Outlaw Girls

Outlaw Girls by Emily Gale & Nova Weetman (Allen & Unwin) ISBN: 978192279023 RRP $16.99

Reviewed by Melissa Wray

Ruby and Kate live two very different lives over140 years apart. One day Kate finds herself transported through time from 1878 to 2022 where she meets Ruby. Before long the two girls find themselves on the ride of their lives with only one outcome for certain. Neither belong in the other girl’s world, especially when the history books have already been written.

Ruby lives with her mum in 2022 who is busy working to make ends meet. Her friends are fun, but don’t always make great choices which leads to Ruby being in trouble regularly. After one particularly bad choice she finds herself sent to her uncle’s farm which has one bonus. She gets to ride the beautiful horse, Queenie.

In 1878 Kate lives with her family who are known relatives of the Kelly gang. In fact, the infamous Ned Kelly is her brother. He’s on the run and it is her job to elude police and safely drop off food to him. This suits Kate because it means she gets to ride her horse, Oliver.

When the two worlds collide, the action is non-stop as Ruby becomes part of the Kelly family. With just the right number of historical facts sprinkled into this time slip tale, Outlaw Girls gallops along keeping the pages turning with fun, humour, and adventure.

Gale and Weetman’s writing styles are so seamless, so in sync, it is difficult to believe it was not just one person who wrote this book. The story includes brilliant horse-riding skills and with attention to detail about the setting in the high country, the reader can easily imagine being in the saddle with Ruby and Kate.

This book is such a great Aussie read and even though most will know the history of Ned Kelly, few will know about his brave and fearless younger sister Kate Kelly, until now. Outlaw Girls is suitable for a 10+ years readership.

The Edge of Thirteen

The Edge of Thirteen by Nova Weetman (University of Queensland Press) PB RRP $16.99 ISBN 9780702263125

Reviewed by Kylie Buckley

The Edge of Thirteen is a middle grade fiction novel about navigating the ups and downs of becoming a teenager. Written in the first person, the narrative follows Clem Timmins as she enters Year 8 at high school.

When long-term friendship trio, Clem, Bridge and Ellie catch up after the summer holidays, Clem realises her friends are growing up without her. Their conversations are now about periods, bras, boyfriends, and social media -- experiences that seem so far away for Clem. Regrettably, the feeling of being left out causes Clem to act in ways she wouldn’t usually.

Once school starts back, the trio’s dynamics subtly change and Clem begins spending time with some new people, including a boy named Tom. As her social world expands, so does her self-doubt and peer pressures. Clem is caught between wanting to do things her way in her own time and desperately wanting to fit in. Unfortunately for Clem, her changing world and new friendships bring her a range of frustrations and embarrassing moments.

The Edge of Thirteen includes themes of friendship, puberty and first crushes. This novel is recommended for children aged 10 years and older.

Sick Bay

Sick Bay by Nova Weetman (UQP) PB RRP $16.95 ISBN: 978 0 7022 6032 2

Reviewed by Nikki M Heath

Two girls. One sick bay. Will the neglected outcast reach through the defences of the cool kid living with type 1 diabetes? Can the popular girl bring the introvert out of hiding? What happens when a complicated home life and a cast of adults ranging from well-meaning to ignorant to absent are layered into the mix?

In the final year of primary school, Meg is doing what she needs to do to handle life after her father’s death with a depressed mother. She takes care of herself as best she can but refuses to let anyone help. Meanwhile, Riley is rebelling against the restrictions imposed by her overprotective mother as they begin to impact on her social life.

In a novel alternating between two first-person main protagonists, it feels unfair to have a favourite. Nevertheless, the character of Meg is a stand-out. She faces an intensely difficult life outside of school, but still manages to maintain a firm sense of self. She tugs heartstrings from the intriguing first line of the book: “My best friend is a brown paper bag that has a slight crease in the corner”. Yet, for all her hiding in sick bay, over the course of the book her strength emerges and creates the perfect underdog for the reader to cheer on.

Riley is a contrast. She finds herself entangled in a “mean girls” clique while struggling with her type 1 diabetes and anxious mother. In the early chapters, she is painted as cruel and shallow, but Weetman does a clever job of introducing complexity and doubt into her character, enough to rouse interest – and sympathy – in the reader. We are invited to put ourselves in Riley’s shoes, and while her troubles with friends and parents seem trivial compared to the neglect facing Meg, those issues gain greater depth in the context of her medical condition.

The book will be an education for anyone unfamiliar with the daily reality of type 1 diabetes. It also uses Meg’s story to explore, in a gentle way, grief, poverty, depression and neglect. Weetman delivers a powerful child’s perspective, drawing us gradually into Meg’s world, although it is worth noting that readers who have experiences echoing Meg’s may need support.

In many ways the overall arc feels familiar: a misfit with her troupe of amusing and kind fellows is thrown up against the cool kid who has secret misgivings about her unpleasant friends. There’s even a cinematic graduation scene at the climax. And yet, there is purpose underlying the trope: it provides a framework allowing the confronting themes to play out with emotional resonance against a recognisable backdrop. This is no simple school-ground friendship drama. This is a story of real-life stakes and authentic crises, delivered in an accessible package.

