Stolen by Lucy Christopher

Gemma has been drugged , kidnapped and brought to a remote unmapped location in the Australian outback. It’s a stark , dry place of sand, blinding light , poisonous snakes and only one other human , her captor, Ty.
The reader follows Gemma through her terror and her first desperate attempts to escape , then her gradual acclimatisation to the desert environment and her slow acceptance of Ty. Gemma finds Ty physically attractive but is very uncomfortable with these feelings , realising their incongruity under the horrific circumstances.
The author has created a very complex character in Ty. While on the one hand he seems to be the embodiment of evil , for snatching and terrorising a young girl , he does not harm her or touch her and finally gives up his freedom in order to save her.
Gemma’s feelings about Ty fluctuate throughout the novel until little by little she views him as her companion and protector. While she understands that he has lied to her about her parents she finds it difficult to summon up any negative feelings about him , a process known to happen to long-term kidnap victims. A satisfying level of suspense is maintained while the reader is unsure whether Ty will harm Gemma in any way.
The desert environment is beautifully described , with much emphasis on the quality of the light. Gemma’s difficulty of seeing in the desert light is perhaps a metaphor for the way in which she views her captor , half blinded to his manipulation by her dependence on him for her physical safety
Stolen is a disturbing novel of a relationship developing under the most harrowing conditions , nurtured by lies and unreality.

Shortlisted in CBCA Older Readers category 2010

Jarvis 24 by David Metzenthen

Marc Jarvis, Jarvy to his friends, has lost someone special. He thinks of her every day and her death will cause an ache in his heart forever. But life goes on and the story opens with Marc’s Work Experience week at Gateway Auto. Marc’s friendship with his two co-workers, Mikey and Belinda, gives him opportunities to reflect on life and relationships which he does in a gently humorous way throughout the book. Mikey is gay and the reader follows Marc’s initial feelings of confrontation which develop into a genuine admiration for Mikey’s strength of character.
Marc falls in love immediately upon meeting the beautiful Electra, but they are soon to be separated in order for Electra to accept a place in Canberra at the AIS. Their parting moments are credibly portrayed as sweetly sad, romantic without being corny.
Cameo characters like Rocco Galtieri the gym-owner “ like a planet with his own onion-scented atmosphere”, and the ever-exasperated Coach Tindale, provide a balance to the more serious characters like Mikey.
Travis is Marc’s best mate, sounding board and fellow admirer of the local girls. He is tougher and more cynical than the slightly under-confident Marc, who sees his friend as something of a role model.
The author has created a very likeable character in Marc Jarvis and the reader will enjoy his growing appreciation for the different kinds of loves and friendships that surround him.

Shortlisted in CBCA Older Readers category 2010

The Winds of Heaven by Judith Clarke

In truly tragic style Fan’s life was doomed from the beginning. She was never sure when she would feel the sting of her mother’s violent temper and longed to escape to the blue hills she could see from her bedroom window. Shy and timid Clementine thought there was something magical about her cousin Fan and admired her feistiness and determination.
Clementine had a cosy life with a loving mother and father, private school education and then university ,fulfilling all her parents' dreams , but she worried often about her country cousin , writing letters but expecting no reply because she knew poor Fan found reading and writing difficult.
The author describes Fans life as “ a kind of anguished disappointment [as] if you were in the desert and had this single flask of water you’d been saving for the moment you got so thirsty you couldn’t stand it any more – and then the moment came and [you ]found the water had trickled away through a hole you hadn’t known was there”
A poignant and tragic ending to the story reminds the reader of the importance of offering a little kindness to a fellow human being in trouble.

Shortlisted in CBCA Older Readers category 2010

Liar by Justine Larbalestier

Micha is the liar of the title and in the first half of the book, lying is her defining characteristic. Her more outrageous lies are discovered quickly, such as pretending she is a boy at her new school, so she gets used to being called a freak.
But as Micha tells us “if you’ve got a big secret its best to paper it over with little ones” So the source of her unusual speed and strength remains a mystery and the writer maintains a high level of suspense until the secret of “the family illness” is revealed.
The characters of Micah’s classmates, Zach and Tayshawn are very engaging ; although they are the popular jocks they are also sensitive and kindhearted boys. Tayshawn’s grief at Zach’s murder early in the story is very touching .
A minor character takes on huge significance and the writer maintains the early suspense until the end as the search for Zach’s murderer continues.
Authentic teenage characters combined with layers of suspense and agonising choices for Micah make this book well worth a place on the ACBC short list

Shortlisted in CBCA Older Readers category 2010