a gold Inky - Guardian of the Dead

Guardian of the Dead, Karen Healey (Allen & Unwin)

Set in modern-day New Zealand, Guardian of the Dead takes its reader on an imaginative thrill ride through Maori legend and fantasy. The main character, Ellie is a tough girl living at a boarding school where at first it seems her biggest problem is that her best friend Kevin (who is asexual - that's a first in YA, surely?) is spending a lot of time with the university theatre crowd and Ellie feels a bit left out...and there's a weird new girl who has her eye on Kevin.

Enter Mark: he's mysterious, Ellie is drawn to him - and him to her. Things happen when she's around him. And something BIG is going to go down. The gods are angry and the earth is shifting. Ellie is not a Bella, however. She's not going to sit around and wait to be rescued: she's off to save the world! The dialogue is great, the mythology spectacular and it is fabulous to see a clever and tough young woman out there defending herself.

Another strong contender for the gold Inky! Vote here.