A Hunger Of Thorns by 
Lili Wilkinson is the award-winning author of nineteen books for young people, including The Erasure Initiative and A Hunger of Thorns. Lili has a PhD from the University of Melbourne, and is a passionate advocate for YA and the young people who read it, establishing the Inky Awards at the Centre for Youth Literature, State Library of Victoria. Her latest book is Deep is the Fen. - Website
This darkly atmospheric book draws the reader into a metaphorical exploration of the challenges of living in a highly industrialised world, told through the lens of an interrogation of female power and persecution in the historical and contemporary context. While utilising a magical realism setting to present highly contemporary themes, the clearly drawn characters allow the reader a deep understanding of the psyche of young people, and the novel is firmly grounded in family and peer group dynamics. Though building on the recognisable young adult trope of the “strong female protagonist”, Wilkinson has cleverly subverted this tradition through world-building and interesting characterisation, making this immersive story a powerful and original novel for the upper end of the readership.
Let's never speak of this again by 
Megan Williams won the 2022 Text Prize for her debut YA novel Let’s Never Speak of This Again. She lives in Brisbane with her husband and their three children.
A highly readable coming-of-age debut novel that captures some of the traditional hardships teens experience. The narrative follows the central character Abby, over a year as she navigates change and her own insecurities. Told in a modern diary-esque style, the novel explores the challenges of relationships and dealing with tragedy and loss. The themes of friendship and growing up are conveyed in a realistic and relatable manner through the character’s relationships; and family plays a central part of the story, exploring intergenerational connections and sibling dynamics. The use of humour to balance out some of the serious themes, makes it a compelling read with a lot of warmth that will resonate with a broad young adult readership.
Grace Notes by
Karen Comer is a writer and freelance editor, and she presents writing workshops to children and adults. Earlier in her career, she worked in educational publishing and was the editor for children’s art magazine BIG. She lives in Melbourne.- website
This beautifully written debut captures all the light and shade of COVID-19 lockdowns, exploring the wider impact of the pandemic and how it affected different age groups. As one would expect from a verse novel, the prose is spectacularly lyrical in a manner so deeply authentic to the story it is impossible to put down. Well-constructed family dynamics are cleverly revealed through the sparse writing, but it is the authentic coming-of-age portrayal of protagonists Grace and Crux that is the selling point of the story. They are adorable and delightful and almost too good to be real, yet still inherently teen in their worldviews. This book is a gorgeous exploration of art and creativity from the perspective of central characters who are searching to discover meaning and purpose through both, opening thoughtful, original discussion around street art and the meaning of music that is highly suitable for the readership.
the quiet and the lound by 
Helena Fox lives in Wollongong, Australia, where she runs creative writing workshops for young people. She’s a graduate of the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College in North Carolina.
She has travelled widely, living in Peru, Spain, the U.K, Samoa, and the US. Of all her adventures, Helena is proudest of the work she has done helping young people find and express their voice. - goodreads
A highly readable coming-of-age debut novel that captures some of the traditional hardships teens experience. The narrative follows the central character Abby, over a year as she navigates change and her own insecurities. Told in a modern diary-esque style, the novel explores the challenges of relationships and dealing with tragedy and loss. The themes of friendship and growing up are conveyed in a realistic and relatable manner through the character’s relationships; and family plays a central part of the story, exploring intergenerational connections and sibling dynamics. The use of humour to balance out some of the serious themes, makes it a compelling read with a lot of warmth that will resonate with a broad young adult readership.
Inkflower by
Suzy Zail has worked as a litigation lawyer, specialising in Family Law, but now writes full time. Among other titles, she has written her father's story, The Tattooed Flower, his life as a child survivor of the Holocaust - website
The dual timeline narrative is deftly handed by the author, using simple chapter headings to clearly delineate Emil’s experience as a young boy sent to Auschwitz and his teenage daughter Lisa’s life in the 1980s in Australia. The two timelines work together to explore themes of survival, secrets, and the transformative power of truth and storytelling. The historical setting is brought to life with incredibly vivid descriptions - the horror and violence of the Holocaust is balanced with small acts of kindness and a heartbreaking hyperfocus on food. The characterisation of Lisa felt authentic and relatable - her response to her father’s story and diagnosis of Motor Neuron Disease was to initially turn away from her friends and escape into the arms of her boyfriend. This book would appeal to mature readers keen to learn about the Holocaust and take on a devastating, powerful story with the potential to make you cry.
Two can play at the game by 
Leanne Yong is an Asian-Australian author of Singaporean and Malaysian heritage who loves writing the diaspora experience into contemporary and fantasy YA fiction. She started her career as an IT business analyst (boring) and is now an escape room creator (much more interesting). -google books
A charming “enemies to first love” story that targets the readership beautifully in a thoroughly PG style, despite being about slightly older teens. Although gaming is central to the premise — which in itself is wonderful for the intended audience — the reader needs no knowledge of the field to delight in this character-focused book. The rapid-fire dialogue and humour complement well-drawn family dynamics that consider what it can mean to grow up Australian-Malaysian, the responsibility inherent in being the eldest sibling, and the issues of living up to parental expectations. With captivating pop culture nerdery sprinkled liberally throughout, this debut novel is primarily driven by internal conflict, examining the little-discussed theme of how challenging it can be to “peak” in high school and framed by the gentle romance.