The Hidden Girl

Mel has everything to lose – but how can she stand back when she knows something’s not right?

Within the pages of a stolen diary, Melati discovers a coded cry for help – the diary belongs to Devi, an Indonesian teenager who is being held by traffickers. Mel races across the island of Java and against the clock to work out Devi’s identity and where she’s being held. Before long the pieces fall into place and Mel must put her own life on the line to save a girl she’s never met.

“The Hidden Girl is a taut and compelling crime YA that explores dark places with a deft hand. Melati is my favourite kind of heroine - rebellious, self-deprecating and determined. Her sure sense of self and justice feels relevant to young people today, who face a broken world but remain undaunted. I loved her journey.”

In Louise Bassett's debut novel The Hidden Girl Melati Nelson has precariously performed the 'good girl' act for a year at her new school, trying to overcome the misdoings of her past. However, the bullying of another student by the vicious Libby Hartnett sends Melati over the edge and into trouble. While her academic life hangs by a thread, Melati's actions in standing up against Libby set off a chain of events exposing something far more sinister when she steals a diary, presuming it to be Libby's, from the school counsellor. The diary turns out to belong to Devi, an Indonesian girl who is being held captive by traffickers in Melbourne. As Melati slowly translates the diary, she attends a school trip to Java where she makes a new friend, and the two team up to seek help for Devi. While The Hidden Girl falls short in its description of high school dynamics, exaggerating stereotypes of popular bullies, nerds and jocks, it excels in the exploration of the fierceness, courage and complexity of young women. Melati is not only motivated by an impulse for adventure, but also by a deep sense of empathy and concern for Devi, and anger at the injustice she faces. Bassett also effectively depicts the electric awkwardness of romance in your teens, while maintaining Melati's focus on helping Devi. Racing with the characters across lush Javanese roads and the menacing laneways of inner-city Melbourne while deciphering clues and waiting for justice to be served makes The Hidden Girl a thrilling and gratifying read. Shivani Prabhu is a freelance writer and a nonfiction editor for  Voiceworks.

Louise Bassett is an Australian author who writes for young adults and grown-ups. The Girl Between the Pages is her debut novel and was shortlisted for the Ampersand Prize. Her award-winning adult short fiction has been published internationally. Her second and third YA novels are in the works.

After emigrating from England on a Greek liner, Louise grew up in Adelaide, ‘the weird murder capital of Australia’ and a fertile environment for a budding writer. After university, she narrowly dodged a career as a lawyer and worked in international aid in Cambodia, Papua New Guinea and Vietnam. While living in Indonesia, she scaled volcanoes and worked with activists who were campaigning to end violence against women. These experiences inspired The Hidden Girl.

Louise works in community justice, giving her a deep understanding of the impact of crime and vulnerability; issues she explores in her writing. Based in Melbourne, Louise lives with her partner and too many books. Her stepsons keep her in touch with all things YA.

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