Untidy Towns by Kate O’Donnell

When we opened Squishy Minnie I was confident that spending my days surrounded by books was going to be bliss. I was right, it is. One of the things I didn’t anticipate is the amount of gorgeous authentic people I would get to meet every single day..Since opening I’ve had countless small interactions with strangers that have left my heart full and my little mind buzzing. One of those interactions was with the author of Untidy Towns, Kate O’Donnell. Kate popped into the shop to introduce herself and talk books. She was so warm, generous in sharing her knowledge of the bookworld and basically just a good human that my day had a little extra spark in it after our meeting. So much so that I was quite nervous when I picked up her debut novel Untidy Towns. What if I didn’t like it? Thank goodness that wasn’t that case! I loved it! .Set in country Victoria Untidy Towns is perfect for regional young folk, especially those starting or finishing year twelve. It gently addresses the constant pressure placed on young people during their VCE. Kate has crafted such believable characters, it’s impossible not to relate to the storyline or the little town, Emyvale, and all the local residents who make it what it is…’Seventeen-year-old Adelaide is sick of being expected to succeed on other people’s terms. She knows she just has to stick it out at school for one more year and then she’ll be free. Instead, she runs away from her fancy boarding school back to her sleepy hometown to read and dream. But there are no free rides. When Addie’s grandad gets her a job at the local historical society, she soon finds out that it’s dusty and dull, just like her new life. Things change when she starts hanging out with Jarrod, a boy who seems full of possibilities. But it turns out he’s as stuck as she is. And Addie realises that when you want something in life, you’ve actually got to do something about it.’…….#squishyminnie #kidslit #picturebook #smallbusiness #shopsmall #readaloud #givebooks #bookstagram #diversebooks #lgbti #bookworm #youngadult #macedonranges #daylesford #castlemaine #bendigo #melbourne #victoria #kyneton #loveozya #untidytowns #vce #countryvictoria