Six YA books to read in April
There is some extremely varied reading available for teens and YA readers this month – from the very real challenges of grief and trauma, to feminist private school capers and sharp commentary on economic inequality.
You can find some of our best kids reads of the month here.
Neverland by Margot McGovern
Following an episode of self-harm, Katherine is sent to the island of Learmonth (dubbed Neverland), a sanctuary for troubled teens dealing with mental health issues. Katherine actually spent her childhood on the island, and it’s the setting of her father’s fantastical and semi-autobiographical work, The Kingdom of the Sea. The teens of Neverland band together to fight hard for their well-being, and Katherine is faced with the buried trauma of her parents’ deaths. Our reviewer, Natalie, loved Neverland, describing it as ‘a powerfully emotional and mythic work that draws parallels with the journey of Odysseus, cast adrift on the high seas, in pursuit of safe harbour’.
You can read Natalie’s full review here.
Amelia Westlake by Erin Gough
Two very different students at a posh private girls school use a fake identity, Amelia Westlake, to take on the establishment in this sharp and funny feminist caper. Starting with a cartoon in the school newspaper depicting their sleazy sports coach, Harriet and Will soon branch out to take down other school ‘traditions’ that smack of privilege, sexism and homophobia. Hijinks ensue as they struggle to keep their secret under wraps and find themselves falling for each other.
You can read our full review here.
Small Spaces by Sarah Epstein
When Tash Carmody was a child she witnessed her terrifying imaginary friend and tormentor, Sparrow, abduct Mallory Fisher. Mallory was returned four days later, noone believed Tash’s story, and both little girls suffered lasting trauma. Nine years later, the Fisher family returns to the small town of Port Bellamy, and Tash is horrified to find signs of Sparrow’s return. Psychological thrills, unreliable narration and nuanced family dynamics come together in this memorable Australian thriller that our reviewer recommends for ‘brave souls’.
You can read our full review here.
The Price Guide to the Occult by Leslye Walton
Inherited powers of witchcraft and old curses come to life among the wild and beautiful nature of a Pacific Northwest island in Leslye Walton’s second novel. Seventeen-year-old Nor Blackburn is the ninth generation of cursed Blackburn women to live on Anathema Island. After a troubled childhood Nor is doing her best to live quietly with her one magical ‘burden’, but when she discovers a book of spells authored by her mother, malevolent magic and personal trauma come to the fore. Our reviewer Kim, was fascinated with this atmospheric novel, saying: ‘This is a dark novel, but while horrifying and violent Fern drags an ominous shadow over the island, themes of healing and family are strong and skilfully navigated.’
You can read Kim’s full review here.
Munmun by Jesse Andrews
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl author Jesse Andrews gives us one of the most interesting premises we’re going to hear about all year. In an alternate version of America called Yewess, people’s physical size is directly proportional to their wealth (or munmun), meaning people can be rat-sized all the way up to tall-building-sized. For littlepoor siblings Warner and Prayer, daily life is tough. Together with their friend Usher, they embark on a wild and elaborate plan to scale up their fortunes in this funny, biting and satirical novel.
The Astonishing Colour of After by Emily X.R. Pan
After her mother suicides, Irish-American-Taiwanese fifteen-year-old Leigh travels to Taiwan to meet her maternal grandparents for the first time, and come to terms with her loss, and her guilt over her mother’s death. Artistic Leigh believes that her mother has been reincarnated as a red bird, and her unique way of seeing the world around her helps as challenging family secrets start to emerge. This is a heartfelt exploration of mental illness and self acceptance, that uses magical realism to unpick its tough themes.
RECENT NEWS & RECOMMENDATIONS
This year’s winners of the Indie Book Awards have been announced. The Young Adult winner is Wilder Country by Mark Smith, his action-packed sequel to the highly acclaimed The Road to Winter.
The Children’s Book Council of Australia have also revealed their 2018 Book of the Year shortlists, covering books for early childhood through to young adults. Check out the Older Readers shortlist for ages 13-18 here.
And over in the UK, the shortlists for the 2018 prestigious CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals were released. The Carnegie Medal shortlist includes YA novels by Patrick Ness, Angie Thomas, Will Hill, Geraldine McCaughrean, Anthony McGowan and Marcus Sedgwick.
TWO LOVEOZYA BOOK LAUNCHES
Join us this month as we launch two fantastic new YA novels from Australian authors.
Cath Crowley will launch Clare Strahan’s The Learning Curves of Vanessa Partridge on Tuesday 24 April at 6.30pm in Readings Carlton. This is a wonderful and funny coming-of-age story set at the beach over the summer holidays.
And Nicole Hayes will launch Eleni Hale’s Stone Girl, on Thursday 3 May at 6.30pm in Readings St Kilda. This is the moving story of a girl who becomes a ward of the state.
Both launches are free and there’s no need to book.
