Praise

Hometown Haunts: #LoveOzYA Horror Tales

‘Hometown Haunts has something to spook everyone, from classic nail-biting, life-and-death struggles between good and evil such as Sarah Epstein’s ‘Stop Revive Survive’ to vengeful ghosts, as in Jared Thomas’s ‘Seek and Destroy’, in which a burial ground is disturbed, with deadly consequences. There’s body horror to make your skin crawl, as in Alison Evans’s ‘Angel Eyes’, and psychological thrillers where you’re not sure what’s real and what’s not, as in Margot McGovern’s piece ‘Euryhaline’. Hometown Haunts offers work from established and well-regarded authors, as well as the delight of discovering new voices such as Felix Wilkins, who gives readers visceral, pubescent body horror, and Marianna Shek, who offers a spiritual bargaining arrangement with escalating stakes that is as fun as it is spooky.’ – Books and Publishing

‘As a horror connoisseur i am THRILLED. This is a showcase of the creativity & unique perspective Aus writers have to offer a genre often defined by its cliches. I’m going to be raving about this for months to come and recommending it to everyone local and abroad. The stories in this collection are diverse, fascinating and SO GOOD!!’ – Pilgrim, Readings Bookseller

Road Tripping with Pearl Nash

​‘I had a wonderful time reading this – the building romance between Pearl and Obi is so perfectly, beautifully complex, original, authentic and sexy. I’m head over heels in love with Obi.’ – Jaclyn Moriarty

‘The novel explores friendship, love, grief and the courage to move forward in life, alongside a charming enemies-to-lovers romance between Pearl and Obi. In Road Tripping with Pearl Nash Nwosu once again strikes a perfect balance between humour, romance and wisdom. Pearl’s endearing awkwardness and her journey of self-discovery will appeal to fans of Nina Kenwood’s It Sounded Better in My Head aged 13 and older.’ – Ilona Urquhart , Books and Publishing

‘This is a beautifully written story about friendship, family, growing up and falling in love. I loved this story. The dialogue and the characters are so authentic it’s almost like you are there with them. Family and friendship shine through this book – how wonderful they are, as well as how complex, messy and confusing they can be. A wonderful story that readers in Year 9 and up will love.’ – Michelle, Lamont

‘It is a story about first love, friendships, racism, self-esteem and standing up for yourself, but most importantly it is about family and all its messiness.’ – Glam Adelaide (4.5 Stars)

Making Friends with Alice Dyson

​‘Alice’s voice is charmingly open, honest, and kind, and her loyalty to her friends combined with her deep insecurity render her character fascinatingly layered…An entertaining teen romance.’ – Kirkus Reviews

‘Fans of young adult contemporary romance will enjoy this book as they cheer for Alice to come out of her shell and embrace her senior year of high school.’ – School Library Journal

‘Alice and Teddy’s journey of self-discovery is charming and sweet – a heart-warming story of friendship and first love.’ – Melissa Keil

‘A fresh, funny novel about first love, friendship and change in the final year of high school. Alice knows exactly who she is and where she wants to go – but sometimes love is what happens when you’re busy making other plans. I loved it.’ – Vikki Wakefield

‘Making Friends with Alice Dyson is a tender, assured novel about the complexities of first love, friendship and staying true to yourself. It will have you falling in love from the first line to the very last.’ – Allayne Webster

‘Making Friends with Alice Dyson is a sweet contemporary romance about growing up, growing apart, and getting to know someone before it’s too late. A tender and true debut about the power of friendship and the trust it takes to really let someone see the real you. What an outstandingly lovely tale with solid heart; intimate and enchanting.’ – Danielle Binks

‘This is the sweetest story of cautious offers of friendship, little acts of kindness, and vulnerable people opening up to those who love them. It has so much heart! Here for this kind of quality #LoveOzYA contemporary!’ – C.G. Drews, Paperfury

‘The rollercoaster ride of Year 12 has never been captured so well as in this excruciating journey of a nerd who finds herself unable to maintain her usual invisibility and is forced to confront the truth about herself and her relationships, and adjust her secret dream for after the end of the year. It’s a heck of a ride and I believe many young adult readers will be only too happy to hop on board and experience the peaks and troughs of Alice Dyson’s final year of school.’ – Julie Wright, secondary English teacher and member of the SAETA Council

