I’m a lover of YA fiction, and writing YA books! Growing up in small-town Eastern Canada, I had a difficult time connecting to the popular YA novels of the time. There were few that really reflected my experience, or even felt relatable. Now, as a writer, I seek to write novels that others who may feel underrepresented for any number of reasons can build a connection to. And as a reader, I’m constantly on the lookout for works that speak to me.
This book broke me open and sewed me back together. It’s a must-read if you’ve ever loved someone who was struggling with their mental health. Absolutely gut-wrenching, but still bursting with hope, this story stayed with me for weeks. One aspect I especially loved was seeing the friendship between the main character Caitlin and her deceased friend Ingrid through the lens of the past, while at the same time seeing her build new connections with the people around her in the present. The way her memories of Ingrid and the things she leaves behind informs some of her decisions in the present was expertly done.
A beautiful new edition of the stunning debut novel by Nina LaCour, award-winning author of We Are Okay
"Hold Still may be the truest depiction of the aching, gaping hole left in the wake of a suicide that I've ever read. A haunting and hopeful book about loss, love, and redemption." - Gayle Forman, #1 bestselling author of If I Stay and I Have Lost My Way
That night Ingrid told Caitlin, I'll go wherever you go. But by dawn Ingrid, and her promise, were gone.
Ingrid's suicide immobilizes Caitlin, leaving her unsure of her place in a new life…
It’s a classic for a reason! But I really love this story. Being a freshman in high school is challenging enough, and having a few upperclassmen friends to guide you through it can be really formative and life-changing. I think we all have had a Patrick and Sam in our high school experience! I loved reading about Charlie slowly coming into himself while also slowly uncovering his own past. It’s a story that’s heartwarming, heart-wrenching, and absolutely essential reading.
A modern cult classic, a major motion picture and a timeless bestseller, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a deeply affecting coming-of-age story.
Charlie is not the biggest geek in high school, but he's by no means popular.
Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it, Charlie is attempting to navigate through the uncharted territory of high school. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and music - when all one requires to feel infinite is that…
Now onto something much lighter, but equally as memorable and charming! Lara Jean’s narration is so youthful and chaotic, it reminds me so much of myself. While YA is full of teens going out and having daring adventures, I really appreciated reading a story about a girl who just wants to stay home—and a plot that thinks otherwise! Lara Jean’s journey of putting herself out there and embracing what life throws at her was such a beautiful, oftentimes amusing one. Truly a read I could revisit again and again.
Now a Netflix feature film! Lara Jean keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her.
One for every boy she's ever loved.
When she writes, she can pour out her heart and soul and say all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only.
Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly Lara Jean's love life goes from imaginary to out of control!
The first book in the bestselling series by Jenny Han, which has been made into a NETFLIX feature film
This is a book that hits hard and stays with you for weeks. Tanner is an out and proud bisexual from California, but when his parents have to relocate to Utah, he tries his best to fly under the radar before graduating. All his plans quickly fail when he meets Sebastian, a boy who comes from a deeply Mormon family, and the two make a connection they can’t run from. Religion and queer identities are tough subjects, but the authors handle them with compassion and heart. A truly touching coming-of-age story.
Coming-of-age novel about two boys who fall in love in a writing class-one from a progressive family and the other from a conservative religious community.
Three years ago, Tanner Scott's family relocated from California to Utah, a move that nudged the bisexual teen temporarily back into the closet. Now, with one semester of high school to go, and no obstacles between him and out-of-state college freedom, Tanner plans to coast through his remaining classes and clear out of Utah. But when his best friend Autumn dares him to take Provo High's prestigious Seminar-where honor roll students diligently toil to draft…
One of my favourite YA novels ever! The narration in this book truly comes alive. Reading it, the narrator Dade just popped right out of the page and into my inner reading voice. He was so vibrant and full of personality, and while his misadventures were very unlike my own experiences, I still felt a connection to him. I was hooked from beginning to end! This book also inspired me to get back into writing my own novel, so it has a really special place in my heart.
It's Dade's last summer at home, and things are pretty hopeless. He has a crappy job, a "boyfriend" who treats him like dirt, and his parents' marriage is falling apart. So when he meets and falls in love with the mysterious Alex Kincaid, Dade feels like he's finally experiencing true happiness. But when a tragedy shatters the final days of summer, he realizes he must face his future and learn how to move forward from his past.
It’s a story about growing up and coming into the person you want to be. The final year of high school is an uncertain time, full of shifting friendships and the future looming overhead. It’s often a period of self-discovery, too; trying to reconcile who you’ve been all this time with who you want to be. I Knew Him explores all that and more. Plus! There’s a Shakespeare play thrown in for good fun.
Every picture tells a story, but it’s not always the one we expect or remember. Christmas Actually is a festive drama about family and forgiveness and a snapshot of modern family life, addressing Instagram to motherhood and everything in between.
Why Christmas? My publisher wanted my new novel to have a festive theme, specifically set in Australia–sun, surf, sunburn, and prawns. Christmas in Australia is very different from Christmas in the UK, USA, and Canada. We typically wear shorts and t-shirts, eat salad and seafood for Christmas lunch, and play beach cricket in the afternoon. Despite the season, conflicts, secrets,…
Time spent with family can be challenging, especially at Christmas actually…
Kate Cavendish is stuck in a rut. That is until a former colleague contacts her and offers her a chance to fulfil her lifelong dream of becoming a successful photographer.
With her focus pulled in all directions by her children, her pregnant sister, her newly-dating mother, and the niggling worry that her husband might be having an affair, Kate is filled with self-doubt.
Then as the countdown to Christmas begins, and memories of her own childhood resurface, Kate’s anxiety deepens – both personally and professionally. Can she move on…
