Steampunk, historical fiction and mythology? Whatever makes you tick, there’s a serving of fresh new Aotearoa fiction to get you excited. These titles range from junior fiction to young adult fiction, but as with any book, so much depends on…
It must be new young adult fiction season, because we’re back with more reckons on recent releases. Today, Tihema Baker talks two titles: Steph Matuku’s new fantasy novel Falling Into Rarohenga and Anne Kayes’ simultaneously contemporary and historical story In…
Lucy Black reviews some YA that cover some hard-hitting themes in Draw Me a Hero and The Dark Quest of Countess X: A Call to the World’s Youth. Whether you are finding yourself or smashing the patriarchy, they have all…
Why do we love games? The high-octane fun? The easy access to discovery, adventure, challenge, and endless other draws? Sure. Yes to all of that. But the real kicker? It’s the infinite possibilities. The magical sandbox to play in. A…
There are some cracking YA reads in the NZCYA finalists this year; there’s realness, drama, history, fantasy and just some downright good storytelling. We love hearing about the process, characters and inspiration, so we have asked our finalists some probing…
There’s never a bad time to be a young adult reader, because the world is full of wonderful treats, whether new or old. But it’s an especially good time to be a young adult reader when there are new titles…
The Sapling’s Sarah Forster reviews three fantastic new titles for teens: think epic fantasies and slave trades, tales of religious differences and big decisions, and revisiting and healing from trauma. But as different as these books may be from one…
Lani Wendt Young is back with a new title, Fire’s Caress – the second in her Telesā World series for teens. Enjoy this excerpt from pages 32–35 of the book, describing antagonist Marc Gold’s villain origin story…
Today we are delighted to share some stellar reviews from writer and public servant Tihema Baker, featuring three teen-friendly(ish) titles from different blokes of letters, mixing fiction with reality, Pākehā and Māori worlds, and single voices with many. Read on,…
The death of the father of the family whose ordeal David Hill’s YA novel Coming Back is based on spurred him to think about how writers record and adjust reality to suit their narratives. Coming Back might not be regularly…