping and thought-provoking story about one girl’s journey to become the person she believes she can be.

IN A FUTURE WORLD WHERE TRUTH CAN BE MANIPULATED, YOUR MIND IS THE BATTLEFIELD When Lain Fisher wakes up in a hospital bed, she can’t remember anything from the past few months. It’s no ordinary amnesia. As a trained Mindwalker, Lain knows all about wiping memories – she just never thought it would happen to her. When two young men break in and take her away, she's not sure if she's being rescued or kidnapped. One of them, Ian, she knows. The other, Steven, is a stranger to her…but he claims they were friends. More than friends. Outside, the world has changed beyond recognition. Right is wrong, enemies are allies, and Lain's erased past may be the key to fighting a totalitarian state with the power to manipulate the human mind. The only thing she knows for certain is that she needs her memories back. Her life depends on it.

A tale of two very different worlds, both shattered by the loss of loved ones. Tragic, comic and full of hope, thanks to a dog called Boy. The kennel has been JC’s home ever since his new adoptive father locked him inside. For hours on end, JC sits and tells his dog Boy how he came to this country: his family, the orphanage and the Haitian earthquake that swept everything away. When his adoptive mother Melanie rescues him, life starts to feel normal again. Until JC does something bad, something that upset his new father so much that he and Boy are banished to the kennel. But as his new father gets sicker, JC realizes they have to find a way out. And so begins a stunning story of a boy, a dog and their journey to freedom.

It’s not always easy to become the person you want to be. When Linda discovers that she has a life-threatening heart condition, she refuses to be wrapped in cotton wool. Determined to experience everything a thirteen-year-old girl should, she starts to work her way through a list of all the things she and her best friend wish to do: have a first kiss, go to a pop concert, travel without her parents... But when a strange and mysterious boy called Zak appears, Linda’s life takes an unexpected turn – suddenly she is experiencing things she never dreamed possible, and every moment is precious. Minus Me is a gripping, addictive novel – written with heart-stopping emotional honesty – from one of Norway’s most acclaimed young adult writers.

Hanna Donnelly is the station captain’s pampered daughter and Nik Malikov is the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. Together they struggle with the realities of life aboard the galaxy’s most boring space station, blissfully unaware that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed right toward Heimdall with news of the Kerenza invasion. Picking up about five minutes after Illuminae ends, Gemina is the electrifying sequel to the hottest YA novel of 2015.

IN A FUTURE WORLD WHERE TRUTH CAN BE MANIPULATED, YOUR MIND IS THE BATTLEFIELD When Lain Fisher wakes up in a hospital bed, she can’t remember anything from the past few months. It’s no ordinary amnesia. As a trained Mindwalker, Lain knows all about wiping memories – she just never thought it would happen to her. When two young men break in and take her away, she's not sure if she's being rescued or kidnapped. One of them, Ian, she knows. The other, Steven, is a stranger to her…but he claims they were friends. More than friends. Outside, the world has changed beyond recognition. Right is wrong, enemies are allies, and Lain's erased past may be the key to fighting a totalitarian state with the power to manipulate the human mind. The only thing she knows for certain is that she needs her memories back. Her life depends on it.

A modern take on the classic Arthurian legend Ari Helix has been an illegal immigrant in the galaxies for as long as she can remember. But when her spaceship crashes on Old Earth and she pulls a magic sword from an ancient willow, her destiny becomes set in stone. As the forty-second reincarnation of King Arthur she must save humanity from tearing itself apart, with only the help of an adolescent wizard named Merlin. This female king must battle for her right to be herself, take down totalitarian governments and unite the world. How hard could that be?

*Nominated for the 2019 CILIP Carnegie Medal* *Spectator Best Books of the Year selection* Two unlikely heroes inspire a whole town by fighting to save a tree Sometimes, in the blink of an eye, you do something that changes your life forever. Like climbing a tree with a girl you don't know. Marnus is tired of feeling invisible, living in the shadow of his two brothers. His older brother is good at breaking swimming records and girls’ hearts. His younger brother is already a crafty entrepreneur who has tricked him into doing the dishes all summer. But when a girl called Leila turns up on their doorstep one morning with a petition, it’s the start of an unexpected adventure. And finally, Marnus gets the chance to be noticed...

‘There were friends once, but they melted away. Things are different now I am a MONSTER’ Frances is alone. Cast away on a small island in the middle of the Indian Ocean, she has to find water, food and shelter. But survival is hard. Especially when she is haunted by memories of the things that she did before, the things that made her a monster. Pushed to the limit in extreme conditions, she battles to come to terms with her past, and find a future worth fighting for. This is a gripping and thought-provoking story about one girl’s journey to become the person she believes she can be.

There is the secret of Birdy’s grandmother’s cat. How the boys tortured it and Birdy had to drown it in the river. There’s the secret of Mrs. Cope, the popular teacher who took advantage of Birdy. And the secret of the gypsy girl at school who Birdy likes, but can’t talk about. Because Birdy’s other secret is that while she fights as good as the boys, she is a girl. In this funny and sad portrayal of a young person growing up in an imperfect family, every reader will recognise in Birdy their own struggle to find their place in the world.

Life isn’t easy for Johnny. He is trying to help his mum, he is looking after his little brother and he is going to a new school. Then Liam Clarke starts to bully him and it all begins to get a lot worse. But when Johnny gets some very surprising help from an unexpected source his life takes a dramatic turn. A magical story about finding your place and having the courage to fly.

Willow has everything: a rich daddy, a pony and a place at a prestigious boarding school. Everything except the one thing she really wants: a father who cares enough to find her when she runs away from home. On the eve of her father’s wedding, Willow runs again into the unknown. Her mother was a circus performer and Willow longs to follow in her footsteps. But when all of her money is stolen and her only friend, a street performer called Suz, betrays her, Willow is left penniless and alone. So begins a gripping, exhilarating journey. Will Willow ever make it to the big top and find a place she can truly call home?