This is Shyness

Winner of the Text Prize for Young Adult and Children's Writing, 2009.

In the suburb of Shyness, where the sun doesn't rise and the border crackles with a strange energy, Wolfboy meets a stranger at the Diabetic Hotel. She tells him her name is Wildgirl, and she dares him to be her guide through the endless night.

But then they are mugged by the sugar-crazed Kidds. And what plays out is moving, reckless...dangerous. There are things that can only be said in the dark. And one long night is time enough to change your life.

'This is Shyness is sure to be a hit with imaginative teenagers not convinced by the vampire genre...Hall's vision, channelled through her characters Wolfboy and Wildgirl...is sophisticated, funny and dead on. Their nocturnal meanderings, bizarre encounters and burgeoning romance are handled with unusual skill. This is Shyness is not so much a work of fantasy as a novel that works by fine-tuning the ordinary to illuminate its oddness...complex and convincing...Hall [is a] writer with incredible talents.' West Australian

Leanne Hall is the author of two novels for young adults, the Text Prize-winning This Is Shyness and its sequel Queen of the Night. Leanne has had shorter pieces published in Meanjin, Age, Best Australian Stories and the anthology Growing Up Asian In Australia. Her work plays with the borders of reality and fantasy. Leanne has worked in the arts, educational publishing and as a bookseller, but her enduring passion is for youth literature.

'This is a brilliant story. Quirky, imaginative, witty and emotive. Hall is an extraordinary writer and I look forward to reading more of her work.' Bookbag

'It's original; it's edgy; it skirts the borders of fantasy while being anchored in the real world, and it's totally absorbing. The long night is over, but we know the story continues. More please.' Good Reading

'Exquisitely original and certainly unique, This Is Shyness is not a novel you will forget in a hurry. Wildgirl and Wolfboy are characters I assure you, you will remember forever.' Book Gryffin

'Refreshingly original, Hall's debut novel has a genuine edge. It's Bladerunner meets Peter Pan with a bit of sweetness, sadness and tension.' Sunday Age

'For more mature readers who choose to trespass into the realm of young adult fiction, This is Shyness is just the book to revive a faded sense of rebellion and adventure.' Weekend Australian

'One of the most unique and imaginative novels I've ever read. Leanne Hall evokes a beautifully surreal setting, with its mysteries, otherworldly elements and the sense that anything was possible.' Written In Wonder