Books

Triple Threat

CBCA Notable Book

A contemporary young adult novel about musical theatre, first romance and standing up for yourself.

At the prestigious performing arts school Arcadia Grammar, the theatre kids and the musical theatre kids have just one rule: you DO NOT go for each other’s lead roles. But Edie is about to throw the rulebook out the window – and all hell is going to break loose.

Edie Emerson is a triple threat: she can sing and dance and act. But despite being the lead in every musical at Arcadia, she knows her future on the stage is uncertain. At least until the infamous director Toby Swan agrees to stage Romeo and Juliet at the academy.

This show could launch Edie’s career – except she doesn’t do ‘theatre’. And she’s already agreed to star in a new musical written by her best friend, Will. So when Toby casts the annoying-but-hot Noah Winters as Romeo, and he insists on Edie as Juliet, it sets the stage for drama …

Edie had her role at Arcadia down to a fine art. But does she have what it takes to play the most difficult and complicated role of all: herself?

Everywhere Everything Everyone

A vivid, captivating contemporary YA novel about the power of resistance, from a stunning Australian debut author. Perfect for fans of The Handmaid’s Tale and Z for Zachariah.

Even though she lives on the wrong side of town, 16-year-old Santee believes her world is like ours: that running late for curfew will only get you grounded, and that the government tries to keep its good citizens safe and secure. Until one night, everything changes.

On her way home from school, Santee takes a detour to the outskirts of town with a boy that she likes – and then finds herself stranded overnight when his car breaks down. When she’s finally able to get a lift towards home the next morning, Santee discovers that everything has changed. A ‘safety border’ – a wall – has gone up around her part of town, imprisoning her family and trapping her on the outside …

With its subtle familiarity and a tender, defiant teen romance at its core, Katy Warner’s powerful debut is about the importance of hope and standing up for what you believe in.