8 Awesome Aussie YAs Everyone Should Read
So many wonderful things come from Australia: the Brothers Hemsworth, the flat white, some truly epic slang (a pash and slab makes for a great arvo, amirite?). Australia is basically the undisputed champion of cutest animals contests, with both koalas and kangaroos calling the country home—but more importantly (or equally as important), it’s home to some fantastic YA authors.
Here are 7 of our favorite books by authors hailing from Australia, so pack your metaphorical bags as they take you on a trip to the land down under.
The Year of Secret Assignments, by Jaclyn Moriarty
Three hilarious friends named Emily, Lydia, and Cassie are living it up at an Australian private school when they’re forced into a dubious pen pal program with three boys at a nearby public school. Told entirely through letters, journal entries, emails, and the like, the students come to life as we witness a school year filled with love, heartache, revenge, and hilarity. The letters soon lead to secret missions, super-swoony flirting, and a major war between trival schools. Reading this book is like reading about your best friends—or about the people you wish were your best friends. And the best news is that it’s part of the Ashbury High series, which can be read in any order.
Girl Defective, by Simmone Howell
Skylark Martin was raised in a beachy suburb of Melbourne above her dad’s record shop, where she and her eccentric little brother, Gully, help him out. Their selfish mother skipped town to realize her dream of becoming a performance artist, and the family seems to be a jumbled mess of barely holding it together. But now that It Girl Nancy has taken up the best friend mantle, Sky’s starting to learn more about herself and what her future may entail. And then of course, there’s the shop’s new hire, Luke, an attractive guy with a tragic past. It’s a story of first love and finding yourself that somehow manages to be witty and dark and weird and cool, all at the same time. Howell also wrote the equally compelling Notes From the Teenage Underground.
The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak
This highly celebrated and enchanting novel tells the story of Liesel, a girl trying to survive in Nazi Germany, from the perspective of Death, whose starting to wear a little thin with all the souls he’s been collecting. Liesel’s story clearly shows the horrors and the cost of war, but it also shows the hope people can hold on to and some of the good moments that shine through. It’s a beautiful story that allows you to sit back and wonder about bigger things like fate, death, and the human condition. And if you’ve already devoured The Book Thief, you can check out some of Zusak’s other, equally beautiful works, including I am the Messenger and Underdogs.
Every Breath, by Ellie Marney
This is a modern retelling of Sherlock Holmes with the mystery set at the Melbourne Zoo. Oh, you didn’t realize until just now that you wanted an Aussie version of Sherlock? Well, you’re welcome (and feel free to still picture Benedict Cumberbatch while you read it). Teen genius and resident bad boy James Mycroft sets the mystery in motion when he drags Rachel Watts to the local zoo, and the pair discover the mutilated body of a man they both knew. It’s a classic whodunit, with plenty of smarts and sass for a true Sherlockian. And yes! There’s a sequel!
Jellicoe Road, by Melina Marchetta
Aussie teen Taylor Markham’s life is basically a mystery to her, and the environs of Jellicoe Road are full of secrets. She’s been living at the Jellicoe School since her mother abandoned her, and now she’s serving as the reluctant leader of her school’s underground community, as they wage a war with the Townies and the city-kid Cadets. But when Taylor’s mentor Hannah disappears, leaving behind a mysterious manuscript, Taylor finally starts to learn the truth about her past. This lyrical, beautifully written tale will give you all the feels. Marchetta is also the author of other Australian-set favorites Looking for Alibrandi and Saving Francesca.
Love and Other Perishable Items, by Laura Buzo
This debut novel is set in New South Wales, where 15-year-old Amelia works at a supermarket with 21-year-old Chris. Amelia is, understandably, immediately smitten with the older college student, but she’s smart enough to know it’s never going to happen, keeping her obsession to herself. It’s an awkward love story, told through Amelia and Chris’s journals, and also an incredibly funny story. As their relationship starts to deepen, you can’t help but fall for both characters.
Sabriel (Abhorsen Series #1), by Garth Nix
Sabriel lives in a world where magic exists, but she’s spent her life on the nonmagical side of the wall, tucked away from the supernatural in a world that’s fairly similar to our own. Just as she’s about to graduate from a boarding school that borders the wall between the magical and mundane worlds, her father, the Abhorson, goes missing—he’s stuck in death. This development forces Sabriel to go questing, accompanied by her horrible little white cat and armed with a set of bells and magical sword. This trilogy starter does some impressively heavy lifting in building a compelling fantasy world, with a kickbutt heroine who can definitely hold her own against the dead.
Liar, by Justine Larbaliester
This gripping tale of a compulsive liar will keep you guessing as Micah—our self-confessed liar—attempts to trade in her lies for the truth after becoming a suspect in her boyfriend’s murder. She weaves her tale in short sections, confessing to past lies and bad behavior, all while sharing ever more unbelievable details. While pulling you in, Micah will force you to question what’s real and what’s fake and what’s the thing you most want to believe. Other amazing books from Larbaliester (such as Razorhurst and How to Ditch Your Fairy) make her a genuine Aussie YA rock star (though Liar, her latest book, is technically set in New York).