A Voice in the Distance

A hard-hitting novel which shows how difficult it can be to love someone suffering from manic depression.

With studies showing one in 10 children have a mental health disorder, this is a topical book with an emotional range that aids a breadth of understanding

Suzuma's novel effectively demonstrates that real love, sometimes, will involve setting the loved one free

This is the kind of sequel that every excellent book deserves

Suzuma is a master storyteller, dealing with her characters in a very realistic and uncompromising way

A love story that tackles the reality of young adult depression in a thoughtful and sensitive way

Suzuma's accomplished debut A Note of Madness, told the story of a gifted young pianist diagnosed with bipolar disorder and this sequence follows Flynn in his attempts to keep his life balanced between love, music and medicine

Tabitha Suzuma was born in 1975 and lives in London. She has always loved writing and would regularly get into trouble at the French Lycée for writing stories instead of listening in class. She used to work as a primary school teacher and now divides her time between writing and tutoring. Her first novel, A Note of Madness was published to great critical acclaim.

In his final year at the Royal College of Music, star pianist Flynn Laukonen has the world at his feet. He has moved in with his girlfriend Jennah and is already getting concert bookings for what promises to be a glittering career. Yet he knows he is skating on thin ice - only two small pills a day keep him from plunging back into the whirlpool of manic depression that once threatened to destroy him. Unexpectedly his friends seem to be getting annoyed with him for no apparent reason, he needs less and less sleep, he is filled with unbridled energy. Events begin to spiral out of control and Flynn suddenly finds himself in hospital, heavily sedated, carnage left behind him. The medication isn't working any more, the dose needs to be increased, and depression strikes again, this time with horrific consequences. His freedom is snatched away and the medicine's side-effects threaten to jeopardize his chances in one of the biggest piano competitions of his life. It seems like he has to make a choice between the medication and his career. But in all this he has forgotten the one person he would give his life for, and Flynn suddenly finds himself facing the biggest sacrifice of all.

Hurt

The gripping new novel for teenagers from award-winning author, Tabitha Suzuma. Ideal for fans of Jodi Picoult and Jenny Downham.

Beautiful, heart-breaking and tragic, Hurt is a masterfully plotted story that has confirmed Tabitha Suzuma as one of the best UK YA authors for young adults.

One of the most powerful and tense novels I've read in ages . . . outstanding

Tabitha Suzuma was born in 1975 and lives in London. She has always loved writing and would regularly get into trouble at the French Lycée for writing stories instead of listening in class. She used to work as a primary school teacher and now divides her time between writing and tutoring. Her first novel, A Note of Madness, was published to great critical acclaim.

At seventeen, Matheo Walsh is Britain’s most promising diving champion. He is wealthy, popular - and there's Lola, the girlfriend of his dreams. 
 
But then there was that weekend. A weekend he cannot bring himself to remember. All he knows is that what happened has changed him. 
 
Mathéo is faced with the most devastating choice of his life. Keep his secret, and put those closest to him in terrible danger. Or confess, and lose Lola for ever . . .

Without Looking Back

When you've destroyed the life you once had, can you ever return?

Twelve-year-old Parisian boy Louis Whittaker has a lot on his plate - his parents are locked in a custody battle over him and his brother and sister, Mum's always working late and Dad's rarely allowed to visit them. Louis finds release in his dance classes and discovers he has a real talent for ballet. But suddenly, Dad whisks them away on a surprise holiday to England, right in the middle of the school term. Something isn't right - Dad is acting strangely again: could it be he has not fully recovered from his mental breakdown? The rented farmhouse in the Lake District is nice, but why is Dad furnishing it and why won't he let them call home? Then Louis comes across a poster - a missing person's poster. And it has his face on it.

Forbidden

Tabitha Suzuma is award-winning author who never shies away from challenging subject matter for older readers. This beautifully written, powerful new book tackles the biggest taboo of all . . .

