Behind the screens by Dr Niraj Lal. Illus. by Aska
University of Queensland Press, 2026. ISBN: 9780702268946. (Age:9 – older readers) Highly recommended.
I was fortunate to have been sent this handy smaller-sized book to review by University of Queensland Press. As an older Australian there is so much I am not aware of regarding the workings of the internet, and how it influences so much of what happens in our daily life.
Behind the Screens is authored by Dr. Niraj Lal, an ANU Visiting Fellow and the host of the ABC’s kids’ podcast Imagine This. This important book is brought to life by comic artist Aska, whose engaging illustrations complement the direct, accessible writing and add a playful visual layer throughout.
Set out as a traditional non-fiction text and opening with a Contents page, the book’s chapters can be dipped into as needed, yet they also flow naturally from one to the next. The chapters present information in clear, accessible segments, with generous white space and key terms highlighted in blue, while humorous graphic images help break up the text and keep readers interested.
Some of the constructive information considered by the author includes facts about:
· Data and metadata · The ‘addiction’ to mobile phone checking · The dopamine connection to mobile phone usage · Targeted advertising following you from site to site · Social media influencing public opinion more than traditional media ever did, as well as the role influencers play · Friendship issues, social skills · Online trends rippling into politics, shopping, and even community life · Mental Health is also thoughtfully considered with strategies offered in order to support those who maybe needing it including a Family Tech agreement · How to protect yourself online
This valuable and highly recommended book deserves a place in every home and classroom. It gently reveals what happens behind the scenes of the powerful internet, offering insights that are both timely and important. While much of the factual content may already be familiar to younger readers, its deeper implications are something they and the adults in their lives may not yet have paused to consider.
A wonderful resource for both teachers and parents, offering an ideal starting point for meaningful and perhaps necessary conversations about the internet.
Judith Rossell, most well-known for the Stella Montgomery series, has had an illustrating or writing hand in just about every children's book category (picture books, chapter books, novels for older children, non-fiction, even maze books). Whole page black-and-white illustrations, along with comic strips on many pages and short chunks make this an approachable and appealing chapter book in which the pictures and the text have equal footing. Readers will delight in the hilarity of Spud and Snowball's antics, cleverly illustrated by Rossen.
Spud and Snowball are a funny pair, each with one defining characteristic. Spud likes hatching cheeky plans and Snowball likes eating anything and everything. Cat lovers will get a special kick out of seeing what cats left alone inside might get up to during the day when nobody is home! In this, the first in a new series, the two cats are doing what they do every day (laying on the couch watching television) when an advertisement comes on for Fancy Fish food. A few minutes later the internet shopping is done and not long after that their package arrives. But, it isn't cat food, it's a fancy fish named Sir Mimsy Waffle Poffle Foffington. In fact, the fancy fish they just took delivery of is the most famous opera singer in the world! He expects butlers and fancy snacks and Spud and Snowball try very hard to please him but they aren't impressed. "Can we eat him now?" says Snowball.
Fans of the Fox and Rabbit, Ollie and Bea and Narwhal and Jelly series will adore this.
Themes Pets, Humorous stories, Friendship.
Nicole Nelson
How to make friends and go viral by accident by Y. K. Willemse
Hayden’s social status isn’t improving when every attempt at conversation nose-dives for the 13 yr old. Add a slight speech impediment and he attracts attention from bullies like Ben and Sam. But his parents hit on an idea to boost his confidence – singing lessons. At first he’s mortified but he has aptitude and begins to look forward to the lessons with Mrs Williamson. One of singing ‘club’ students, Sophie, begins to get to know him. Through her he gets to know Amy and Mason.
The problem is that singing lessons does draw a target on his back with the other boys. The bullying escalates as the trio practice to perform at the end-of-year recital. Hayden is still feeling like an imposter and is terrified by Sam’s threats to humiliate him by livestreaming his performance on social media.
Will Hayden go viral singing? Will performing at the school concert make or break him? A quick read of around 100 pages punctuated by more than a few laughs won’t take readers long to find out. The latest in the Rhiza Shorts series by teen fiction writer Y.K. Willemse is only 15 short chapters. They aren’t chapters per se, but the 15 step process predicated by the title, “How to Make Friends & Go Viral by Accident”. Either way, Rhiza Shorts have chosen a particularly fun coming-of-age story to join existing titles in the series.
Bitza is a dog. A bit Labrador, a bit Poodle. A bit Kelpie and Staffy and even a bit Hound. He is also a bit lost. Bitza follows the ball thief because a good dog looks after its ball. And that is why he followed Jasper home.
