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A Good Kind of Trouble
A brilliantly warm-hearted NEW series from Brooke Blurton and Melanie Saward, full of high school longing, friendship, footy matches, and dreams to change the world!
It's funny how your life changes.
I used to worry about playing footy and whether my first kiss would be with a boy or a girl. I used to worry about having enough time after school and putting my little cousins to bed to go for a run with my best friend, Loz, and whether she'd ever look at me the way she looks at my brother, Poss.
But a new girl came to school and there's something about her ... I suddenly got the courage to stand up to our history teacher about teaching our true history with books written by blackfullas. And somehow she did too!
At first we were on top of the world - and we might even have a chance to change it just a little bit. But now I'm banned from footy and I wonder ... is it all going to be worth it?
It's funny how your life changes.
I used to worry about playing footy and whether my first kiss would be with a boy or a girl. I used to worry about having enough time after school and putting my little cousins to bed to go for a run with my best friend, Loz, and whether she'd ever look at me the way she looks at my brother, Poss.
But a new girl came to school and there's something about her ... I suddenly got the courage to stand up to our history teacher about teaching our true history with books written by blackfullas. And somehow she did too!
At first we were on top of the world - and we might even have a chance to change it just a little bit. But now I'm banned from footy and I wonder ... is it all going to be worth it?
256 pages, Paperback
Published January 29, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
February 8, 2025
thank you harper collins for a copy of this book!!
this book was beautiful and explored the coming of age experience perfectly. this is the representation YA novels needs and it makes me happy knowing that it’s so easily accessible to them now 🥺 this story was so important and needed to be written.
it was good representation to the australian schooling system and even if you aren’t an indigenous australian, you will be able to relate to some aspects and appreciate the strength and courage of jamie and her peers.
Jamie’s story, sexuality and indigenous culture was so perfectly explored, i hope that young ones who see jamie in themselves can feel seen to the world and know that people are supporting them.
this book was beautiful and explored the coming of age experience perfectly. this is the representation YA novels needs and it makes me happy knowing that it’s so easily accessible to them now 🥺 this story was so important and needed to be written.
it was good representation to the australian schooling system and even if you aren’t an indigenous australian, you will be able to relate to some aspects and appreciate the strength and courage of jamie and her peers.
Jamie’s story, sexuality and indigenous culture was so perfectly explored, i hope that young ones who see jamie in themselves can feel seen to the world and know that people are supporting them.
June 12, 2025
Content warnings: racism, lesbophobic slurs, bullying.
Rep: Jamie (MC) is cis, First Nations Australian, and bisexual. Lots of Indigenous-Australians.
I adored this.
This was a brilliant, educational read. I feel like so many kids will love this. From the characters - how strong and stubborn Jamie is, to her openness about her sexuality, and her amazing athletic ability in footy.
The story itself was wonderfully done. I loved the diary entries to Jamie's teacher, and the way she was able to sort her feelings out - which is hard for anyone to do at any age, let's be real.
I just loved this from start to finish.
Rep: Jamie (MC) is cis, First Nations Australian, and bisexual. Lots of Indigenous-Australians.
I adored this.
This was a brilliant, educational read. I feel like so many kids will love this. From the characters - how strong and stubborn Jamie is, to her openness about her sexuality, and her amazing athletic ability in footy.
The story itself was wonderfully done. I loved the diary entries to Jamie's teacher, and the way she was able to sort her feelings out - which is hard for anyone to do at any age, let's be real.
I just loved this from start to finish.
February 26, 2025
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Thank you Harper Collins Australia for this book in exchange for an honest review
This was painful. The target audience was meant to be YA, however the way it was written and the way the young characters behaved and spoke throughout the story gave me juvenile vibes. Without researching the author, I would suggest that it was written by a preteen, but that could be just me. While there were no clear indications that this book was set in Australia there were some clear aussie slang (footy) dropped here and there, but there really wasn’t any aussie references along the way? So, no real clear world building that set the scene of where this story was based, you seemed to have to guess as went instead of building that within the first few chapters. There wasn’t any real indication of Australian history or even the culture easily to set up the characters perspective of life either, so I feel this would fall short with international readers, unless it is expected they know about Australia and its history. I also found that it was weird that Jamie has a passion for footy but doesn’t play it? I mean if you have a character that continuously lives like footy is their life, that ‘they are the best and everyone else sucks’ kinda manta, then have the character play footy, or at least bounce the footy more often. One thing I did like about Jamie was her lack of care of what others think of her and how proud she is of herself – but it got overshadowed really quickly with how judgmental she was to anyone that wasn’t like her or fits into her vibe, gave off bullying bitch energy which I wasn’t here for.
