Cirrus@Austlit

'I stumbled towards the Meat House, my body shaking with the violence that raged within me, as the realisation of the mistake I had made in coming here rose to the surface of my mind. This was the last place I should be. That thought was crossed by another, even more terrifying.

'This is exactly where I belong.

'Asa’s running from a troubled past. To a remote outback town, a disappointing father and a fresh start that’s already souring.

'But then the notorious Dirt Circus League arrives. A troupe of outcast teens performing spectacular fight sequences and challenging any who dares to take part.

'They’re ruthless. Menacing. Thrilling. And led by the magnetic Quarter. He’s dark, powerful and intensely attractive—and he faces a threat only Asa can see.

'Will Asa be drawn into the league’s mysterious community?

'And, as she discovers the violent secrets at its heart, will she delve into her own untapped abilities to save herself—and heal those caught in its evil web?

'Dirt Circus League is a compelling and fast-paced novel about the powerful allure of danger and the battles we face with our demons in a world beyond our control.' (Publication summary)

'A lost friend. A family tragedy. A psychopathic scientist driven by greed.

'All Shannon Dane wants to do is be with his girlfriend, Ally. So when tragedy strikes her family, he’s willing to do whatever she asks. Even break into Rat City, the run-down mansion owned by her geneticist uncle.

'But what Shannon discovers could rip their lives– and the lives of a generation of teens – into shreds.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

Kaye, mother of two, has been preparing for the apocalypse with her friend Micha, whom she met at an arthritis support group. When her communicator wakes her up, she finds out the flooding has begun. She brings her children into a vehicle, a sola-bub, and they make their way to Micha.

Along the way, they encounter difficulties: the sola-bub breaks down once, they pick up a lost child, and they can't reach Micha's base. Instead, Micha deploys a hot air balloon to bring them all to live on a farm.

'This article examines two young adult novels, Kevin Brooks’ iBoy and Brian Caswell’s A Cage of Butterflies, and posits that although these novels fall outside accepted posthuman themes, the characters’ actions and attributes are nonetheless posthuman. Furthermore, it argues that these novels use the speculative fiction form to address posthuman concerns within a contemporary realism framework. The article draws upon the literary criticism of N. Katherine Hayles, Roberta Trites, and others to explore how these novels offer young adult readers positive models as they search for ways to cope with life in an evolving posthuman world.'

A story of circus performers in a post-human world.

'Ralph's grandfather was once cursed by a magic red emperor fish in Italy.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.