Little books that make a loud roar: eleven plus Malorie Blackman's gift is for coming up with a knockout concept. This was true of her now classic series Noughts & Crosses, which turned history on its head by imagining a world in which black people were the dominant race. And it is true also of her new futuristic teen thriller, Noble Conflict (Random House, £12, hbk), in which young soldiers fighting a band of vicious rebels use nothing more deadly than stun guns. Our hero, Kaspar Wilding, comes from good stock. His parents, now dead, were themselves celebrated Guardians, so when he applies to the academy he is welcomed with open arms. But he has inherited their fierce independence of spirit, too. And when an enemy takes out his best friend, Dillon, his subsequent actions involving the beautiful rebel Rhea threaten to expose him. He uncovers evidence that the insurgents are intent not on acts of random violence, as the High Council would have it, but on bringing about tens of thousands of deaths. And he suspects that the Council is manipulating the truth of what's really happening. Kaspar's resolve to investigate what's going on behind the scenes hardens, even if it means going against the orders of his superiors. What raises Blackman's thriller above more regular teenage fare is her melding of fantasy and reality. Kaspar's body has been hijacked by someone or something, and his previously empty dream life replaced with a discomfiting bucolic dream from which he awakes almost able to taste freshly baked bread. Working out what has happened to him will no doubt unlock the key to the wider political issues at stake. Blackman's stories are driven predominantly by plot, and this slick page-turner will reel in reluctant readers of either sex. Malorie Blackman will be appearing at Bath on October 4 at 6pm; Robert Muchamore will be talking about his new Cherub novel, Black Friday (Hodder), on September 29 at 6pm. For older teens, Meg Rosoff will be at Bath to present her new book, Picture Me Gone (Puffin), on October 1 at 6pm, and Patrick Ness will be discussing his dystopian novel More Than This (Walker) on October 6 at 6pm. bathfestivals.org.uk/childrens-literature/