8 Australian Young Adult Books to Read in 2016

The majority of my all time favourite Young Adult books are by Australian authors. If you have never picked up an Aussie YA book please, please, please, do it. Right now. You can start with all of Melina Marchetta’s books (Looking for Alibrandi, Saving Francesca, On the Jellicoe Road ), try some Cath Crowley (Graffiti Moon) and Kristy Eagar (Raw Blue) which will hit you in the feels and finish off with a bit of John Marsden (Tomorrow When the War Began). Australia YA is the best. Hands down. Which is why I am super excited about the following  books.  Check out my list of Australian Young Adult books to read in 2016.

FRANKIE BY SHIVAUN PLOZZA

Goodreads summary: Frankie Vega is angry. Just ask the guy whose nose she broke. Or the cop investigating the burglary she witnessed, or her cheating ex-boyfriend or her aunt who’s tired of giving second chances…When a kid shows up claiming to be Frankie’s half brother, it opens the door to a past she doesn’t want to remember. And when that kid goes missing, the only person willing to help is a boy with stupidly blue eyes … and secrets of his own.Frankie’s search for the truth might change her life, or cost her everything.

 

SUMMER SKIN BY KIRSTY EAGAR

Goodreads summary: Jess Gordon is out for revenge. Last year the jocks from Knights College tried to shame her best friend. This year she and a hand-picked college girl gang are going to get even.

The lesson: don’t mess with Unity girls.

The target: Blondie, a typical Knights stud, arrogant, cold . . . and smart enough to keep up with Jess.

A neo-riot grrl with a penchant for fanning the flames meets a rugby-playing sexist pig – sworn enemies or two people who happen to find each other when they’re at their most vulnerable?

It’s all Girl meets Boy, Girl steals from Boy, seduces Boy, ties Boy to a chair and burns Boy’s stuff. Just your typical love story. A searingly honest and achingly funny story about love and sex amid the hotbed of university colleges by the award-winning author of Raw Blue.

 

LADY HELEN AND THE DARK DAYS CLUB BY ALISON GOODMAN

 

Goodreads summary: London, April 1812. Lady Helen Wrexhall is set to make her debut at the court of Queen Charlotte and officially step into polite Regency society and the marriage mart. Little does Helen know that step will take her from the opulent drawing rooms of Mayfair and the bright lights of Vauxhall Gardens into a shadowy world of missing housemaids and demonic conspiracies.

Standing between those two worlds is Lord Carlston, a man of ruined reputation and brusque manners. He believes Helen has a destiny beyond the ballroom; a sacred and secret duty. Helen is not so sure, especially when she discovers that nothing around her is quite as it seems, including the enigmatic Lord Carlston.

Against a backdrop of whispered secrets in St James’s Palace, soirees with Lord Byron and morning calls from Beau Brummell, Lady Helen and the Dark Days Club is a delightfully dangerous adventure of self-discovery and dark choices that must be made … whatever the consequences.

 

THE YEARBOOK COMMITTEE BY SARAH AYOUB

Goodreads summary: Five teenagers. Five lives. One final year.

The school captain: Ryan has it all … or at least he did, until an accident snatched his dreams away. How will he rebuild his life and what does the future hold for him now?

The newcomer: Charlie’s just moved interstate and she’s determined not to fit in. She’s just biding her time until Year 12 is over and she can head back to her real life and her real friends …

The loner: At school, nobody really notices Matty. But at home, Matty is everything. He’s been single-handedly holding things together since his mum’s breakdown, and he’s never felt so alone.

The popular girl: Well, the popular girl’s best friend … cool by association. Tammi’s always bowed to peer pressure, but when the expectations become too much to handle, will she finally stand up for herself?

The politician’s daughter: Gillian’s dad is one of the most recognisable people in the state and she’s learning the hard way that life in the spotlight comes at a very heavy price.

Five unlikely teammates thrust together against their will. Can they find a way to make their final year a memorable one or will their differences tear their world apart?

 

THE RELUCTANT JILLAROO BY KAZ DELANEY

Goodreads summary: Harper Gage has won the opportunity of a lifetime – ten days at Winmaroo Jillaroo and Jackaroo school. The camp could give her the recommendation she needs to go to the exclusive Agricoll for years 11 and 12. But when an accident leaves Harper hospitalised, her twin sister, Heidi, goes in her place. The only problem is that Heidi is not much of a country girl – not like her sister. And to make life even more complicated, her sister’s biggest rival Trent is going to be there. Will she be able to fool him?

And then the reality of the school hits Heidi hard. It’s all dust, snakes and heat – a million miles away from the surf she loves. When she meets the fun and handsome Chaz, life at the school suddenly doesn’t seem so bad, although with Trent acting up and trouble brewing with the other students, Heidi’s not sure how long she can keep her identity secret. And if her secret is revealed, will Chaz ever be able to trust her again?

 

WORDS IN DEEP BLUE BY CATH CROWLEY

Goodreads summary: Two teens who find their way back to each other while working in an old bookstore full of secrets and crushes, love letters and memories, grief and hope.

 

THE WAY WE ROLL BY SCOT GARDNER

Goodreads summary: Will Rushton owns a genuine Rolex but pushes shopping carts for a living. His workmates are Westies, rough and tough boys who won’t be messed with. But Julian is curious about Will and his secrets, especially when he finds that Will has dropped out of prestigious St Alfie’s to live beneath a bowling alley. An unlikely mateship forms, and when Will’s past finally catches up with him, he realises how much he’s had to learn about friendship, solidarity, and the true value of family.

 

THE OTHER SIDE OF SUMMER BY EMILY GALE

Goodreads summary: Summer is trying to recover from a tragedy, but it seems impossible when her family is falling apart around her. Having an extraordinary best friend like Mal helps a little, but Summer’s secret source of happiness is a link to the past: one very special guitar.

Now her dad’s plan to save them is turning Summer’s life upside down again. The next thing she knows, they’ve moved to the other side of the world.

In Australia, Summer makes an unlikely friend, who seems to be magically connected to her guitar. Is this for real? Has a mysterious boy been sent to help Summer? Or could it be the other way around?

This sweet and spellbinding story about family, friends and believing in yourself will warm your heart.

What books are you looking forward to this year? Are you as excited for new Cath Crowley and Kirsty Eagar as I am?!!! Let the squeeing begin. 

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