Review: Heartless

As an avid fan of Marissa Meyer's books, I am shocked it has taken me so long to get around to reading this novel - but I am so glad I finally did! The novel acts as a prequel to Alice in Wonderland, and tells the story of the infamous Queen of Hearts before she became the ruthless ruler we know her as. 

The story follows Catherine Pinkerton, a young woman who dreams of becoming a baker and opening her own bakery in Wonderland. However, as the daughter of a Marquess, she is expected to marry well and become the wife of a wealthy man. 

At a royal ball, she captures the attention of the King of Hearts, who wants Catherine to be his bride. However, despite her parents' expectations, Catherine falls in love with Jest, the mysterious and charming court Joker. 

As Catherine is torn between her own dreams and the expectations placed upon her, a series of tragic events begin to unfold, ultimately changing her life forever and revealing how the kind-hearted Catherine becomes the cold and heartless Queen of Hearts.

Review: My Tokyo Summer

Based on a real-life friendship, this graphic novel memoir for young adults takes us back to the 1990s to Abby in New York who loves zines and punk music, and to Yuuko in Tokyo who is into American films and making art.

They form a connection when Yuuko visits New York and happens to buy a handmade comic made by Abby and decides to get in touch. Their international friendship builds through letters until they meet in person when Abby comes to Tokyo for a university summer art program. 

Solidifying their firm friendship, Abby and Yuuko decide to join forces and collaborate on a comic together to show at an upcoming convention.

Review: Eleanor Jones is Not Drowning

If something is going to go down and it needs investigating, you’ll want Eleanor Jones on your side.

In full preparation mode for the upcoming Debutante Ball and with the Cooinda River in flood now that the drought has broken, Eleanor Jones and her friends have other things on their minds.

The last thing they need is a suspicious death, but Eleanor Jones simply can’t say no when she’s approached by the teen street artist’s girlfriend who refuses to believe that her boyfriend’s death was either by accident or his own hand.

Keeping an eye on the rising water, Eleanor and her friends, Liv, Troy, Ethan and Namita, set about asking questions and checking out Xavi's artwork. 

Review: The Boy Maeve

How often have you read the opening lines of a book and instantly been drawn in? And how often has that initial spark of intrigue been maintained throughout the entire story as it turns and twists in every possible direction?

The Boy Maeve by Kai Ash does exactly that.

Intriguing from the first sentence to the last, this debut novel is an unusual blend of coming-of-age, contemporary queer fiction, magical realism and mythology.

Maeve was adopted as a toddler and remembers little, if anything, of his birth parents or early years.  He’s a loner with his life made more difficult in the knowledge that he’s a boy in a girl’s body – and nobody will acknowledge it.

Review: Old Bertie

This is 100% completely bonkers but I mean that in the most positive way possible. This is dystopia as you've never read it before. If you imagine - and forgive me for showing my age - humour such as that of Young Einstein or The Castle - that real Aussie kind of laconic style - or similar larger-than-life real life commentaries liberally laced with absurdism, you'll be getting close.

I don't know the work of Vincenzo Perrella and Dan Osborn in their other spheres of film/television/live performance but I'd certainly like to see some of it. I don't dwell on plot details if I can help it and realistically, this one is so convoluted and intricate, I'd have no hope of putting much of it in a review but I'm going to try to give you an oversight.

Imagine an isolated uninhabited island far from any other kind of land or humankind.

Next, imagine that island was literally stumbled upon by the survivors of a shipwreck.

Review: Six Take One

We’ve all gone along to parties that we didn’t really want to go to, right? But how often do we end up regretting our decision because someone was murdered during the party? (Hopefully never.)

Unfortunately, this is exactly what happens when seventeen-year-old Cassie’s on-again-off-again friend, Kiah, guilts her into attending a New Year’s Eve party at Johnny’s remote farm, where, among other things, there’s only limited internet coverage.

Before agreeing to go, Cassie elicits a promise from Kiah that they’ll leave by 11 pm. Kiah reluctantly agrees and says she’ll pick Cassie up at 7 pm.

From the outset, reluctance aside, things do not bode well.

Review: Don't Forget to Smile

Behind the elegance, discipline and applause of the ballet world lies a demanding culture of perfection, and Ariane Beeston's Don't Forget to Smile offers an honest and compelling glimpse behind the curtain.

Told through the alternating perspectives of Clara, Elle and Ben, three talented young dancers competing for a coveted place at the International Ballet Grand Prix, the novel explores what it truly costs to pursue excellence. Each protagonist faces their own personal battle: Clara struggles with the expectations of fitting the traditional ballet mould, while Elle and Ben challenge outdated attitudes and entrenched power structures within the dance world. As their individual journeys unfold, an unexpected scandal draws the trio together in surprising ways.

