Illuminae, by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

It starts off well with an attack on a remote illegal mining colony by an evil mega corporation, BeiTech. Several thousand refugees, including resourceful teen exes Kady and Ezra, manage to evacuate from the planet but are pursued by BeiTech, which wants to destroy the evidence and hence all survivors of the attack. Written in the style of an official report on the event, including briefing notes and redactions, the characters are engaging and the story zips along. Unfortunately it becomes increasingly difficult to physically read, with sections of text swirling all over the page and grey text on a black background. All very creative, but all very unnecessary. Similarly, the plot deteriorates into sheer silliness, as the teen rebels pull off miracles while battling bureaucracy, zombies and an AI spaceship that is going insane, as well as the villainous BeiTech. The novel’s subtitle – The Illuminae Files_01 – and the slightly cliffhanger ending indicate that this may be the first in a series. Don’t bother.

Healing (2014) directed by Craig Monahan

Heavy with symbolism and metaphor, Don Hany and Hugo Weaving lift this tale of gradual redemption way above its meagre budget. Imprisoned for 18 years and estranged from his family, Viktor Khadem (Hany) is transferred to a low security prison farm to prepare for his eventual release. Case officer Matt Perry (Weaving) is there to ease the transition and introduces a program to care for injured raptors and prepare them for release back into the wild, all while he and his wife are coming to terms with the loss of a child. A solid supporting cast, including Xavier Samuel, Justine Clarke and Jane Menelaus help to flesh out a deeply moving story, beautifully filmed in a glorious location - Healesville Sanctuary, outside Melbourne.

Here Be Monsters (ebook) by John Birmingham

The First Fleet has just arrived in Sydney Harbour, preparing to deal with the dangers and privations of a new world. But Captain Watkin Tench and his cohorts encounter a world of wonders and inexplicable horror. This rollicking alternative history of time travel and zombies leaves the reader wanting more. We know our hero lived to tell the tale to the Royal Society, but how did they escape the Scourge? How did Tench court his wife Jennifer? What happened after the American colonies were won back? Answer my questions Birmingham damn you!

I'll Give You the Sun, by Jandy Nelson

Jude and Noah are twins, negotiating adolescence after a tragic loss. They were once so close they divided the world between themselves, but a tragic loss, mutual jealousy and dealing with their emerging sexuality have led to a devastating rift. The trauma seems to have engendered a personality swap, with popular girl Jude becoming a loner and outsider Noah burying his true self and turning ‘normal’. A new mentor for Jude is the catalyst for change, but will Jude and Noah be able to get their shit and themselves together? The story alternates between each twin’s point of view and jumps back and forth in time to explain how they have become estranged, not sparing their flaws and mistakes but engendering sympathy for each nonetheless. The ending is possibly a little too neat, but draws on the continuing minor theme of fate and spirituality to suspend disbelief, in line with the quote used on the cover, ”We were all heading for each other on a collision course, no matter what. Maybe some people are just meant to be in the same story.”

A Waltz With Matilda, by Jackie French

In a sweeping tale of drought and flooding rains, we follow Matilda from the age of 12 to 33, from poverty in the city to wealth in the bush. Her story mirrors the development of Australia into a federation on a somewhat soap operatic scale. The depth of research is impressive and throws up many interesting facts about Australia’s history that may not be well known. Unfortunately the history has a tendency to swallow the story, rather than informing it, verging on didactic and with several unlikely plot points detracting from the story. This is mitigated somewhat by the use of letters, especially Matilda’s correspondence with suffragists, which plausibly adds details of the movement for votes for women. Matilda herself is a little too good to be true, her trajectory underlining an essentially positive and optimistic outlook for the new nation. Nevertheless the characters are vividly drawn and with the story ending at World War I and the dawn of a new era for both Matilda and her country, it will be interesting to see where the next book in the series takes them.

Suffragette (2015) directed by Sarah Gavron

This is an important film that should be compulsory viewing in all schools and by all parliamentarians to reduce ignorance about why feminism matters. A laundry worker in London's East End, Maud Watts stumbles into suffragism almost by accident. It is 1912 and women have few rights, not least the right to vote. Life is harsh for working men and even harsher for working women. Maud's dawning realisation of her powerlessness and her sacrifices in the fight for better are movingly depicted. Winning votes for women would be a step towards women gaining control over their own lives; 50 years of politely requesting change has got them nowhere and the Women’s Social and Political Union decides it’s time to get militant. The entrenched powers that be feel the threat and clamp down hard, treating activist women like terrorists and enlisting the media in a conspiracy to ignore them and their cause. Maud and her colleagues resort to increasingly desperate tactics to gain attention in a bid to change the world for their children’s sakes, culminating in a stunt that cannot be ignored. Even people familiar with the history of British suffragettes may be shocked and disturbed by the visual representation of their brutal treatment by authorities. Carey Mulligan commands the screen as usual as Maud and is ably supported by Helena Bonham Carter and Anne Marie Duff. The film does not pretend to be anything other than political and makes a very powerful point at the end with a scroll down timeline of when women achieved the vote around the world.

Under Majordomo Minor, by Patrick DeWitt

A weird combination of fable and gothic novel, with a touch of comic book adventure thrown in to the mix, Under Majordomo Minor is a bit of a headfuck. In the first few chapters the overblown language, with multiple adjectives per sentence, is a tad tedious, but it either eases up or you get used to it and it becomes less of a bother. Our hero, dear reader, aimless 17-year-old Lucien Minor, leaves home and takes a job as under majordomo in a castle in another town. His adventures include falling in with thieves, falling in love and witnessing a violent orgy. A bizarre and fantastical ride, the reader remains in Lucy’s corner all the way, despite his many flaws.

Cloudwish, by Fiona Wood

Scholarship girl Van Uoc keeps her school life and her home life strictly separate. It’s hard work living up to the stereotype of overachieving daughter of refugees, especially when you are starting to develop wants and needs that don’t fit the pattern. Her two worlds collide when she gets involved with jock of jocks Billy Gardiner, who is struggling with his own stereotype of parental and peer expectations. Luckily there is always Jane Eyre to turn to for guidance. Given their extreme reliance on Van Uoc for translation and negotiating bureaucracy, one wonders how on earth her parents managed for so many years before she came along. The actual wish element is unnecessary and a little silly; seemingly only present to justify the title; the story would have been better without it. But these are minor quibbles in a moving and engaging tale of cultural difference and finding your way.