Grace Notes

A debut YA verse novel about what happens when the paths of a young busking violinist and an aspiring street artist collide during a pandemic. Set in one of the most locked-down cities in the world - Melbourne, 2020.

---

WINNER OF THE 2024 CBCA BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR OLDERS READERS
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2024 ETHEL TURNER PRIZE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE'S LITERATURE
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2024 UTS GLENDA ADAMS AWARD FOR NEW WRITING

This song has a grace note,
a tiny note that's there for embellishment
but can easily be ignored,
not played.
Tonight, I add it in -
just because.
We can all do with an extra note
of grace.

Grace Dalfinch is a talented violinist who longs to play contemporary music in bars, but her mum forbids her.
James Crux is an aspiring street artist who promised his dad he wouldn't paint in public until he's finished school.

When Crux witnesses Grace's impromptu performance on a deserted tram, he's inspired to paint her and her violin; and when Grace stumbles across her portrait in a Melbourne alley by an anonymous street artist, she sets out to find its creator.

Grace Notes is a debut YA verse novel, set in one of the most locked-down cities in the world - Melbourne, 2020. For fans of Cath Crowley and Pip Harry.

'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

'Comer captures the beats of Melbourne's 2020 and the unique experience of a generation of teens in one of the most locked-down cities in the world.'
Books+Publishing

'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

'A Romeo & Juliet tale of the modern era . . . Grace Notes [is] a compelling rallying cry for the pursuit of passion, of perseverance in the face of adversity, and the essential work of artists'
Sydney Arts Guide