Monuments by Will Kostakis

Hachette Australia, 2019. ISBN: 9780734419224. pbk. 280 pgs.
(Age: 12+) Fantasy duology. Monuments is a fabulous light, fast paced, action packed and fun fantasy based in Sydney. I was so happy that it was based in Australia because urban fantasies with an Aussie setting are very hard to come by.
Will Kostakis has earned his spotlight as an Australian YA author. He is known for his ability to deliver heart-warming, witty and hard hitting contemporary fiction with very realistic characters. Will signed his first book deal at the age of 17 but had been pitching manuscripts at publishers at the age of 12. Monuments is Will's first fantasy, time travel book.
I extremely enjoyed reading Monuments and am so looking forward to the next instalment in the series.
OK back to the book. I found it easy to read and follow. It had many depictions of family relationships while also tackling important teen issues of change, friendships and fall outs, sexuality, and coming to terms with your own identity.
In Monuments we follow the story of Connor, a 16-year-old teen, with Greek heritage trying to avoid his best friend. He stumbles across a trapdoor to a secret chamber in his school. Here is where his adventures begin. Along the way we meet Sally, Locky and a few more interesting characters including some gods. All characters are unique with their own personalities. We probably can see a little of ourselves in some of the characters.
Monuments is a great book to read especially for teens because it depicts issues they face from day to day in a fantasy setting. This is one book I would have in my class so students could read.
Maria Komninos