Overall, I didn’t find it that vibrant, nor relatable to read. There were a few characters such as Poss who was a sweetheart, that kept me reading but other than that, this just wasn’t my vibe.
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Thank you Harper Collins Australia for this book in exchange for an honest review
This was painful. The target audience was meant to be YA, however the way it was written and the way the young characters behaved and spoke throughout the story gave me juvenile vibes. Without researching the author, I would suggest that it was written by a preteen, but that could be just me. While there were no clear indications that this book was set in Australia there were some clear aussie slang (footy) dropped here and there, but there really wasn’t any aussie references along the way? So, no real clear world building that set the scene of where this story was based, you seemed to have to guess as went instead of building that within the first few chapters. There wasn’t any real indication of Australian history or even the culture easily to set up the characters perspective of life either, so I feel this would fall short with international readers, unless it is expected they know about Australia and its history. I also found that it was weird that Jamie has a passion for footy but doesn’t play it? I mean if you have a character that continuously lives like footy is their life, that ‘they are the best and everyone else sucks’ kinda manta, then have the character play footy, or at least bounce the footy more often. One thing I did like about Jamie was her lack of care of what others think of her and how proud she is of herself – but it got overshadowed really quickly with how judgmental she was to anyone that wasn’t like her or fits into her vibe, gave off bullying bitch energy which I wasn’t here for.
Overall, I didn’t find it that vibrant, nor relatable to read. There were a few characters such as Poss who was a sweetheart, that kept me reading but other than that, this just wasn’t my vibe.
March 12, 2025
real rating 4.5 stars
this was such a cute story! i think the blurb mentions that this is intended to be a series, which is really exciting! i do own brooke blurton's other book but this is the first one of her's that i've read, and i really enjoyed it.
the queer and indigenous representation was done very well and realistically - i liked that jamie came out at 12. sometimes you just know that early! this was also a very cute first romance story, i can't lie i was giggling and kicking my feet.
my only criticism is that i'm not 100% sure who specifically this book is targeted towards... it's formatted like a middle grade book, but the content seems ya, but the protagonist is quite young... not a major issue but i did often find myself wondering who the book was targeted at.
this was such a cute story! i think the blurb mentions that this is intended to be a series, which is really exciting! i do own brooke blurton's other book but this is the first one of her's that i've read, and i really enjoyed it.
the queer and indigenous representation was done very well and realistically - i liked that jamie came out at 12. sometimes you just know that early! this was also a very cute first romance story, i can't lie i was giggling and kicking my feet.
my only criticism is that i'm not 100% sure who specifically this book is targeted towards... it's formatted like a middle grade book, but the content seems ya, but the protagonist is quite young... not a major issue but i did often find myself wondering who the book was targeted at.
January 29, 2025
how can i even begin to review such a perfect book? so much of this story hit close to home, and the sensitive areas were treated with such love and care. calling out the colonial project within so-called australia was brilliant done: it had staunchness and nuance and depth. i especially love the intersectional of race, girlhood, sexuality as the through line of the story. wonderfully done.
May 19, 2025
Ehhhhh 2.5.
I didn’t really feel like this book was for 14-16 it was more for 10-13.
It mentions tiktok and snap and idk….the plot was predictable and after a few pages I was yawning.
I loved the Aussie vibes and I’m all for supporting Aussie authors. I loved the wlw representation but I feel like most of it was filler.
I’d enjoy it more if I was 10-12 years old 🫶🏻
I didn’t really feel like this book was for 14-16 it was more for 10-13.
It mentions tiktok and snap and idk….the plot was predictable and after a few pages I was yawning.
I loved the Aussie vibes and I’m all for supporting Aussie authors. I loved the wlw representation but I feel like most of it was filler.
I’d enjoy it more if I was 10-12 years old 🫶🏻
February 18, 2025
Such a good read.
November 21, 2025
3.5 stars.
