The Museum of Broken Things ticks quite a few of the boxes in contemporary YA writing: a mysterious past trauma, a good-looking love interest and the loneliness of relocation. Luckily the plot broadens into some interesting themes that provide added depth and mystery.

Reece has moved from the suburbs to a seaside town where her grandmother lived. She is recovering from an incident that has her floundering in a no-man’s-land of fractured friendships and haunting memories, and then her beloved grandmother dies, leaving her a puzzling antique memento. As she explores its provenance, she becomes concerned her grandmother is implicated in the disappearance of some young women in the 1940s.

Alongside this she struggles to balance a new social life with her final-year studies at high school. Up until a year ago she had wanted to be a doctor, following in her mother’s and grandmother’s footsteps, but she has since changed her mind. There is also the developing friendship with her classmate Gideon, who she feels a strong attraction for, but he also has a problem that is affecting his life.

Lauren Draper’s novel grabs your attention and emotions right from the start. It explores young adults finding their way and sometimes losing it and having to face the consequences. It highlights that the past nearly always impacts on the present, and having the strength and moral barometer to face up to predicaments. Most of all it is a story with a lot of heart and some great humour. Highly recommended for ages 14+.

Alexa Dretzke is from Readings Hawthorn