Lists: Best of 2017 LoveOzYA 2

I couldn’t limit myself to only 6 Australian novels, but I could manage 12. Here are my first 6.

I reviewed three of these here, over this year: Valentine (January), Before You Forget (January) and Wilder Country (August). They are very different in style and genre, but they all depict a strong main character who has to deal with big questions. They are each distinctly Australian, either by voice or location, and they all offer an authentic teenage experience.

I went back to RSO to see what I said about My Lovely Frankie, and it’s a fairly extensive review, so I impulsively added it here yesterday. I am not sure which teen is going to pick it up, but it won’t be that cover that puts them off! I found the story mesmerising and gentle.

The other two are well reviewed on GR and other places. But just quickly, here are some thoughts of mine.

Night Swimming by Steph Bowe (April)

Kirby lives in the smallest country town in Australia, according to her best friend Clancy who is ready to flee to be a musical theatre star, and his snark and vibrancy keep Kirby from moping about too much. Everyone wants Kirby to leave too, but she’s less sure of that, especially when her grandfather starts to exhibit signs of memory loss and dementia.

Kirby is going through a lot, yet Bowe’s writing style is laconic and breezy. She allows Kirby’s fears about her family to filter through a lens of humour and rebellion. She doesn’t want to follow expectations, or hurt anyone, but she does have things to figure out, including her feelings about her absent father, and the new delectable arrival, Iris.

This gentle story is full of heart and optimism. Kirby is slow to act, but her thoughts are generous and self-effacing. It’s the small details that gives this story depth – the mysterious crop circles, and why they appear, the carpenter with a casual approach to Kirby as apprentice, the animals, all as important to Kirby as people, and of course, Clancy’s one-night-only extravaganza musical performance. The whole town comes alive under Bowe’s skillful hand, and it’s impossible not to get caught up in their stories.

Ballad for a Mad Girl by Vikki Wakefield (May)

Grace’s narration is strong if not always reliable. Wakefield continually plays on the meaning of ‘mad’, so that by the end, we have been twisted and turned like a broken spiral. There’s a mystery to solve, friendships to patch, and a brother who is impossible to know. Grace’s grief about her mother’s death scars her actions, and ultimately we are left with more questions than answers. Well, I was.

It really is a tour de force and I am intrigued to see the next direction Wakefield takes. I know I don’t explain anything here about the plot, but it is best to read this unspoiled.

My (other) favourite 6 Australian novels will be posted on Friday.