Don’t pick this up expecting to read the usual crime thriller, despite the blurb on the back cover. Although the latter part of the novel examines a true crime case, there are no easy answers. The murderers are three teenagers mindlessly spending the day passing time with their victim. If there is a real villain in this story it is addiction. The four all drop in and out of methamphetamine highs and at the end of it all there is a dead body.
Catt, an author and critic, is the central character. She is an avatar for Chris Kraus herself, and the first two sections of the book are largely autobiographical, recounting her childhood in an aspirational middleclass family with much focus on her developmentally delayed sister Carla, and then her adult life partnered to a repeatedly relapsing alcoholic. Catt herself was a bit of a wild child, taking risks and experimenting with alcohol and drugs. But she comes through that stage of life and emerges as a successful writer giving presentations around the country. The question is, how is it that she survived that risky teenage period, but others don’t? And what can be done to help those young people?
If anyone should have answers, you might think it would be Catt’s husband Paul, a youth counsellor. But he suffers himself with alcohol addiction, and despite good intentions and numerous ‘fresh starts’, he finds himself constantly returning to the bottle. As a counsellor seeing the wave of teenage meth addiction, he wonders if there is anything that actually works for the kids he is supposed to be helping.
The novel as a whole is told in a detached kind of way, placing events in the context of social changes and Trump campaigns, a narration without explanations of emotions, motives and actions. The reader is given insight into daily lives, and social media interactions, but there are no simple explanations. It is a tangle of moments, people drifting in their lives, with decisions that go nowhere. I’m reminded of Diana Reid’s Signs of damage, a refutation of the idea that you can comfortably explain current behaviour by examination of past trauma. Kraus’s latest book raises more questions than it answers, and will leave you pondering the issues long afterwards. This book would be of interest to readers interested in psychology and social issues.
Themes Addiction, Social media, Delinquency, Alcoholism, Poverty.
Niven herself confesses to having enjoyed books in her youth that left her “in a constant state of chilled, delicious unease” and in this book she has managed to share that experience with a new generation of YA readers. This book is set within a gothic-inspired educational institution in the USA with a cohort of mostly privileged teens who each carry their own strengths in the creative writing arena, but they also bear personal weaknesses and struggles. In a term-break in the bleak cold weather of a snowy winter, a specially selected cohort is chosen to participate in a live-in competitive creative writing workshop that also involves a psychological ‘deep-dive’ to support their creative process. The leader of this workshop is herself an old-scholar and successful author who has succeeded despite a problematic book released with the accusations of plagiarism, and the pall of the death of her classmate during a similar workshop. Her leadership is both creatively influential and suspect, but each teen is feeling the power of the insights she shines on their writing. But for those who grieve, who battle insecurity within their families or friendship circles, or the challenge of resurrecting a romantic relationship, there is a growing sense of discomfort and doubt about the patron who leads them, but who also has the power to dismiss them with minimal notice. Is she to be trusted at all or is she a monster?
This book is compelling and darkly intriguing. The dark thriller carries an ominous and eerie atmosphere over an ‘academic experience’ that is designed to offer an impressive reward to the participants. When competition creates divides between fellow students that make them feel manipulated and undermined, there is also a psycho-social threat over them. This is reminiscent of the ‘Hunger Games’ challenge amongst teens and the tension is akin to E Lockhart’s YA thrillers. The injection of distrust and the foreboding storm-like weather adds its own dark tension. The romance aspect (two teens restore a physical and romantic relationship that had essentially disintegrated prior to the workshop experience) is woven with grief and friendship dilemmas and other concerns for the teen participants. Can they survive to tell their stories? The manipulation of them all is evident, but as readers we are constantly left wondering if it is we who are being manipulated. This is an awesome YA thriller for readers aged 15+. Niven can create a dramatic storyline while also giving hints about how to write well, so those who want to explore life as a writer will also find gems within the pages. This story would make an excellent Teen film! (Ironically, this is exactly what Niven implies happens in the novel itself.)