Japser is looking for a dog, Bitza is looking for a home and Dad is looking for Bitza’s owner.
What follows is a delightful story for independent readers about a lost dog, a young girl who really wants to own a pet and a dad who makes them do the right thing. Told from the perspective of the dog and with interesting conversations included as to what the dog is thinking as the humans are interacting with each other and Bitza. I particularly liked the fact that we heard the dog’s voice and the explanation of what Bitza recognized as emotions and the response to this in his dog’s mind, made the humour of the story delightful.
Bitza is the first in a new series and it is sure to be a favourite. It is written in a similar format to the Aussie Bites books with large text, black and white illustrations and short chapters, perfect for the emerging reader and as a read aloud. This was a great read, and I can’t wait to read more of Jasper and Bitza’s adventures in the next book.
Stonehenge, a world-renowned UNESCO World Heritage site, circa 3000BCE to 2500BCE, was built partially for renown according to Ken Follett in his latest family saga Circle of days. Ken Follett is one of the world's most successful authors. His first success was The eye of the needle in 1978. In 1989, the highly acclaimed epic The pillars of the earth was published. Circle of days follows his impressively researched 2023 Kingsbridge installment, The armour of light. In this speculative story, Follett imagines and researches the lives of the Neolithic and Bronze Age inhabitants of Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire. Somehow and for some reason in this period, the most architecturally sophisticated prehistoric stone circle in the world was built. Follett has studied the construction; that of large standing sarsen stones (150 tons each) and smaller bluestones transported (somehow) from Wales featuring wood-work styling joints and aligned with the sun, making the summer and winter solstices significant for some reason.
Visitors still in these technologically sophisticated modern times, are awe-struck by Stonehenge. How could we build such a monument today, let alone the people who lived in an era before mechanisation, advanced engineering techniques when no wheels or metals were used? The questions remain: Who built it and how and why did they build it? Building on historical advice and a visit to Buster Ancient farm in Hampshire (an Archaelogical museum site), Follett has blended research and imagination to create a plausible explanation for how Stonehenge came to be, along with another great multi-generational family saga, a genre for which he is so acclaimed.
Of interest and support to the reader, in the end pages is an early aerial photograph of Stonehenge in modern times and a c.1900 rendering of how it looked when it was first completed. In addition map artwork of the region through which the stones were believed to be moved is provided so that the reader can place sites pertinent to the story.
The main characters are strong and engaging, as one would expect that the masterminds behind a feat like Stonehenge would have been. To plan, persuade hundreds of people and to have the know-how to succeed with such a "monumental" project one must assume would entail, an organised society, with powerful leadership and powerful reasons for performing such a task. Does religion drive such a movement... or hunger, need, fear, superstition, lust for glory or posthumous recognition? Follett has the answers for you. Two main characters drive the plot. Seft is a flint-miner, with a skill for masonry, carpentry, engineering and working with people. He is a commanding presence, a natural leader and good man. Joia is a priestess, sister of Seft's wife and a charismatic leader and visionary. Drought ravages the plains and terrible conflict and bloodshed is looming between the three groups of people existing in that time-herders, farmers and woodspeople. Something has to be done to avert crisis, to keep the communities prosperous and to make them an attractive stopping place on the trade route.
Follett imagines the social, economic and daily lives of these people. He presents possible behaviours around the rites of death, styles of leadership and group organisation, social dynamics, economic life, sustenance, family life and especially religious/spiritual life. In a pared back style, he evokes the simple communications, sentence structure and understandings of the people in those Neolothic times. Follett details the minutiae of daily life down to food and labour division and even understandings of measurement for example this will take you as long as a pot of water takes to boil or this distance is around the length of an arrow's flight. Rooted and dependent on nature for survival as the people were, Follett imagined that the priestesses held great power over the simple folk because of their ability to count the days and know the crucial times of the year eg Midsummer which dictated the time for planting, reaping and festivity.
Brutal and harsh, heartbreaking and heart-warming, Circle of days, true to Follett's writing is a captivating historical immersion into the people and times of the building of Stonehenge. Follett brings a human story to the mystery of Stonehenge.
Themes Stonehenge, Neolithic lifestyle and technology, Ancient worship, Cosmic cycles.
The Last Ember by Lily Berlin Dodd brings together two memorable young protagonists from opposite ends of society. With a gripping foundation and complex characters, this is a story that blends high-stakes adventure with survival, power and trust.
