The Sideways Orbit of Evie Hart (Samera Kamaleddine, HarperCollins)

When 12-year-old Evie’s mum and stepdad Lee announce their separation, it feels like her whole world has been turned upside down. What’s more, Lee—the only father Evie has ever known—is moving all the way to Dubbo. With her mum preoccupied with writing horoscopes and working on her new book, Evie feels increasingly adrift and anxious, feelings which are made worse by her classmate Nicole Novokoff’s constant jibes. Learning about space and the solar system in class with Miss Owen becomes an important distraction for Evie, who begins to draw parallels between her own life and facts she learns about the planets, stargazing and Earth’s place in the universe. Samera Kamaleddine, who has written a previous novel for young adults, uses the narrative of the night sky as a sort of map for Evie to navigate her way through complex relationships and a difficult period of transition, creating a fluid and holistic narrative that is rich with effective symbolism. The standout of this novel are its characters, who are all unique and acutely drawn, from Evie’s best friend Farrah Farrah, who won’t stop talking, to Nance O’Neil, who brings Evie’s family pink-iced finger buns every Wednesday afternoon. Middle to upper-primary readers will love following Evie in this warm, thought-provoking story of a girl trying to establish her place in a shifting world.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Jacqui Davies is a freelance writer and reviewer based in South Australia. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Category: Junior Reviews Think Australian top reviews