It’s a Bit More Complicated Than That

Book Author Hannah Marshall
Rights Available World ex Australia and NZ

When Zelle returns to her hometown, she and former best friend Callum are forced to confront their messy past. It’s three years since the tragedy that wrenched them apart and that continues to haunt them.

Zelle is in denial about her alcohol use that threatens to spiral out of control, and she’s deeply annoyed at having to leave the city.

Callum’s future is thrown into jeopardy after both a disastrous uni interview and his budding romance turning sour.

Callum and Zelle realise they can’t keep running from the past forever, and circumstances force them to examine their grief and guilt and find a way through.

The story is told through the points of view of the two main characters, Zelle and Callum, in alternating chapters.

With beautifully assured story-telling, this is an emotionally tense page turner that leaves you on the edge of your seat.

About the Author

Hannah Marshall has an MA in Creative Writing from the International Institute of Modern Letters at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington. She’s been a winner of the Maurice Gee Prize in Children’s Writing, an NZSA CompleteMS Manuscript Assessment recipient and won the Best Unpublished Author category in the Storylines Tessa Duder YA Award 2024.It’s a Bit More Complicated Than That is her first novel.