Dusty is a thirteen year old orphan, living in squalid conditions and driven by fierce loyalty to the other abandoned children. Recently inducted into the Thieves Union, Dusty uses his quick thinking and street-smart skills not for selfish gain, but to provide for others who rely on him. His kindness, resilience and quiet bravery make him an immediately likeable and layered character.
In stark contrast, Eva is a gifted twelve year old chemistry student, raised in an affluent family and educated at an elite academy. Eva is intelligent, analytical and fiercely determined. While her upbringing has provided her privilege and safety, she possesses an inner strength that becomes increasingly evident as the story unfolds.
The plot ignites when Eva selects a birthday gift that appears unusual but harmless, only to discover it is the last known aerimander egg. Inside contains a powerful dragon capable of destroying whatever it is commanded to, and highly sought after by an evil government director - determined to harness its destructive power.
Unaware of the true danger surrounding the egg, Dusty is assigned to steal it. But his mission quickly becomes unstuck and he must think fast. How will Dusty and Eva keep true to their cause, and will they ever learn to trust each other?
Dodd delivers a narrative filled with suspense, political tension and twists that will catch readers off guard. The stakes are high, and the adventure is tense, however, the novel does slow in places. Additionally, scenes featuring violence and particularly cruel antagonists may be confronting, and make this fantasy more appropriate for older, mature readers.
Ultimately, The Last Ember is a fantasy novel exploring sacrifice, morality and the cost of power - an intriguing, if at times uncomfortable, adventure that lingers long after the final page.
Selby is the errant understudy for the lead role in the class production of Romeo and Juliet, but she almost totally focuses instead on her nominated role in the set crew – understandable given Selby has dyslexia. When the real Juliet fractures her spine, Ms Karim needs Selby to step-up into the part in just 2 days! Selby and Dan (her old tutor) do the unthinkable, because desperation causes them to risk trusting that Selby’s reading of the script will not result in time travel. It happened in Book 1 of the series after all. They couldn’t be more wrong.
In a flash they land in the middle of a street fight between the Montigues and the Capulets. When Selby sees firsthand the folly of the lovers who she observes meeting for the first time, she is determined to stop the tragedy by nipping it in the bud. Dan is less optimistic but appreciates that Selby is motivated to learn the part and perhaps get a passing grade.
As characters move back and forth between past and present worlds, we laugh out loud when they misconstrue events. However, Selby and her classmates analyse the play with more modern sensibilities including the feminist perspective. This Selby hopes show the lovers a glimpse of the future if they don’t change their misguided ambitions, by bringing them forward in time to watch class rehearsals. The real Romeo’s reaction to Barry ‘kissing his betrothed’ captures the immersion of audience members in live performances as a core function of the dramatic arts. We see this theme demonstrated so well in Maggie O’Farrell’s novel Hamnet and the film adaptation.
R.A. Pratt, author of Friday Barnes series amongst others has added Romeo V Juliet to her Shakespearian series which kicked off with the best selling, "Hamlet is Not OK". In the epilogue she ends with the title of Book no 3, but more importantly we look forward to another witty and funny time travel adventure.
Pratt has very cleverly written a narrative within a narrative as Dan and Shelby discuss the events, motivations and character traits resulting in their intervention scheme for the Montiques and the Capulets. Can they avert the comedy of errors that leads to unspeakable tragedy of self-harm – doubly tragic for being unintentional? Romeo V Juliet is the perfect companion to the original play, affectively unpacking Shakespeare with teenagers because we have the privilege and stimulation of watching fictional contemporaries do it first. The idea of forbidden love is responsibly addressed by concluding with help-line contacts just in case the subject matter is triggering. 207 p.
Themes Shakespeare, Romance, School, Theatre, Drama, Tragedy, Time travel.
Deborah Robins
Sky country by Aunty Patsy Cameron. Illus. by Lisa Kennedy
Walking with their Grandmother, the children are introduced to their Ancestral Beings. First they must walk to the mountains, a long and cold trek. Grandmother paints their faces with red ochre, and begins to tell the story of two stars, brothers in the Milky Way. Together they built the mountains, and the rivers using their stone tools. They made the fishes, the insects and the moss and the land began to bloom. Now they made the plants and the trees, the birds and animals, spreading their seeds and digging the earth. They followed the seasons always adapting to the new climate. The first people were made from the earth, and they sang and danced, remembering the stories of the Ancestral Beings and of Country. The Ancestral Beings rubbed sticks together to make fire, giving warmth and safety to the people. Stories such as these are passed on from father to son, mother to daughter, so the younger generation know where they have come and about Country, ready to pass it on to those who come after them.
