Michelle Cooper - Fiction Writer for Young Adults

A Brief History of Montmaray

"Bittersweet and delectable, this book deserves to be an instant classic. Sophie is one of the most charming narrators since I Capture The Castle." Kate Forsyth

I need to write down what has just happened. I need to set down the truth. If I write lies or if I write nothing at all, this journal is worthless. I must do this, in case anything happens.

All right. This is what happened tonight, every single terrible thing that I can remember . . .

Sophie FitzOsborne lives in a crumbling castle in the tiny island kingdom of Montmaray, along with her tomboy younger sister Henry, her beautiful, intellectual cousin Veronica, and Veronica's father, the completely mad King John.
When Sophie receives a leather-bound journal for her sixteenth birthday, she decides to write about her day-to-day life on the island. But it is 1936 and the world is in turmoil. Does the arrival of two strangers threaten everything that Sophie holds dear?

From Sophie's charming and lively observations to a nailbiting, unputdownable ending, this is a book to be treasured.

★ Awarded the 2009 Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature
★ Shortlisted for the 2008 Golden Inky Teenage Choice Award
★ Recommended Book in the 2009 Parents' Choice Book Award
★ Listed in the American Library Association's 2010 Best Books for Young Adults

"Once in a while, a special book will cross our paths . . . Cooper has created one of the most interesting and likeable characters I have come across in a long time . . . a pleasing narrative that readers will enthusiastically connect with . . . a joyful reading experience."

Soo Lee Tan, Viewpoint, Vol 16 (2), 2008

"The ending was amazing, I couldn't put it down! I thought it was really cleverly planned with lots of unexpected extra twists. I loved all the characters, Sophia so strong, Veronica so opinionated and brave, and Henry so determined."

Brigitte, age 12, Random House Book Buddies Club

"Michelle Cooper draws on history, literature, politics, religion and mythology, as well as the smaller moments of a life, and delivers a story that has more facets than a well-cut diamond. Adventure, intrigue, romance, the supernatural - it's all here, bound together by a ripping plot."

Frances Atkinson, The Sunday Age

A Brief History of Montmaray © Michelle Cooper
ISBN 978 1 74166 322 8 (paperback)
Published by Random House Australia in June, 2008

A Brief History of Montmaray © Michelle Cooper
ISBN 978 1 74212 196 3 (Australian audiobook on six CDs)
Published by Louis Braille Audio in November, 2008

A Brief History of Montmaray © Michelle Cooper
ISBN 978 0 375 85864 2 (hardcover)
ISBN 978 0 375 95864 9 (Gibraltar Library Binding)
ISBN 978 0 375 89359 9 (e-book)
Published by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers in October, 2009

A Brief History of Montmaray © Michelle Cooper
ISBN 978 0 307 70778 9 (North American audiobook on seven CDs)
ISBN 978 0 307 70779 6 (North American downloadable audiobook)
Published by Listening Library in January, 2010

The Rage of Sheep

A hilarious story about girls, gossip, growing up and God.

I'd grown up being told that if I found myself tempted to behave in an unkind way, I just had to ask myself, 'What would Jesus do?' And then do that.

Something hard pinged off the back of my seat and bounced down the aisle.

So the question was, what would Jesus do if the Jameson sisters started chucking Jaffas at his head?

It is 1984 and fifteen-year-old Hester Jones is not having a good year. Her best friend has moved away and even though Natalie and Lynda are allowing her to hang out with them, Hester's struggling to keep up with her cool new friends. Plus, she has the most embarrassing dad in the world, who's never, ever going to let her go to the birthday bash Natalie's planning. Worst of all, her Science teacher's making her work on a project about evolution with that weird Joshua Mason . . .
When everything goes wrong, and the world stops making sense, Hester has to decide: is it better to be a sheep, or a goat?

"This book made me laugh, cry and finish reading with a smile on my face . . . If you enjoy reading books that delve into social issues and yet can still resurface without bogging themselves down, this would be the one for you . . . It's hard to put this book down once you've begun."

pandapjays, age 17, insideadog.com.au

"Cooper's talent lies in setting up a fairly familiar scenario, and then casually shattering all her readers' expectations. It's cleverly done, and the 1980s setting adds to the book's charm."

Ronni Phillips, The Canberra Times

"This is a great read for teenagers, who would fully appreciate the dramas that play out in the classroom and school yard between friends."

Joyce Michael, Fiction Focus Vol 21 No 3 2007