This month we have atmospheric fantasy novels with unique settings, heartfelt contemporary YA and a sprinkling of romance.

Find our March picks for kids books here.

YA BOOK OF THE MONTH

Our YA book of the month is Astrid Scholte’s The Vanishing Deep – a standalone fantasy murder mystery set in a flooded post-climate change world.

When seventeen-year-old Tempest’s older sister Elysea mysteriously drowns, Tempest seeks out the services at Palindromena, a high-end scientific facility that allows rich patrons to revive the dead for 24 hours to say their last goodbyes. After reviving her sister, the two young women embark on a dangerous journey to discover the truth about their parents’ death. Our reviewer Angela loved this ‘intoxicating thriller set in an unusual world that raises interesting ideas about loyalty, family and fate.’

YA BOOKS TO READ THIS MONTH

National Book Award winner Thanhhà Lại returns with her first young adult book, Butterfly Yellow. In the final days of the Vietnam War, Hằng takes her little brother, Linh, to the airport, determined to find a way to safety in America. In a split second, Linh is ripped from her arms, and Hằng is left behind in the war-torn country. Six years later, she makes it to the US and to Texas to reunite with her brother, meeting wannabe cowboy and driver-of-convenience LeeRoy along the way. But when Hằng sees eleven-year-old Linh – now called David – she finds that he doesn’t remember her at all. This is a memorable novel that laces humour, sweetness and cross-cultural connections among the weighty themes of survival, trauma and persistence.

If queer Grease-inspired romance sounds like your cup of tea, Australian author Sophie Gonzales has you covered with Only Mostly Devastated. Ollie and Will enjoy a summer romance on holiday at a lake in North Carolina, but afterwards Ollie is ghosted by Will. When Ollie’s family moves across the country to take care of a sick relative, Ollie ends up at Collinswood High, which turns out to be Will’s school. Ollie is shocked to discover that this new Will is a jock and a jerk. Our reviewer Cindy highly recommends this ‘sweet, contemporary YA novel that is perfect for fans of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda’.

Fantasy lovers should look no further than Sara Holland’s Havenfall, a twisting novel taking set in a multiverse rife with politics and family secrets. Maddie loves spending summers at her uncle’s Inn at Havenfall. But beneath the beautiful, sprawling manor in Colorado lie hidden gateways to other worlds, some long-sealed by ancient magic. When a body is found on the grounds, the volatile peace between these worlds is compromised, and Maddie’s friend Brekken is accused of the murder.

Or for supernatural thrills, there’s Oasis, the second novel from Melbourne-based author Katya de Becerra. Alife travels from Melbourne to Dubai with four friends to work on her father’s archaeological dig in the desert. When a sandstorm decimates their camp, the group of friends and her father’s research assistant are stranded without food and water, until they find a mysterious and bountiful oasis. But are their troubles really over? Our reviewer Angela praised the believable friendships in this story and said: ’This novel constantly surprises you in its elusive desert setting and has strong pacing that keeps you on the edge the entire time.‘

If you read and enjoyed Emery Lord’s The Start of Me and You, or you just really love heartfelt contemporary YA, pick up companion novel The Map from Here to There. Aspiring screenwriter Paige Hancock is having the time of her life in her final year of high school, but when crunch decisions about college and life after school loom, and the prospect of being separated from her closest friends becomes more real, her anxiety spikes. One for fans of loving friendships and character growth.

A younger brother looks for answers in Danielle Jawando’s And the Stars Were Burning Brightly. Fifteen-year-old Nathan decides to retrace his older brother Al’s footsteps, trying to understand why Al took his own life. As he does, he meets Megan, Al’s former classmate, who is as determined as Nathan to keep Al’s memory alive. Together they start seeking answers, but will either of them be able to handle the truth about Al’s death when they eventually discover what happened? This is a serious and hopeful read that touches on grief, loss, mental health and bullying.

Get ready for a wild and epic ride with Jenny Lee’s modern retelling of Anna Karenina that contains more than a tinge of Gossip Girl… In Anna K, Anna K is beautiful, rich and popular, and takes care to maintain her status as the perfect girlfriend, daughter and student. But when she falls in love with notorious playboy Alexi 'Count’ Vronsky, Anna’s life (and that of her extended cast of friends and family) is about to get a lot more complicated.

And finally, out mid-month, Phil Stamper’s The Gravity of Us is a queer romance set in a high-stakes hotpot social media, reality TV and a NASA mission. Cal has his life turned upside down when his father qualifies to train for a manned mission to Mars, and the entire family moves to Houston. Cal struggles under the new scrutiny caused by his father’s job – participating in a reality TV show is part of the deal! – but when he meets and falls for Leon, whose mother is also an astronaut, romance and truth and ethics all come into play.

NEWS & RECOMMENDATIONS

The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has announced its Notable Books for 2019. Congratulations to all the authors, illustrators and publishers. You can find the notable books for Older Readers specifically here.

This month, the Readings Teen Advisory Board met with author Alison Evans, who shared their writing process for their new book, Euphoria Kids, and then discussed queer representation in YA books more generally. Check out their thoughts on this topic here.

On that dreaded day of flowers and chocolates, we felt compelled to celebrate love and friendship in all its forms. Find our recommendations for warm and fuzzy YA books that are suitable to give your crush, a cherished friend, or even yourself.

YA BOOK LAUNCHES THIS MONTH

It’s a veritable festival of #LoveOZYA book launches in March. All of our book launches are free and there’s no need to book – just come along on the day!

Sophie Gonzales’ Only Mostly Devastated will be launched at Readings St Kilda on 12 March. Find out more here.

Katya de Becerra’s Oasis will be launched at Readings Kids on 19 March. Find out more here.

And our YA Book of the Month, Astrid Scholte’s The Vanishing Deep, will be launched at Readings State Library on 26 March. Find out more here.

Leanne Hall is a children’s and YA specialist at Readings Kids. She also writes books for children and young adults.