This Is How We Change The Ending
by Vikki Wakefield reviewed by Margaret McKay-Lowndes This fifth novel from award-winning South Australian novelist Vikki Wakefield tells the story of anti-hero Nate McKee, a kid from the wrong side of the tracks, as he journeys towards self-enlightenment and tries to escape
19 Love Songs
by David Levithan reviewed by Sarah Custance David Levithan is the author of Every Day, Someday, Two Boys Kissing, and the co-author of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist among other works. 19 Love Songs is a collection of short stories that arose
The Dog Runner
by Bren MacDibble reviewed by Mia Macrossan Bren MacDibble burst onto the children's literary world with her award- winning How To Bee, a heartwarming dystopian novel set in a world where bees are extinct. The Dog Runner, an exciting fast -paced thriller,
Snow
by Ondine Sherman reviewed by Sarah Custance ‘Snow’ is the second book in Sherman’s ‘Animal Allies’ series, the first book is ‘Sky’ and the third, (coming out in 2020) is ‘Star’. Ondine is a life-long animal activist and the co-founder and MD of
IBBY Australia Honour List books 2019
IBBY Australia proudly announces its selection of two books to be included in the biennial IBBY Honour List for 2020. One highlights Indigenous history and the environment, and the other, the experiences of a teenage asylum seeker. Every two years an
A Flight of Dragons
What is the collective term for a lot of dragons? Apparently terms used include : a flight of dragons; a weyr of dragons; a school of dragons; or a wing of dragons. The term 'weyr' comes from Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders
The Hand, the Eye and the Heart
by Zoe Marriott reviewed by Zewlan Moor From the last line of the first page of The Hand, the Eye and the Heart, “And so I heard the assassin speak,” I was hooked. From that first chapter, I knew I was in
Rogue The Vault #2
Written by A J Betts Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Rogue, published in June this year is the sequel to Hive (2018). I read Rogue first and then was eager to read Hive. Both can be read on their own, but Betts does
The Bogan Mondrian
by Steven Herrick reviewed by Dajo Finlayson From the very outset this book had me captivated. The vibrantly coloured front and back covers caught my attention as I’ve always been a fan of the Dutch artist Piet Mondrian’s work. His wonderfully abstract,
It Sounded Better In My Head
by Nina Kenwood reviewed by Mia Macrossan This delightful debut novel deservedly won the 2018 Text Prize for fiction. It is the affecting story of Natalie and her friends in that limbo of time between finishing year 12 and starting university. Natalie
Mercy Point
Written by Anna Snoekstra Reviewed by Inda Ahmad Zabri Mercy Point, Anna Snoekstra’s second novel, is a YA thriller with an intriguing premise. A group of teens meet on an online messaging board, sharing a suspicion that they are adopted. Grappling with
The Mirror Visitor #1 A Winter’s Promise
Written by Christelle Dabos Translated by Hildegarde Serle Reviewed by Sue Wright I’ve been reading a lot of novellas and short stories lately, so I approached Christelle Dabos’ 490 page A Winter’s Promise with all the enthusiasm of a reader with a preference
The Valentines: Happy Girl Lucky
By Holly Smale Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Happy Girl Lucky, is the first in the new romantic-comedy series The Valentines by Holly Smale, author of the bestselling and critically acclaimed Geek Girl books. It is a book that is lots of bubbly
The Things That Will Not Stand
Written by Michael Gerard Bauer Reviewed by Mia Macrossan The latest offering from Brisbane author is a great read for teenagers especially those still trying to work out what relationships are all about. The main character Seb, a year 11 student, is
Impostors
by Scott Westerfeld reviewed by Dajo Finlayson Set in a post- apocalyptic world full of advanced military technology, power struggles, dictatorships, and the ever-present threat of treachery, this novel is the first book in a new, four- part series which presents us
Amelia Westlake
written by Erin Gough reviewed by Tyrion Perkins One of the best books I’ve read this year. I jumped at the chance to review Erin Gough’s second novel after enjoying The Flywheel. In that, the character spent most of her time working in
Children of Blood and Bone
Written by Tomi Adeyemi Reviewed by Renee Hills This YA fantasy tells the story of Zelie’s quest to retrieve magic for her people and to rid them of the king’s ruthless and implacable dominion over the Maji or as they are contemptuously
Talk Under Water
Written by Kathryn Lomer Reviewed by Rebecca Sheraton Kathryn Lomer’s third young adult novel, Talk Under Water is a stunning coming-of-age story with a unique twist. Set against the beautiful backdrop of Tasmania, the story is told in dual narratives of Will Lane
The Boundless Sublime
Written by Lili Wilkinson Reviewed by Charlotte Barkla One part heart-breaking, one part intriguing and one part horrifying, this compelling tale demonstrates how a rational person could be indoctrinated into a violent cult and willingly deprived of their basic human rights. When
The Belles
Written by Dhonielle Clayton Reviewed by Tyrion Perkins In the fantasy world of Orléans people are born with grey skin and red eyes, so the Belles are highly prized, not for the good looks they inherited from the Goddess of Beauty, but
P is for Pearl
by Eliza Henry-Jones Harper Collins AU 304 pp Paperback $19.99 ISBN 10: 146075493X Age from 14 years Published 19 February 2018 The opening of “P is for Pearl” grabbed me immediately. I wanted to know the amazing mother who “would dress herself up in
Undercover Princess (The Rosewood Chronicles)
by Connie Glynn Puffin/Penguin 2017 288 pp pb $22.99 ISBN 9780141387567 A princess and a girl who would like to be royalty swap identities when they enter the elite Rosewood school. Sounds like fun, right? I thought so after enjoying the best-selling, “The
The Book of Dust: Volume One – La Belle Sauvage
by Philip Pullman David Fickling Books 2017 paperback 448 pp $32.99 ISBN 9780857561084 If, like me, you’ve ever logged on to J.K. Rowling’s Pottermore site to check out what animal your patronus would be, my guess is that you’d love the world
This Mortal Coil
by Emily Suvada Puffin Books 2017 paperback $17.99 464 pp ISBN 9780141379272 In this debut novel scientist Emily Suvada has created a dystopian science fiction piece aimed at the Young Adult reader. She artfully manages a complex, intriguing plot, revealing unpredictable twists
