All right, I’m smitten. I’m utterly in love with Melissa Keil’s debut novel Life in Outer Space, and the Hardie Grant Ampersand Project that brought it into existence. Keil’s entire novel is bursting with sweetness. The characters are familiar and the locations are all the Melbourne places (like the Astor cinema) we know and love. It is a brilliant debut that will live long and prosper in your imagination and your heart.
Sam is a horror movie geek. His life runs parallel to a gory plotline. He has nerdy friends, his World of Warcraft Night Elf – and he’s OK with that. Then Camilla Carter waltzes on set, beautiful inside and out, a StarGirl who is completely irrelevant to his plan but determined to be a part of his life. Sam always thought the important life lessons could be learned from movies – he knows how to avoid a zombie apocalypse, after all – but what to do about a girl? Now he’s not so sure.
Don’t miss the first Ampersand Project novel, and their many Australian young adult debuts to come.
Highly recommended.
Emily Westmoreland
