Young adult
I’m Not Really Here by Gary Lonesborough
Both heartwarming and funny, Gary Lonesborough’s new YA romance is a really fun read during which you will become absolutely enamoured with the two leads.
The story follows Jonah, a 15-year-old boy who has recently moved to the town of…
Follow Your Gut: A Story from the Microbes that Make You by Briony Barr, Dr Gregory Crocetti, Ailsa Wild, Dr Lisa Stinson & Ben Hutchings (illus.)
We are hearing more and more about our gut and the importance of what goes on in there, so a book that explains this ecosystem in a clever and entertaining way is very welcome. Follow Your Gut uses a graphic-novel…
Medici Heist by Caitlin Schneiderhan
Six of Crows meets Renaissance Florence in this captivating story of mischievous misfits, witty banter, and an impossible heist almost doomed from the beginning, all set against a gorgeous Italian backdrop.
Florence, 1517. At its peak, the Tuscan city is…
The Girl with No Reflection by Keshe Chow
Ying Yue is betrothed to marry the emperor’s son, but when they meet, he’s not the charming prince of her dreams. Instead, he’s cold and distant, leaving Ying secluded and locked away for months. Ying’s dread of their upcoming marriage…
The Skin I’m In by Steph Tisdell
The Skin I’m In is Steph Tisdell’s debut young adult novel, and, as expected, it is as warm and hilarious as her award-winning comedy. In this coming-of-age tale, we follow Layla; at 17, she is sharp, quite cautious and always…
Two Sides to Every Murder by Danielle Valentine
An abandoned summer camp called Camp Lost Lake is the setting for this spooky murder mystery. The teen camp was abandoned because 15 years prior to when this story begins there were three murders there, supposedly committed by a woman…
Maria Petranelli is Prepared for Anything (Except This) by Elisa Chenoweth
This year’s winner of the Ampersand Prize for unpublished manuscripts is a contemporary coming-of-age novel that focuses on family and discovering your own identity.
Maria is a deadpan misanthrope who has been stifled by her big, outspoken Italian-Australian family. When…
Return to Sender by Lauren Draper
I was an admirer of Lauren Draper’s first YA novel, The Museum of Broken Things, and my admiration continues with this, her second novel. At a time when a lot of YA seems to be dominated by fantasy and…
Lover Birds by Leanne Egan
Lou Byrne has always been told she’s insufferable, a little too much. She’s worn it as a badge of honour, but then Isabel Williams moves to Liverpool from London and criticises everything about Lou: her city, her accent, the fact…
Liar’s Test by Ambelin Kwaymullina
The new novel by Ambelin Kwaymullina, the First Nations author of The Tribe trilogy and Catching Teller Crow, is an intricately plotted fantasy that features a gutsy, clever heroine who is an excellent liar.
Bell has been imprisoned in…
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