Recommended YA books and news for October
It's finally October and we are seeing some of the biggest, most highly anticipated books of the year arrive on our shelves. There are some absolute corkers that are going to be read and talked about by many people for a long time to come. Why not be one of the first to read them?
OUR YA BOOK OF THE MONTH
Unnecessary Drama by Nina Kenwood
18-year-old Brooke's new share house is rules-lite. The only rule is 'no unnecessary drama'. And that means no fights, tension, or romance. When one of her housemates turns out to be Jesse, her high-school nemesis, Brooke is nervously confident she can handle it. They’ll simply silently endure living together and stay out of each other’s way. But it turns out Jesse isn’t so easy to ignore.
Channelling the screwball comedy of New Girl with an enemies-to-lovers twist, Unnecessary Drama is a joyful story about leaving home, dealing with the unexpected complications of life, and somehow finding exactly what you need.
You can read a short, hilarious extract from the novel here.
Suitable for readers aged 13 and up.
THIS MONTH'S TOP YA PICKS
The Killing Code by Ellie Marney
World War II is raging. Kit Sutherland is hiding a huge secret when she is unexpectedly recruited to work as a young codebreaker at Arlington Hall, a US Signals Intelligence facility in Washington, DC.
When Kit’s roommate doesn’t return home from a dance, it ends in a gruesome discovery which soon it turns into a horrifying pattern: government girls are being murdered. Kit joins forces with three other female codebreakers, and as they work to crack the killer’s code, two things become terrifyingly clear: the murderer they’re hunting is getting closer every moment … and Kit’s own secret could put her in even more jeopardy.
Suitable for readers aged 14 and up.
A Scatter of Light by Malinda Lo
Aria Tang West thought she’d be spending one last summer on Martha’s Vineyard with her friends before starting MIT in the fall, where she intends to study astronomy. But after topless photos of her are posted online, she’s abruptly uninvited.
Aria’s parents send her to stay with her artist grandmother, Joan West, in Northern California. Although Aria has never been attracted to girls before, she finds herself drawn to Joan’s gardener, Steph Nichols, an aspiring musician a few years older. The only problem? Steph isn’t single; she lives with her girlfriend. But the chemistry between Aria and Steph seems undeniable, and this will be a summer that will turn her world upside down.
Suitable for readers aged 15 and up.
Growing Up Wiradjuri edited by Dr Anita Heiss
Growing up Wiradjuri is a collection of personal stories by Wiradjuri Elders. The writers are Uncles and Aunties who came of age in New South Wales in the 1950s and 1960s.
In a strong collective voice, they share the difficulties of growing up under the rule of the welfare board. Some describe their experiences of evading capture by the welfare mob, or of being stolen and forced into state care away from their families. Some describe experiencing racism in school, the trials of poverty and family separation.
Alongside the difficulties of marginal life, backbreaking labour and family separation, they also detail their fond memories of their own Elders, Aunts and Uncles who cared for them and taught them culture.
Suitable for readers aged 10 and up.
Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong
The first book in a captivating new duology following an ill-matched pair of spies posing as a married couple to investigate a series of brutal murders in 1930s Shanghai.
Four years ago, Rosalind Lang was brought back from the brink of death, but the strange experiment that saved her also stopped her from aging - and allows her to heal from any wound. In short, Rosalind cannot die. Now, she uses her abilities as an assassin for her country. Code name: Fortune. Rosalind’s orders are to infiltrate foreign society and identify the culprits behind a terror plot before more people are killed. To reduce suspicion, she must pose as the wife of another Nationalist spy, Orion Hong. As they both attempt to unravel the conspiracy, the two spies soon find that there are deeper and more horrifying layers to this mystery than they ever imagined.
Suitable for readers aged 13 and up.
The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera
It’s the night before Death-Cast goes live, and there’s one question on everyone’s mind: Can Death-Cast actually predict death, or is it an elaborate hoax? Orion Pagan has waited years for someone to tell him that he’s going to die, given his serious heart condition. Valentino Prince has a long and promising future ahead of him and only registered for Death-Cast after his twin sister nearly died in a car accident.
Orion and Valentino cross paths in Times Square and immediately feel a deep connection. But when the first End Day calls go out, their lives are changed for ever - one of them receives a call … the other doesn’t.
Told with acclaimed author Adam Silvera’s signature bittersweet touch, this story celebrates the lasting impact that people have on each other and proves that life is always worth living to the fullest.
Suitable for readers aged 13 and up.
The Heartstopper Yearbook by Alice Oseman
The full-colour Heartstopper Yearbook is packed full of exclusive content from the Heartstopper universe - including never-before-seen illustrations, an exclusive mini-comic, a look back at Alice’s Heartstopper artwork over the years, character profiles, trivia, and insights into her creative process - all narrated by a cartoon version of Alice herself. By the winner of the YA Book Prize, Heartstopper is about love, friendship, loyalty and mental illness. It encompasses all the small stories of Nick and Charlie’s lives that together make up something larger, which speaks to all of us.
Suitable for readers aged 12 and up.
NEWS AND EVENTS
- The Readings Prize features a young adult winner chosen from a shortlist of six books by early career Australian authors. This year's winner is announced live at an event on October 26 and you can book to attend here.
