The Shadow Bride
By Shelby Mahurin Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey Celie was just a girl. Then she was a Bride of Death. Now she has died and come back. Michal, king of the vampires, couldn’t watch Celie die. Instead he made her what she most
Our History: A House Divided
By Clare Hallifax Reviewed by Margaret McKay-Lowndes November 11, 1975 is a date etched vividly into the minds of many Australians, not only because of Remembrance Day, but also because that was the infamous day upon which the Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam,
The Wicked Lies of Habren Faire
By Anna Fiteni Reviewed by Lucille Rose The Wicked Lies of Habren Faire by Anna Fiteni is a contemporary fantasy book following eldest daughter Sabrina Parry who, after her father’s sentence to ten years in Australia, becomes the sole protector of her
Words Matter: The Story of Hans and Sophie Scholl, and the White Rose Resistance
By Anita Fitch Pazner and Sophie Casson Reviewed by Annaleise Byrd Anita Fitch Pazner is an American author who was born in Germany. Sophie Casson is from Montreal, Quebec and has illustrated more than 30 books. Words Matter is the story of Hans
This Season’s Draft
By Jason Gent Reviewed by Annaleise Byrd Jason Gent lives in Brisbane with his wife and two daughters. His debut YA verse novel, This Season’s Draft, was a 2026 CBCA Notable in the Older Readers category. This Season’s Draft features six teenagers (five
Every Spiral of Fate (This Woven Kingdom)
By Tahereh Mafi Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey Every Spiral of Fate is the fourth book in the Woven Kingdom series by American author and international bestseller Tahereh Mafi, best known for her expansive Shatter Me series. Although this could be read as
Brightest Wild
By Tania Crampton-Larking Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey Out of place, out of depths, out of sorts. All the ways eleven-year-old Alex feels when she’s made to leave her comfortable London life to move to a small Adelaide suburb with a soon-to-be stepfamily.
The Belly of a Wolf
By Julianne Negri Reviewed by Lara Cain Gray Julianne Negri is a CBCA Notable author with middle grade and picture book works in her portfolio. The Belly of a Wolf is her debut YA novel. Written in verse, it explores the devastating
Red Star Rebels
By Amie Kaufman Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey The multi-award winning Australian author takes us back to space in this sci-fi-for-everyone, edge of your seat thrill ride. With witty banter, loveable (even if you don’t really want to) characters, and a timeline short
Gaslit
By Megan Davidhizar Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey Plagued by recent migraines, Ella has to ditch her bestie and their New Year’s Eve plans. When she begins feeling better and her aunt calls, Ella agrees to babysit her cousin at the last minute.
The Same Backwards as Forwards
By Jennifer Lynn Barnes Reviewed by Lauren Spencer Jennifer Lynn Barnes is a Professor of Psychology and an American writer known for her extensive YA publications. The most popular of which are The Hawthorne Games and The Grandest Games, which follow Avery
For No Mortal Creature
By Keshe Chow Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey The second book for award-winning Melbourne author Keshe Chow, For No Mortal Creature is a dark, lyrical fantasy that wonders how far people are willing to go for love and family. And how much further
Thorn Season
By Kiera Azar Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey Thorn Season, the debut novel from British author Kiera Azar, left me with an emptiness that can only be filled with the next book in the series (release date TBC for Australia). Alissa has been hiding
Snowed in at the Wildest Dreams Bookshop
By Gracie Page Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey Following on from her debut The Wildest Dreams Bookshop, British author Gracie Page returns to the quirky bookshop in Fox Bay for another romantic misadventure. Ivy spent her entire life dreaming of the day she
Once a Villain: Only a Monster 3
By Vanessa Len Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey What if monsters are real – but they’re nothing like you expect? In Once A Villain, Joan faces the truth of everything monsters are willing to do, and desperately hopes they are capable of change. Especially
A Murder is Going Down
By Kate Emery Review by Alison McCaffrey Claustrophobic? Paranoid? Afraid of being stuck in a lift? Then hold on to something, because you’re going to feel all that and more while immersed in the story of Heidi and her extended, and rather
Tart
by Beckl Jayne Crossley Review by Lucille Rose Tart by Beckl Jayne Crossley is a heart-felt, coming of age novel following the lives of two girls with one thing in common: Chipping Hollow. This little not-so-slice of heaven has been a source
Completely Normal (and Other Lies)
By Biffy James Reviewed by Annaleise Byrd Elizabeth ‘Biffy’ James holds a Masters in Creative Writing from RMIT and has worked as a boarding house mother and high school teacher. Completely Normal (and Other Lies), her debut novel, was written during lockdown
We Fell Apart
By E. Lockhart Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey On a sleepy road on Martha’s Vineyard, there’s a house that looks like a castle, with a private beach at the bottom of a cliff. The castle-house belongs to reclusive, world-famous artist Kingsley Cello, and
Throne of Khetara: His Face is the Sun: Book 1
By Michelle Jabès Corpora Reviewed by Lauren Spencer Michelle Jabes Corpora describes herself as ‘a humble student of Egyptology.’ With her Egyptian heritage spanning two generations, her passion for Ancient Egypt developed early in life. Michelle notes in her author’s note that
The Wildest Dreams Bookshop
By Gracie Page Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey Anna is the girl who had her whole life planned – from a summer internship after high school to what she would do after graduating college. But when everything that could go wrong, does, Anna
What Have They Done to Liza McLean?
By Amy Doak Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey Quiet, studious Meg has just started at uber-elite boarding school Douglas College, with her younger sister – fun-loving, party-girl Liza. But when Liza suddenly seems to embody all the serious, school-focused, hard-working ideals Meg has
Lady’s Knight
Written by Aime Kaufman and Meagan Spooner Reviewed by Rebecca Sheraton Aime Kaufman and Meagan Spooner are a writing dream team. This dynamic duo, comprised of two exceptional science fiction and fantasy authors in their own right, successfully flex their creative skills
Wandering Wild
By Lynette Noni Reviewed by Dajo Finlayson Lynette Noni is the author of the bestselling and award-winning Fantasy series The Prison Healer, the Medoran Chronicles and the Whisper duology, but in this novel, she has moved from her usual fantasy genre to
The Last Tiger
By Julia Riew & Brad Riew Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey Inspired by the forbidden love story of their Korean grandparents – who married across classes for love in a time of arranged marriages for standing – Julie Riew and Brad Riew have
Skull River
By Pip Fioretti Reviewed by Lauren Spencer This is Pip Fioretti’s second crime novel and follows on from the highly successful Bone Lands (2024). Pip has previously published books in women’s fiction and recently switched genres, a risky move that proved to
The Beat I Drum
By Dusti Bowling Reviewed by Mia Macrossan We first met Connor in Dusti Bowling's award winning Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus, the story of Aven Green who was born without arms. Now in the third instalment of the Life
Immortal Consequences (The Souls of Blackwood Academy)
By I.V. Marie Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey Six ‘inconvenient acquaintances’, four trials, one chance to escape an eternity of nothingness. New York Times Bestseller Immortal Consequences, the debut novel by American author I.V. Marie, is the first half of a duology about
The Invocations
By Krystal Sutherland Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey Winner of the 2025 Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Young Adult Literature, The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland has it all: strong girls protecting each other; older women listening to younger women; occult magic based in
Catch
By Sarah Brill Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey Catch opens with Beth walking home one afternoon, minding her own business on a busy sidewalk, when a sudden and intense urge to throw up hits. Instead of bending over, she looks up and a
