It's a Bit More Complicated Than That

by Hannah Marshall

Zelle and Callum used to be best friends, but they haven't spoken in three not since the tragedy that wrenched them apart, and Zelle moved away.

'Prickly, messy, deeply human characters.' Rachael Craw, bestselling author

But now Zelle is back, and their lives are about to get a whole lot more complicated.

Zelle is in denial about her alcohol use that threatens to spiral out of control, and she's deeply annoyed at having to leave the city.

Callum's future is thrown into jeopardy after both a disastrous uni interview and his budding romance turning sour.

But they can't keep running from the past forever, and circumstances force them to examine their grief and guilt and find a way through.

With beautifully assured story-telling, this is an emotionally tense page turner that leaves you on the edge of your seat.

Winner of the Best Unpublished Author manuscript in the Storylines Tessa Duder YA Prize 2024

Genres: Young Adult, LGBT, Contemporary

311 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 17, 2025

Reviews

[Lizzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love messy characters. I love when no one in particular is to blame; I love that everyone in this fucks up. It's just so human the way that they stumble through life and it's stressors, but hope stubbornly continues to flicker. I appreciate how realistic this is as well; these feel like real people dealing with real issues and deep grief. I love how world-colliding the reunion of the main characters feels- I truly was wrapped up in these characters and their lives and their complicated feelings about themselves and eachother and their past and their futures.
Also, fuck Tim!!!!!! Accidental slay of Cal to slander him like that xoxo

[hannah! · Rating 3 out of 5]

fun nz story but it was veeeeeeery frustrating

[Caroline O'Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an absolutely beautiful read, definitely messy and complicated but underneath it all, it was beautiful.

I’m shocked to see that this is this authors debut novel, it was very well written and truly a joy to read, brilliant job.

I don’t read much YA but I thought this one was great, it wasn’t immature which is how I find so many YA books. It was filled with some really heavy subjects, all of which in the end were handled with respect and maturity.

I really enjoyed all of the characters and thought the storyline was unique.

Sometimes friends fall out, but the best of friends are always there when we need them, no matter what.

It’s the perfect read for pride month too, so if you are looking to read lots of LGBTQIA+ books then please add this to your TBR.

Another thing I loved about this book was the length of chapters, I adore a small chapter and always find I read the book quicker. This book could definitely be devoured in one sitting, it’s fast paced, it’s an easy read and a page Turner.

[Decaying Crab · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice light read.
Although i must say "Fuck me sideways" was written 5 times over the whole book which is hilarious and so strange. Also, she downs water that is 'liquid gold' twice, which i rather enjoyed... maybe zelle needs some new metaphors and potentially expressions of shock or surprise- just a suggestion 🤷

[Ahrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

more of a 2.5/5, the style of the writing with the repetition of weird reactions (callum throwing out every time something serious happen, and zelle with her "fuck me sideways" in every other chapter, for example
...) and characterization felt so off given how serious the story aims to be...

[Melanie Lindstrom · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting page turner.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this young adult novel set in New Zealand. The characters were believable. Dealing with issues of friendship, grief, trust, family and homophobia.

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

The complications of friendship. Zelle, who has a drinking problem - once she starts, she can't stop - arrives back in the small Central Otago town she spent a big chunk of her childhood in. This is a bit more complicated than you'd think, because she fled town when one of the friendship group that she was intrinsically part of, drowned in the local lake. Now she's back and nervous about reconnecting with the group, but most especially her old best friend Callum. They haven't been in touch since she left, and now it is going to be terrible being back in the same school and same classes unless they can sort things out. Meanwhile, things with the friends have moved on; there is a new kid in town who has slotted right in, and Callum has built a life writing stories for the local newspaper after school. Life is busy and fun and futures are being planned. How is Zelle ever going to fit into this small world again?