Themes Thriller, USA education and students, Privilege, Mystery, Romance, Friendship, Competition, Creativity, Grief.
Carolyn Hull
Junkyard Fairies (series) by Edwina Wyatt and Lauren O'Hara
In a chipped, china teapot at the bottom of the junkyard live three fairies - Fir, Tip and Nug. The junkyard had once been a picture-book forest where deer rested and birds nested, quiet and peaceful as fairy folk cam to drink the cool river water and bathe in the warm springs. But what began as an old piano dumped by someone soon became the resting place of many more unwanted things until the trees were chopped down, the river turned brown and the earth turned to dust. The magic turned to rust and the music stopped.
Even though new trees eventually pushed their way through the junk and other fairies moved in, the newcomers were unlike their predecessors - they were tough and wily, suspicious and shrewd - noisy, messy, bossy, argumentative but on the whole, happy...
But, with the help of Burp, a toad who lives in a bathtub nearby, a sleeping giant and a monstrous caterpillar, the junkyard fairies can find a way to fix just about anything and have lots of adventures in this new series for younger readers ready to cope with longer novels. With helpful introductions to the main characters and standalone chapters that offer that little bit of support they still need, Fir, Tip and Nug have to face a range of problems and complex relationships that might reflect the lives of the readers. Each chapter begins by asking the reader a question that directly relates to its focus so they are immediately engaged and invested in what is to come. While they will relate to being grumpy when they're hungry, some might even envy them not having to eat their vegetables... But when their home is destroyed by humans, and they have to find another things get a bit more serious and the premise for the subsequent episodes is established.
It's different, it's whimsical, it has a gentle underlying message about conservation and recycling and upcycling, and it reminded me a little of S. A. Wakefield's classic Bottersnikes and Gumbles and probably as far as you can get from the traditional image of glittery, magic-spreading fairies. Certainly not the world my grandies grew up in...
Themes Fantasy, Fairies, Magical realism.
Barbara Braxton
Detective Galileo by Peter Helliar and Andrew Joyner
For as long as he can remember, it has been Galileo's dream to become a police horse. But when his dream comes true, he soon realises he's not there to solve crimes - he's just a vehicle to carry around the 'real' human detectives. Even though his friend Reynolds likes the fact that police horses can poop in the street with impunity, Galileo thinks that if that is to be the high point of his career, then he wants out.
But before he has the chance to quit, Galileo witnesses a crime, a cat (burglar) robs a jewellery store - and he decides to take matters into his own hands. This is not going to be a crime handed over to cops in cars. He has a lot to learn, but each crime he solves is sure to take him one step closer to becoming a real detective ...
But while Galileo thinks he is going to be showered in glory for solving a crime, the opposite happens and he is actually sent home, back to Happy Valley Trail Rides in disgrace. Is this a one-off wonder or is there another way that Galileo can realise his dreams...?
Written for newly-independent readers honing their skills with stepping-stone novels that have the shorter chapters, larger font and plenty of illustrations that support their efforts, this is a new series - the second is due in late October - that will appeal to those looking for something a little different. Both the action and the dialogue are fast-paced and built on Helliar's trademark humour and Joyner's distinctive illustrations convey Galileo's moods and emotions so well, making the reader believe he is almost human.
There are old adages about if at first you don't succeed and there being more than one way to skin a cat that would fit this story well, applying to both horse and reader. We all have hopes and dreams but our pathway to achieving them may take unexpected twists and turns, but it's possible to turn those obstacles into opportunities to get where we ultimately want to be.
Joey Walton is a surly 17yr old city boy and his mum has had enough of his disrespect and addiction to video gaming. He disrupts every class in every school he’s ever been expelled from and we learn he’s been hanging out with two deliquents, Jerome and Damo. He's an accessory, doing nothing to stop their crimes.
Aunty Belle, a social worker, intervenes arriving to take him back to her small town a half day’s drive from the city, where there’s no crime and only intermittent internet access to WiFi.
