A.S. King is practically a genius when it comes to writing YA fiction. Her characters are complicated,conflicted and faced with impossible situations – and yet they feel utterly real. Glory O’Brien is all this and more.

When Glory and her best friend, Darla, drink the dust from a petrified bat one strange night, they can suddenly see the past and future of a whole family tree just by looking at a person. Glory sees a future of war, terror and death, and a past not too dissimilar. She decides to document it in case it really happens, to write a ‘history of the future’. But this is merely a distraction from the drudgery of high school graduation and Glory’s lack of commitment to her own future. She’s still trying to cope with her mother’s suicide from 13 years before, her father’s refusal to leave the house ever since, and the strange relationship they have with Darla’s family in the commune next door. How Glory copes with it all is a crazy, life-affirming journey that is an utter delight to read. Highly recommended for readers aged 13 and up.

Angela Crocombe