FEATURE
Cream of the crop: 2021 YA fiction in review In a year of lockdowns, deep cleans and social distancing, you can be forgiven for missing some of the great Aussie fiction for young people that has been published. Local writer and young-adult fiction lover, Polly Jude, takes us through some of her favourite YA novels of 2021.
100 Remarkable Feats of Xander Maze
Low Expectations by Stuart Everly-Wilson
by Gabrielle Williams Xander is devastated when he finds out his Nanna (his best friend) has Stage 4 cancer. She only has a few months to live. Xander’s frustrated. There’s nothing he can do to save her. Then his Nanna makes him write a list. Xander’s list of 100 remarkable feats drives him to make new friends, get the courage to ask out Ally Collins, to take chances and to find a new way forward. Xander’s quest to achieve all the feats on his list coincides with the disappearance of local schoolboy, Sean Emerson. When Xander sets out to find Sean in the national park where he’s thought to be hiding, Xander has no idea how their lives will be changed forever. 100 Remarkable Feats of Xander Maze is a beautifully written, hopeful story about compassion, acceptance and survival. With his unique narrative style, Comber has given Xander a loveable voice that will melt your heart. This coming of age, pay-it-forward rom-com is going to be a crowd-pleaser. Mums will love it, young adults (especially girls) will love it and if you can read this without crying happy and/or sad tears, you should see a doctor! Harper Collins / 304pp / RRP $19.99
24 | SUMMER 2022 northerly
Fifteen-year-old Devon Destri is a young man in hiding. Devon’s let the whole world think he can’t talk, that he’s ‘hard of speaking’ and that his cerebral palsy makes him stupid. But Devon is smarter than they all know. Set in gritty industrial Western Sydney in 1975, Low Expectations covers a tough year for Devon and for fashion. He loves David Bowie and it’s yet another thing that separates him from the conservative, workingclass world he lives in. Devon’s nearly at the end of high school and a lifetime of secrets are about to catch up with him and his mum. While not strictly marketed as YA, this one will appeal to the adults who can’t get enough YA fiction. It is fastpaced, funny and so clever it hurts. Low Expectations explores a number of confronting issues including rape and sexual abuse, domestic violence, bullying, living with disability and sexuality. Devon is on a hero’s journey to save himself and his best friend, Big Tammy. Their story is one of overcoming adversity and defying the odds. Devon is the YA hero we needed in 2021. Text Publishing / 320pp / RRP $32.99
