Praise for Something’s About to Blow Up:

‘Phew! I finished SOMETHING’S ABOUT TO BLOW UP last night and am finally coming up for air. What I love about these books is how they rely on a tight plot and well-done mystery to keep the book moving quickly. No jump scares or gimmicky thriller stuff needed. Truly, that is what I love about a good mystery and this is definitely a GOOD mystery!’ – Alison Weatherby (Author)

‘Something’s About To Blow Up is the definition of a book that can’t be put down. Blake achieves an amazing sense of setting through her writing.  Provides a real reflection of secondary school life in Ireland. Sam Blake has quickly become one of my favourite authors in Young Adult literature. Without a doubt every teen interested in crime and thriller novels should read this outstanding book.’ – Emer Cronin, Age 15 for Paper Lanterns Literary Journal

I just wanted to say how i really enjoyed both Something Terrible Happened Last Night and Something’s About to Blow Up. They were sooo good and i read them really quickly. It’s got to be one of the best series i have ever read !” Sarah D via Instagram

‘Another cracker from Sam Blake. A fast paced YA thriller. I genuinely couldn’t put this book down. It was full of suspense and I loved it.’– Leanne, Goodreads

‘It definitely kept me guessing until the very end. This book really had it all and was extremely thought provoking as it dealt with serious topic such as assault and deception.’ – Orla, Instagram

I’m a few decades older than the target audience of this book but I absolutely loved it! And I really must give a huge shout out to the excellent narration. The story included text messages and journal entries with multiple characters and the narrator did a fantastic job which definitely added to my enjoyment of the book.
I loved the positive female relationships and there was a strong storyline which kept me hooked. The story covered some serious issues affecting young adults and I felt these were responsibly dealt with. I hadn’t realised this was the second book in a series until after I finished it and looked up the author to find more books of hers to read, but it was so well written it honestly didn’t make a jot of difference.’ – Karen, Goodreads (Audio Book Review)

‘I loved the group of friends at the centre of the story and their relationships with their families and each other. The hospital setting and the premise of how the girls use modern technology to investigate the cause of the explosion, from their hospital beds, was unique. It takes the expression “armchair detective” to a new level!’ – Nicola B, Net Galley

‘Something’s About To Blow Up is the second YA novel from Sam Blake, set in Raven’s Hill secondary school. An explosion tears through the school, injuring six students and as the storyline progresses, each provides their own PoV. The students work together to investigate the explosion – proving to be far more adept than the Garda!
I loved the inclusion element of the storyline – students of different nationalities, identities, orientations are all part of the school – and the language, behaviour of the students seemed so true to life. This novel works perfectly well, as a standalone but as Something Terrible Happened Last Night is also brilliant, I’d suggest you read it asap.’ – Maria, Net Galley

‘Teenager, YA (and adults) audiobook for those that like to be entertained. I was continually un-nerved by this tense story. Brilliant skill shown by the author to do that. The book presents current teenage issues in an exciting, time pressing style keep you somewhat guessing. The time pressing is part of the chill, will the girls all be safe? For me the only slight downside was the repeating of ‘what is known’. I felt this was overdone. But that’s a minor issue, the audiobook is superb. All secondary school libraries should have this book/audiobook. But be warned librarians, there is going to be a long queue at your desk making requests for it.’ – Peter T, Educator, Net Galley

‘I absolutely loved this book! We are plunged into the action right from the start and what a great start it was! As with this age group – late high school – there’s always some drama going on at school and there was so much happening here. There’s forgotten homework, late pupils, a badly beaten up boy, nudes being shared and to top it all, a disaster in a chemistry lab.
Six girls are badly injured in the blast and as the story progresses, we meet each of them through different pov’s.
I loved this format which allowed us to see lots of different aspects of what was going on, both in general and in terms of the issues at hand….I loved all of the characters – which is unusual for me! – the dynamics between the girls and the way they supported each other was brilliant. I even loved the portrayal of the suspects who fitted into the storyline perfectly – albeit deviously! I loved this so much that I’ve instantly ordered the first book so that I can catch up on the gossip and action – and I’m really hoping that there will be more from Raven’s Hill soon!’ – Sonja C (Audio Book Review)

Praise for Something Terrible Happened Last Night:

‘a must-read for teens’ – Sunday Independent

‘an intriguing page-turner’ – Irish Times

‘something terrific is happening in YA fiction’ – Sunday Times

‘a fun murder-mystery… with smarts and a lot of heart’ – Independent

‘a classic whodunnit’ – Irish Examiner

‘a page-turning mystery which uses the ubiquity of social media to its advantage’ – Sunday Business Post