Close Your Eyes

Southfield High School is oh so normal, with its good teachers, its bad, and its cliques. But despite the cliques, there's a particular group of friends who have known each other forever and know that they can rely on each other for anything. There's the twins: Vis, rebellious, kind, and just a tiny bit worried about what the hell she's going to do once this year is over, and Aisha, smart, quiet and observant. Then there's Remy, the loudmouth, and Gemma, who's more interested in college boys and getting into the crap club in town. And then there's Elise: the pretty one.But at the start of Year 11, when the group befriend the new boy, Elijah, things start to change. The group find themselves not as close as they used to be. Until one Tuesday, when the students are trapped inside the school building. And one of them has a gun. Close Your Eyes is the story of a school shooting which, through interviews, messages and questionable actions, asks: Who is truly responsible?

Another brilliant book from Nicci. I didn't know too much about it as I just wanted to jump into it and my gosh was it gripping! This is an important book and we always need important books in the world to spread the word about certain issues. I really liked how this story was told and the story-line. I liked that it kept you in the dark about what happened to these kids. This was a fast-paced thriller., Cleverly written full of suspense and tension, Superbly crafted... I was awestruck at how impressively the whole plot is drawn together., It makes you question yourself as an adult, regarding the comments and actions you make and I believe will be even more so with a YA reader. A very emotional and thought provoking read., There's plenty of clever misdirection, with Cloke holding back the all-important fact of who carried out the shooting for longer than I would have believed possible. This is a story of how friendship are made - and how they can be so easily broken. I was thoroughly engrossed in the lives of the teenagers, as the book hurtled towards the tragedy that had been signalled at the very start. But in the tradition of the classic Greek tragedies, it's not what happens that matters, it's how it happens that holds the audience entranced. Close Your Eyes is a book that will worm its way under your skin. You'll laugh with the group and ultimately cry with them, and like them, you'll wonder what could have been done to prevent the tragedy that gradually but inexorably unfolds.

Nicci Cloke is a full-time writer, part-time doer of random jobs. These jobs have included Christmas Elf, cocktail waitress, and childminder. She is also the organiser and host of Speakeasy, the only London literary salon to host regular YA events. Her first YA novel, FOLLOW ME BACK, was published in 2016 and was nominated for the 2017 CILIP Carnegie Medal, longlisted for the Branford Boase Award 2017 and shortlisted for the Lancashire Book of the Year Award 2017. CLOSE YOUR EYES is her second novel for young adults. Her first adult novel SOMEDAY FIND ME was published by Fourth Estate in 2012 and her second LAY ME DOWN was published by Cape in 2014. Follow Nicci on Twitter: @niccicloke.