Amy | Lost in a Good Book

A is for… A Rabbit’s Tale by Jackie Hosking

17 Oct 2025 1 Comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, Australian Women Writers, The Picture Book Corner Tags: aussie books, australian women writers challenge, children's picture book, four stars, jackie hosking, lucinda gifford, picture books

Published: 2nd July 2025
Publisher: Walker Books Australia
Illustrator: Lucinda Gifford
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book
★ ★ ★ ★ – 4.5 Stars

A quirky, funny and clever alphabet book with a twist – with bright and colourful illustrations by much loved illustrator Lucinda Gifford

A is for A rabbit.
B is for Buy this book!

A hilarious alphabet story – for anyone who ever wanted a pet … and for everyone who loves a wonderful tail, um, tale with a twist!

I love this book. It’s such a clever play on the A is for… structure. Everything in this book is connected to rabbits and there is no narrative outside of the ABC format, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a fun story.

As we go through the alphabet we see our character connect to rabbits in a fun way, A is for A rabbit, B is for Buy a rabbit and so on. The best thing is R is not for Rabbit (though Hosking does point out in a small note that R is also for Rabbit). But my favourite one is ‘U is for Understandably, you want your own rabbit’.

Cleverly through this alphabet non story there is a story about sharing, about jealousy, and above all loving your new awesome rabbit. There is a fabulous twist at the end and it was surprising how a simple format with very few words could be so delightful and funny. I love Hosking’s approach to this and Gifford’s illustrations add context and humour and aide the unspoken narrative remarkably well.

You can purchase A is for a Rabbit’s Tale via the following

Dymocks | Booktopia | Wordery

Fishpond | Amazon Aust

Find Layla by Meg Elison

14 Oct 2025 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, Audiobook, Young Adult Tags: Audiobook, four stars, jesse vilinsky, meg elison, young adult

Published: 01 September 2020 (print)/01 September 2020 (audio)
Publisher: Skyscape/Brilliance Audio
Pages: 188/6 hrs and 32 mins
Narrator: Jesse Vilinsky
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Contemporary
★ ★ ★ ★ – 4 Stars

A neglected girl’s chaotic coming-of-age becomes a trending new hashtag in a novel about growing up and getting away by an award-winning author.

Underprivileged and keenly self-aware, SoCal fourteen-year-old Layla Bailey isn’t used to being noticed. Except by mean girls who tweet about her ragged appearance. All she wants to do is indulge in her love of science, protect her vulnerable younger brother, and steer clear of her unstable mother.

Then a school competition calls for a biome. Layla chooses her own home, a hostile ecosystem of indoor fungi and secret shame. With a borrowed video camera, she captures it all. The mushrooms growing in her brother’s dresser. The black mold blooming up the apartment walls. The unmentionable things living in the dead fridge. All the inevitable exotic toxins that are Layla’s life. Then the video goes viral.

When Child Protective Services comes to call, Layla loses her family and her home. Defiant, she must face her bullies and friends alike, on her own. Unafraid at last of being seen, Layla accepts the mortifying reality of visibility. Now she has to figure out how to stay whole and stand behind the truth she has shown the world.

One thing I adored about this book was how imperfect it was. Being only fourteen is a prime age for Elison to work with. Layla is grown up enough and seen enough that she knows how the system works, knows how to care for herself and her brother, while still having the inability to act too grown up or understand everything completely. She is strong but is lacking a lot of critical thinking, impulse control, and her development has been shaped by her mother’s actions.

I was impressed at the topic being addressed. Neglect is important and having it so boldly portrayed in this story was fantastic. Showing how easily it goes unnoticed, especially how Layla could cover some of it up but not all of it due to her age and maturity, despite her intellect, felt real. It was a great decision not to have Layla be a slightly older competent teen, someone who could navigate their situation better, but also not have her be a self-assured competent twelve or thirteen year old either. Not that there couldn’t be a capable twelve year old who can care for herself and her brother, but I think having Layla struggle but also succeed as best she did is important. This is the balance of not being able to clean the house for fear or wrath and not having the skills to try, especially with events too big like water damage.

I enjoyed and was intrigued by a lot of the book but I really started to love it more towards the end. This was no doubt because of the work put in at the start. The slow build up and establishment of Layla and her brother is ideal given the wrap up and rollercoaster at the end.

Something I find interesting is how misleading the blurb is. It’s not that that doesn’t happen, but it isn’t exactly right in how it plays out in the book and is certainly not the main focus of the book.

I’m not going to say I could write a better one, given it does actually describe events in the novel, but the lead up to these events are important and it implies Layla is passive and a victim in the outcome when her resourcefulness and her determination make things happen. She is a driver of her situation, however misguided, and that strength form someone in her situation was amazing to read about.