The next day, Joey's new purpose is revealed and Aunty Belle takes Joey to meet Harry, an 85yr old recluse who is recovering from an accident. Harry badly needs help around his house and farm. Joey discovers he has an affinity with farm work, chickens, horses and practical problem solving and he doesn’t miss the city at all. His care of Harry and his hard work restores his self-respect and it isn’t long before Harry is paying him a small wage and helping him to obtain his learner’s permit. Emily (a neighbour’s daughter), Auntie Bell, Harry and Arjun from his footy team, team up totutor Joey so he can pass his high school certificate, where he excels in Ag Science.
Joey starts reflecting on his treatment of his mum but the road to redemption is not smooth. A spate of break-ins and Joey is automatically the prime suspect with the whole town against him except for his close circle of friends. Who did the jobs if not Joey? Could Jerome have tracked him down? Could Coach Sander’s son Robby be framing him as a rival for Emily’s affection. Coach Sanders kicks Joey off the football team without proof but can Aunty Bell and Harry make it right?Or is Joey the only one who can do that by owning that he is largely to blame for his rotten reputation.
Meredith Resce is known for her many Christian Romance novels. But this is her first YA novel drawing out the hidden character of a wayward but unfathered youth, searching for his identity. Harry is unwaving in his tradition of saying Grace before meals, but we are not sermonized. Rather we witness only the love and support of good family and friends, praising and encouraging Joey's many strengths like persistence and gratitude. Resce has the Bildungsroman formula down pat and we sense that this won’t be her last cautionary tale for young adults. 219p
The year is 2130 and human civilization is a thing of the past, giving way to a world where Lego® minifigures have colonised discarded relics to build new societies. Strange and varied, the minifigures have adopted aspects of the items they have built in, giving each a distinct character, like the Storytellers’ Nook in an old bookcase, the New World Credit Union in an ATM machine and Cryolife Resort and Wellness Centre in an old fridge. Originally developed for an exhibition in a rustic Perth gallery, the Relics exhibits now form part of a touring international museum circuit which is in the National Museum in Sydney until the end of January 2026. The excellent photography zooms in on the detailed dioramas creatively nestled in the various items left by humans and the whole is animated by news articles and interviews, scripts, notes, posters and more, alongside “Relicapaedia” entries adding commentary and humour. Messages of sustainability, recycling and resilience informed the project from the start, using huge quantities of second-hand Lego® bricks as well as the objects to be relics of the human past like the rusting Volkswagen Beetle and an old jetski. At the end of the book are insights into the workshop process, encouraging readers to be creative and explore their own imagined worlds. This glossy book will be popular in any library and could be used as a discussion starter on recycling and consumerism for primary and middle school students.
There was once a small bird called Bob who had a brother, aptly called Dob because that's what he did. Whenever Bob did something risky like flying too high or go hunting for worms on his own, Dob would tell on him. So often, that even their mother got sick of hearing the stories and told them she didn't want to hear any more tales.
Knowing he wouldn't get into trouble, Bob got bolder and bolder until one day...
Dob saw the danger lurking but neither Bob or his mother would listen. And disaster strikes. Even though he was always getting him into trouble, Dob still loved Bob so can he save him? Is there ever an okay time to tell a lie?
Although Sean Avery writes for a variety of audiences and in a variety of formats, he seems to have a special knack for crafting stories that particularly capture the attention of our youngest readers, and this one is no different. Every little person with a sibling will know this scenario and relate to it, whether they are a Bob or a Dob. And both perspectives are going to generate some lively discussions.
Themes Birds, Brothers, Telling tales.
Barbara Braxton
The dangerous pet lover's guide to dragons by Lindsay Hirst & Alice McKinley
Dragons are famous for being sulky and difficult, so when someone wants to adopt one, this book is invaluable, presenting a guide to the pitfalls that may stand in their way. From an egg to a fully grown fire breathing animal, this very funny handbook will cause laughter as the reader sees the problems each stage reveals. A map is needed to navigate the boy’s trail to the egg capture. But they are all so different: the egg selected must fit in with its surroundings, and when the egg hatches, the boy must learn to bond with his pet, remembering of course not to upset it as the response can be a little warm.