I feel like this book has been mismarketed. It reads like middlegrade, and there is quite a mismatch between the characters age and the content and writing style. If this was a middlegrade I’d give it 4 stars. As a YA book, even one written as ‘lower YA’, I’m inclined to give it 3 stars. For a YA book I think the character voice and writing needed a bit more maturity for it to really land. But still, always glad to have more Indigenous YA on the shelves and it’s a cute story.
I feel like this book has been mismarketed. It reads like middlegrade, and there is quite a mismatch between the characters age and the content and writing style. If this was a middlegrade I’d give it 4 stars. As a YA book, even one written as ‘lower YA’, I’m inclined to give it 3 stars. For a YA book I think the character voice and writing needed a bit more maturity for it to really land. But still, always glad to have more Indigenous YA on the shelves and it’s a cute story.
January 21, 2025
Great easy read.
Perfect for intermediate readers.
Perfect for intermediate readers.
February 21, 2025
okay, there’s going to be two parts of this review:
firstly, the craftsmanship - this book is a PAINFUL read if you were promised YA, which is what it was marketed as
it’s probably middle grade at best or even junior fic?? the writing is very juvenile and the sentence structure’s just a little funky in the way that it feels like it’s written by a younger teenager, not for teenagers if that makes sense?? the fmc’s 13 which but i think you’d have to be like, 9 to enjoy this type of writing
now i can’t super fault the fact that i’m probably not the target audience, however i’m a firm believer that kids books can be enjoyed by anyone if it’s written well, and well, it’s got the little kid naivety that wants to make me bash my head in
the second thing is that this book has a very niche audience (and that’s fine) but i can’t imagine it staying relevant for more than 3 years (the references to snaps & tiktoks and “harry styles has rizz” sort of cement it in a place and time) it also SCREAMS aussie, but the authors don’t actually explain or give reference to what any of the vernacular means so if you didn’t already know you’d be like ??? like what the heck is HASS?? same when they dropped in a couple lines of french, like i could infer only the tone and idea but i’d need google translate to actually understand the context
like it’s not written in a way that’s educational, which is really tough to understand or empathise when you don’t actually have a good grasp of australian history, culture or social structure. it’s written in a way that if you understand what’s going on, then great, but if not, good luck!! we’re not going to explain it or add context!! which sort of cements this “niche audience” idea bcos even growing up here there’s so many phrases that i was like hmmm i thinkkk it might mean this but no clue
anyways i do think it’s top tier own voices writing but anyone kid who comes from a different background might find it a harder read bcos it’s written to be less inviting and more jarring, like i love how jamie’s proud of who is she but she’s also ✨slightly judgy✨ about anyone else who isn’t like her?? and it does sort of paint of caricature type of a white vs indigenous vs immigrant scenario that i know, while it exists, it’s not how i grew up idkkk maybe it’s a country thing?
okay, the second part: the actual story
i personally think it’s really eye-opening to read from the perspective of an indigenous australian in a more rural setting since i pretty much come from the exact opposite background
jamie’s passion for footy is sort of just, *there*, like she says she’s really good and loves it but it’s all in a recounted sort of way so we don’t actually get to see her play in real time, which is really weird
also what do you meannn she just doesn’t go to school sometimes or runs off campus whenever she gets emotional?? like girl you think detention’s bad??
poss is a sweetheart i want a brother like him too
i do this this will be a truly beautiful book for young girls to read and feel empowered, but this sort of writing isn’t applicable for the enjoyment of a greater audience
thank you harper & sauce media for the review copy!
