4 YA extracts to shake things up this weekend

Whisper by Lynette Noni – Start reading now

Jane Doe or Subject Six-Eight-Four, hasn’t spoken a word since she entered Lengard, a secret government facility for people with special abilities. After enduring a gruelling daily regime of psychological assessments, physical training sessions and thinly veiled torture, Jane can barely remember what life was like before she entered Lengard two and a half years ago. Despite this, she is acutely aware of the crime she committed that led her to this place and remains silent from fear that her words will cause further harm.  Read our full review

The Implausible Story of Olive Far Far Away – Start reading now

Author Tonya Alexandra returns to world of invisible teenager, Olive in another funny, thoughtful and deeply enjoyable young adult novel that explores issues of identity, self-worth, family and love. Olive has lived her whole life under a Gypsy cursed placed upon her pregnant mother, doomed to be invisible to all but her true love, Olive lives a half-life dependent on her family, and few close friends that love and value her despite not ever having seen her face. After the events of The Impossible Story of Olive in Love, in which Olive broke up with her boyfriend Tom, the person she still believed was her true love, the sequel opens with Olive and best friend Rose travelling the world. Sneaking into 5-star hotels in Vietnam (it’s easy to check in for free when you can’t be seen by the staff), they encounter two intriguing young men who capture their attention. Read our full review

If I Tell You by Alicia Tuckerman  – Start reading now

If I Tell You tells the story of Seventeen-year-old Alex Summers who lives in the small town of Two Creeks, and is carrying a secret that she fears daily will be discovered. Alex knows she is gay, has known for years – but in her small, claustrophobic, bigoted town, she cannot see a future in which she can safely and comfortably come out to friends and family. When Phoenix Stone, the daughter of a famous musician arrives in a cloud of gossip and rumour, Alex is intrigued. Talk of Phoenix being a lesbian, and the way in which the locals speak of her, has Alex sensing a potential friend (or something more), while also confirming her fears of the homophobic attitudes that may be turned on her. Author Alicia Tuckerman grew up in rural Australia in a place not too dissimilar to Two Creeks and it shows in the vibrant descriptions. She has drawn a cast of flawed, loving and at times, very funny, deeply Australian characters – Alex’s world in If I Tell You, will be immediately familiar to readers. Read our full review

The Lies they Tell by Gillian French – Start reading now

Every summer, sleepy Tenney’s Harbour has an influx of wealthy tourists that come for the holidays. Pearl Haskins and her father are part of the workforce that makes it all possible – caretakers, wait staff and cleaners. Locals are dubbed the ‘Townies’ by the ‘Summer Families’ and tension between the two runs high but for Pearl and her father there is a much greater tragedy lurking beneath the surface. Last summer the Garrison family compound was engulfed in fire, tragically leaving only one survivor, Tristan Garrison, the eldest son. Pearl’s father was working as the caretaker that night. When the police rule that the Garrison fire was arson, making it a multiple homicide, many of the wealthy families blame Pearl’s father for not stopping the murderer’s entry to the house. The weight of this has broken him and he spends more and more time drinking. Read our full review

Mercy Point by Anna Snoekstra – Start reading now 

Maybe we should meet?

This is the question that changes everything for Mercy Point teenagers Emma, Tessie, Michael, Fabian and Sam. Up until this point they have anonymously bared their souls to one another as part of an online group for adopted children. Online they share all their personal pain about this discovery and question why their parents haven’t been honest with them about it. This common thread binds them tightly untilsomeone suggests that they all meet. It’s always a risk to meet online friends and when four of the five members realise that they have been sharing all this with people they go to school with – people they would prefer not to see ever again – their bond is stretched to the limit. Read our full review