A complex novel that succeeds in exploring the controversial subject of sibling incest without sensation . . . A chilling, powerfully written tale with lasting effects for both teenage and adult readers

It is sensitively written (with one quite graphic sex scene), and alternating chapters from the protagonists' point of view lets the reader get inside their heads. Recommended for very mature readers

A harrowingly tragic story . . . Suzuma's writing is compelling and its quality beyond question but there will be many (and not just those in the "young adult" category) who will be genuinely shocked by what they are reading here

The novel's surprises continue to the very end

She is pretty and talented - sweet sixteen and never been kissed. 
He is seventeen; gorgeous and on the brink of a bright future. 
And now they have fallen in love. 
 
But . . . 
They are brother and sister. 
 
Forbidden will take you on an extraordinary emotional journey. Passionate and shocking, this is a book you will remember long after you have put it down.

A Note Of Madness

A hard-hitting, rollercoaster-ride of a novel about a teenage musical genius suffering from manic depression

Much more than a book about depression: it's about brilliance, fear, love and living. That is its achievement and what makes it a hearteningly good read

Intense and extremely moving . . . Written with compassion and perception, this is a moving, impressive debut

An exhilarating, emotive and at times exhausting read, which I couldn't put down

A simply, but beautifully written story about a loving family . . . There is enough in the book for all teenagers to engage with, whether they have come into contact with mental illness or not

Suzuma handles the onset of manic depression with real skill and the music dimension with expertise

Tabitha Suzuma was born in 1975 and lives in London. She has always loved writing and would regularly get into trouble at the French Lycée for writing stories instead of listening in class. She used to work as a primary school teacher and now divides her time between writing and tutoring. A Note of Madness is her first novel.

Life as a student is good for Flynn. As one of the top pianists at the Royal College of Music, he has been put forward for an important concert, the opportunity of a lifetime.But beneath the surface, things are changing. On a good day he feels full of energy and life, but on a bad day being alive is worse than being dead. Sometimes he wants to compose and practise all night, at other times he can't get out of bed. His flatmate Harry tries to understand but is increasingly confused by Flynn's erratic mood swings. His friend Jennah tries to help, but Flynn finds it difficult to be around her as he struggles to control his feelings and behaviour. With the pressure of the forthcoming concert and the growing concern of his family and friends, emotions come to a head. Sometimes things can only get worse before they get better.

Tabitha Suzuma

From Where I Stand engages with a number of emotional issues - fostering, bullying, self-harming, grief - in a sensitive and realistic way. With a pacy narrative this is a novel to have several copies on the shelves

Ultimately this is a book about guilt and redemption, as well as a deeply compelling read, probably for readers of 14 and over

A fast-paced psychological thriller, impossible to put down and with a very suprising final twist

A massive plot twist in the denouement makes this a great read

There are no punches pulled in this exciting psychological thriller

Raven is a deeply disturbed teenager, who, after witnessing the death of his mother, is placed in foster care. The Russells do their best to earn his trust, but only little Ella manages to get through to him. 
Meanwhile, at school, bullies are making his life a living hell. An unexpected companion comes in the form of Lotte, a classmate bored by her 'ordinary' friends. Together, they track down Raven's mum's killer, with the goal of exposing him to the police. But their carefully crafted plan goes dangerously wrong and suddenly nothing is as it seems. Everything is falling apart and, ultimately, there is only one, final way out.

Tabitha Suzuma

Praise for From Where I Stand

From Where I Stand engages with a number of emotional issues - fostering, bullying, self-harming, grief - in a sensitive and realistic way. With a pacy narrative this is a novel to have several copies on the ...

Ultimately this is a book about guilt and redemption, as well as a deeply compelling read, probably for readers of 14 and over

A fast-paced psychological thriller, impossible to put down and with a very suprising final twist

From Where I Stand engages with a number of emotional issues - fostering, bullying, self-harming, grief - in a sensitive and realistic way. With a pacy narrative this is a novel to have several copies on the ...

Ultimately this is a book about guilt and redemption, as well as a deeply compelling read, probably for readers of 14 and over

A fast-paced psychological thriller, impossible to put down and with a very suprising final twist

From Where I Stand engages with a number of emotional issues - fostering, bullying, self-harming, grief - in a sensitive and realistic way. With a pacy narrative this is a novel to have several copies on the ...

Ultimately this is a book about guilt and redemption, as well as a deeply compelling read, probably for readers of 14 and over

A fast-paced psychological thriller, impossible to put down and with a very suprising final twist

Books by Tabitha Suzuma

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