It was an accident. A terrible, life-changing, accident. Hannah didn’t mean for anything to happen. She was trying to save herself. But now her life is one of guilt, isolation, confusion and anger.

She’s used to everyone staring. At school. In the shops. On the street. That’s her, she imagines them all saying. She’s the one. She burrows down inside herself, feeling even worse, fighting with her mum, going to her therapy sessions, and completing her reparations for her ‘crime’.

Rebellion is the only way she can seize any control of her life, and she achieves this with her friend Jody at her side. Through Jody, Hannah meets Dylan, too old for her, dealing with his own problems, and someone who knows nothing of ‘the accident.’

Dylan works in the local bookstore, where Hannah finds solace. Books are her way of escaping the stares, taunts or complete blanking of her at school. With her head in a book, it looks like she doesn’t care what’s going on around her. One day Hannah finds a mobile library. It seems strangely bigger on the inside than the outside, and the librarian is just as odd.

Again, the books soothe her racing, angry mind – until she finds a book of short stories. These stories are too close to her life and people she knows, but how is that possible? Her all consuming need to understand launches her past into her present – until losing everything finally sets her free.

Winner of the 2022 Tessa Duder Award, this is (multi-award winning New Zealand author) Leonie Agnew’s first Young Adult novel. Expertly swirled together is an angry, rebellious, guilt ridden teenager, a love of books, a mysterious mobile library, and a duckling.

It’s beautiful, it’s sad (I was reaching for the tissues), its real and fantastical. Main character Hannah is multi-layered, dealing with so much internally, she shuts out anyone who tries to get close. When she allows the wrong person in, things get incredibly messy. The conclusion is unexpected and swift, allowing Hannah to finally move on.

As always, Leonie’s writing is flawless, engaging, often funny and in this YA novel – incredibly sassy. Hannah is so real and angry, I wanted to hug her half the time and shake her for the rest.

Look out for The Impossible Story of Hannah Kemp in the next NZ Children’s & Teens Book Awards, where I’m sure she will be.

Author – Leonie Agnew

Age – 13+

(2023, Walker Books, Guilt, Accident, Angry, Rebellious, Adopted, Sneaking out, Fighting with mum, School, Animals, Ducklings, New Friends, Reparation, Secret, Family, Growing Up, Crime, Roses, Award Winner, Tessa Duder Award, NZ Author, New Zealand)