Aussie YA Challenge | Lost in a Good Book

#AussieYAChallenge Update 2

02 Sep 2025 Leave a comment

by Amy in Aussie YA Challenge, Young Adult Tags: #AussieYAChallenge, aussie books, Aussie YA Challenge, loveozya, meg mckinlay, reading challenge, sean williams, tobias madden, young adult

September snuck up on me in a weird way, but as I started writing this I was thinking thankfully my Aussie YA Challenge had been chugging along consistently; at least I felt like I’d been having a good run. Comparing my first update to my second I am not as pleased, but I am still pleased…I think. Two were July and one was an August read which is failing my one a month plan, but I have now read eight so I am technically on track. Given the hard task of finding Aussie YA in audio form, and how hard it is to find time to read a physical book it is a good addition at any rate. The problem is other, non Aussie, books are also around and they are shiny and intriguing and terribly distracting. How weird it is to say you’ve read 99 books but only 8 have been Aussie YA. That’s some kind of fail, right?

Once again I am boldly taking chances on books simply because they fill the challenge which is giving me some great reads that I have never heard of and may never have tired. It is also making me finally read books I’ve had on my TBR list for literal years which can’t be a bad thing.

I will endeavour to hit my goal by my final update and I am excited to see what other great stories I find.

Latest Additions:

Take A Bow, Noah Mitchell by Tobias Madden

Surface Tension by Meg McKinlay

Impossible Music by Sean Williams

Take A Bow, Noah Mitchell was a nice story about online friends, the truth, and realising a few things about your family.

Surface Tension was a fascinating story that I find myself thinking of a lot. A town that gets intentionally flooded and the power of a single voice in righting wrongs of the past.

Impossible Music was fascinating in how the newly deaf learn to adjust and the impact it has on your dreams and identify.

The total list so far:

All I Ever Wanted by Vikki Wakefield

Tin Heart by Shivaun Plozza

Because of You by Pip Harry

Wrong Answers Only by Tobias Madden

100 Remarkable Feats of Xander Maze by Clayton Zane Comber

Take A Bow, Noah Mitchell by Tobias Madden

Surface Tension by Meg McKinlay

Impossible Music by Sean Williams

I hope your own Aussie YA Challenge goals are going well and you have discovered some amazing reads yourself. Feel free to shout out in the comments some you have read so far, or even those you are looking forward to reading. If you’re interested in signing up it’s not to late, head over to my info page and declare your goal on social media, your website, or in the comments of this years post.

The Quiet and the Loud by Helena Fox

05 Jun 2025 Leave a comment

by Amy in 3 Stars, Audiobook, Aussie YA Challenge, LGBTQIA, Young Adult Tags: #AussieYAChallenge, Audiobook, aussie, Aussie YA Challenge, australian women writers challenge, contemporary, contemporary young adult, helena fox, kaiya jones, lgbt, LGBTQIA, loveozya, three stars, young adult

Published: 28 March 2023 (print)/28 March 2023 (audio)
Publisher: Dial Books/Macmillan Australia Audio
Pages: 384/10 hrs and 35 mins
Narrator: Kaiya Jones
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
★ ★ ★ – 3 Stars

George’s life is loud. On the water, though, with everything hushed above and below, she is steady, silent. Then her estranged dad says he needs to talk, and George’s past begins to wake up, looping around her ankles, trying to drag her under.

But there’s no time to sink. George’s best friend, Tess, is about to become, officially, a teen mom, her friend Laz is in despair about the climate crisis, her gramps would literally misplace his teeth if not for her, and her moms fill the house with fuss and chatter. Before long, heat and smoke join the noise as distant wildfires begin to burn.

George tries to stay steady. When her father tells her his news and the memories roar back to life, George turns to Calliope, the girl who has just cartwheeled into her world and shot it through with colors. And it’s here George would stay—quiet and safe—if she could. But then Tess has her baby, and the earth burns hotter, and the past just will not stay put.

A novel about the contours of friendship, family, forgiveness, trauma, and love, and about our hopeless, hopeful world.

Having read an amazing award winner recently, it was clearly an exception to my usual experience of award winners being long and boring because this one fell right back into the long and bit boring track. This book is clearly an award winner, there’s big ideas, poetic words, long drawn out emotional explorations. Which is fine. That’s why these books win awards. But it’s something you have to remember going in. I haven’t done a literary award winner in a while and I had to get used to it again.