Although this novel has a female-heavy cast, the girls’ experiences are universal. Boys as well as girls will benefit from understanding her story, as well as Riley’s condition. An important book for all 10 to 13-year olds.

Sick Bay

Sick Bay by Nova Weetman (UQP) PB RRP $16.95 ISBN: 978 0 7022 6032 2

Reviewed by Nikki M Heath

Two girls. One sick bay. Will the neglected outcast reach through the defences of the cool kid living with type 1 diabetes? Can the popular girl bring the introvert out of hiding? What happens when a complicated home life and a cast of adults ranging from well-meaning to ignorant to absent are layered into the mix?

In the final year of primary school, Meg is doing what she needs to do to handle life after her father’s death with a depressed mother. She takes care of herself as best she can but refuses to let anyone help. Meanwhile, Riley is rebelling against the restrictions imposed by her overprotective mother as they begin to impact on her social life.

In a novel alternating between two first-person main protagonists, it feels unfair to have a favourite. Nevertheless, the character of Meg is a stand-out. She faces an intensely difficult life outside of school, but still manages to maintain a firm sense of self. She tugs heartstrings from the intriguing first line of the book: “My best friend is a brown paper bag that has a slight crease in the corner”. Yet, for all her hiding in sick bay, over the course of the book her strength emerges and creates the perfect underdog for the reader to cheer on.

Riley is a contrast. She finds herself entangled in a “mean girls” clique while struggling with her type 1 diabetes and anxious mother. In the early chapters, she is painted as cruel and shallow, but Weetman does a clever job of introducing complexity and doubt into her character, enough to rouse interest – and sympathy – in the reader. We are invited to put ourselves in Riley’s shoes, and while her troubles with friends and parents seem trivial compared to the neglect facing Meg, those issues gain greater depth in the context of her medical condition.

The book will be an education for anyone unfamiliar with the daily reality of type 1 diabetes. It also uses Meg’s story to explore, in a gentle way, grief, poverty, depression and neglect. Weetman delivers a powerful child’s perspective, drawing us gradually into Meg’s world, although it is worth noting that readers who have experiences echoing Meg’s may need support.

In many ways the overall arc feels familiar: a misfit with her troupe of amusing and kind fellows is thrown up against the cool kid who has secret misgivings about her unpleasant friends. There’s even a cinematic graduation scene at the climax. And yet, there is purpose underlying the trope: it provides a framework allowing the confronting themes to play out with emotional resonance against a recognisable backdrop. This is no simple schoolground friendship drama. This is a story of real-life stakes and authentic crises, delivered in an accessible package.

Although this novel has a female-heavy cast, the girls’ experiences are universal. Boys as well as girls will benefit from understanding her story, as well as Riley’s condition. An important book for all 10 to 13-year olds.

The Secrets We Keep

The Secrets We Keep by Nova Weetman, (UQP)

PB RRP $16.95

ISBN 978 0 7022 5421 5

Reviewed by Elizabeth Kasmer

It’s been six weeks since a fire burnt down Clem’s home and now her Mum and her old life are gone. The few things she has managed to salvage are tainted by the smell of the fire and painful memories of losing her mum. Clem and father can now no longer afford to stay in the neighbourhood and are forced to move into a tiny flat so they can be closer to her father’s work and Clem’s new school.

On her first day of school Clem meets Ellie and in an effort to fit in, Clem lets a secret slip about what happened to her mum which she immediately regrets. As Ellie’s mum is in hospital dying of cancer, Ellie immediately bonds with Clem over common ground of losing a mother. This connection places Clem in the awkward situation of coming between Ellie and her oldest friend Tam who becomes jealous of Clem. To Clem’s credit she is able to put herself in Tam’s shoes and wonders how she would feel in the same situation.

Clem is helped through her struggles by her ever optimistic father who works at the botanical gardens and wears a big jacket that Clem buries her face in so she can smell his earthiness. Maggie, the neighbour in the flat upstairs, provides a refuge for Clem, offering tea, freshly baked treats and also a sense of purpose by giving her the job of feeding and caring for the fish whilst Maggie is away for work.

Clem is a runner and the track is where she can be her true self, it is where all her problems float away. It is interesting to watch how Clem learns to recognise, and return to, the things in her life that bring her joy (such as running). But will Clem continue to run from her problems? Or will she find the strength to face the truth about what really happened with her mum and the fire?

Reading this book brought back strong memories of my own primary school experiences; the emotions, school yard dynamics, politics and rivalries. My eleven year old self was right there beside Clem on her first day of school peering into the school playground.

“And I’m out here. Looking through holes in the wire, wondering how I’m going to do this.”