firstly, the craftsmanship - this book is a PAINFUL read if you were promised YA, which is what it was marketed as
it’s probably middle grade at best or even junior fic?? the writing is very juvenile and the sentence structure’s just a little funky in the way that it feels like it’s written by a younger teenager, not for teenagers if that makes sense?? the fmc’s 13 which but i think you’d have to be like, 9 to enjoy this type of writing
now i can’t super fault the fact that i’m probably not the target audience, however i’m a firm believer that kids books can be enjoyed by anyone if it’s written well, and well, it’s got the little kid naivety that wants to make me bash my head in
the second thing is that this book has a very niche audience (and that’s fine) but i can’t imagine it staying relevant for more than 3 years (the references to snaps & tiktoks and “harry styles has rizz” sort of cement it in a place and time) it also SCREAMS aussie, but the authors don’t actually explain or give reference to what any of the vernacular means so if you didn’t already know you’d be like ??? like what the heck is HASS?? same when they dropped in a couple lines of french, like i could infer only the tone and idea but i’d need google translate to actually understand the context
like it’s not written in a way that’s educational, which is really tough to understand or empathise when you don’t actually have a good grasp of australian history, culture or social structure. it’s written in a way that if you understand what’s going on, then great, but if not, good luck!! we’re not going to explain it or add context!! which sort of cements this “niche audience” idea bcos even growing up here there’s so many phrases that i was like hmmm i thinkkk it might mean this but no clue
anyways i do think it’s top tier own voices writing but anyone kid who comes from a different background might find it a harder read bcos it’s written to be less inviting and more jarring, like i love how jamie’s proud of who is she but she’s also ✨slightly judgy✨ about anyone else who isn’t like her?? and it does sort of paint of caricature type of a white vs indigenous vs immigrant scenario that i know, while it exists, it’s not how i grew up idkkk maybe it’s a country thing?
okay, the second part: the actual story
i personally think it’s really eye-opening to read from the perspective of an indigenous australian in a more rural setting since i pretty much come from the exact opposite background
jamie’s passion for footy is sort of just, *there*, like she says she’s really good and loves it but it’s all in a recounted sort of way so we don’t actually get to see her play in real time, which is really weird
also what do you meannn she just doesn’t go to school sometimes or runs off campus whenever she gets emotional?? like girl you think detention’s bad??
poss is a sweetheart i want a brother like him too
i do this this will be a truly beautiful book for young girls to read and feel empowered, but this sort of writing isn’t applicable for the enjoyment of a greater audience
thank you harper & sauce media for the review copy!
August 28, 2026
Jamie Hunter is a Year 8 Aboriginal girl who is discovering who she is and what she will stand up for.
She is feisty and caring, vulnerable and passionate - and she is definitely not perfect.
Her main passion is footy and she is desperate to be noticed so she can win a scholarship to a training camp in Perth, but whilst her school allows her and some of her girl friends to play in a mixed footy team, some of their opposition do not - and the girls are regularly asked to stand down in order to prevent their team from having to forfeit games. This upsets Jamie and she wants to stand up for the girls.
Then when her history teacher seems to gloss over the Aboriginal history of the area, Jamie is once again incensed. What makes the white man history more important than her own history? The arrival of a new girl at school sparks a series of events that sees Jamie and her friends planning a way of standing up for their rights in front of the whole school. But will she be strong enough and brave enough to go through with it all?
Add in the fact that she is also questioning who she is on a more personal level, and life in Year 8 is proving to be quite a roller coaster.
This is a story which deals with some big themes, but with a light and gentle touch. There are things which happen to Jamie as an Aboriginal in Australia that can directly connect with things which might also have happened to Maori in New Zealand, or other First Nation peoples anywhere around the world.
A thoroughly enjoyable and thought provoking read.
She is feisty and caring, vulnerable and passionate - and she is definitely not perfect.
Her main passion is footy and she is desperate to be noticed so she can win a scholarship to a training camp in Perth, but whilst her school allows her and some of her girl friends to play in a mixed footy team, some of their opposition do not - and the girls are regularly asked to stand down in order to prevent their team from having to forfeit games. This upsets Jamie and she wants to stand up for the girls.
Then when her history teacher seems to gloss over the Aboriginal history of the area, Jamie is once again incensed. What makes the white man history more important than her own history? The arrival of a new girl at school sparks a series of events that sees Jamie and her friends planning a way of standing up for their rights in front of the whole school. But will she be strong enough and brave enough to go through with it all?
Add in the fact that she is also questioning who she is on a more personal level, and life in Year 8 is proving to be quite a roller coaster.
This is a story which deals with some big themes, but with a light and gentle touch. There are things which happen to Jamie as an Aboriginal in Australia that can directly connect with things which might also have happened to Maori in New Zealand, or other First Nation peoples anywhere around the world.
A thoroughly enjoyable and thought provoking read.
February 15, 2025
Oh I can't wait for this book to makes its way on to lots of young people's bookshelves!
