Book recommendations for Christmas - Key Stage 4

Almost Nothing Happened by Meg Rosoff

17-year-old Callum is facing an unfortunate truth: his summer exchange in rural France was a failure. No epic adventure, no summer fling, and his French is still rubbish. Just as he should be boarding the Eurostar home, without even a hint of a plan, Callum impulsively decides to stay (and doesn't bother telling his parents).  

He only knows one person in Paris: his long-lost cousin, Harrison, an oboist. As night falls on the hottest weekend of the year, an adventure begins - involving a motorbike, a curfew, a stolen oboe, a priceless Matisse painting, at least one police chase, a climate protest and the enigmatic, alluring, irresistible Lilou

Last Seen Online by Lauren James

When Delilah meets Sawyer Saffitz (son of Anya Saffitz, aka Hollywood royalty), she becomes hooked on a decade-old scandal. In her quest for the truth, Delilah uncovers blogposts written by the mysterious “gottiewrites” and is soon caught up in a world of greed, fandom conspiracy theories … and murder. And the deeper Delilah digs, the more dangerous it becomes – because someone is willing to kill to hide the truth. 

The Wycherley’s by Annaliese Avery

Seventeen-year-old Aurelia Wycherley is entering her debutante season as a witch. Aurelia should be excited about finding the perfect match to tether her magic to. But her magic is cursed – dark, dangerous, and not the kind that her peers want to match with – and, without a tether, she faces losing her magic completely.