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A review by grasshopperjungle
Amelia Westlake Was Never Here by Erin Gough
4.5
What an absolutely adorable read! Australian YA LGBT+ novels are always such a treat to read, and Erin Gough did a such a gorgeous job with Amelia Westlake, and it's just so enjoyable. I loved the uniquely Australian feel to the novel, and as a Sydney-sider myself, just got so excited when the characters in the story mentioned places I recognised (it's probably my favourite aspect of any YA Australian read, hence why I love titles such as 'Looking for Alibrandi', and 'How it Feels' so much).
I didn't realise I had actually read another one of Gough's novels until a bit through Amelia Westlake, when I did my research and found that she had written 'Flywheel', which I had read I think a year or so ago. This really surprised me, as I didn't really love 'Flywheel' too much, and didn't feel much of a connection to the characters or the budding romance, which was a stark contrast to 'Amelia Westlake', which is just such a heart-felt, adorable read.
I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys YA romance, and especially for those looking for familiar Australian stories that just feel so unique to the high school/senior year experience here.
I didn't realise I had actually read another one of Gough's novels until a bit through Amelia Westlake, when I did my research and found that she had written 'Flywheel', which I had read I think a year or so ago. This really surprised me, as I didn't really love 'Flywheel' too much, and didn't feel much of a connection to the characters or the budding romance, which was a stark contrast to 'Amelia Westlake', which is just such a heart-felt, adorable read.
I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys YA romance, and especially for those looking for familiar Australian stories that just feel so unique to the high school/senior year experience here.