Each double page presents a problem with this animal, hilarious illustrations reflecting the text with images of the dragon doing the wrong thing. In Feeding, for example, the pet owner is warned that the dragon likes meat - lots - and the accompanying illustration shows the dragon eyeing the pet dog. Another page gives hints about dragon grooming, an activity fraught with danger. He is told not to attempt to wash his dragon, and perhaps if needed then to do it when the dragon sleeps. Another double page is about exercise and another about playtime, each showing the dragon in the most extraordinary positions.
The last one, exercise, brings up the heart stopping event when the dragon does not return after he has tested his wings. The book shows many ways the owner can try and find his pet, and even the dog is excited when it returns. But the guide then warns the pet owner that the dragon may have its friends come to visit.
This very funny guide will evoke much laughter as the readers sees the connections between the text and the images, following the different things they may have to think of when getting a pet. The illustrations are wonderful, reflecting lots of different images of what a dragon looks like, provoking the reader to align their own image of a dragon with the one on the page. The story’s premise is simply hilarious and will attract lots of readers.
Every reader will love the adventures of Parisian mouse, Claris, busy in the kitchen making a variety of sweets for the coming celebrations. In a book full of the sounds, sights and customs of Christmas, the little mouse makes loads of sugary sweets and teeny cakes, wrapping them all in bright paper. With almost every page drawn within sight of the Eiffel Tower, readers will love the repeated image, adding to their knowledge of the wider world. Bright, sumptuous illustrations fill every page, using the colours associated with Christmas to great effect. Claris’ bright red dress, the red curtains, red cakes, ribbon and wrapping paper, all combine to give a wonderful image of Christmas and its trappings, promoting the idea to younger readers.
Claris bakes her cakes and wraps them, filling her basket with gifts. She walks thorough the snow outside, looking for people to give her gifts to. She gives them to a busker, singing carols to the passers by, then finds a group of cats taking time out on a bridge over the Seine, and with only a few left, she hears the chimes telling her it is midnight. She must get home to Monsieur and finds a guard dog on his way home. He gives her a lift and she asks him to join her for Christmas. So the three have a happy Christmas and many other people have benefitted form her generosity.
Wrapped within this story are the values of gift giving, sharing and friendship. Claris makes things to give away, taking home someone who would have been alone on this day. The book supports the idea of Christmas being a time for sharing and seeing that everyone has someone to be with.
Allen & Unwin, 2025. ISBN: 9781761182044. (Age:8+) Highly Recommended.
New Kid on Deck is a brand new and exciting novel in the Pirate Academy series, by Justin Somper. This thrilling, futuristic adventure takes readers to the year 2507 where the seas have risen so high that water dominates the globe and pirates rule the waves. Justin Somper brings to life a dazzling vision of courage, danger and loyalty on the high seas.
At the heart of this story is the Pirate Academy, a prestigious training ground where only the children of the greatest pirates are enrolled to learn the trade. Readers are granted a special visitor’s pass to get behind the scenes into the Barracuda group, a lively crew of 11-year-olds, to discover what life is really like within the academy walls. Through their eyes, readers experience the fierce camaraderie, playful rivalries and rigorous training that shape the next generation of seafaring adventurers.
But trouble is brewing in the wider pirate world, with whispers of a looming takeover that threatens the very existence of their way of life. The stakes rise dramatically when one beloved member of the Barracudas is suddenly whisked away, and a mysterious new boy appears in their place. Suspicion, mistrust and the possibility of betrayal rocks the group, as they try to decide whether this new arrival is friend or foe.
Somper’s writing style is brilliantly engaging, with short, punchy chapters that keep the pace swift and the tension high. The blend of mystery, action and vividly crafted characters ensures that readers will be hooked from the opening page right through to the dramatic conclusion. Teo Skaffa’s black-and-white illustrations provide just enough visual detail to spark the imagination, adding atmosphere without slowing the story’s momentum.