The children walk back to the coast, carrying the story of their Ancestral Beings in their hearts. The words flow easily from one page to the next, encouraging children to see the Sky Country for themselves, emboldening them to look closely at what is before them. Two pages follow with information about the author and illustrator.
The lovely text is supported by glorious images of the stars, the Sky Country and the Sea, encouraging children to look closely at each page for what is shown. A guide to what can be found on each page is given at the end. I love Lisa Kennedy’s images of the trees, standing tall on many pages, while the Ancestral Beings and her vision of the night sky are spectacular.
Morticia and Gomez are flummoxed by Wednesday’s multiple infractions leading to explusion from several high schools in a row. In desperation they enrol her at their old Alma Mater, Nevermore. Wednesday and Morticia’s strained relationship are typical of many families. Of course Wednesday abhors any mould – even a Gothic one and especially her mother’s. She is already planning her escape, or is she? In the past she has attempted to solve the age old problem of the school bully singlehandedly and with such gusto! Perhaps she identifies finally with Nevermore’s outcasts and misfits who welcome the loner - or is she simply focused on solving crimes given her vigilante and social justice leanings?
Appealing to Addams Family fans of the past 60 yrs, this novelisation of the script of the “Wednesday” TV series, Season One, directed by Tim Burton, doesn’t disappoint. It is well written for YA and adults! For one thing, you don’t miss Wednesday’s razor-sharp quips - both deadpan and macabre. Thing and Lurch make appearances with main action figures in Principal Weems, Xavier, Bianca and Enid her roommate. One drawback is that the novel is Wednesday’s memoir of events, so readers are deficit perspectives from the rest of the cast, unfiltered by the novel's narrator.
Lucky for us Tehlor Mejia, the author, makes us privy to Wednesday's hit and miss criminology musings in order to solve a decades old murder mystery dating from her parents' time at Nevermore. No longer quite so immune to peer pressure, the epilogue seems to segue to Book 2 when Xavier gifts her a smart phone, already loading a mysterious message.
Whilst fans of both the Addams Family and the serialized Wednesday, spin-off programs will be engaged by the most intimate version of Wednesday Addams yet, the rest will be charmed by the comedic fish-out-of-water setting.
Themes Dark humour, Horror, Mystery, School, Supernatural, Family.
Deborah Robins
Jet Set Pets: Hop on board! by Maddy Mara & Kyla May
This second book in new series Jet Set Pets follows the glamorous life of Violet and her three pets (Trixie, Jerome and Zola). They fly about the world in their fabulous Pet Jet, which Violet pilots. Each book has three short stories, each one separated into chapters and contains black-and-white pictures on nearly every page. Large text, plenty of white space and simple vocabulary make this a perfect series for newly independent readers and the content and themes will satisfy a wide spread of ages, making it great for older reluctant readers.
There is nothing real about the world that Violet lives in; her pets talk to her, (and can fly her plane), there isn't a parent in sight and they do things like attend friendship ceremonies on yachts. Fans of Gabby's Dollhouse and The Princess in Blackwill feel right at home in this fantasy land of Violet's. For those who don't know, Maddy Mara is the penname of writing duo Hilary Rogers and Meredith Badger who also wrote Itty Bitty Kitty. Kyla May's illustrations are wonderful and the series will also appeal to fans of her series Paris Takes Over the World and Diary of a Pug.
The characters are unique and vibrant, the settings and descriptive language is rich and the dialogue and relationships between the four are humorous and entertaining. Children will especially love Zola, who talks only in rhyme (faint is hood = paint is good). The stories in this instalment are about a stunt plane competition in Japan, the mystery of an egg thief in France and saving the day at a friendship party at sea.
For fans of steamy, sexy, breathless romance, danger and fantasy, Jordan Gray's debut novel Bitten may be the thing. Bitten begins with a teenage night time beach party in the human world and rapidly moves to a fantasy world - to the seven werewolf courts.
Gray aids the reader in understanding the built fantasy world through a number of methods. The complex fantasy court worlds are built with a hierarchy which is helpfully detailed in the front pages where the powers and jurisdictions of each hierarchy: Regents, Dukes and Duchesses, Earls and Countesses, Barons and Baronesses and lesser packs, are explained. In addition, as an aid to unpacking the complexities, is a family tree which shows the amalgamation of the two key ruling families. There is also a prologue in which the rules of the werewolf courts are laid out. Breaking these laws results in death through the pain of isolation; there is nothing worse than being barred from the pack and being forced to become a lone wolf. The terrible banishment of Cora Siveri from the court of Castle Severi on account of her having broken several laws results in generational distrust, intrigue and treachery because Cora gave birth to a child who was part human/part wolf. Power struggles and a battle for succession are a consequence.
