Dirt Circus League
“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.”
Set in remote far north Queensland, Dirt Circus League is a genre-bending young adult novel about the powerful allure of danger and the battles we face with our demons in a world beyond our control.
Awards
- Children’s Book Council Australia Notable Book
- Aurealis Awards 2021: Best Young Adult novel shortlist
- Sisters in Crime 2022 Davitt Awards: Best Young Adult novel shortlist
Hear Ky Garvey interview me about Dirt Circus League on the Totally Lit podcast.
“It’s a wild ride of a book…it’s a great read, it’s fun, it’s exciting”
Bear Reads Books
Dirt Circus League is a surrealist and paranormal mashup — think Mad Max meets Divergent — with a kick-arse female lead who never backs down.
“It was just a great representation of GIRL POWER”
Goodreads reviewer Rebecca Hawkins-Lee
Dirt Circus League will appeal to fans of Lili Wilkinson, Kelly Link and Veronica Roth as well as readers who love Kurt Vonnegut. Available in bookstores now.
“The plot is gripping and page-turning.”
“A strange, thrilling, violent story about a young girl drawn into the evil world of outcasts set on their own deadly mission, Dirt Circus League is a young adult read full of edgy menace and science fiction madness. . .”
Cass Moriarty
“The genre-blending adventure has a dash of the paranormal, sci-fi, and plenty of action.”
“Maree Kimberley’s Dirt Circus League so sincerely evokes the fan-forced heat of the Queensland outback, you almost need a cool drink at hand to read it.”
“The lure of constant danger and Asa’s disturbing visions made this book a real page turner.”
“I was also hooked in by Asa’s complex character and the way she battles the demons within herself. I loved her strength and her vulnerability, and how they lead her into danger, but also save her in the end.
If you’re interested in where the first seeds of an idea Dirt Circus League came from, you can read about it on my blog post Misadventures in Cape York, 1983.
And if you want to read more YA novels where girls rule, have a look at my favourite girl power sci-fi/fantasy books.
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