Review: The Game of Oaths

It's 1896 in Paris, where the Game of Oaths is held annually underneath the glittering spectacle of the magical Cirque des Ombres. But behind the sparkling spectacle, the circus performers are bound to the ringmaster Enchanteur Jean-Pierre by magical contracts - meaning the performers can never leave. 

Every year, 12 performers are chosen to take part in the Game of Oaths, an underground, brutal tournament watched by the elite - however, only the winner will make it out alive. 

Haunted by the death of her sister in the game the year prior, when seventeen year old Falan is selected to take part, she only has one thing on her mind - revenge. 

As she is thrown into a world of shifting alliances, dangerous magic and blood-thirsty opponents, Falan must decide who she can trust to help her win the game and fulfil her quest for revenge. 

Review: Survival Show

Set in a future shaped by climate disaster, inequality and society’s obsession with entertainment, Survival Show by Juno Dawson transforms the familiar world of reality television into something far more sinister.

After devastating floods destroy their home, Taryn Beck and her family are forced to relocate as refugees. Struggling to survive in a society where food, housing and healthcare are increasingly limited, the pressure on Taryn’s family becomes unbearable — especially when her younger brother Jenson relies on medication to stay alive. Desperate for a way to support her family, Taryn auditions for Starmaker, the country’s biggest reality television show.

At first, Starmaker appears to offer everything audiences love about talent competitions: glittering costumes, dramatic performances, celebrity judges and the promise of fame. But beneath the glitz lies something much darker. In this dystopian future, contestants are literally competing for their lives, with eliminated participants executed as part of “Project Population”, a government initiative designed to reduce the strain on society’s resources.

Review: One Knight Stand

One Knight Stand by Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner returns readers to the wonderfully chaotic world first introduced in Lady's Knight—and it is every bit as clever, witty and delightfully entertaining as fans will hope.

Packed with sword fights, schemes, banter and a healthy dose of absurdity, One Knight Stand embraces all the fun of fantasy while simultaneously poking fun at it. Kaufman and Spooner clearly know the genre inside out, and the novel is filled with glorious intertextuality and knowing little winks to the reader. From playful nods to classic fantasy tropes through to the hilariously clever chapter titles—which each appear somewhere within their respective chapters—there is a sense that the authors are inviting readers in on the joke.

Review: A Flash in the Dust

A Flash in the Dust by Meg Caddy is a gripping new young adult novel that had me hooked from the first page. Set in 1899 Western Australia, the story starts in Fremantle Asylum where Gilberta Brady has lived in peace for the past three years. 

When Norah Devaney arrives kicking and screaming in the middle of the night, calling for revenge on ‘the Whistling Man’ who killed her mum, Gilberta’s peace is ruined. They escape the asylum together and meet Kedalak and Malkar, two Indigenous brothers who help them on their harrowing journey home. The four of them form unlikely friendships while on the hunt to track down the man who killed Norah’s mum.

This book is a reminder that queer people have always existed, and while fictional, it reflects the hardships and attitudes faced by queer people of that time. I felt the queer representation was presented in a beautiful and authentic way, and it felt natural rather than forced or overdone.

I would have loved to spend more time in the setting of the asylum, as it created such an eerie atmosphere and was such an interesting and unique setting to explore. 

Review: Drawing Nudes While Making Other Plans

Zoe Gaetjen’s Drawing Nudes While Making Other Plans is a warm-hearted and funny young adult novel. 

It explores grief, friendship and first love in a way that feels truly authentic and genuine. 

When seventeen-year-old Cleo Markson arrives at the Australian Art School for a summer life drawing program, she is nervous and anxious. In the past, Cleo has had older sister Emmy and her detailed plans to help prepare for change and new experiences. 

Review: The Escape Game

Reality TV, escape rooms, quirky characters with a side of murder? Yes please! The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss is an exciting YA novel that follows a group of teenagers selected to compete on the latest season of the renowned TV show, The Escape Game. But the only thing is - the last season didn’t go so well…. Season four ended in tragedy, with a contestant brutally murdered on the day of the grand finale - and the mystery is still unsolved. 

As the new group of contestants step into the game, what begins as a high-stakes competition quickly takes a darker turn. Suspicion lingers, tensions rise, and it becomes clear that the danger may not be confined to the puzzles. With secrets lurking beneath the surface and everyone a possible suspect, the contestants must navigate not only the challenges of the game, but the chilling possibility that history could repeat itself if the murder is not solved. 

