Oh, Australia. Home of red dirt, too many snakes, and some super readable YA fiction. I picked up another one from the new book pile yesterday entirely due to the blurb quote by Melina Marchetta. Marchetta writes books about -- brace yourselves -- teens with issues (so, all teenagers, because who doesn't have issues?), but they're funny and sad and beautifully written. She's probably best known for Looking for Alibrandi, which was made into a movie, but the one I return to most often is Saving Francesca (and sequel The Piper's Son).
Another favourite writer from across the pond is Jaclyn Moriarty, author of Feeling Sorry for Celia and sequels. She writes quirky novels told through notes left on the fridge and letters from a character's subconscious and other epistolary ephemera, which is a favourite trope of mine (see my Epistolary Novel list). Two of her sisters are also authors (I recommend Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies, currently being filmed as a TV series), albeit for adult readers -- what a disgustingly talented family.
Fiona Wood rounds off my top three Aussie contemporary YA authors -- a colleague wrote a lovely post about my favourite of hers, Wildlife, which covers grief and friendship and living out in the bush with a bunch of teenagers. She's also written Six Beautiful Things, a modern genderswapped retelling of Cinderella, and Cloudwish, a super sweet story about Vietnamese-Australian Van Uoc Phan, wishes, and Jane Eyre.
Any other fans out there? I've been writing down Marchetta's recommendations from her blog and adding them to my list of Aussie YA, so if you're stuck for something to read do take a look. Or let me know if I'm missing someone amazing!
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