While it hits on important topics, this book has a middle grade/lower YA charm that makes it a joy to read while educating its audience. You can see the lived experiences and the passion of storytelling shine through from both Mel and Brooke, creating a novel that feels deeply real.
This is a short book that I devoured in a couple of days. From the family dynamics and friendships to the discussions of Aboriginal identities and queerness, this book is written very well. This 'lived in' type of storytelling that's full of depth and honesty is what I'd love to see more of across publishing.
Not only is it about a girl who is facing the troubles of growing up as a minority in a small town - it's about a strong girl who stands up for what's right. She never lets herself get too downhearted, but picks herself up when faced with injustice - like not being allowed to play on her school's footy team - and makes change.
This is so inspiring to me as an adult, and I can't wait for kids to read this and be shown, too, that even at their age they can fight for what they want.
Thank you to the publisher for my early review copy :)
While it hits on important topics, this book has a middle grade/lower YA charm that makes it a joy to read while educating its audience. You can see the lived experiences and the passion of storytelling shine through from both Mel and Brooke, creating a novel that feels deeply real.
This is a short book that I devoured in a couple of days. From the family dynamics and friendships to the discussions of Aboriginal identities and queerness, this book is written very well. This 'lived in' type of storytelling that's full of depth and honesty is what I'd love to see more of across publishing.
Not only is it about a girl who is facing the troubles of growing up as a minority in a small town - it's about a strong girl who stands up for what's right. She never lets herself get too downhearted, but picks herself up when faced with injustice - like not being allowed to play on her school's footy team - and makes change.
This is so inspiring to me as an adult, and I can't wait for kids to read this and be shown, too, that even at their age they can fight for what they want.
Thank you to the publisher for my early review copy :)
October 8, 2026
’Sometimes, trouble is a good thing’.
✨4 stars✨
📖 FORMAT: 📚 & 🎧 - available to listen on Spotify Premium
This book was part of my Name TBR list - letter ‘A’.
A Good Kind of Trouble follows Jamie, an Aboriginal Year 8 girl who is bisexual, loves footy, her family and… her best friend, Loz. When a new girl arrives at their school, things begin to shift.
Jamie gets the confidence to stand up to her history teacher about teaching them the other side of how Australia came to be. As a result, she is banned from playing footy and she questions if standing up for what is right will all be worth it in the end?…
I read Big Love by Blurton back in 2023 and Love Unleashed by her co-author, Melanie Saward, last year (which also made an appearance on this very TBR 🤭).
To see them work together, I was intrigued to read how the story came together.
I loved it! The different representations, the questioning on what sort of history should be taught in Australian schools, girlhood. It was a quick and great read ☺️
Overall, it is a feel-good middle grade novel on how even causing a little trouble can make a big difference ✨🌻
✨4 stars✨
📖 FORMAT: 📚 & 🎧 - available to listen on Spotify Premium
This book was part of my Name TBR list - letter ‘A’.
A Good Kind of Trouble follows Jamie, an Aboriginal Year 8 girl who is bisexual, loves footy, her family and… her best friend, Loz. When a new girl arrives at their school, things begin to shift.
Jamie gets the confidence to stand up to her history teacher about teaching them the other side of how Australia came to be. As a result, she is banned from playing footy and she questions if standing up for what is right will all be worth it in the end?…
I read Big Love by Blurton back in 2023 and Love Unleashed by her co-author, Melanie Saward, last year (which also made an appearance on this very TBR 🤭).
To see them work together, I was intrigued to read how the story came together.
I loved it! The different representations, the questioning on what sort of history should be taught in Australian schools, girlhood. It was a quick and great read ☺️
Overall, it is a feel-good middle grade novel on how even causing a little trouble can make a big difference ✨🌻
January 30, 2025
Thanks so much to Harper Kids Australia for sending me a copy of this one to review.
I LOVED this book. So much.
This book should be required reading at school, honestly. It’s so much more relevant than half the books we read in school. I was lucky enough to not have to read many by dead cishet white guys, but until I took extension English, we’d read zero books by Aboriginal authors and I don’t recall ever reading a book by a queer or POC author.
This book was RELATABLE, even as a white person. It was such a solid representation of school life in regional Australia.
I loved Jamie so much. She was such a wonderful, headstrong MC. Her journey through this book was wonderful to watch and I felt for her so many times.