Vilinsky was a great narrator and brought Layla to life. Each character felt unique and I felt emotionally connected the Layla, her whole self and emotional journey coming through remarkably well.

The bittersweet ending is amazing and I’m surprised such a choice was made but I love that it doesn’t shy away from realities and that there can sometimes be no perfect endings, just different. It was the best ending for the story we’d experienced and it made the book even better for it.

You can purchase Find Layla via the following

QBD | Dymocks | Booktopia

Blackwell’s | Angus & Robertson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible

Here’s the Thing by Emily O’Beirne

08 Oct 2025 Leave a comment

by Amy in 3 Stars, Audiobook, Aussie YA Challenge, Australian Women Writers, LGBTQIA, Young Adult Tags: #AussieYAChallenge, Audiobook, aussie, aussie books, Aussie YA Challenge, australian women writers challenge, cat gould, emily o'beirne, lgbt, LGBTQIA, loveozya

Published: 8th October 2016 (print)/14 March 2023 (audio)
Publisher: Ylva Publishing /Tandor Media Inc
Pages: 200/6 hours, 24 minutes
Narrator: Cat Gould
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Contemporary
★ ★ ★ – 3 Stars

It’s only for a year. That’s what sixteen-year-old Zel keeps telling herself after moving to Sydney for her dad’s work. She’ll just wait it out until she gets back to New York and Prim, her epic crush/best friend, and the unfinished subway project. Even if Prim hasn’t spoken to her since that day on Coney Island.

But Zel soon finds life in Sydney won’t let her hide. There’s her art teacher, who keeps forcing her to dig deeper. There’s the band of sweet, strange misfits her cousin has forced her to join for a Drama project. And then there’s the curiosity that is the always-late Stella.

As she waits for Prim to explain her radio silence and she begins to forge new friendships, Zel feels strung between two worlds. Finally, she must figure out how to move on while leaving no one behind.

I feel like I say this every time I find a great Aussie YA, but they really are something special. Even if they aren’t the greatest story, or five star reads, there is such a unique voice that Aussie YA has that is wonderful to read. Even this story, which has a strange meta/fourth wall breaking narration style, still held onto that fantastic voice and tone I love in these stories.

What I liked about this is the story felt different, there is a plot but it’s such a different angle than what you usually see. I liked the divide Zel had about where she felt she fit. It was something relatable about finding your place, but the situation was creative.

Despite the intense experience Zel had in New York, it was interesting how attached she felt to it. Eight months in the city and she referred to it more than her previous home in Canberra. Initially I thought she must have been there for years, but at only eight months it was a weird connection. I understand she had strong connections and great adventures with Prim, so I guess that was a big contributor.

One annoying thing was the phrases and words switched whether Zel was recounting her New York time or her Australia time. When speaking about America US terms were used, but then she would switch back when the story was in Sydney. I get it in a way, but it stood out and is never addressed. Either the explanation is Zel picked up the US terms and kept using them, or she should stick to an Aussie voice consistently. This on top of the fourth wall narration took some getting used to but you get the hang of it all soon enough.

Gould does a good job narrating. I was never taken out of the story and the voices between characters were distinct enough without feeling too much. The characters felt real, maybe not super developed, but from the tone and voice Zel gave it isn’t her style to delve deep into everyone she meets, only the few she gets to know better. Despite that I still managed to understand who these character were, with a few little words you get enough of a sense of their personalities to get by. Plus Zel’s focus points with her narration doesn’t require a lot of background on the other people.

The way O’Beirne has constructed this storyline is clever and I enjoyed how it is about so many things without focusing solely or too heavy handedly on those things.There is a romance element, but it’s not the sole focus of the book. I felt the romance that was there was believable, but I also enjoyed how it isn’t the goal of the book, despite, in it’s own way, being the focus of the whole book.

I also enjoyed how no one changed for anybody. There’s realisations and self reflections, but there is no grand epiphanies and huge moments. I liked the gradual development and struggle Zel has, not only for herself but for her schoolwork and trying to find her place.

Overall, it felt wonderfully real and grounded. This is why Aussie YA is so fantastic. It’s deep and real without being too much.

You can purchase Here’s the Thing via the following

Booktopia | Blackwell’s | Angus & Robertson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible

The Duck Never Blinks by Alex Latimer

03 Oct 2025 Leave a comment

by Amy in 3 Stars, The Picture Book Corner Tags: alex latimer, children's picture book, picture book, three stars

Published: 11 July 2023
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Illustrator: Alex Latimer
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book
★ ★ ★ –3.5 Stars

Do you see that duck over there?

That duck doesn’t blink.

Even if you look away then look back real quick.

Even if you tell it a really funny joke!

Perfect for fans of interactive stories like Do Not Lick This Book and Duck! Rabbit!, The Duck Never Blinks will have kids and adults alike bawling with laughter as they spend time with this one very sly duck.

