Young Adult reviews
The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman
When Philip Pullman first announced that he was releasing three new books set in the world of His Dark Materials, he shared a few tantalising details about what to expect. Most provocatively, he expl…
Angel Mage by Garth Nix
If I was offered the chance to leave the stresses of our world behind and step into Sarrance, the stunningly well-realised world of musketeers and magic in Garth Nix’s Angel Mage, where mages summon …
SLAY by Brittney Morris
Welcome to the universe of SLAY, a virtual-reality card game designed exclusively for black players. In SLAY, kids across the world log-in to duel as powerful heroes in a vast, online Wakanda designe…
Attack of the 50 Foot Wallflower by Christian McKay Heidicker
Phoebe’s mum is the world-famous Loretta Lane – the woman with whom King Kong (who was actually a ‘giant sweetheart’) was infatuated. Her dad is an invisible giant man in the sky who warns Phoebe and…
Rules for Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall
Hold hands, close your eyes and take thirteen steps: that is how Becca Donoghue and her boyfriend disappeared, searching for the legend of Lucy Gallows. One year on and Becca’s sister Sara is intent …
Monuments by Will Kostakis
Monuments is a new action-adventure series about gods, guardians and the struggle for world order. ‘Monument’ is the title given to each of the many gods credited with creating life as we know it. Th…
This is How We Change the Ending by Vikki Wakefield
Nate is stuck in a loop: go to school; go to the youth centre with his loudmouth best mate, Merrick; go home to his aggressive dad Dec, Dec’s new wife Nance and their three-year-old twin boys; lather…
The Watcher in the Garden by Joan Phipson
The slightly sinister title was what initially drew me in to this unusual thriller. Long after finishing the final pages, its unsettling after-effects still linger.
Sixteen-year-old Kitty (Catherine…
I Am Change by Suzy Zail
Suzy Zail’s latest novel, I Am Change, is a fictional work based on research and personal interviews with young Ugandan women from rural communities living in extreme poverty. For these young women, …
The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling by Wai Chaim
Anna Chiu and her younger siblings Lily and Michael are very familiar with the ups and downs in their mother’s mental health, but that doesn’t make their family life any easier. Year Eleven student A…
Browse our reviews by category