The presentation her and her friends put together was wonderful.
I saw this advertised as the first in a new series and I hope that’s true because I’d love to read more about these characters.
I LOVED this book. So much.
This book should be required reading at school, honestly. It’s so much more relevant than half the books we read in school. I was lucky enough to not have to read many by dead cishet white guys, but until I took extension English, we’d read zero books by Aboriginal authors and I don’t recall ever reading a book by a queer or POC author.
This book was RELATABLE, even as a white person. It was such a solid representation of school life in regional Australia.
I loved Jamie so much. She was such a wonderful, headstrong MC. Her journey through this book was wonderful to watch and I felt for her so many times.
The presentation her and her friends put together was wonderful.
I saw this advertised as the first in a new series and I hope that’s true because I’d love to read more about these characters.
August 20, 2025
I did not expect to cry 😭
This YA novel is everything. It tackles important conversations around uncomfortable topics like Australia's colonial history that continues to impact the lives of Indigenous people today. And why school history classes should be teaching all sides of colonialism. Not just the White Man's.
It also tackles conversations around the patriarchy and the isolation of being different (especially being openly queer at a young age).
But what really got my emotions going is the fact that a handful of high school students were confident enough to question the things around them at school and at home and get CHANGE to happen.
That is what we need more of!
This quote really spoke to me:
"You've got a lot of things about you that people will try and push you down for [...] but all those things about you are deadly. You get to be a part of strong, fierce communities that get to do real cool things too."
This YA novel is everything. It tackles important conversations around uncomfortable topics like Australia's colonial history that continues to impact the lives of Indigenous people today. And why school history classes should be teaching all sides of colonialism. Not just the White Man's.
It also tackles conversations around the patriarchy and the isolation of being different (especially being openly queer at a young age).
But what really got my emotions going is the fact that a handful of high school students were confident enough to question the things around them at school and at home and get CHANGE to happen.
That is what we need more of!
This quote really spoke to me:
"You've got a lot of things about you that people will try and push you down for [...] but all those things about you are deadly. You get to be a part of strong, fierce communities that get to do real cool things too."
July 30, 2025
Jaime is a young indigenous girl who is learning about herself. She’s bi, loves footy and her family and has a crush on her best friend.
Now a new girl has started at school and things begin to change.
While I’m not the target audience for this novel (aimed for younger teens) I really liked it. Melanie Saward has become a favourite author of mine and I kinda wanna read anything she writes. I’m not as familiar with Brooke Blurton, but if anything else she writes is half as good as this I’ll be happy to read it.
This was a really cute story, coming of age, indigenous family and culture, footy and learning to grow. I can also see this book being very helpful for young kids questioning their sexual identity.
Four and half stars.
Now a new girl has started at school and things begin to change.
While I’m not the target audience for this novel (aimed for younger teens) I really liked it. Melanie Saward has become a favourite author of mine and I kinda wanna read anything she writes. I’m not as familiar with Brooke Blurton, but if anything else she writes is half as good as this I’ll be happy to read it.
This was a really cute story, coming of age, indigenous family and culture, footy and learning to grow. I can also see this book being very helpful for young kids questioning their sexual identity.
Four and half stars.
January 5, 2025
I was lucky enough to receive an advanced reading copy.
Jamie lives with her older brother, aunt, uncle and cousins. The house is full of love and respect for each other. Jamie is finding her way in the world and one day, she decides to make a stand. This is the start of a whole new line of trouble that might just lead her on the right path.
Being a teenager is hard, being a teenager in a small community is harder still! Community can be what grounds us but it can also be what pulls us down. Ultimately, community in all its forms inspires us to achieve and become the people we are meant to be.
Jamie lives with her older brother, aunt, uncle and cousins. The house is full of love and respect for each other. Jamie is finding her way in the world and one day, she decides to make a stand. This is the start of a whole new line of trouble that might just lead her on the right path.
Being a teenager is hard, being a teenager in a small community is harder still! Community can be what grounds us but it can also be what pulls us down. Ultimately, community in all its forms inspires us to achieve and become the people we are meant to be.
February 17, 2025
A good kinda trouble!
I didn’t expect this to be an indigenous story but it was absolutely fantastic!
