YA Books Podcast - Episode 66 - Kestral Gaian

"I can’t trust my own mind, or my memory, so I’m writing all of this down… There’s been a murder in this town and I’m determined to get to the bottom of it." Aaron Grayling hates summer. It’s a time of heat and humidity in the dreary town of Meriville. It’s also the time when the bad dreams come, which have been intensifying since the death of his father. He hardly seems to find the space to breathe… Until the fateful day he finds a diary in the woods. Penned by the mysterious X, it hints at a shadowy world of murder that seems too true for the boy to ignore. Torn between school and a murder investigation, Aaron finds himself an unlikely companion in X. Can they stop the crimewave from hitting Meriville before it's too late? And will it help Aaron understand the turbulent goings-on in his head? Hidden Lives is a powerful novel of friendship and loss, and staying true to who you are against the odds. Bio Kestral Gaian is an award-winning broadcaster, scriptwriter, musician, and performer. Best known for their work presenting regular radio series The Geekly Chronicles and for their often performed choral compositions, they have also published two poetry collections - Silent Poet and Counterweights - before breaking into longform writing with their debut novel Hidden Lives. Having trained as an animator and worked in software before moving to writing and the arts, Kestral's view on the world is eclectic and thoughtful. Their unique views on how technology impacts human nature, their charity work, and tireless campaigning for equality has led to them being invited to guest lecture at a number of top institutions across the world, including Eton College, Cambridge, and Université de Bordeaux. Outside of work, Kestral is a keen cook and even more keen consumer of food. They can be found on Twitter and more of their work is available at their website https://www.amazon.com/Mattie-J.-T.-Stepanek/e/B001KHJQY8/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1496203053&sr=1-2-ent https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Lives-Kestral-Gaian-ebook/dp/B071LBP4N7/ref=pd_rhf_ee_p_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=ZB802D38RQWJ6K5H03AW