This Is Not Forgiveness by Celia Rees: review Rob, the older brother, is back from his time as a sniper in Afghanistan. Rees builds up a good picture of why he's traumatised - his leg has been smashed to pieces during his final tour of duty - and the danger he poses to himself and those around him. We know from start, when Jamie describes his brother's grim and sparsely-attended funeral, that Rob won't survive. But has he killed others? The relationship of the brothers, which always has a menacing dash of violence and power, is the pumping heart of the book. There is anger, betrayal and ultimately fear as Jamie realises the extent of his brother's mental problems and what he is being lured to do by the politicised and embittered Caro. As the tension mounts, the precise prose of Rees (who has written thrillers before) keeps this powerful plot on the tracks. Rees, who taught in secondary schools for more than 15 years, has captured the modern world of teenagers in lyrical and earthy language. Describing the phony Rendez cafe (short for Rendezvous) where youngsters meet, Jamie says: "This cafe is poncy and full of arseholes." Rees can be cuttingly witty. Jamie's narcissistic friend Cal is dismissed with a withering description: "He's not used to girls saying 'No'. He looks like an Abercrombie and Fitch model. The minor characters add convincingly to the drama - especially Jamie's sister Martha - but it is the main trio who make the book sing. As Jamie falls under Caro's spell, Rees shows us more and more of the reasons for Caro being such a damaged and destructive personality. But Rees also makes her alluring. You can see men lust after her. It builds to an gripping finale in the sort of novel you hope young adults will read and think about. Celia Rees: This Is Not Forgiveness (Bloomsbury, £6.99)