I loved the way it intertwined LGBTQIA+ and indigenous characters into their plot and how this impacted on their everyday lives.
This was written beautifully that allows for middle grade students to read and understand.
The end of the story had me yelling with happiness
I feel like this is definitely a middle grade indigenous LGBTQIA book that every school needs to add to their library!
Thank you Harper Collins for the gifted copy
I didn’t expect this to be an indigenous story but it was absolutely fantastic!
I loved the way it intertwined LGBTQIA+ and indigenous characters into their plot and how this impacted on their everyday lives.
This was written beautifully that allows for middle grade students to read and understand.
The end of the story had me yelling with happiness
I feel like this is definitely a middle grade indigenous LGBTQIA book that every school needs to add to their library!
Thank you Harper Collins for the gifted copy
May 11, 2025
This is an interesting book, which appears to be the first of a series, with both indigenous and LGBTQI+ communities represented. It is however, marketed as a YA read, and the themes are too, however it reads (and is formatted) as a middle grade read - almost as it’s having a little identity crisis as to which category it sits in. The premise of the book is good, but personally I don’t think it was executed well.
February 3, 2025
This book was AMAZING! The hope, the joy, the queerness and advocacy of the most incredible kids. 😭😭 my heart is so full! I wish I had something like this to inspire me when I was younger to learn and try to do more. I hope this ends up everywhere like it deserves because it’s just such an inspiring piece of hope for what could be. 😍😍
December 15, 2025
Content warnings: racism, homophobia, misogyny, colonialism
This was a fantastic younger-end YA read about a Noongar girl in Year 8 who just wants to play football and not constantly be singled out for being the only queer kid in her school. I loved the sense of family and community, and the way Jamie's story plays out was delightful. Would definitely read more from these authors in the future.
This was a fantastic younger-end YA read about a Noongar girl in Year 8 who just wants to play football and not constantly be singled out for being the only queer kid in her school. I loved the sense of family and community, and the way Jamie's story plays out was delightful. Would definitely read more from these authors in the future.
May 5, 2026
📚 My heart is so happy 💚 This was an enjoyable, engaging and all round beautiful read.
Soccer girls, ballet girls, bisexual girls, Blakfullas being deadly 🙌🏻🙌🏽🙌🏾🙌🏿 Own voices authors serving important messages within a heartwarming, and captivating story.
Now I must go get my hands on the sequel asap!!!
Soccer girls, ballet girls, bisexual girls, Blakfullas being deadly 🙌🏻🙌🏽🙌🏾🙌🏿 Own voices authors serving important messages within a heartwarming, and captivating story.
Now I must go get my hands on the sequel asap!!!
June 17, 2026
4.5 stars -What an absolute little gem! Full of wonderfully authentic characters with plenty of Blak and Queer Pride mixed in. As a non-indigenous reader, it would be wonderful to see more First Nations authors and representation in our books in the future- and the addition of some of Jamie and Stella's recommendations from their Project/assignment in our school curriculums!
February 5, 2025
I really thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and the themes that were discussed. The discussions relating to the queer community, the indigenous community, and the issues surrounding sexism whilst making it relatable to a child/ younger audience made me appreciate the story even more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 27, 2025
definitely not YA; it's a junior novel for early adolescents. i didn't enjoy it as much as i'd have hoped, but i can tell that for the demographic it's aimed at (young LGBT indigenous australians, especially those in rural areas), it's quite a good read. i hope that literature like this blossoms
March 17, 2025
I think this book is just eh. Like it is advertised to young adults, but it just feels so like junior fiction and it’s just full of so many clichés that just makes it so unoriginal, convoluted, generic writing and plot and thus became really boring and just annoying in the end.
2
2
March 4, 2026
A great story about standing up and making a change. It’s about a young girl who is blak, queer and a female and how each of those things on their own are hard, but when you’re all three it can be even more difficult to navigate as a teen.
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September 24, 2026A quick read, more middle-grade than young adult. The narrator's voice was overall strong and felt authentic and consistent throughout. I love that the next generation of readers gets to have this on their bookshelves!
February 12, 2025
Loved the fact it had such prominent Indigenous representation.
April 25, 2025
A beautifully written YA novel featuring the realities of the intersectionality being indigenous, a female and queer. It’s so great this story exists for young people needing to feel seen.
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