The plot was interesting but the slowness takes away from your full enjoyment. Needing to move the plot along faster became my main wish and while I enjoyed the characters and their lives, it was drawn out. I had my audiobook on 1.75x speed and it still seemed to take forever. I thought it was almost over and I still had four hours left.

I enjoyed the environment Georgia explores. Living on the water, going out in the kayak and feeling peace in solitude. Those are wonderful moments of peace and reflection, which Fox does well. The emotional release of art as well as being on the water was a great new approach than what usually happens in books. I love Australian YA because we have these amazing stories that are outside of school settings that are about people’s fascinating and complicated lives outside of school drama.

There are a lot of characters in play which breaks up the long emotional and introspective thoughts and contemplations. Her mum and stepmother Mel are the parents, there’s grandad and his eccentricities, as well as the friendships between Tess, Lars, and Georgia. Not to mention a potential new friend in Calliope.

There are emotional moments and a lot of big issues that come into play. Alcoholism, abandonment, pregnancy and complications, as well as a variety of mental illnesses. It’s a complicated and messy life with complicated and messy characters. Lars is annoying, Tess is annoying, but I kind of enjoyed that in it showed imperfect people and how you can still be friends with them. Not to mention the bonds of childhood friendships and the obligations that entails. It’s also a good example of how as people grow up they change and as their lives go in different directions it’s a big thing for friendship groups.

There is actually a lot of things happening but the focus remains on Georgia so we only get bits and pieces as she interacts with it and the action around it is few and far between. The snippets we learn about of her father, the mystery of her flashbacks and various memories, as well as the drama of Tess’ intentional teen pregnancy added some flare.

The mention of the Black Summer fires hits a bit too close to home, as did the Covid mention. The reminder is always so depressing about that fire season and the anxiety rises to the surface as you relive it. It’s good that it isn’t being forgotten though and it plays into the story well. On the flipside, things are still long and overdone and they counteract good plot by distracting from it and making it feel weighed down.

It’s a good coming of age story that deals with changing relationships, discovering who you are, and how trauma shapes your life whether you realise it or not. I’m glad I read it but I also think it could have worked if it was less literary. But that isn’t how profound internal discovery and life changes happens. It was probably the best format to explore these ideas, it certainly makes them more impactful despite the pacing issue.

You can purchase The Quiet and the Loud via the following

QBD | Dymocks | Booktopia

Blackwell’s | Angus & Robertson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible

Eleanor Jones is Not a Murderer by Amy Doak

27 May 2025 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, Audiobook, Aussie YA Challenge, Australian Women Writers, Mystery, Young Adult Tags: #AussieYAChallenge, amy doak, Audiobook, aussie books, Aussie YA Challenge, australian, australian women writers challenge, four stars, lola bond, loveozya, young adult

Published: 04 September 2023 (print)/28 November 2023 (audio)
Publisher: Penguin Books/Penguin Random House Australia Audio
Pages: 282/5 hrs and 29 mins
Narrator: Lola Bond
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Young Adult Mystery
★ ★ ★ ★ – 4.25 Stars

Eleanor Jones has just started at her ninth high school. She likes to stay invisible, on the outer. So it’s bad luck that the first person she talks to at school, Angus Marshall, is stabbed and left for dead. And the last message on his phone is from Eleanor.

Eleanor realises the police don’t have all the facts. In trying to understand what happened to Angus, she inadvertently becomes involved with an eclectic group of fellow students – who all have their own reasons to want this mystery solved.

As they slowly unravel Angus’ secrets, Eleanor discovers the true meaning of friendship – and uncovers a danger lurking at the heart of the town…

I will excuse that maybe it’s a QLD thing, but this feels very American. I’m not sure whether Doak wrote it in a way to be broadly appealing outside of Australia, or whether QLD is just like that, but it didn’t completely have that great Aussie feel I love from our YA.

My experience with our schools is we don’t have the hierarchy of popular kids and the losers. I cannot fathom how just because a group of “cool” kids went to a public fish and chip shop other teenagers could never ever walk in there any other time of their life because it was the cool kids hang out. Like, what? And why must we think being studious means you don’t have friends? Ok that’s a character choice this time, but I knew plenty of studious people who had lots of friends. Is this trying to be a US stereotype knock off to appeal? Or is QLD just like this? There is even the overdone cool kid party which is close enough to being the US teen trope too.

What was interesting about Eleanor is she bucks the trends I was expecting. Nine schools in five years I’m surprised she is even open to trying to make friends. I’d’ve figured she’d realise there was no point and know she was moving in a few months so she wasn’t going to get attached to people. I mean, good for her for not doing this, but it’s interesting. Especially in the digital age where it is easier to keep in touch, but being in a place for a few months doesn’t let you make close friends that are work keeping touch with.

