Tia Fisher, author of the Carnegie-shortlisted debut verse novel Crossing the Line, has penned a piece on the power of verse novels to boost young people’s pleasure in reading.

In the article for The Bookseller, which subscribers can read in full here, Tia writes of verse novels:

“They’re often overlooked, but are a refreshing change, combining the power of storytelling with the accessibility of poetry, the voice of drama and the visual appeal of graphic novels.”

Erik’s life has been falling apart ever since his dad died. Homework and being good at school stop feeling important when you’re the new man of the house. When Erik’s bad behaviour attracts the wrong crowd, he’s sucked into a terrifying new world of drug dealing, trap houses and violence.

Making money feels good but Erik soon learns that a small favour can become a huge debt.

And when his sisters’ lives are threatened, Erik will have to cross one more line to save them.

Crossing the Line is out now. Grab your copy here or, better, via your local bookshop or Bookshop.org.

Follow Tia on Twitter @tiafisher_.