I really, really enjoyed this book! It was great fun, and such a unique concept. I loved that it was a mystery within a mystery - each escape room bringing more clues, and adding more layers to the murder from previous season. 

Junior Review: Forest of Hearts

Forest of Hearts is an amazing romance fantasy novel for young adults. It has you biting your nails through each twist and turn of the story. 

MA Kuznair doesn't fail to impress as her words whirl around your head and create images of the story as if you were there! 

I loved this retelling of the classic Snow White story and everything in it. I read this book from start to finish without stopping, and then read it all over again! 

This is a fantastic novel, and I recommend it to readers ages 13+.

Title: Forest of Hearts
Author: MA Kuznair 
Publisher: Simon and Schuster, $
Publication Date: 28 October 2025 
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781398551916
For ages: 13+
Type: Young Adult

Review: Don't Let Them Leave

Sometimes a title alone is enough to draw you to a book. Pair that with a somewhat ominous cover showing a shadowy house in the middle of a stormy sea, an author who can get readers laughing in one book and quivering in the next and a killer logline, and you just can’t help but be hooked.

And that’s before you even read the prologue!

After their parents are killed in a car accident, Charlotte and her younger siblings, Jack and Emily, find themselves on a train to Cornwall – a place they’ve never been – to live with a grandmother they never knew they had.

Right from the start, there's something off about the solicitor, Mr Frankelweiss. And from that point on, nothing seems to add up.

Review: Letters to the Lost

“We're all united by grief, and somehow divided by the same thing.”

Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer is one of my favourite books of all time, and is the first book that springs to mind whenever anyone asks for a recommendation. The story follows Juliet who has always written letters to her mother, and has continued to do so since her tragic death. She leaves letters at her grave as her way of coping - until one day, when she receives a response. 

When Declan, a troubled teen doing community service at the local cemetery finds a haunting letter left beside a grave, he can't resist the urge to write back. They quickly find themselves opening up to a complete stranger and form a strong, beautiful connection. Their letters start to help each other navigate their grief, loneliness, family pressures, and the guilt that continue to shape their lives. But neither Declan nor Juliet knows that they're not actually strangers and when real life starts to interfere they discover truths that might tear them apart.

Book Lists: Top 5 YA Dystopian Fiction

Many teenagers gravitate toward dystopian fiction because it helps them unpack real-life issues through the safety of an imagined world. Here are my Top 5 YA dystopian fiction novels:

Review: Hagtale: A Macbeth Origin Story

Macbeth would come pretty close to being my favourite of the Bard’s works certainly its very creepiness is totally beguiling. And, of course, it is arguably one of the best-known, right up there with Hamlet and Romeo & Juliet. It also has those associated superstitions e.g. not uttering its name backstage. But this takes the whole deliciously eerie and supernatural vibe to an entirely new level.

It is seriously compelling reading. A small feral child raised by wolves is ‘rescued’ by a trio of witches, who raise her as a human – a species that is very foreign to both child and hags. Their combined knowledge and skills provide Wulva with what she will need to fulfil their own ends. They plan a future role that remains completely unknown to the girl until the realisation comes too late.

Review: When I Was Death

Debut YA novel When I Was Death by Alexis Henderson may sit within the horror genre, but it is deeply immersive and reflective — a slow burn that lingers long after the final page.

Roslyn Volk has never recovered from the mysterious death of her sister, Adeline. A year after her passing, Roslyn is still haunted by the unanswered questions surrounding her death. Consumed with grief, she barely hesitates when an enigmatic group of girls with ties to Adeline roll into town and invite her to travel with them. But the girls share a dark secret: they have all been spared from death in inexplicable ways. In exchange for their continued lives, they travel the country doing Death’s bidding.

As Roslyn becomes more entangled with the group, especially its enigmatic leader, she must confront what she is willing to sacrifice for the closure she seeks. And ultimately, she faces a chilling choice: to strike her own deal with Death and perhaps find out the truth about her sister or walk away forever.

Review: Her Hidden Fire

Éadha, a servant girl, would do anything for her best friend, Ionain. The future of Ailms Keep relies on Ionain and whether or not he has the ability to channel power. So, when Éadha discovers that she possesses the gift to channel magic - but Ionain doesn’t - she hides her gift and allows everyone to believe the power is his.

In a world where the nobility control the narrative, and the lower class are just pawns, Éadha must learn to hide and control her forbidden magic or there will be devastating consequences.

When the pair are sent away to an island to train among the elite and learn how to wield their power, Éadha begins to question the world she has been thrown into. She soon realises that the magic the kingdom values so highly comes with a far darker and deadly cost than anyone is willing to admit.