Here’s the Thing….Emily O’Beirne is a fabulous writer and tells a darn good yarn. The road teenagers travel when falling in love for the first time is usually a rough, disappointing one. I felt every emotion young Zel felt as she works her way through her feelings about her best friend Prim and now a very distant one.

Moving back to Australia was not what Zel hoped for as she slowly realises she has fallen for her best friend. Then it feels her life her whole life has been turned upside down as she lands in a new city and must negotiate a new school and somehow find a way to get Prim to talk to her. However a light at the end of a dark tunnel appears in the shape of dancer and fellow drama student, Stella. Zels life suddenly started to make sense again.

Beautifully written, full of humour, deep emotions and all the angst of teenagers emerging as new adults, this is a story that will warm your heart. Fantastic characters make this a well rounded story every teenager should read. I highly recommend Here’s The Thing.

I’ve previously liked O’Beirne’s books so I was happy to get my hands on this one.
The writing style is still good, love a book being set in Australia instead of America, but… Yeah there is a but. This is very much a teen book, with a teenager who is… I don’t even know how to describe the main character, or even the main storyline.
Which also makes it confusing for me to rate, I can’t say I enjoyed it, neither can I say I disliked it. It just was.

This probably is more a book for people who enjoy stories about teens finding their way and being hung up on things/people.

"Okay, you might have to brace yourself for this next bit of information: I like my parents. I don't mean I love them because they're my mum and dad and I'm stuck with them. I mean I really, really like them."

In this story, we get a first-person POV from Zelda, also known as Zel. Zel is from Australia originally, but spent some time in NY where she met Prim. Suddenly, her parents need to move her back to Australia for their work and we follow her processing, and mild heartbreak of leaving NY. She forges new friendships, delves more into her photography, and maneuvers being a 16-year-old lesbian.

I genuinely enjoyed every bit of this book. I absolutely loved the character development and attention to detail. I teach special education and I loved that Autism was portrayed in this book, but not shed in a negative light; particularly as this is a YA book. The themes of world issues, the LGBTQ+ community, and the difficulty of maneuvering that world as a teenager, the challenges of being a teenager in general, making new friends, exploring new interests, developing current interests, and family dynamics, made this a well-rounded story.

Interesting fish out of water, plus coming of age tale with a nice Aussie touch. O'Beirne's writing has skill and a light touch goes far in this YA story. Nice read for those kids who never feel like they fit anywhere.

Thank you to Ylva Publishing and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

A young adult novel told by Zelda. She and she grew up in Canberra and then went to NYC for a year because of her mothers job. Now she has moved to Sydney for her father’s work. The story has her trying to make friends and adjust to a new school. It also alternates with her doing the same thing in New York. There she met Prim, a young fashion model, who does work for her mother’s modeling agency. Now she is getting to know Stella as they work on a project together for her Drama class.

This is about making friends and first dips into relationships and first kisses. Zel is out to her supportive family so this is really her adjusting to being away from home twice. It makes for an okay story but the two parts didn’t really connect or resonate with me. I could just have easily read the Sydney chapters with Stella and be at the same place at the end of the book. Geared towards younger YA readers and up, there is no intimacy, hard partying or dangerous activities. (3.5 Stars)

Zelda, due to her parents' jobs, is forced to leave the brightvlights of New York City for a boring Australian town, Glebe. Worse she knows no one there other than her cousin.

As Zelda settles in she haunted by the almost relationship she had with Prim, whom they mutually friendzoned. Then after Zelda finally kissed Prim, Prim cut off all contact until Zelda moved.

At the same time, Zelda is developing SOMETHING with drama student Stella....

Good, well written teen drama. I liked the characters, and Zelda's story kept me involved.

Another terrific story by Emily O'Beirne
One of the great strengths of this author’s writing is their ability to capture so well the voice of youth and youth experience while also having a universal appeal so adults of all ages can enjoy this book and her others, while not feeling talked down to in any way.
Here’s the Thing is set in New York City and Australia, alternating between past and present events. It focuses on what home means to various people in the story and incorporates some thoughtful social commentary along the way about the treatment of refugees. There is romance and humor and an element of mystery around a few of the characters that kept me engaged in the story, wanting to know more about them and how they might develop or change in the course of the story.
If you're looking for thoughtful and thought provoking storytelling this is worth reading no matter if you're a younger or older adult.
(reviewed May 14, 2018)