Shirley-Anne McMillan crafts stories for children and young adults with a profound sense of empathy. Her writing delves into the complex emotions and experiences of young people, often imbuing narratives with hope and resilience. Through compelling characters and immersive storytelling, she explores themes of coming-of-age, identity, and finding one's place in the world. McMillan brings a distinctive voice to her work that resonates deeply with both young readers and adults.
'A writer to watch' Irish TimesShirley-Anne McMillan's latest YA novel is a stunning, heartbreaking journey of learning how to trust when you've been let down so many times before, and finding the courage to be true to who you are, when it's so much easier to pretend to be someone else.
How far would you go to fit in? 17-year-old Drew has just won a scholarship to Cooke's Academy, an elite high school in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He's the first in his neighbourhood to be accepted, and his family and community couldn't be prouder. Especially because going there gives Drew a shot at a valuable college scholarship. But the pressure at Cooke's Academy is intense, and Drew isn't sure he fits in. When Adam, leader of the toxic Stewards club, a privileged group of students who control everything that goes on at the school, invites Drew to join, Drew realises that if he can just play by the rules for long enough, he will have a shot at the scholarship. Wealthy, popular Charlotte seems to have everything going for her, but she struggles with the expectations heaped on her by her family and the school. Meanwhile, her ex-boyfriend Adam is terrorising her with a video of them having sex. As the friendship between Drew and Charlotte grows, both begin to come into their own through a growing love of Spanish poetry, poetry slams, and drag. A school trip to Spain brings them closer together, and pushes them further than ever from who they used to be.
The Unknowns is a story about hope in a city where increasing numbers of young people are struggling to get by, a place where there is no trust in the political system, and where some people still dare to dream.