Young adult

Two Can Play That Game by Leanne Yong

Reviewed by Lucie Dess

Sam Khoo’s ultimate dream is to make cool indie games for a living. And she is going to make that dream a reality. But first, she needs to get her hands on a super-rare ticket to a game-design workshop. But…

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Strike the Zither by Joan He

Reviewed by Aurelia Orr

Written as a feminist reimagining of the Chinese military epic Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Strike the Zither follows military strategist Zephyr, who must use her cunning and resourcefulness to bring her leader to victory against the Northern and Southern…

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The Whispering Dark by Kelly Andrew

Reviewed by Jennifer Fraioli

Delaney Meyers-Petrov has always been treated like she’s made of glass because she’s Deaf – by her parents, her friends and her teachers. When she’s accepted to the prestigious and secretive Godbole University, she knows it’s a chance to start…

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If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang

Reviewed by Angela Crocombe

This novel from young Melbourne-based author Ann Liang is an intriguing and delightful debut. Set at an elite international school in Beijing, the protagonist is Alice Sun, a scholarship student, who has been told by her parents that they can…

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A Scatter of Light by Malinda Lo

Reviewed by Jennifer Fraioli

Aria Tang West is ready to spend one final summer with her friends in Martha’s Vineyard before starting at MIT in the autumn. But when topless photos of her at a graduation party are posted online, her parents send her…

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The Killing Code by Ellie Marney

Reviewed by Emma Janes

During the Second World War, while the men are away, a secret group of girls do their part for the United States war effort by cracking coded international messages. Kit is one of these codebreakers, working alongside some brilliantly talented…

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Unnecessary Drama by Nina Kenwood

Reviewed by Kate McIntosh

When first-year university student Brooke moves into a share house with two people she believes to be strangers, she is a bit nervous, rather anxious, somewhat terrified, but also super excited! This is her chance at a whole new life…

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Dancing Barefoot by Alice Boyle

Reviewed by Aurelia Orr

If you’re ever in the need for a feel-good, heartfelt romance, or simply a book to cosy up to like a warm, fuzzy blanket by the fireside, I recommend Dancing Barefoot.

Patch is in deep, serious trouble (something surely…

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All the Best Liars by Amelia Kahaney

Reviewed by Jennifer Fraioli

The tagline of All the Best Liars– ‘One will do it by dying, another by lying, a third by taking the fall’ – grabbed my attention immediately, and the book more than lived up to that initial anticipation. Best…

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Where You Left Us by Rhiannon Wilde

Reviewed by Stephanie King

This month, Rhiannon Wilde brings us her second book Where You Left Us, a gorgeous, Gothic novel set by the ocean. Wilde is a sparkling new voice in Australian young adult literature. Her debut novel, Henry Hamlet’s Heart

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