This is a great story; there's a lot going on, and it's really complicated. There's plenty of relationship balls to juggle, including family relationships of many kinds, and a goodly dose of drama at every turn. I loved the conversations between the characters, these kids are very forgiving, their drama is a lot, but they are relatable and you can hear their voices clearly and cleanly. They are a good bunch, enough quirk for my liking. There are probably a few too many things to manage, but it's a good time and excellent company. Love the diversity and the issues that crop up throughout the book.

Now for my distraction. I come from the area this is set in, and have a home in Alexandra. I spent the entire time trying to figure out which town this was set in. Was it Ranfurly? Roxburgh? Lawrence? Home was mentioned as one of the characters comes from Alexandra. It drove me crazy. Which town has a lake nearby Hawea Flat? Cromwell? Clyde, nope, too close to Alex. Gahhhh.

Anyway, I enjoyed my time with this book, it's great for secondary schools and awesome to have a local book.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a hard one to review as it’s a case of me being way to old to be reading a YA novel with this juvenile level of writing (as in the target audience is of the younger end of the YA spectrum so the language and writing style used needs to reflect that and not as in the author’s writing is juvenile or bad, just to be clear).

Because of this it took be a while to adjust to the writing and to connect to the characters and the storyline but once I did, I found this to be a enjoyable read and can see many youngsters really engaging with this novel.

Towards the halfway mark, I really started forgetting I was reading a YA novel I tended for people 30-odd years younger than I and was into the storyline. It’s one of those books where a lot happens while not a lot happens — very reflective of what growing up in a small rural town in the South Island and this just added to the realism of the book. You felt like you were watching this story unfold in front of you in real life.

The ending felt abrupt and sort of felt like it came out of no where. The peak of the storyline happened then boom here is 10 pages to wrap all things up in a bow. It felt like we skipped some chapters between the coming back from Wellington and the end but maybe that was just me.

Overall a good read and always great to read a kiwi author!

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great YA read with a cast of frustrating but endearing characters!

Zelle returns to Stakesville (a tiny town typical of the rural South Island) against her will after a weekend bender reveals the extent of her drinking problem. This means she will also have to confront her past and the way she left things with her former best friend, Cal.

Meanwhile, Cal is crippled with self-doubt as he navigates the final year of high school and worries about his future while struggling to move on from the past.

This book is a complicated read that deals with a lot including grief, alcoholism, homophobia, friendships, family drama, and ultimately being true to yourself.

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

SO nice to find a realistic YA novel set in New Zealand, that New Zealand students can relate to. This one is set in Central Otago in the South Island, and chapters alternate between Zelle (who left town suddenly after one of the boys in her group of friends died), and Callum (who stayed behind and was never able to forgive his former friend Zelle for leaving). Now Zelle is reluctantly back in town and they both need to face up to their past if they want any chance at resurrecting their friendship. Great for older teens, this is a good story told well.

[Millie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nothing really happened in the storyline, it was all just reflecting on stuff from the past. I didn't connect or feel deeply for any of the characters. The repeated lines lowered the writer's quality ('fuck me sideways,' 'I hadn't seen her cry like this since...' 'you didn't come here to talk about...').

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything is so messy (a little too messy?) But somehow, thankfully there's hope by the end.

[Jaya Patel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful debut novel. Perfectly depicts the raw aspects of human emotions and friendships.

[Izzy C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Captures the drama-fuelled, not saying what you mean, lashing out 'ços you hurt, emotions gone haywire, truth of adolescent friendships. Second half better than the first, but overall, I liked it.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book 🖤

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was quite unique from what I usually read, in a really great way! Firstly it was set in New Zealand, which I loved (although I still find it bizarre to read about characters being in places I know). But what I loved most was the portrayal of our messy teenage main characters and their friends. All the characters felt so real, they were dealing with some very heavy issues in addition to all the classic teenage struggles. They stumble their way through in an imperfect but realistic manner. If you want a complex YA story set in New Zealand then you might enjoy this! 

Thank you to Allen and Unwin NZ for the gifted review copy.