Golden

This is a new book. Condition: Brand New.

Shortlisted, CBCA Book of the Year Award for Older Readers, 2026

A life-affirming, upbeat story about friendship, loss, first love, what it is to be an artist, and life in an idyllic Australian beach town-from an exciting new YA voice.

I play around with the colours for a few minutes, mixing them with the white. The colours I end up with aren't perfect, but they'll do. I don't know why I like pastel colours so much. My life would be easier if I could get into dark colours, but what can I say? My heart is made of pastel confetti.

Golden is a warm-hearted optimistic story about friends and friendship and art and beauty-and the power of letting yourself be loved...

When you work in the juice bar of your small coastal town.

When your twin brother is the fun one with all the friends.

When something happened a year ago that you can't talk about, but everything makes you remember it.
When it might have been all your fault.

When going to the beach, to that beach, takes all the air out of your lungs.

When you're training for the town's annual Mud Run that you're not even sure you want to enter.

When you're drawn to colours and pencils and paint, but you're not an artist.

When the new guy in town, the one who makes you feel you're charged with electricity, seems to want to hang out with you.

When it comes time to let your friends back in.

PRAISE:

'An exceptional glimpse into how one family grapples with grief and change.' Book Muse

'A deeply moving tribute to the power of friendships and sibling relationships. Heartbreaking and heart healing-and it's funny, too. What a gem of a book!' Miranda Luby

'Golden is exactly what we need in Australian young adult fiction right now-it is authentic, readable, relatable and dark without being depressing.' Karys McEwen, author of The Paperbark Tree Committee

'A book full of colour and beauty...Not to be missed!' Kids' Book Review

Book details and technical specifications

Format: Paperback / softback
ISBN13: 9781923058354
Published: June 2025

Number of pages: 304
Width: 128 mm
Height: 196 mm
Depth: 28 mm

Publisher: Text Publishing