I like books where the narration addresses the reader, but in a way where the author is trying to tell us about their woes. It’s like Latimer has pulled us aside and said, ‘hey, see that duck? It hasn’t blinked.’ And now we’re being pulled into their situation to help solve it.

In the same vein of the Pigeon series, I like that the story involves studying a creature. The creature in question is a duck, the most seagull looking duck you’ve ever seen, but a duck all the same. The comical design of the duck is great, and it is a design that plays well into the never blinking because despite the basic design, you can feel it staring into your soul.

It is a good book to read aloud and there are fun activities to do to help make the duck blink like shouting, telling jokes, and sad stories. Latimer uses the layout well to show the passing of time and they keep the focus on the duck with no real background or distraction.

It’s a cute story and one that is predictable in a fun way that gives satisfaction to the reader. It’s fun to watch this exasperated narrator try their best to make a duck blink and while you never find out why they need to see it, it’s great to watch them try.

You can purchase The Duck Never Blinks via the following

QBD | Dymocks | Booktopia

Wordery | Blackwell’s | Angus & Robertson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust

It Sounded Better in My Head by Nina Kenwood

30 Sep 2025 Leave a comment

by Amy in 3 Stars, Audiobook, Aussie YA Challenge, Australian Women Writers, Young Adult Tags: #AussieYAChallenge, Audiobook, aussie, aussie books, Aussie YA Challenge, australian women writers challenge, loveozya, maddy withington, nina kenwood, three stars, young adult

Published: 07 April 2020 (print)/4 Jan 2023 (audio)
Publisher: Flatiron Books/Wavesound from W. F. Howes Ltd
Pages: 272/7 hrs and 19 mins
Narrator: Maddy Withington
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance
★ ★ ★ – 3.5 Stars

When her parents announce their impending divorce, Natalie can’t understand why no one is fighting, or at least mildly upset. Then Zach and Lucy, her two best friends, hook up, leaving her feeling slightly miffed and decidedly awkward. She’d always imagined she would end up with Zach one day―in the version of her life that played out like a TV show, with just the right amount of banter, pining, and meaningful looks. Now everything has changed, and nothing is quite making sense. Until an unexpected romance comes along and shakes things up even further.

I always feel a bit bad when I finish a book and my opinion is it was ‘fine’. Perfectly average, decent story and good. Unremarkable but good. Why is that a bad thing? It’s a good book, didn’t need to be amazing or the best thing I’ve ever read. It wasn’t bad. I didn’t hate it. I enjoyed it. Yet I still feel a bit guilty.

There were of course reasons why it’s an average rated book not a highly rated book. In terms of the romance, I felt it comes from nowhere. We aren’t given anything to base it on, Natalie even mentions she’s barely even spoken to Zach’s brother, they hardly acknowledge one another, so the fact he suddenly takes an interest and she reciprocates feelings was a stretch. Also, discovering Alex was only 19 made me feel better, I was thinking he was 20 or 21 so him suddenly having an out of blue interest in Natalie once she’d turned 18 felt weird but we’re all good on that front.

Natalie talks about her body a lot, as well the accompanying anxieties. Because it’s such a key point of the story, I found it hard to believe that someone who has never kissed anyone, has incredible body issues, and spends most of the book talking about her skin insecurities, would let a first kiss go on for as long as it does and be that physically intimate. There are some references down the track about her worries so Kenwood does remember she’s subconscious about it.

There is a good acknowledgment and criticism of societal expectations and people needing a boyfriend (and why not a girlfriend etc) and other out of date ideas which I enjoyed. There are fleeting moments of LGBTQIA+ support but then quickly falls back into the idea that kissing someone is super important and a key experience people need to have around her age. For every step forward there were as many steps back.

One thing that was good was the reminder that even at 18 and 19 these are still teenagers despite being legal adults. There are short tempers, emotional misunderstandings because people are so in their heads, and the nervous and anxious feelings of being around “real adults” and being interrogated can still shrink you down.

Withington is a good narrator. I was never taken out of the story and her expression of the characters was great. Kenwood keeps us in Natalie’s head a lot but we do get to explore the other characters well enough. The unexpected divorce doesn’t come into play as much as you’d think and I did enjoy Natalie’s thought trails as she plans ahead about what she think will happen and is sixteen steps ahead with what she’ll do before anything has even happened. That was fun.

Overall it was…perfectly fine. A good book, decent story. It was different with a main character who had a different set of body issues to contend with, and different anxieties, but Kenwood balances it well so it doesn’t make her intolerable to the reader while still making us understand how debilitating these issues can be.

You can purchase It Sounded Better in My Head via the following

QBD | Dymocks

Wordery | Blackwell’s | Angus and Robertson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible