We Could Be Something
Allen & Unwin 2023
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. For the foreseeable future, he’s living on top of a cafe with the extended Greek family he barely knows.
Sotiris is on the up. He’s achieved his dream, a novel released at seventeen. It isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and then a cute, wise-cracking bookseller named Jem upends his life.
Harvey’s 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.
An emotional rollercoaster of a novel about two young men — part coming-out story, part falling-in-love story, part falling-apart story.
WINNER: Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, Young Adult Literature Prize 2024
Better Reading Top 50 Kids’ Books 2023
Angus and Robertson Bookworld Best Books of 2023, Young Adult
Booktopia Best Books of 2023, Young Adult
Booktopia FAB Award 2023, Nominee
Indie Book Awards, Young Adult Longlist 2023
Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards, Writing For Young Adults Shortlist 2024
CBCA Book of the Year Awards, Older Readers Notable Book 2024
New South Wales Premier’s Literary Awards, Ethel Turner Prize for Young People’s Literature Shortlist 2024
Queensland Literary Awards, Young Adult Book Award Shortlist 2024
“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
“17-year-olds Harvey and Sotiris both live in Sydney’s Darlinghurst and are trying to find their paths in life under difficult circumstances. Subtly and skilfully, Kostakis shows the reader differences and resemblances between the inner and outer worlds of the two young men.
Kostakis has achieved a new level of excellence with this novel, capturing both characters with crisp, clear prose, layered with meaning and pathos. Brimming with raw emotion and truth, We Could Be Something contains vivid descriptions of the Darlinghurst and Kings Cross area of Sydney, and of Greek-Australian culture, intergenerational living, and Australia’s LGBTQI evolving communities.
Kostakis writes with authenticity and insight about a teen novelist having his ego and creative spirit crushed when his first novel falters. The novel’s bittersweet conclusion avoids cliche and leaves the reader with something far more complex, realistic and lingering than a tidy ending. Kostakis balances the reader’s desire for satisfaction with this story’s demand for authenticity with enviable skill.
This is a powerful novel with universal appeal, imbued with heart and wit, told with control and maturity.” Judges’ Report, Prime Minister’s Literary Awards
“An engaging and unexpected tale of isolation, the meaning of family, and finding your way back to yourself. The dual voices and array of complex themes in We Could be Something are skilfully handled throughout. An exploration of wider family dynamics within a fracturing moment, it is beautifully balanced, touching and a little heartbreaking.” Judges’ Report, Queensland Literary Awards
“The striking narratives of … two very different boys are effortlessly woven to form a rich tapestry of a novel that explores queer identity, cultural intersection and the many different forms of love. We Could Be Something is a literary triumph deftly executed and perfectly pitched to its young audience. Will Kostakis is a master of his craft and takes the reader on an emotional journey with lyrical turns of phrase and heart-rending scenes. The voices of the two young narrators are authentically drawn and come alive against the vibrant setting, while their respective families provide a chaotically familiar dynamic that allows for the boys’ stories of self-discovery to shine through.” Judges’ Report, New South Wales Premier’s Literary Awards
“Keenly observant, Kostakis has written a witty, fast-paced coming-of-age novel. With chapters narrated by alternate protagonists, their stylistic approach is highly engaging. Dialogue is employed to great effect, establishing two distinct and authentic character voices. Weaving pathos and humour together, Kostakis explores the subject matter of Greek culture, queerness and identity with heart and honest pragmatism.” Judges’ Report, Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards
“A nuanced exploration of family, relationships, writing and finding your way. This novel is a discovery of family, culture, and identity. Young Harvey is coming to terms with his parents’ fractured relationship, whilst also settling into a new city, exploring his sexuality, and discovering what his future holds. Segmented into two storylines that parallel the stories and paths of father and son, the two weave together to reveal the similarities and differences as both characters find themselves at pivotal points in their life. The language differentiates the two story lines, and the setting of the family café evokes a strong sense of place, capturing culture and the Greek-Australian heritage, as well as the nostalgia of lost youth and new pathways. Absorbing and timely, this will appeal to the middle to upper end of the young adult readership.” Judges’ Report, CBCA Book of the Year
“Will Kostakis’ We Could Be Something combines romance, grief, coming-out story, and the domestic dramedy of an extended Greek family to produce a queer YA novel full of heart and humour.” Cameron Woodhead and Steven Carroll, THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
“A deft twist reveals an engaging, warm-hearted drama that traverses generations. From queer identity and family entanglements to the fickle machinations of the publishing industry, Kostakis shares the emotional heart of relationships with skill and a tender show of vulnerability.” Frances Atkinson, THE AGE
“A big-hearted queer YA novel.” Gemma Nisbet, THE WEST AUSTRALIAN
“This has always been Kostakis’s gift, the ability to drag you – almost before you realise – into the emotional heart of the story, so you recognise each character’s truth in your own life, and ache and laugh and cry along with them. As gifts go, it’s not a bad one for an author to have.” Ellie Marney, THE SATURDAY PAPER
“Vivid and exquisitely written… Kostakis weaves a sparkling tale of hardship, heartbreak, identity and the universal struggle of finding your footing in the world.” Brenton Cullen, BOOKS+PUBLISHING
“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.” Michael Cart, BOOKLIST
“Funny and poignant by turns… We Could be Something deals sympathetically with the emotional turmoil felt by many young people; self-acceptance and family reactions to coming out, cross-cultural and intergenerational demands and expectations, responsibilities and responses to family members’ aging.” Margaret Crohn, READPLUS
“This book walloped me in the best ways. Humour and heart that I already knew Will could do, but a reckoning and sharing on the page that’s so generous and tender from him as an artist.” Danielle Binks, ALPHA READER
“Kostakis has written one of the most powerful narratives I’ve read in a long time.” Dion McLeod, QBD BOOKS
“There is no doubt that Will Kostakis is one of Australia’s leading writers for young adults — and this is, I think, his best work to date.” Paul Macdonald, THE CHILDREN’S BOOKSHOP
“The storytelling has the degree of complexity and maturity you’d expect in an adult literary novel… We Could Be Something is a truly special novel, exploring Greek culture, queerness, the writing industry, but most importantly family and the love that binds it.” Joe Murray, READINGS
“We Could Be Something is truly one of a kind. Whether you look at it as a heartfelt, intergenerational story about a Greek family, or as two queer kids coming of age in different eras of Sydney, the result is the same — you finish Will Kostakis’ novel with a new perspective, and that’s what makes this book so wonderful. There’s no happy ending per say, but it doesn’t need one, as the finale is truly impactful and perfectly written to close this chapter of Harvey and Sotiris’ lives. A must read!” Molly, BERKELOUW BOOKS
“Beautifully written.” Ben, LAMONT BOOKS