‘A delightfully fresh, funny and insightful novel full of endearing characters and settings that are palpably SA local with the mingled beach-and-industry vibe of the Port Adelaide trainline.’ – Katharine England, Advertiser

‘A story that’s quietly thoughtful, joyful and sweetly romantic – in the same wheelhouse as Jaclyn Moriarty’s Ashbury/Brookfield books, minus the epistolary style.’ – Angie Schiavone, Age

‘I really enjoyed this journey we go on with Alice.’ – Rhianna Patrick, ABC Radio (national) OzYay Book Club

‘Two important points I think the author is able to get through in this story are that sometimes realizing you love someone isn’t clear at first. For the most part, it’s messy and confusing but in the end it can be worth it. And lastly, that people can change a lot during high school, or even during just one year, but if you value someone’s friendship don’t let their changes push you away. I would recommend this to teenagers.’ – Kayla Raphael, ReadPlus

‘A great story for high school students, from the ages of 12 to 15. The story of friendship and first relationships makes it a very relatable story for a younger high school audience … Making Friends with Alice Dyson is an easy to read, sweet and enjoyable novel … I would highly recommend this novel.’ – Ellen, age 15, YARR-A

‘I loved this one! I’m always a massive fan of #LoveOzYA contemporaries, but THIS ONE was particularly outstanding! I just related to the characters so much and loved the reluctant friendship, and it was just perfect. I LOVED the banter between Alice and Teddy, and ahh, they were just ADORABLE! This is the kind of book you need in your life.’ –  Sarah Hatch, Written Word Worlds

Taking Down Evelyn Tait

‘A fun, lively and fast-paced coming of age novel that explores the different dynamics and fallout from a newly joint family, Taking Down Evelyn Tait is YA fiction at its finest.’ – SPN Book of the Year 2021 judges (Shortlisted)

‘Lottie has the worst of intentions, jumps to conclusions, and behaves badly – in short, she’s exactly the sort of character I absolutely adore! I reckon Lottie will go down as one of the great characters of OzYA lit – and deservedly so.’ – Gabrielle Williams

‘A delicate, layered story about revenge, relationships, and learning to be kind. I adored this one.’ – Jodi McAlister

‘I loved the slow widening of Lottie’s perspective (and world) and the descriptions of seaside/industrial town, and the tomato plants, and the set piece at the Medieval fair. Sharp, sweet, sonder.’ – Simmone Howell

‘Lottie is mischief personified and she is a glorious blaze of magnetic energy on every page.’ – C. G. Drews

‘Highly recommended . . . I read this book in one sitting; the main characters drew me in so easily, and I wanted to know what happened. While some of the themes are very familiar – vengeance against the mean girl, rebellion against the step-parent, the childhood friend who turns into a boyfriend – the way they are explored in this novel seems very true to life, and it is so well written. This is not a thriller in the style of The twin by Natasha Preston, though the two books share many themes, Taking down Evelyn Tait is very grounded in real life, sharing more with the loveable You must by Layla by Yassmin Abdel-Magied. Nwosu’s book is a sympathetic study of divided families, LGBQTI+ relationships, and developing teenage identity learning to negotiate relationships with others. I thoroughly recommend this book for adolescent readers.’ – Helen Eddy, ReadPlus

‘Lottie is a wonderfully memorable character with a very distinctive voice and a whole lot of attitude. Her witty repartee in her regular meetings with the school principal are particularly delightful. This story has understated diversity in family groupings, ethnicity and sexuality that is just part of their everyday lives, as it should be. Poppy Nwosu captures the uncertainties and jealousies of high school perfectly, with her story mining similar territory to her Readings YA Prize shortlisted debut, Making Friends with Alice Dyson, to excellent effect. This is an utterly delightful read that you will devour like a cheeky bar of chocolate. Suitable for readers aged 12+.’ – Angela Crocombe, manager of Readings Kids

‘Taking Down Evelyn Tait is a joyous journey of teenage discovery that is full of humour and embarrassing truths. As family dynamics and friendships change, it shows how healing one part of your life can open up new worlds of possibility.’ – Lezly Herbert, OUTinPerth

‘Nwosu brilliantly evokes the intensity with which teens live in the present … The story romps along at a brisk pace: adventure follows adventure, plots and counter-plots abound, there is never a dull moment. And Lottie, whether in spite of or because of her peccadillos, endears herself to the reader to the extent that when you get to the end of the book, you still wish for more.’ – Erich Mayer, ArtsHub