We Could Be Something

Overview

A wonderful emotional rollercoaster of a novel about two young men, each on a journey of discovery. It's part coming-out story, part falling-in-love story, part relationship breakdown story, part extended Greek family story. It's warm and funny, a little bit heartbreaking, and completely satisfying.

'The enormous heart of We Could Be Something beats with a rare, thrilling authenticity. Every funny, smart, tough word of it rings true. I loved this book.' - Patrick Ness, bestselling author of A MONSTER CALLS and the CHAOS WALKING series

Part coming-out story.

Part falling-in-love story.

Part falling-apart story.

Harvey's dads are splitting up. It's been on the cards for a while, but it's still sudden. Woken-by-his-father-to-catch-a-red-eye sudden. Now he's restarting his life in a new city, living above a cafe with the extended Greek family he barely knows.

Sotiris is a rising star. At seventeen, he's already achieved his dream of publishing a novel. When his career falters, a cute, wise-cracking bookseller named Jem upends his world.

Harvey and Sotiris's stories converge on the same street in Darlinghurst, in this beautifully heartfelt novel about how our dreams shape us, and what they cost us.

'Vivid and exquisitely written... Kostakis weaves a sparkling tale of hardship, heartbreak, identity and the universal struggle of finding your footing in the world.' -Books & Publishing

Reviews

Winner for the 2024 Prime Minister's Literary Awards, Young Adult Literature

Shortlisted for 2024 NSW Premier's Literary Awards,Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature

"Kostakis is a gifted writer, as evidenced in this excellent novel. He is especially good at characterization; both Harvey and Sotiris are complex, fully developed, and highly empathetic characters, which is why the novel leaves readers wanting more, wanting to know about what happens to Harvey and Sotiris beyond their respective stories’ endings."—Booklist

"[We Could Be Something] offers fleshed-out depictions of adolescent angst surrounding romance and impending adulthood.”—Publishers Weekly

"A masterfully written story filled with heart, sorrow, and hope." —Laurie Halse Anderson, New York Times bestselling author, on The Sidekicks

"His literary polish and deep understanding of teen storytelling is compelling and nuanced from the first page. . . . An excellent exploration of grief from a rising talent that belongs in all libraries serving teens." —School Library Journal starred review on The Sidekicks

"A hypnotic story of friendship, loss, grief, self-discovery, and-most of all-love." —Jennifer Niven, New York Times bestselling author, on The Sidekicks

"A poignant exploration of grief." —Entertainment Weekly on The Sidekicks

NOTABLE BOOK: 2024 CBCA Book of the Year, Older Readers

Author Biography

Will Kostakis is an award-winning author for young adults. His first novel, Loathing Lola, was published when he was just nineteen. It sold a whopping ten copies including the seven he bought himself. After a brief break to dabble in celebrity journalism and reconstruct his shattered dream, he returned with The First Third, which sold more than ten copies (possibly fifteen). It won the 2014 Gold Inky Award and was shortlisted for the CBCA and the Prime Minister's Literary Awards, among others.

The Sidekicks was his third novel for young adults and his US debut. It won the IBBY Australia Ena Noel Award. Will has also contributed to numerous anthologies, including the ABIA Award-winning Begin, End, Begin: A #LoveOzYA Anthology. He was awarded the 2020 Maurice Saxby Award by the School Library Association of New South Wales for service to children's and young adult literature and is an ambassador for the NSW Premier's Reading Challenge.