Making Friends with Alice Dyson, by Poppy Nwosu

Alice Dyson is a nerd with no social life who spends most of her time studying. She lives to please her distant parents, at least until the end of this final year at school. After that she has big plans that diverge significantly from theirs for her and will not please them. Two things disrupt Alice’s intentions for a studious final year. The first is her one friend May, who craves social success and drags Alice along in her wake. The second is dark and brooding bad boy Teddy Taualai, who is constantly in her face. As the year rolls on Alice steps out of her comfort zone in many ways, but ultimately remains true to herself. Nwosu’s book is sweet and funny, if not entirely credible. The relationships and actions seem more like those of kids aged 13-14, rather than 17-18, so the main characters don’t feel quite real. But their different setting in the northern suburbs of Adelaide and the understated multicultural crowd are delightful.

Vampire Academy, by Richelle Mead

An update on the old boarding school genre to the era of the supernatural, the girls of Mallory Towers and St Clares might struggle at the Vampire Academy. No midnight feasts or lacrosse games here. Despite its complex vampire politics and frequent violent confrontations, it is still essentially a story of the strong bond between teenage girls. Lissa and Rose have to negotiate peer pressure, snobbery, bullying, boy trouble, oh and murderous relatives. Fans of this series were apparently not keen on the movie version, mainly because of some casting issues, and there is no sign of a movie franchise developing as the books have. This seems a pity, as the books have far more meat than many such, for example the dreary Divergent series.

Inbetween Days, by Vikki Wakefield

When Mr Right is wrong for you and Mr Wrong is right for you and you are torn between love and hate for both your sister and your mother, life is complicated. Add to that being stuck in a small town known as a suicide spot, with no ambition and not much of a future and life looks pretty bleak. This intense and complex story does have its lighter moments and overall draws a credible picture of the pain and pleasure of becoming an adult. The metaphors are sometimes a little heavy handed, but the language is sometimes poetic, the plot maintains suspense and the ending is satisfying, offering hope without tying up the story too neatly.

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.

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.”

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.

Green Valentine, by Lili Wilkinson

Some YA books transcend genre to be universally relevant. This is not one of them. Perfect and popular Astrid is determined to make the world a better place. An unlikely alliance with rebellious Hiro leads to romance and multiple clashes with authority. Politically correct to the point of nausea, the improbable plot becomes cartoonish as all comes right in the end. Harmless enough.

The Beauty is in the Walking, by James Moloney

Jacob has cerebral palsy but gets around on his own two feet, thanks to the dedicated care of his over-protective mother. She has a nice, safe job lined up for him when he finishes school and his life in a small Australian country town has been well and truly mapped out for him. A coming-of-age tale that sometimes tries a little too hard, Jacob’s journey of self-discovery covers disability, racism, sexual awakening and the insularity of country life.