Smoke & Mirrors

Title: Smoke & Mirrors
Author: Barry Jonsberg
Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Shortlist: Writing for Young Adults

Grace cares about only two things: performing magic and her cantankerous gran. Gran shares her prickly personality and spiky sense of humour, and she's the only one Grace lets into her tightly locked heart – until she meets Simon, a schoolmate who promises to help her turn her magic tricks into a small business and social media stardom.

When Gran is diagnosed with a terminal illness, Grace moves in to become her primary carer. With the help of Simon and some sleight of hand, Grace is determined to bring joy back into their lives. And when she confronts her worst fear, she realises maybe her heart doesn't need to stay locked away after all.

A funny, compelling and fresh story from the author of the bestselling books My Life As An Alphabet and A Song Only I Can Hear.

Judges’ report

A deeply moving portrait of a teen living with grief and struggling with complexities stemming from adults in her life, including fraud, alcoholism and terminal illness. Jonsberg employs the illusory art of performative magic to great metaphorical effect. Protagonist Grace is voiced with a dark wit and acerbic worldview, anchoring the reader in a world shaped by uncertainty. This sceptic fatalism is skilfully tempered by irreverent, fluid expression and a narrative that exposes adult frailties with poetic compassion. Assured in his craft, Jonsberg perceptively examines the resilience of youth as a rite of passage, where vulnerabilities offer hope beyond heartache.

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VPLA book photography by Sarah Walker