The central character, a human girl, Vanessa Hart, witnesses her best friend's brutal murder. She herself is kidnapped and wakes in the werewolf world, in the Castle Severi. She vows revenge and holds onto that vow throughout the story, learning the ways of the court and that she herself is special in a way that she barely understands and (as is the usual trope) learns to recognise and use to her advantage. Werewolf/human interaction and romance is fairly quickly established and a hot-blooded, brutal dance of love, betrayal, intrigue and survival ensues. Being very much true to the concept of the werewolf sensitivity to daylight/night, the book is divided into three parts and action is directed by the heavens. The three parts are: the curse of the moon where Vanessa is taken from a teenagers' party on an island off the ancient town of St Augustine, Florida. "You belong to the Wolf Queen's Court now" she is told as a syringe is jammed into her neck and ..."the world darkens." The second part -" the punishment of stars" details Vanessa's life at court and growing intrigue, bloody violence and romance. The third part - "the retribution of the sun", brings the story to a twisted and somewhat baffling conclusion.
The story is action packed; the action is fast-paced and brutal. The imaginative castle setting is richly detailed. The characters are true to archetype: the evil Wolf Queen, the malevolent and sychophantic members of her court, the impossibly handsome princes, our beautiful violet-eyed heroine and a myriad of other cast members. The clash between good and evil, the holding onto good and the blurring of both is a theme. Bitten is confusing for the reader, as the world of the Wolf Court is confusing to Vanessa. In that environment, bitter palace intrigue reigns. Gut-wrenching and perplexing betrayal happens.
Beginning with a certain overwriting of metaphorical language, Gray's writing settles into its stride as the book progresses. Described variously as "dark" and "viciously sexy", Bitten is the debut novel of an author who loves books with "lots of kissing" and "hot supernatural men" and who, as an author, is developing confidence in building fantasy worlds that are both complex and coherent for the reader. As best-selling author of similar thematic titles (For the wolf/ For the throne) Hannah Whitten writes, "Jordan Gray is one to watch". There is much more than kissing in Bitten, so fair warning, this a steamy book directed at the Adult - older teen audience.
Scrolling through the Aurealis Awards finalists for Best Young Adult Novel 2025, I saw that Dark Sun Rising by A.A. Kinsela was listed and when looking further, saw that it was book 2 in the Song Gate series. Lightning tracks is the first in the series, a finalist in the Aurealis Awards in 2018, and has been republished in 2026 in print and e-book form. Although I had a huge pile of books to be read, some of them urgently needed at the public library, once I started Lightning tracks I could not put it down. It tells the story of Nick Williams, a 16-year-old boy whose only thought is keeping out of trouble at school. He arrives home to find his aunt assassinated and barely escapes with his life, as David, once his guardian, drags him through a song gate to a foreign land. Meanwhile Cal, another young man, has been enslaved by the Arai, and brought up to be an assassin. He cannot face the massacre of prisoners by his unit and escapes, joining the Bandala group of rebels. Nick is being hunted by the King who wants him dead and Cal’s skills may be the only thing that keeps him alive.
The Australian setting made Lightning tracks stand out for me. Vivid descriptions of eucalypt trees, water holes and forested hills provide a background to the adventures that Nick and Cal are thrust into. There is danger everywhere, and with war looming, the main characters’ loyalty is tested. Nick longs to return to his home through a song gate, but as he finds out his real identity, he must decide whether he will stay and defend his friends. Cal is seeking redemption for past misdeeds and longs to be part of a group that will give him freedom.
Lightning tracks is an exciting fantasy. It is easy to read with its likeable characters and suspenseful action and readers are sure to want to pick up Dark Sun Rising to see what Nick and Cal’s future holds.
Themes Fantasy, Identity, Adventure, Action.
Pat Pledger
Dogs with Jobs by Max Hamilton
Albert Street Books, 2025. ISBN: 9781761181016. (Age:3+) Highly recommended.
‘These pups are professional’ is the subtitle to this wonderful exploration of how much we are indebted to dogs. Starting with a a dental dog, companion dogs appear in other places such as school and libraries, and range to the dogs that chase away seagulls on the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House, dogs are a necessary support unit. And this book shows a wider view of the work they do.
