Royals, by Tegan Bennet Daylight

Six teens and a baby are somehow stranded in a Sydney shopping mall at 5.17pm, which is when all the clocks, watches, phones and devices have stopped. Anxious, blue-haired Shannon tells the tale of the group’s fear and adaptation to their circumstances as they try to figure out what has happened and how to escape. She and wheelchair-bound Jordan, competent Tiahna and her artistic cousin Grace, spiky Akira, exuberant ADHD James and the baby they name Juno squabble and bond, ‘shopping’ for everything they need. Are they in Lord of the Flies? Big Brother? Some alternate universe? The story is an interesting examination of strangers and misfits becoming friends by realising what they have in common is so much more than what divides them. Occasionally tipping over to preachy, especially on diversity, the novel is also a nice reminder that every generation has its heroes.