Adventure lovers, mystery seekers and anyone who enjoys being swept away into a fully immersive world will find New Kid on Deck completely captivating. Perfect for readers who enjoy fast-paced storytelling with a touch of danger and extremities; this book delivers both excitement and depth. A must-read for anyone ready to hoist the sails and dive into the pirate world of the future.
The Forest King's Daughter is the first in a new series, however this book felt like a stand alone novel. The story starts with two young children becoming friends, sharing an innocent friendship that unwittingly unleashes a war between their two families. A forest princess is gifted a worthless trinket by a demon boy that turns out to be a tool to blind and disorientate demons when worn by a forest princess.
The story then leaps forward to the two main characters being older and fighting in their respective armies with Zeru, the demon boy trying to restore his good name within his family. After they are reunited, Cassia and Zeru find that their childhood feelings are growing into something stronger but so is the war that will tear them apart again.
This book is well written, and the characters are likeable, I particularly liked Zeru and wanted him to triumph in gaining his family’s favour and the love of Cassia. The story is written in a fairytale style with a lyrical quality that immerses the reader in the world and the war that is raging across it. The fact that the main characters had been friends as children complicated their relationship as young adults as they had trusted each other but now are at war, and this creates an interesting romance storyline.
This is a great YA fantasy story and will appeal to many readers as the action is steady and the romance is built without being over the top and overdone. This would make a great addition to any bookshelf and if the series is as good as the first book, it will become a favourite with fantasy readers.
Little Hare, 2025. ISBN: 9781761214837. (Age:3+) Highly recommended.
A delightfully droll tale of a dog whose inner life is in marked contrast to her real life. She runs, leaps, climbs and sleeps in the wild. She catches her own food, leaping for the butterfly, chasing a rabbit and a bird in the tree. Sometimes she runs with other wild dogs, but mostly she is a loner, an outsider. But as we turn to the last pages we find what she really is, a family dog, being scooped up for her return home after an adventure in the park.
Readers will love the humour in the story, belying the antics of Cynthia in the illustrations. Children will have realised that she is probably not a wild dog, her name and natty little coat giving the first clues, and so watch for hints of her real life. None of the animals she tries to catch seem to be in peril, and her antics with her short stumpy legs seem out of character with her size and shape. Children will laugh out loud as she scampers around the hills, able to see the gulf between reality and what she thinks.
Children will love talking about their inner lives: dreams of being a princess or superman, a ranger or an explorer. Cynthia’s dreams of herself are beautifully executed, with a dry, undercurrent of humour in both text and images. Riddle’s illustrations create a wonderful landscape for Cynthia’s inner life: mountains and hills, trees and forests, a few other animals. She bounds around the setting confidently, only to look a little embarrassed when a voice calls her back to the car. She is now called honeybun and is taken home for a good night’s sleep after her exertions.
Penguin Random House Australia, 2025. ISBN: 9781760895747. (Age:adult, young adult)
Lucy Whitehall’s sister is getting married in 1961 and she persuades her family to invite her 14-year-old best friend, Jane Elisabeth McEvoy to the wedding. But Lucy abandons her friend for an attentive boy, leaving Jane adrift and vulnerable to the attentions of the bride’s drunken father and she subsequently finds herself pregnant. According to the nameplate on the front door Harrowford Hall is a ‘haven for girls in crisis”. The grand building at Horsham presents a smart public face in 1961 but for Marilyn Genevieve Pollard, despised and reviled for ‘getting herself pregnant' the reality of becoming a resident means that she is stripped of any personal possessions, and forced to become one of the ‘laundry whores' who cook, scrub and polish until their babies are due. Jump to 1973 and the home has been closed for a month, but a nurse has been murdered there, and Detective Sergeant Eleanor Smith is assigned her first murder investigation by her misogynist boss, Superintendent Cotter, as it is women’s business. In 1961 society attitudes to unwed mothers was harsh, blaming the girl and pushing for the babies to be adopted, but I got tired of the repetitive 'sluts and whores' name calling. In 1973 the police force was unrepentantly sexist, Eleanor Smith, ’15 years a cop, just the twelfth detective in Victoria without a penis' p33, is to be admired, but Cotter’s repetitive slurs and hair comments became tiresome. The goings on at the government run home were extreme to the point of the reader needing to suspend disbelief and this distracted from the plot. I am still a bit confused about the two main characters, one of whom disappears into the home at a critical moment and the detective who seems to flounder about with her sidekick constable in fear of confirming her boss’s belief that women don’t belong in the police force.