Each double page is devoted to one area of expertise, with a brief introduction and lively illustration to show readers the work these dogs do. Starting with dogs as pets at home, the book shows some surprising dogs trained to help in areas not normally brought to mind. A dog helps younger people keep calm at the dentist, dogs help with children in hospitals, they are involved in Paralympic Games, supporting a vision impaired participant. Turning the pages readers will read about Eba a dog that sniffs out whale poo, Finn a dog which picks up the bats in baseball games in the USA, Yuki the avalanche rescue dog, Mezzo the penguin protector, and finally Teddy, the studio dog helping its owner keep on track with hugs.
From the award winning Muster Dogs and Dog Park on television, to the many books appearing about dogs, interest in dogs has blossomed, and this book will give readers a bird’s eye view of the work some dogs are trained to do, supporting our lives. It shows an amazing array of workplaces and the skills learnt and shown by these wonderful dogs.
Themes Dogs, Companion dogs, Disability.
Fran Knight
I'm Very Busy: A (Nearly Forgotten) Birthday Book by Oliver Jeffers
It was a lovely day, Bridget thought, a lovely day to spend time with friends. So she set out to see them. First she saw Royal and asked if he was doing anything later. Yes, he said, he had people to see. Then there was Rodney with his invisible dog. But he too had people to see. Later she asked Regis, but he was busy washing his hair. Each of her friends had something else to do, they were too busy to stop and spend time with their friend, Bridget. Penelope was busy digging a hole, Pearl was busy with her lists, so Bridget had no choice but to return home to blow out her birthday candles alone.
Her friends were shocked, what had they done to their friend?
Pearl asks Rodney if he knew it was Bridget’s birthday, and Rodney asked Royal, then Royal asked Regis, and Regis asked Penelope, and even though they had all said that they were too busy to meet their friend, they all rushed to prepare a birthday celebration. One made a cake, one a card, one blew up the balloons, and the others set up a table and decorations for a party. Bridget was thrilled because this was the sort of lovely day she wanted to spend with her friends. So everything came together to make it just that.
A lovely laugh out loud story will win hearts as children sympathise with Bridget, and then be happy with her and her friends who find a way not to be too busy to meet their friend. This poignant look at friendships and what makes them work will encourage children to look at the way they treat their friends, how they want to be treated themselves and what to do when forgetting a birthday.
This very funny easily relatable look at friendships, would be very helpful in a classroom or at home where adults are open to discussing issues with their students or offspring. In making a common situation humorous allows the reader to see the story with open eyes. I love the demeanour of Bridget as she goes from a very confident young girl at the start to a stooped shouldered, dejected looking girl going back home to celebrate alone.
Teen readers deserve to have intriguing mysteries that pique their curiosity and inspire them to keep reading. This is one of those books! Set within the walls of an elite boarding college, for the wealthiest families to inculcate, educate and network their children for power careers into the future, two teen sisters arrive as scholarship holders (escaping the attention of a sad family history), and land into this strange world that drips with prestige. Fellow students come from extreme wealth or neglect, and this can cause some to be difficult classmates. Younger sister Liza is prone to pushing boundaries and Douglas College does not suit her personality. Older sister Meg is perhaps more suited to the academic rigours of her new school, but she soon has doubts about Douglas College when Liza’s personality changes overnight. An unexplained death, or two, and doubts about the school’s leadership and governance sets Meg, her roommate, and a few trusted hackers onto the search for truth. But are they putting their own lives at risk? Or can they fight against the power of wealth and privilege without being manipulated by it or is something evil at play?
Written by Australian author Amy Doak, this story has the hallmarks of an American YA mystery. The ‘wealth and privilege’ society and the ‘boarding school life for rich children’ is mostly at a considerable distance from Aussie teen experience (except through Film and TV), but this is not a problem. The story is almost a reality-fantasy scenario that twists and turns with thriller possibilities, and a little teen romance. It is engaging and exciting for YA readers aged 13-18. The main YA characters are mostly trying to uncover secrets surrounding the school rather than be openly and actively rebellious, and the poor relationships with families seem to be a symptom of great wealth or possibly a consequence of the mystery that unfolds. This is the kind of book that teens will share based on positive peer-reviews and the joy of discovering a book that has a dark cynicism and cinematic feel.
Themes Wealth, Mystery, Boarding school, Teen romance, Murder, Mind control, Biological poisons.
