Moonlight and Dust

For Zillah, the trouble all started when her sister Nik stepped off a balcony, plummeting into a swimming pool and a mysterious coma. After that night of tragedy, Zillah’s plan to leave her Brisbane boarding school and spend a year with Nik at the local Craigmont High becomes all the more daunting, as she’s forced to step out of her sister’s shadow and make a name for herself. But the more Zillah learns about Nik’s world – and the closer she gets with Nik’s distractingly handsome best friend – the more she realises there might be more to that accident than she thought.

Craigmont High has a massive secret, and it comes in vials of glittering liquid that cost $50 a dose. Everyone calls it ‘Moondust’ and the incredible abilities it confers are undeniable, but its dangerous consequences might be just as hard for them to ignore.

Moonlight and Dust is a well-plotted and inventive mystery, with a perfectly calibrated cast of characters and a plot wound tightly enough to draw anyone in. It’s made all the more notable by Jasmin McGaughey’s commitment to depicting her own Torres Strait Islander culture, which proves central to Zillah’s journey, whether in the broad and supportive family structure that supports her in her toughest moments or in the creole language she speaks with the friends she’s able to find community with. Details like these add depth to Zillah as a character, ground the fantastical drama in lived culture and elevate this book from good to great. For ages 14+.