The Lost Stone of Skycity Paperback – 1 January 2020

My first 5-star read of 2021! I set myself a goal of reading one Middle Grade book every month of this year, and I'm so glad I picked this one up first. Australian author H.M. Waugh has given us a main character with a distinct and engaging voice and an adventure that is by turns funny, thrilling and moving. I loved Sunaya from the beginning paragraph. Her world is fully realised, too, and the writing is terrific. I saw where this was going fairly early on (not unusual in children's books if you're an adult) but enjoyed the journey thoroughly, especially Sunaya's special ability, which is beautifully evoked. In fact, I can't think of a single negative thing to say. H.M. Waugh is currently working on a sci-fi Middle Grade novel set on a future Mars, and I can't wait to read it.