This is the best of 2016. This is what I consumed in 2016 not necessarily what was created in 2016. I’ve included a brief blurb to entice you to find and consume these items yourself.
The Stars at Oktober Bend by Glenda Millard — a 15 year old girl with acquired brain injury is victim-blamed, her family fragments, and she meets a guy. The most moving parts of this novel are healing and self-actualisation. Tissues are essential.
My Sister Rosa by Justine Larbalestier — a teenage boy struggles to cope with his psychopathic sister and family dynamics while seeking a girlfriend and growing up.
Lady Helen and the Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman — a young woman in Regency London discovers she’s part of the paranormal world. An adventure romance.
The Sidekicks by Will Kostakis — three very different teenagers were like satellites around their best friend, Isaac, then he died. They don’t really know each other. Real-world YA.
Map of Bones by Francesca Haig — a post-apocalyptic novel featuring disability
The Dreaming Tree by Jo Oliver — an illustrated children’s book of poetry
The Yearbook Committee by Sarah Ayoub — the Breakfast Club set in Australia in the present
Yellow by Megan Jacobson — more than ‘just’ a YA ghost story
Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn — a Japanese fantasy
Foreign Soil by Maxine Beneba Clarke — available in print or audiobook versions. I love and adore the audiobook, read by Clarke herself. It doesn’t include all the poetry of the written version but does include several short stories, all of which are amazing.
Easy Way Out by Steven Amsterdam — a gay romance with family and work-related issues revolving around euthanasia. Unique and unmissable.
Down Under (2016) — a black comedy about racism in Australia. Hilarious, tragic and poignant. An absolute masterpiece.
Favourites not yet reviewed: Lucifer season 1. There may be one or two more.