The Prize for Young Adult Fiction: Shortlist 2003

Judges report

Walking Naked by Alyssa Brugman (Allen & Unwin)
Walking Naked is a witty and moving story about the impacts of teenage bullying. Brugman's writing is fresh and original, and her characters are always convincing. Walking Naked treads the fine line between comedy and tragedy with great skill, and even though the central theme of the story - friendship betrayed - is a familiar one, the outcome is emotionally powerful. Megan Tuw, the narrator, popular and academically successful, is thrown together with Perdita Wiguiggan the school freak. There are dark secrets in Perdita's life, which she tries to avoid by burying herself in poetry and hanging around university lecture halls. Perdita offers Megan the chance to escape her social comfort zone - the narcissistic netball clique - and stretch herself, artistically and intellectually. In trying to have the best of both worlds, Megan makes a choice, which has a dramatic effect on the lives of both girls.

A Charm of Powerful Trouble by Joanne Horniman (Allen & Unwin)
In the rainforest around Mullumbimbi, Laura and Lizzie lead a seemingly idyllic existence, their childhood wrapped in secrets they accept but don't understand. Cocooned by innocence and the natural environment, the sisters idly probe the layers of the past, but their mother tells them only those stories she wants them to know. As she moves towards adulthood, Laura looks to these stories and others that have never been told, to make sense of her life. Memories combine and are woven into a rich, multi-layered narrative that moves effortlessly across three generations. The past sheds light on the present and Joanne Horniman's clever, controlled use of tense reflects the impossibility of separating one from the other. A Charm of Powerful Trouble speaks to a young adult audience of experiences they will recognize, in general if not specific terms. The characters are strong and the structure satisfyingly complex while remaining accessible to a wide readership. The slow, sensuous writing evokes the seductively humid summers of northern NSW, its languid nature complementing the direct strength of the storyline.

Wildlight: A journey by David Metzenthen (Penguin)
Wildlight is a dramatic novel at the edge of history, fable and adventure. In Dirk Wildlight, a foundling boy who sets out to find a better life, Metzenthen has created a memorable hero whose journey across Victoria's unmapped landscapes also challenges the founding myth of the lost child. Wildlight offers scenes of rough and ready Melbourne, of the construction of the Airey's Inlet lighthouse, of shipwreck survivors and brutal landowners in the western district. David Metzenthen creates a vivid portrait of colonial Victoria; presents adventure as a central part of the male experience; captures the teenagers' strong sense of justice; re-creates the robust dialogue of working men and the importance of work for young men. But most importantly, Wildlight does this and more inside a story that pulses with energy, action and feeling. Wildlight is a fully realised historical novel written with great heart.

Honourable mentions

The judges also commend the following works of popular fiction for their stylish and original writing and strong contemporary appeal.

The Marowack Two by Leonie Stevens (Penguin)
The Marowack Two is a crackling comedy/drama about two teenagers' effort to save a stand of ironbark trees. The book cleverly combines a love story, b-grade sci-fi, and country music into a driving storyline.

Man Bites Dog by Adam Ford (Allen & Unwin)
Man Bites Dog is a warm and funny slice of inner-city life about a menacing dog called Satan and the attempt to find the strange truth surrounding his death. Ford's world of postmen and poets is marked by its good humour, a sharp eye for modern manners, and the inventive use of comic strips to reflect ironically on the story.