We Saw What You Started
By Carla Salmon Pan Australia 2025 Teaching notes Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey There are similarities between California and Queensland – beautiful beaches, incredible surf, year-round sunshine, and wildfires. Otto left his life in California behind, moving to Red Sands with his mum, but both
This Stays Between Us
By Margot McGovern Penguin 2026 Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey This Stays Between Us is a creepy horror throwback to the 90s and 00s era that does not disappoint. The second novel from multi-award winning South Australian author Margot McGovern, this book has been
Don’t Let Them Leave
By Mike Lucas Reviewed by Zewlan Moor Mike Lucas is a British-Australian author of picture books and young adult suspense. His latest young adult novel, Don’t Let Them Leave, starts with a compelling prologue in a mine shaft in North Cornwall, 1855. In
Raised by Wolves
By Tristan Bancks Reviewed by Sue Wright Tristan is the acclaimed author of Two Wolves, The Fall, Detention, Cop & Robber, Scar Town, Nit Boy and Ginger Meggs. His books for upper middle grade and young adults are fast-paced mystery thrillers with carefully considered serious themes at their
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
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
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
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
Killer Content
By Kiley Roache Reviewed by Caeleigh Hancock Killer Content is the latest book by young adult fiction author Kiley Roach. It’s an engaging thriller and a quick fun read for a teenage and young adult audience. The story follows the lives of six
The Snow Laundry, The Towers #1
By Mette Jakobsen Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Mette is a writer and playwright who teaches creative writing and has put her talents to good use in creating her first YA dystopian novel. In Ally she has created one of those indestructible and indomitable
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
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
