Tag: Young Adult
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Tim Te Maro and the Alphabet Book Club podcast
Today’s post is centred around an LGBTQ YA novel set in a magical boarding school, a podcast catch up about the book itself (with guests including the author and me!), and the Alphabet Book Club who do such great work getting books like this out to Kiwis! Tim Te Maro and the Subterranean Heartsick Blues…
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Wynd Book Two – The Secret of the Wings
A fantastical world of myth and magic, a boy with a secret, his best friend, the castle groundskeeper’s hunky son, a prickly prince, mysterious enemies, and a dangerous quest. Wynd Book Two: The Secret of the Wings is heartfelt, thrilling, and beautifully illustrated. I adored this second volume even more than the first! Written by…
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Blue Flag – slice of life LGBT romance manga
Blue Flag centres on a group of friends navigating their final year of high school while unknowingly entangled in a love quadrangle – two classmates falling for each other, unaware that their same-sex best friends have already fallen for them. It is quite the muddle – a mess of conflicted feelings where they want the…
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Heartstopper
Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper is a gentle coming of age story, with characters exploring themes of friendship, love, sexuality, gender and mental illness. The story centres around two boys who meet at school: the highly-strung, openly gay Charlie, and easy-going, sporty Nick. Heartstopper is sweet without being sickly sweet. It’s fun and heartwarming, while still feeling…
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The Fowl Twins
Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl novels were a fixture during my childhood and teen years. I revisited the stories again in my twenties, introducing my partner to the adventures of Artemis, Butler, Holly, Foaly, Mulch and the rest of the crew. It was such a joy on long drives to listen to the audiobooks. And now,…
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The Secret Commonwealth
Philip Pullman’s The Secret Commonwealth is the second volume of the Book of Dust. Lyra Silvertongue has grown up and lost her sense of adventure and imagination, attributes that once defined her. La Belle Sauvage, the first volume of the Book of Dust, followed baby Lyra and young Malcolm. His Dark Materials – the original…
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What If It’s Us
Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera co-authored What If It’s Us; a cute, gay romance with some diverse and realistic characters bursting with personality. Ben is broken-hearted and stuck in summer school. Arthur is interning at his mother’s office and in love with everything New York. After a chance encounter at the post office the boys…
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Carry On and Wayward Son
Rainbow Rowell’s Simon Snow series is magical, charming, hilarious, heart-warming, and just tremendous fun. Now, I’m wary of spoilering so I won’t summarise the story, but instead present the blurb from Carry On – it sets the scene and the tone so well: Simon Snow is the worst Chosen One who’s ever been chosen. That’s…
G. B. Ralph 