We Could Be Something

Author(s): Will Kostakis

Teenagers | Anna's Book Talkers

A wonderful emotional rollercoaster of a novel about two young men, each on a journey of discovery. It's part coming-out story, part falling-in-love story, part relationship breakdown story, part extended Greek family story. It's warm and funny, a little bit heartbreaking, and completely satisfying. Seventeen-year-old Harvey dreams of breaking free from his life. But when the relationship between his dads breaks down, he's hauled across Australia on a red-eye flight from Perth to Sydney to live on top of a caf with the extended Greek family he barely knows - a family who are about to get some very sad news. Sotiris has achieved his dream. He's a published author at seventeen. But in reality, the dream ... kind of sucks. When he meets a cute, wise-cracking bookseller named Jeremy, however, he discovers a new and unexpected dream. One he's not sure he's prepared for. Harvey's and Sotiris's stories converge on the same street in Darlinghurst, in this beautifully heartfelt novel about how our dreams shape us, and what they cost us.

 



CONSTANT READER STAFF REVIEW: ANNA 


Meet Harvey and Sotiris - two 17-year-olds with a lot in common. Both are Greek, both are queer, both are trying to figure out who they are and what they want in life. Harvey is watching a relationship collapse, his parents separating messily, while Sotiris is falling in love for the first time. Sotiris dreams of life as a successful author, while Harvey lacks any ambition beyond escaping his chaotic family. Their lives converge, mirroring and refracting across time, always orbiting the same cafe in Darlinghurst. This is not a love story, but it is a book about love in all its forms.

This book was beautiful and touching and silly and lovely. The two main characters are as annoying and endearing as you can imagine two teenagers being! As the connection between the two boys became clearer, I became more and more invested in their lives. The narrative moves between the boys, slowly revealing their personalities and stories, building tension that is invisible until it pays off. The way the narrative is split between their two perspectives adds so much to the story, and highlights the importance of family and love if you are to have a rich life.


 


 


Product Information

'The enormous heart of We Could Be Something beats with a rare, thrilling authenticity. Every funny, smart, tough word of it rings true. I loved this book.' - Patrick Ness, bestselling author of A Monster Calls and the Chaos Walking series 'Vivid and exquisitely written... Kostakis weaves a sparkling tale of hardship, heartbreak, identity and the universal struggle of finding your footing in the world.' - Books & Publishing

Will Kostakis is an award-winning author for young adults. His first novel, Loathing Lola, was published when he was just nineteen. It sold a whopping ten copies including the seven he bought himself. After a brief break to dabble in celebrity journalism and reconstruct his shattered dream, he returned with The First Third, which sold more than ten copies (possibly fifteen). It won the 2014 Gold Inky Award and was shortlisted for the CBCA and the Prime Minister's Literary Awards, among others. The Sidekicks was his third novel for young adults, and his US debut. It won the IBBY Australia Ena Noel Award. Will has also contributed to numerous anthologies, including the ABIA Award-winning Begin, End, Begin: A #LoveOzYA Anthology. He was awarded the 2020 Maurice Saxby Award by the School Library Association of New South Wales for service to children's and young adult literature and is an ambassador for the NSW Premier's Reading Challenge.

General Fields

  • : 9781761180170
  • : Allen & Unwin
  • : Allen & Unwin
  • : 308.0
  • : 01 May 2023
  • : {"length"=>["19.8"], "width"=>["12.8"], "units"=>["Centimeters"]}
  • : 01 May 2023
  • : books

Special Fields

  • : Will Kostakis
  • : Paperback
  • : 1
  • : English
  • : 823.92
  • : 416
  • : YFB