Best new teen books in October
This month we’re officially opening our new dedicated children’s and YA shop, where teens can browse without those pesky adults around. And October has some fine YA literary fare to get stuck into with a new Garth Nix, the second book in the popular Zeroes series, and the latest from A.S. King.
(You can find this month’s kids news and books recommendations here.)
We’re so exited to invite everyone along to the opening weekend of our dedicated children’s and YA shop, Readings Kids, on Saturday 8 October. A whole host of our favourite authors are dropping by to visit throughout the day, and YA fans can come get their books signed by Alice Pung at 11am, and Fiona Wood at 3pm.
Plus, if you’re an artist – or simply love art – artist and illustrator Marc Martin will be there at 12 noon, and you can have a look at the beautiful new mural he painted especially for us. You can read an interview about how he came up with the story of the mural here.
LOVEOZYA
It truly is a LoveOzYA kind of month in October, with new books from Garth Nix, Nova Weetman, Kimberly Starr, Scott Westerfeld and Margo Lanagan.
Our YA Book of the Month is a debut from young Queensland author Krystal Sutherland. There’s been a lot of buzz around Our Chemical Hearts, not least because film rights to the book have already been sold – a huge achievement! This debut novel follows the rollercoaster friendship, joint-school newspaper editorship – and possibly, hopefully more – between eager Henry Page, and eccentric, troubled, Grace Town. It’s a funny and touching refutation of love at first sight, Manic Pixie Dream Girl and happy ending tropes, and I think teen readers will really love the spot-on snappy dialogue and friendships in the book.
Read our review of the book here.
Originally slated as a trilogy, Garth Nix’s Old Kingdom series has since expanded to include a prequel (Clariel) and just this month, a sequel. Goldenhand takes place six months after the events of Abhorsen – complete with a new hand of gilded steel and Charter Magic, Lirael finds herself trying to save an old friend and battle undead creatures on her own. I’m fairly sure there is no bigger Garth Nix fan than our own Holly Harper and she recommends brushing up on your Old Kingdom backstory before embarking on the new book. For ages 12+.
Read Holly’s full review of the book here.
For a really unique and gripping reading experience, pick up Nova Weetman’s Everything Is Changed. When the novel opens, former best friends Alex and Jake are being interviewed by police in relation to a tragic event. We then travel backwards through time, as Alex and Jake recount what has happened in the previous year. It’s clear that something has ripped these two friends apart, and it’s also clear they’ve coped with what has happened in extremely different ways. In addition to the central mysterious tragedy, I was intrigued by the exploration of class in Everything Is Changed. Alex has recently moved to an exclusive private school, and this is almost as big a wedge as the unnamed accident. I can’t remember the last time I read such a unique exploration of male friendship. For ages 12+.
Read our review of the book here.
Swarm, the second instalment in the triple-authored Zeroes series is out this month, making a whole bunch of expectant readers happy – including bookseller Jo Boyce. She says: ‘The nerve-racking adventures continue at the same breakneck pace as the first novel, and keeps your heart beating at matching speed from start to finish. I literally gasped as I read the final line…’ For ages 12+.
Read Jo’s full review of the book here.
Finally, if the People’s Crusade, ancient books and demons are your thing, then you’ll be delighted with the Text Prize-winning The Book of Whispers. The Holy War merges with supernatural conflict in this epic story that combines history, fantasy, romance and action. For ages 14+.
Join us for the launch of this book tonight.
INTERNATIONAL READS
Two YA authors with original voices and loyal followings have books out this month.
Jennifer Niven’s All the Bright Places was a hit last year with older teens for its gritty and unflinching look at suicidal ideation, grief, and coming back from the edge. Niven has followed this up with Holding Up the Universe, another exploration of the difficult side of being a teen. For ages 13+.
Read our review of the book here.
A.S. King is a no-holds-barred author who has no hesitation in mixing hard-hitting contemporary issues with magic realism and surrealism. Her teen characters are palpably real and always odd. I adored the disturbing, and dreamlike Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future – bat-drinking and all (you’ll have to read it now) – so I’m looking forward to getting my hands on her latest release. With anxieties, traumatic events and invisible helicopters, I Crawl Through It promises to be one of her most surreal novels yet. For ages 13+.
Fans of King will be delighted to hear that she’s visiting Australian in 2017…
Norse mythology underscores Julia Gray’s The Otherlife, a dark and unsettling story of two friends from very different backgrounds. Quiet Ben and privileged bullyboy Hobie are part of a gruelling, and competitive academic environment. They become friends when Ben shares with Hobie his vivid visions of the Otherlife – a mythic place of violent Norse gods and monsters. Years later, in the wake of a death, Ben has cause to think once more of his unhinged school friend… For ages 13+.
Read our review of the book here.
NON-FICTION FOR TEENS
Clementine Ford has carved a career in writing for women and girls about the right to be angry, to be heard, to take up space and to call out inequality and abuse. Fight Like a Girl is a manifesto, a call to arms, and a deeply personal story that covers some tough topics such as mental health. The book is suitable for older teens and those comfortable with strong language.
Bookseller Kara Nicholson says: ‘In many ways this book is perfect for teenagers (I was going to write teenage girls but it’s essential that boys read this kind of stuff too) and I certainly wish this book had been around when I was a teenager.’
A DVD FOR FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT
Hunt for the Wilderpeople is one of those rare beasts – a family film that is heart-warming, prickly, irreverent and can be enjoyed by pre-teens through to adults.
It’s the funny and touching story of foster kid Ricky’s (Julian Dennison) flight into the forest with his super-crotchety foster dad Hec (Sam O’Neill). Even though O’Neill is as excellent, as always, in this Kiwi-as film – charismatic young actor Dennison really does steal the show. Online fulfilment manager Jemima Bucknell says that this is actor-director Taika Waititi’s (What We Do In The Shadows) best film yet, and I have to agree with her. Rated PG.
Read Jemima’s full review here
YA LIT NEWS
A big round of applause to the winners of the Inky Awards for 2016.
The Gold Inky Award winner (for an Australian book) is the groundbreaking sci-fi epic, Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff. A graphic designer and font lover’s dream, Illuminae is a compelling combination of action, romance and AI intrigue.
(And keep an eye out for the sequel, Gemina, which is released later this month.)
The Silver Inky Award Winner (for an international book) is I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson, the alternating story of the fractured relationship between two fraternal twins, Jude and Noah. Intense and emotional, I’ll Give You the Sun touches on themes of art and identity, and reveals its secrets slowly
Congratulations also to the winners of the Environment Award for Children’s Literature 2016. If you know a teenager with a passion for our environment, you may like to take a look at the Non-fiction winner, Atmospheric by Carole Wilkinson, and the Fiction winner, The River and the Book by Alison Croggon.
Earlier this week, the Centre for Youth Literature released early details about their biennial Reading Matters 2017 program - always a highlight of the youth literature year. You already know I’m excited to hear A.S. King speak, and I’m also thrilled that Mariko Tamaki (Canadian author of the graphic novels Skim, This One Summer and more) will be attending. Local speakers include Lili Wilkinson, Randa Abdel-Fattah and Alison Goodman, and more speakers will be announced closer to the date.