To her credit, I was very surprised when the Big Reveal happens, Eleanor was quite sensible. Not entirely, but she knows when to bail and not be a hero. I loved that. It’s stupid, but I shouldn’t be so proud that these kids, while doing their own investigation as is the style, still go to adults, and police, and don’t try and save the day entirely themselves. I shouldn’t be amazed and impressed when they leave it to the adults and pass on messages when someone is on trouble. I love that and I need more of it. I got so cranky in a book because it was too stupid how the teen detective acted, and I just need these detectives, as fun as they are, to also not go so far that things would be stupid and unbelievable and ‘if they’d just told someone’. They even mention the cops may have more info than they let on and surprise surprise and might be able to do something.

I loved the characters and I loved their dynamics. There isn’t a lot of emotional turmoil and drama which keeps it light but there are still deep moments. If A Good Girl’s Guide was a bit too intense this is a great substitute. A good Aussie feel despite the few American vibes and the mystery is still captivating. A great example of small towns and needing outlets and enrichment.

With great pacing and a constant intrigue in the mystery it’s definitely a page turner. It’s a lighter version of these kinds of teen detectives which is perfect for those who want the style without the emotional intensity.

You can purchase Elanor Jones is Not a Murderer via the following

QBD | Dymocks | Booktopia

Angus & Robertson

Fishpond | Amazon Aust | Audible

#AussieYAChallenge Update

30 Apr 2025 Leave a comment

by Amy in Aussie YA Challenge, Young Adult Tags: #AussieYAChallenge, aussie books, Aussie YA Challenge, clayton zane comber, loveozya, pip henry, reading challenge, shivaun plozza, tobias madden, vikki wakefield

My first update of the year was looking a tad woeful for a while but then I found a few Aussie YA on audio which bumped my numbers a little at the last minute. In the end I did three audio, one ebook, and one physical so that was exciting. The books I read were pretty awesome, all unique, and had that wonderful Australian feel to them.

I’d forgotten how convenient it can be to have an ebook too. It’s really no less convenient to have an audio except you don’t need to worry about headphones or being able to hear the narrator if you’re in a loud area. Granted the reading ones took a long time, but it really helped me savour the story, and I looked forward to coming back to the story when I had a chance to keep reading.

One fun thing about this challenge is it’s making me try any Aussie YA that I come across because it fits my criteria. Which may not be the best approach, and the book still has to sound ok, but I am taking chances on stuff because is a #LoveOzYA title or the author is Australian. I definitely found some beautiful reads this way so far.

The list so far:

All I Ever Wanted by Vikki Wakefield

Tin Heart by Shivaun Plozza

Because of You by Pip Harry

Wrong Answers Only by Tobias Madden

100 Remarkable Feats of Xander Maze by Clayton Zane Comber

Because of You by Pip Henry was a gorgeous story of a young girl experiencing homelessness and the school girl who volunteers at a shelter she visits.

Tin Heart is an emotional story about a transplant recipient who wants to show her thanks but risks crossing a dangerous barrier of the no contact rule from her donor family.

All I Ever Wanted follows Mim who is living in the suburbs with a criminal family and a need to escape.

Wrong Answers Only was one I’d looked forward to for months and I’m glad it paid off. A story of taking chances and being brave, about expectations and the battles against your body, your mind, and letting go.

100 Remarkable Feats of Xander Maze had a great voice and was another story about being brave, taking chances, and discovering how small decisions can change your whole life.

Like all books not every one of these were perfect, amazing, or to my exact taste, but I am still glad I read them. I got to see these stories of characters in different situations and experiences. This is what I love about Australian YA, we have these big bold stories, often in very short compact books that are about the teenage experience but aren’t confined to the playground or classroom dynamics.

I already have a few titles in my TBR list and I certainly have a massive stack of physical books piled up at home so I look forward to seeing what the next update brings.

The Pause by John Larkin

04 Feb 2025 1 Comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, Aussie YA Challenge, Top Five List, Young Adult Tags: #AussieYAChallenge, Aussie YA Challenge, contemporary young adult, five stars, john larkin, loveozya, young adult

Published: 1 April 2015
Publisher: Random House Australia
Pages: 319
Format: Paperback
Genre: Contemporary Young Adult
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ – 5 Stars

Declan seems to have it all: a family that loves him, friends he’s known for years, a beautiful girlfriend he would go to the ends of the earth for.

