THE ANXIOUS GENERATION

BY JONATHAN HAIDT

HBK, ALLEN LANE, £25

Social Psychologist Jonathan Haidt scrutinizes the deteriorating state of the mental health of adolescents in modern society. Why have rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicide risen so sharply?

He re-examines research between 2010 and 2015 and argues, that as childhood freedoms diminished, electronic gadgets and social media swept in with young people escaping into a virtual world with limited real-world connections.

This shift from free play to smart phones has effectively, he argues, rewired brains. This is a fascinating reading for parents and all those involved in education and child wellbeing.

THE FAMILIAR

BY LEIGH BARDUGO

HBK, PENGUIN, £20

A bewitching, beguiling novel set against a backdrop of the Spanish Inquisition, where having magical gifts is not to be celebrated but hidden.

Servant Luzia Cotado uses scraps of magic to get through her days of endless toil. But when her mistress finds out, she demands Luzia helps her to win over the royal court.

Grabbing the opportunity to better her own fortunes, Luzia treads a perilous path using every bit of her wit and resilience to win fame and hide the truth. Leigh Bardugo masterfully bends history to her narrative and keeps the reader enthralled to the end.

Limited copies of the exclusive independent bookshop edition are available at Bridge Bookshop.