The Undercurrent

- Longlisted, Book of the Year: Older Readers, CBCA, 2018
- Shortlisted, Aurealis Awards, Best Young Adult Novel, 2017
- Longlisted, Sisters in Crime Australia’s 18th Davitt Awards, Young Adult Crime Novel, 2018
Some people like to shock. Julianne De Marchi can do it with her bare hands.
Jules can use the electrical current that stings and surges beneath her skin. To spark a fire, maybe even end a life. But she doesn’t understand what it is. And she can barely control it, especially when she’s anxious.
Then she meets Ryan Walsh.
She doesn’t know he’s a soldier working for a secret unit that has her under surveillance.
He doesn’t know what it is that’s making the sparks fly between them.
And neither of them knows who caused the explosion that has them trapped in an elevator together.
The characters are endearing and believable, the romance is meaningful without being saccharine and the plot races along with impeccable timing. Paula Weston conjures a frighteningly believable vision of near-future Australia in this incredibly timely read.
Books + Publishing
This is an explosive action thriller with a superpowered heroine, layered and complex supporting characters, an awesome romance, a high-octane adventure, and basically everything I need to make me a deliciously happy reader.
Booktopia
Paula Weston raises the bar for an intelligent, page-turning speculative young adult thriller full of complex issues and wonderfully varied and sculpted characters worth caring about.
Kids’ Book Review
Paula Weston has done it again. The Aussie who blessed us with the Rephaim series doesn’t miss a beat as she unveils a new cast of well-rounded, flawed and believable characters in a fast-paced tale … Another page-turner!
SA Weekend
A readable and believable dystopian tale of nuclear energy, genetically modified crops, and corporate greed, further enlivened by a budding romance.
Sydney Morning Herald