So you want to start a YA bookclub?
New year, new bookclub? YA fiction could be your best friend in 2021 - it’s plot-driven, explores big themes, covers many genres and is at the forefront of inclusion and representation.
Here are our suggestions for recent YA reads that are sure to kickstart conversations with teens (or adult YA fans).
Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas
Seventeen-year-old Maverick Carter’s dad is in prison, his mom works two jobs, and Maverick (father of Starr from Angie Thomas’s award-winning novel, The Hate U Give) sells drugs for the King Lords to help make ends meet. But when a paternity test returns a surprise result, Maverick is catapulted into instant fatherhood, diapers and all. Trying to leave drug dealing behind, he juggles a part-time job at the supermarket, high school and baby Seven. But when King Lord blood runs through your veins, you don’t get to just walk away. This prequel to The Hate U Give is a stunning stand-alone novel featuring a young Black man struggling to understand what sort of man and father he can be.
The History of Mischief by Rebecca Higgie
When recently-orphaned Jessie and her older sister Kay find a hidden book called The History of Mischief, at their grandmother’s house, they uncover a secret world. The History takes the sisters on a journey through time, and from Athens to Poland to Ethiopia and Australia. As Jessie delves deeper into the real story behind the History, she becomes convinced her grandmother holds the key to a long-held family secret. A truly unique and hard-to-categorise book, The History of Mischief blends mystery, fantasy and history, to explore the power of stories, family and grief.
Future Girl by Asphyxia
Piper has been brought up by her food scientist mother to hide her deafness and pass as ‘normal’. But when peak oil hits and Melbourne lurches towards environmental catastrophe, Piper has more important things to worry about, such as how to get food. Her world view expands dramatically when she meets Marley, a charming CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) who teaches her Auslan. Marley’s mother shows Piper how to grow her own food and Piper finds a cause she really believes in. This unique full-colour visual journal depicts a realistic near-future story and champions art, activism and community.
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
It’s 1926 in Shanghai, and the long-running blood feud between the Chinese Scarlet Gang and the Russian White Flowers rages on. Enter Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov, heirs to the two rival clans and ex-lovers who share a painful and complicated history. Though it’s the last thing either wants, the two are forced to work with each other as their city is enveloped by a mysterious contagion that causes its residents to go mad. An intelligent historical fantasy debut, this retelling of Romeo and Juliet is gory, romantic and extremely atmospheric.
The Boy from the Mish by Gary Lonesborough (released on 2 February 2021)
It’s a hot summer, and life’s going all right for Jackson and his family on the Mish, even though Jackson has just broken up with his girlfriend. Like always, Jackson’s Aunty and cousins visit from Sydney, but this time they also bring Tomas, who has just spent time in juvenile detention. Jackson is expected to share his room and show Tomas around, and as the two boys grow closer, a tender and tentative relationship forms between them. Authentic, funny, honest and beautifully written, The Boy from the Mish is about first love, identity, and the superpower of self-belief.
Love Is a Revolution by Renee Watson (released on 2 February 2021)
When Nala reluctantly agrees to attend an open mic night for her cousin Imani’s birthday, she finds herself falling in instant love with Tye Brown, the socially-conscious MC. In order to impress him, Nala tells a few tiny lies that make her look more community-minded than she really is. As they spend more time together though, some of those lies get harder to keep up. Nala grapples with self-acceptance and growing family tensions as she tries to keep her first relationship afloat. This is a thoughtful and sophisticated novel about love for others and yourself, and what it means to be a good friend, family member and contributor to a community.
Game Changer by Neal Shusterman (released on 17 February 2021)
As a star player on his high school American football team, Ash is used to taking some hard hits. But after an unusual tackle, suddenly Ash’s life doesn’t look quite the way he remembers it. He chalks it up to concussion, but then slowly realises he’s in an alternate universe - and every time he’s tackled, the universe shifts again. As identities, rules and realities shift - there’s one universe where racial segregation exists - white, privileged, straight Ash starts to form a more acute understanding of racism, homophobia, sexism and classism. This highly unusual sci-fi story melds action and adventure with a desire to explore privilege and inequity.