Nova Weetman does a beautiful job of shining a light on what it’s like to feel lost and having to fit into new surroundings when everything familiar is gone. This is a wonderfully relatable book that has strong appeal for middle grade readers. When I closed the book there was a real sense of sadness not only that the story had come to an end but that it had been resolved so beautifully.

Elizabeth Kasmer is a Sunshine Coast based writer of children’s and young adult fiction. www.elizabethkasmer.com

The Secrets We Keep

The Secrets We Keep by Nova Weetman (UQP) PB RRP $16.99

ISBN 978-0-7022-5421-5

Reviewed by Joanne Pummer

 This novel by Nova Weetman, is highly recommended for all children (9 yrs+), but it's especially relevant for children feeling anger towards a parent who's struggling with depression, mental illness or addiction.

Written in the first person, by eleven year old Clem, the story starts on the first day at a new school, when Clem and her Dad are living in a flat because their house has burnt down. The fate of her mother is a mystery; 'Mum was asleep' is all Clem tells us. This is the hook that entices the reader.

Clem's new friend, Ellie, is inquisitive about the reasons she has shifted schools.  'My mum died,' Clem says. Three words she'll live to regret. Ellie, believing she's found someone who understands, tells Clem her mother is dying of cancer.

We feel for Clem when she has flashbacks of her mother before the fire, in bed, crying, unable to cope with housework, the signs of depression. Ellie's mother dies and Clem is unable to face the funeral.

A turning point comes when Clem receives a letter from her mother and refuses to read it. Clem is angry, believing it was her mother who started the fire, When Ellie finds out she flees in tears, because Clem has lied to her.

I had a lump in my throat when Clem, eventually, between sobs, reveals her shameful secret. She wished her mother had died in the fire because it's easier to talk about a dying mother than one who's unavailable. My tears came at the last page, when Clem sees her mother at the school athletics carnival, with her 'arms out and ready' and Clem says ''Mum''.

Warning: Copious amounts of sugar were eaten by the characters, during the writing of this book.

Frankie and Joely

Frankie and Joely by Nova Weetman (UQP)

HB RRP $19.95

ISBN 978-0-7022-5363-8

Reviewed by Elizabeth Kasmer

Set in a small Victorian country town during the week between Christmas and New Year, Joely invites best friend Frankie for a holiday at her Aunt and Uncle’s farm. Joely introduces Frankie to her country cousins, Thommo and Mack, who both begin to compete for the beautiful Frankie’s attention. Tensions rise further when local bad boy, Rory, decides to make a move on both girls. When it is revealed that Rory has been leading the girls on, without the other knowing, hidden jealousies threaten to shatter their friendship. 

The story is written in third person omniscient and told mainly from Frankie and Joely’s perspectives. The constant change in point of view gives a fascinating insight into the complicated dance between teenage girls as they explore the intense love they feel for each other along with equally strong feelings of annoyance, jealousy and competiveness. The rural town setting, the stifling heat, dust and flies add a believable and uncomfortable atmosphere to the story as these two girls attempt to navigate their personal problems.

Mother/daughter relationships are also explored with Frankie’s aloof and unreliable mother and Joely’s anxious and overprotective mum nicely contrasted with the warmth and tenderness of Joely’s Aunt Jill, whose kitchen and home cooking provide a refuge for the girls.

The novel gives interesting insights into both Frankie and Joely’s struggle for self-awareness in a world filled with boys, family problems and testing emotions. It also reminds older readers of the power and importance of first friendships. This is an honest and beautiful story about female relationships aimed at junior to middle teens.

On her webpage, Nova Weetman states her goal as a writer is to: “Write stories that snuck into a reader’s heart so they’d fall in love with them.” She has certainly achieved this with Frankie and Joely.

Elizabeth Kasmer is a Sunshine Coast based writer of children’s and young adult fiction. www.elizabethkasmer.com

The Haunting of Lily Frost

The Haunting of Lily Frost by Nova Weetman (University of Queensland Press)

PB/HB RRP $14.95

ISBN 978 0 7022 5015 6

Reviewed by Jo Antareau

It’s been a long time since I’ve read a genuinely spooky story that doesn’t rely on violence and gore for effect.

Teenager Lily’s life is turned upside down when her family move from the city to an old house in a country town. Strange things start to happen whenever Lily enters a small room in the attic – a room which becomes her bedroom. Odd sounds, plummeting temperatures, letters marked on the floor, a presence in a room. Has Lily’s imagination gone wild, or is something supernatural happening?

In between questioning her sanity, Lily has to juggle normal adolescent concerns, with missing her bestie and trying to fit-in at the new school high on the list. This is complicated by the fact that she has a striking resemblance to the girl who used to live in her house. A missing girl. A girl with secrets.  A girl whose place she seems to be taking.

Her classmates seem to know more about it, but some are overtly hostile to Lily’s presence. Baffled by her classmates’ reactions, Lily is determined to discover the secret. Did the unhappy girl run away or did something sinister happen to her? And how is she connected to the mysterious happenings in the room. Author builds the tension page by page to the nail-biting climax.

Don’t read this story when you’re alone.