AustLit

'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 for 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?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Even though she lives on the wrong side of town, 14-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 novel is about the importance of hope and standing up for what you believe in.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Spencer tells the story of a tight-knit family led by single-mum and matriarch Marilyn and her three adult children – wayward daughter Jules, mouthy coulda-been Ben and AFL player and golden-boy Scott.

'About to meet the young son – Spencer – he never knew he had, Scott and the family have returned home to help mark the occasion. With the surprise appearance of the father they barely remember, the entire family is forced to work together to clean up both the house and their own fractured relationships as the clock ticks down to Spencer’s arrival.'

Source: Lab Kelpie.