SIBERIA by Ann Halam (Orion, £8.99): TO many adults, the word 'Siberia' conjures up visions of a Soviet era Arctic prison camp.

It is indeed in a frozen prison camp that this story unfolds - though not in the past but in a grim future. An environmental disaster has turned much of Eastern Europe into a permanent, wintry wasteland.

Even worse, most animal species have been wiped out. Animals are either 'grown' in laboratory-type factories for food and fur, or else survive rarely and precariously in the wild.

This is a vividly imagined, though very bleak vision of the future. It is also a nail-biting adventure which should appeal to boys as well as girls. (Age 12+)

SASKIA'S JOURNEY by Theresa Breslin (Corgi, £5.99)

TEENAGER Saskia goes to stay with her dour great-aunt Alessandra in her remote house built into a cliff on the bleak coast of north-east Scotland.

Saskia knows there is something extraordinary about her aunt, but she has no idea that the harrowing story she is about to uncover involves attempted incest and a suspicious death.

As Saskia unravels the story, she relates it to her own difficult relationship with her parents, especially her domineering father. She also discovers that her love of the sea is deeply rooted in her blood.

There's a lot of recent social history interwoven with the emotional journey in this sombre novel for older readers. (Age 13+)

CRASH by Andrew Fusek Peters and Polly Peters (Hodder bite, £5.99)

HERE'S a totally innovative new form of teen novel. It's written in poetry by a husband and wife team, each poem telling another bit of the story from a different character's view.

Teenagers Nat and Kate are in love. Carl is Nat's best friend. Carl is driving Nat to a special date with Kate, when their car is involved in a crash with a crazy driver.

Nat dies, leaving Kate, Carl, Nat' s parents and the guilty other driver to pick up the pieces. This heart- wrenching tale of road abuse is brought vividly alive through the poems.

It's a rich and thought provoking read. But just one quibble: why do so many teen novels promote sex as an inevitable part of every teenage romance? (Age 13+).

Published: 17/05/2005