From Vine stars to the Vietnam War, here’s our selection of this month’s best YA reads, news and events.

OUR YA BOOK OF THE MONTH

The fighting might have ended, but for Johnny Shoebridge, the Vietnam War will never be over. He has returned from the jungles of Vietnam to find his life in pieces – the trauma of the war has followed him home and refuses to let him forget. Johnny is haunted by Khan, the spectre of a Viet Cong fighter, and tortured by the homecoming he receives as a returning soldier.

Dreaming the Enemy is not an easy read, and nor should it be. Metzenthen’s moving portrayal of a young man struggling with his PTSD is challenging, but poignant.

“We feel Johnny’s distress as he desperately tries to rebuild his sense of self in the aftermath of the decisions made by the shiny-faced men in Canberra who put the gun in his hand and told him to kill.” (Read our full review here.)

#LOVEOZYA

April proves once again that some of the very best young adult writers are of the homegrown variety.

Georgia Blain’s Special is a dystopian vision of a young girl trying to survive in an unforgiving world. As she attempts to eke out a daily existence, she also searches for answers to the questions surrounding who she is: what is the true nature of the genetic engineering she’s received? And does it really make her special? Read our review here.

Debut author Shivaun Plozza has brought us the feisty Frankie. Frankie is sharp-tongued and no-nonsense: life has hardly been kind to her since her mother abandoned her as a child. When a boy claiming to be her half brother goes missing, she can’t just sit back and do nothing, can she? A gripping, heartfelt read from an author to watch out for. Read our review here.

Esther is one of The Special Ones – a group of select people chosen by the leader Him to act out the charade of a perfect life… or face the consequences if their real lives are discovered. Em Bailey has written a suspenseful tale of truth and lies that will grip readers until the very end. Read our review here.

The Medoran Chronicles also continue with Lynette Noni’s Raelia, the sequel to Akarnae. In a boarding school of teenagers with uncanny gifts, Alex finds herself swept up in a series of events beyond her control – lost cities, banished princes and immortal beings abound in this heart-racing fantasy saga.

EVEN MORE EXCITING NEW YA RELEASES

• When We Collided by Emery Lord – a romantic adventure perfect for fans of Jennifer Niven’s All the Bright Places.
  
  
• The Haters by Jesse Andrews – a hilarious road trip by the author of Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.
  
  
• This is Where the World Ends by Amy Zhang – the follow-up to Falling Into Place explores secrecy and friendship.
  
  
• Truthwitch by Susan Dennard – two girls with extraordinary powers are on the run in this fantasy epic.
  
  
• Front Lines by Michael Grant – the bestselling author of Gone brings us an alternate history of WWII .
  
  
• Surviving High School by Lele Pons & Melissa de la Cruz – Vine’s most looped personality has written her first novel about navigating the trials of high school.

YA EVENTS IN APRIL

We have two special events for fans of YA booked in this month.

This month’s Readings YA Book Club will discuss Will Kostakis’ The Sidekicks. The author himself will be there to chat about his book and answer your questions, so pick up a copy and come along to Readings St Kilda on Wednesday 20 April. Find out more here.

If you fancy your YA on the speculative side, you’ll love our panel on alternative universes. Join us at Readings St Kilda on Thursday 14 April to hear authors Lynette Noni and Wanda Wiltshire discuss their works. Find out more here.

We’re also hosting a series of YA book launches this month. Join us in supporting local authors and discover some new young adult novels at the same time.

• Reka Kaponay’s Dawn of the Guardian will be launched at our Carlton shop tonight. Find out more here.
• Kayt Mirra’s Blood Apothecary will be launched at our Hawthorn shop on Thursday 21 April. Find our more here.
• Cameron Raynes’s First Person Shooter will be launched at our Carlton shop on Thursday 28 April. Find out more here.

Holly Harper