Karen Comer - Writer, Freelance Editor, and Teacher of Verse Novels

A debut young adult verse novel about the colliding paths of a talented violinist and an aspiring street artist during the pandemic. Set in one of the most locked-down cities in the world – Melbourne, 2020.

“A classic in the making; Grace Notes is a vital balm of a book, a story to press into everybody’s hands.”

– Danielle Binks

“Poetry, music and art, woven together in an uplifting story about endless lockdowns and first love.”

– Nova Weetman

“Heart and soul triumph over Covid lockdowns and restrictions . . . Karen has used the verse novel to beguile, dance and demand layers of emotion and depth that only poetry can sustain. A masterful debut!”

– Lorraine Marwood

“Like the grace note of the title, this beautiful story strikes the perfect tone, mixing colour, light and music at a time when we needed it most.”

– Nicole Hayes

Twelve-year old Freya’s world is turned upside down when she and her mum relocate to inner-city Melbourne. STUCK in a new apartment on the eleventh floor and Freya is afraid of lifts. STUCK in a new basketball team where not everyone likes a star new player. STUCK in a classroom of kids who don’t know Freya is a donor-conceived baby. STUCK, just like Little Audrey in the Skipping Girl sign – suspended in mid-air over the suburb of Abbotsford.

Being the new girl makes Freya feel like a dark cloud on a summer’s day. Can she figure out how to belong on Vinegar Street?

“Tender and funny – a tumbling collage of words and wonderings, fears and triumphs, where the child’s world is both the hard, real thing and the stuff of magic.”

– Ursula Dubosarsky Australian Children's Laureate 2020-2021

‘This universal story is perfect for any young reader who’s ever felt left on the outside, and will appeal to fans of Nova Weetman’

– Books and Publishing

Karen Comer is a writer and freelance editor, and she presents writing workshops to children and adults. Earlier in her career, she worked in educational publishing and was the editor for children’s art magazine BIG. She lives in Melbourne.

About Karen

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