But there’s something in Declan’s past that just won’t go away, that pokes and scratches at his thoughts when he’s at his most vulnerable. Declan feels as if nothing will take away that pain that he has buried deep inside for so long. So he makes the only decision he thinks he has left: the decision to end it all.

Or does he? As the train approaches and Declan teeters at the edge of the platform, two versions of his life are revealed. In one, Declan watches as his body is destroyed and the lives of those who loved him unravel. In the other, Declan pauses before he jumps. And this makes all the difference.

One moment. One pause. One whole new life.

“Don’t abandon the miracle of your own existence because you don’t know how to ask for help.”

I keep being punished for not reading books when they first come out when I want to, only to realise how fantastic they are later when I eventually do. It’s happened four times now and I don’t seem to be learning my lesson.

First things first, this is a book that deals with suicide and a split timeline between following through and not. In a Sliding Doors meets The Lovely Bones style we see both lives of Declan: what happens if he jumps, what happens if he doesn’t. Not to be morbid, but there is an amazing first person perspective scene about jumping in front of a train. In the brief mention it manages to have a great balance between not being overly graphic and also being real about it. It shows the brain mechanics and impulses a person goes through, it shows the detail of what actually happens to your body, it includes the immediate regrets, not to mention the trauma of those who see it. It’s important to note that that part is brief. It’s a fleeting mention but it is well written and one I think is important to include.

There’s also great descriptions of teenage life and their thoughts and decisions. Larkin’s written a great teenage voice and the tunnel vision teenagers have about what is important and earth shattering in their life comes across. It’s great insight which helps you understand their actions and motivations; how they are hormone driven, and how they’re experiencing everything the first time: from friend issues, to family issues, to first love. Larkin comes in strong early on with the big emotions and it hooks you right in without glorifying or making it grotesque.

The best part is Declan isn’t special. He has mates who are typical teenage boys. Annoying sister, parent issues, and family dynamics. It appears to come from nowhere which is why it’s so great. It was a shock. It is unexpected. It’s great to show how something like this can happen to the most normal looking kid ever. The voice is believable and the relationships Declan has with his family is believable, even the different dynamics he has with each member of his family. You do behave differently around different people and his favourite parent is clear while unintentional.

The sliding doors moment and duel existence is perfect and you become captivated by this life now lived and the reminders it couldn’t have happened at all. There is Larkin’s voice on high with reminders that things will get better and setbacks aren’t the end of the world even if that thing was what was getting you through.

You’re also drawn along by What Happened to Aunt Mary? The mystery is woven throughout and as Larkin drip feeds us information before dumping the entire bucket on us all I can say it was amazing, especially given the emotional ride we’ve gone through with Declan so far.

There are so many things I would love to talk about and how wonderful and mind blowing they are but alas, spoilers. Even the smallest possibly vaguest things I don’t want to risk and ruin the revelations and joys I had reading this book.

When I finished this I basically went and gushed about it for ten minutes. It was amazing. I loved every part of it. It is sad and profound, it has so many lessons about life and humanity and hope. It is incredible how Larkin managed to weave in these important things that need to be hammered into every single person who ever thinks they are the alone or are the only one who feels a certain way. It’s natural but you can tell where The Lesson is but I don’t care. It also comes across through the voice of a boy who has been told this in a professional setting and is remembering it. He is using these lessons to live his life. The life he almost didn’t have.

Again, I kick myself for not picking this book up when I wanted to in 2016. I saw it for months on the shelf and I was drawn to it. But I never dove in. I’m glad I finally did because I loved it. It is only fictional but it’s also the story of so many people, not just teenagers. It’s obviously not perfect, it still has a few slightly non PC approaches to things but that’s really not important. The content is important. It’s about life getting better. About not giving into the impulses. How mental illness sneaks up on you and it’s ok to get help. Which for a 2015 book feels amazing.

Honestly it is a brutal book. It deals with big issues, it describes big issues with quite a lot of detail, and the consequences of both sides smack you in the face with the truth and reality. And that is why it is phenomenal. It never strays from being a YA voice, which is more important because it knows its audience. Larkin knows who is reading this, knows the message needs to get out that your teenage years are not forever. But also lets kids know that people of all ages go through things. You are not alone. I am trying hard not to write an entire essay about this book (and failing I know), but I cannot stress enough how amazing it is. If you can handle the brutality of it all – not only the few descriptions, but the emotional brutality, and the reality of life – please read it.

You can purchase The Pause via the following

QBD | Dymocks | Booktopia

Angus & Robertson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust