Deb Fitzpatrick

Deb Fitzpatrick lives and works in Fremantle, Western Australia.  Her novels for young adults – 90 Packets of Instant Noodles and Have You Seen Ally Queen were both named Notable Books by the Children’s Book Council of Australia. Deb has also published best-selling novels for younger readers, The Amazing Spencer Gray, The Spectacular Spencer Gray, and At My Door.  Deb’s first novel for adult readers, The Break, has also enjoyed wide popularity with a young adult readership. All Deb's books have been published by Fremantle Press in Western Australia.  Deb was awarded one of six fellowships for 2020 by the May Gibbs Childrens Literature Trust, and will continue to work on a new novel for young adult readers.    debfitzpatrick.com.au

The Break

 

Published 2014  Fremantle Press, Australia

‘The story is set in the 1990s, a refreshing touch as technology does not take a front seat, and Fitzpatrick’s love and knowledge of her home state is evident. Her prose is fluid and evocative and the use of excerpts from Robert Drewe’s The Drowner works well. The chapters are short and their choppiness is much like the sea, which is almost another character in the novel. The Break will resonate with fans of Tim Winton, as Fitzpatrick writes about the natural environment with similar texture and intensity.’   Books+Publishing

 

‘There is some startlingly good, original and moving writing about landscape and place in this novel. It’s a brave writer who takes on landscape writing, in an area so close to the region that Tim Winton has over decades made so unforgettably his own. But Fitzpatrick’s best writing about the place and its ecology is almost mystical, with an attention to detail at once lyrical and microscopic.’ Sydney Morning Herald

The Amazing Spencer Gray

Published 2013  Fremantle Press, Australia

Forthcoming 2015  Star Bright Books, USA

‘The clever writing allows the reader to simultaneously admire the bravery and determination of Spencer … while exploring human fear and fragility.’ ― Magpies

 

‘… this is a brilliant junior fiction read for boys who like adventure stories.’ ― Scoop Magazine

‘Deb Fitzpatrick’s second novel for young adults is reminiscent of Aimee Said’s Finding Freia Lockhart but with a beach setting, and there are definitely echoes of the wonderful Brigid Lowry.’  Magpies

 

‘A great modern romance for teen readers.’  The Sunday Times

 

‘Fitzpatrick should be commended for a sensitive story about the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder.’  The Australian

Have You Seen Ally Queen?

Published 2011  Fremantle Press, Australia

 

90 Packets of Instant Noodles

Published 2010  Fremantle Press, Australia

 

‘Deb Fitzpatrick has written a clean and realistic depiction of adolescent boys behaving badly. It is a cautionary tale and should resonate with a target audience that is sometimes difficult to reach.’  The Age

 

‘Loyalty is the theme of this excellent first novel, which delicately treads the minefield of adolescence gone wrong. Deb Fitzpatrick skilfully renders the ripple effect when a 15-year-old gets into the wrong company and enjoys it … it is, more importantly, freighted with fine writing and insights into human nature.’  Weekend Australian