Readers might enjoy this as a multiple murder puzzle in a gothic setting at a time of harsher and unforgiving social mores but I had too much difficulty with the plot and characters to really enjoy it.
Themes Murder, unwed mothers, Australian social history.
A Gallery of Rogues, sequel to The Dictionary of Scoundrels, by Beth Lincoln is a humorous and lively adventure that is quirky and unique. Filled with frivolity, escapade and intrigue, this novel will immerse you in the family’s twisted life and put some clever detective skills to the test to decipher fact from fiction in this ‘whodunnit’ mystery.
Shenanigan Swift is no ordinary protagonist, and her family is anything but conventional. Each member of the Swift clan has unusual gifts or eccentricities, making for an amusingly chaotic household. So, when the family’s heirloom painting is stolen, the mystery soon grows more tangled when they must join forces with their long-standing rivals, the Martinet family of Paris. Together they must overcome simmering rivalry to outwit OUVOLPO - the elusive art-thieving organisation who famously return stolen pieces to their rightful owners.
At the heart of this novel is not only a mystery of stolen Pierrot art pieces, but also a layered exploration of trust, loyalty and murder! The narrative takes its time to build momentum, with an opening that carefully sets the scene and reintroduces readers to the Swifts’ peculiar world and characters. However, as the chase deepens through Parisian galleries and hidden passageways, the pace quickens, and the book becomes a rich, page-turning puzzle of betrayals and revelations.
What sets this story apart is its clever weaving of language and etymology. English and French words are playfully unpacked, with meanings and histories revealed at just the right moments to echo the action. This adds both intellectual intrigue and a sense of linguistic playfulness, giving readers something extra to savour beyond the plot.
By the closing chapters, readers are fully immersed; questioning motives and second-guessing alliances. Who stole what? Who killed who? And above all - who can truly be trusted? This book is perfect for fans of clever mysteries, richly created characters and a touch of etymological flair. Readers who love adventure, eccentricity and some mystery will thoroughly enjoy this twisted tale of treachery!
This is an awesome story! Leo and his younger brother Alex have been unwilling listeners to their mother’s passion for True Crime podcasts. The current listening session has special significance because it revisits the death from 25 years ago of Corey Armstrong, a contemporary of their mother (and their now estranged father) and many of the adults connected to Leo’s Rugby team. To stop the brother’s bickering and persistent fighting, their mother suggests they try to solve the death of Corey Armstrong themselves. This begins a compelling investigation by the two teens (and Alex’s clever friend Harriet, known as Harry). Leo’s sporting competitiveness and Alex’s artistic and observational skills, in combination with Harry’s different insights all work together to unravel clues that have been overlooked for 25 years, but sadly people they know may become implicated in Corey’s death.
This is the kind of book you can recommend to any reader aged 12-16 and you can be sure they will enjoy it. I am sure they will also recommend it to their friends. There is the usual sibling rivalry within families, friendships that are sometimes problematic, sporting and artistic talents on display, the beginnings of teen attraction and a mystery that needs solving. The teens keep up with sports training expectations and homework and are essentially respectful to adults (rare in most teen fiction) even though they do sometimes stretch boundaries and test themselves, but they are relatable characters that you grow to like. The author has managed to combine the true-crime phenomenon with a mysterious death from the past and create a contemporary mystery story that is really exciting. The story is told in different chapters from the perspective of the two brothers, and this provides different insights and variety. This story may inspire young readers to listen to podcasts or read Crime mysteries… or maybe explore sport or art in their own lives!
