1
of
1
Ballad for a Mad Girl
Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.
Check link for latest rating. ( 813 ratings, 191 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still
learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Summary
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2200
$2400
Elsewhere:
Unit price
/
Unavailable
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER
Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks
Found a better price? Request a price match
Ballad for a Mad Girl
$2200
$2400
Elsewhere:
Unit price
/
Unavailable
Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
Latest News
Bluey Alert: New Bluey Toys Have Just Arrived!
New Bluey Toys have arrived at Toy Hero
A personal message to our customers
We've heard that some people are surprised to learn that Book Hero is a 100%...
Fiction for Foodies
Lizzy is sharing some of her favourite fiction reads for people who love food as...
Why Is Harry Potter Still So Magical?
Today, 31 July, is Harry Potter's birthday. Every year it rolls around, I find myself...
Book Hero's Favourite Biographies!
The Book Hero team are sharing their favourite biography or memoir - some are recent...
See moreThe funny girl isn't laughing anymore. She's haunted by voices and visions - but nobody believes a girl who cries wolf.
Ballad for a Mad Girl is a ghost thriller with a literary angle. An action-packed page turner about survival and the different ways we deal with grief.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
Everyone knows seventeen-year-old Grace Foley is a bit mad. She's a prankster and a risk-taker, and she's not afraid of anything—except losing. As part of the long-running feud between two local schools in Swanston, Grace accepts a challenge to walk the pipe. That night she experiences something she can't explain.
The funny girl isn't laughing anymore. She's haunted by voices and visions, but nobody believes a girl who cries wolf. As she's drawn deeper into a twenty-year-old mystery surrounding missing girl Hannah Holt, the thin veil between this world and the next begins to slip. She can no longer tell what's real or imagined—all she knows is the ghosts of Swanston, including that of her own mother, are restless. It seems one of them has granted her an extraordinary gift at a terrible price.
Everything about her is changing—her body, her thoughts, even her actions seem to belong to a stranger. Grace is losing herself, and her friends don't understand. Is she moving closer to the truth? Or is she heading for madness?
Ballad for a Mad Girl is a suspenseful and haunting novel that explores the blurred lines between reality and imagination, the burden of secrets, and the search for truth deep within oneself.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Ballad for a Mad Girl by Vikki Wakefield is praised for its intelligent and spine-crawling narrative, blending elements of supernatural mystery with the complexities of teenage life. Reviewers highlight Wakefield's skill in crafting believable, flawed characters and her ability to deliver emotions in a gripping, cinematic style. The novel is described as haunting and thought-provoking, using themes of grief and growth within a Gothic setting to engage readers.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781925355291
Publisher: Text Publishing
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 29 May 2017
Country: Australia
Imprint: The Text Publishing Company
Audience: Children
DIMENSIONS
Width: 128.0mm
Height: 198.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 320
About the Author
Vikki Wakefield's first YA novel, All I Ever Wanted, won the 2012 Adelaide Festival Literary Award for YA Fiction, as did her second novel, Friday Brown, in 2014. Friday Brown was also an Honour Book at the Children's Book Council of Australia, in 2013, and was shortlisted for the prestigious Prime Minister's Awards. Vikki's third novel, Inbetween Days, was Highly Commended in the 2016 Barbara Jefferis Award, was a 2016 CBCA Honour Book and was shortlisted for the 2016 Prime Minister's Awards. Vikki lives in the Adelaide foothills with her family.
Also by Vikki Wakefield
View all-
After You Were Gone
A daughter abducted, an anonymous caller, a descent into madness—the first adult crime thriller by beloved Australian author Vikki Wakefield will have you on the edge of your seat. What happens to a family when a child goes missing? In a busy street market, Abbie lets go of six-year-old Sarah's hand. She isn't a bad mother, just exhausted. When she...Paperback$3500Elsewhere:$3800Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
This Is How We Change The Ending
A gritty, ultimately triumphant novel from one of Australia's most loved YA writers, the author of the award-winning Friday Brown. Sixteen-year-old Nate McKee is doing his best to be invisible. He's worried about a lot of things—how his dad treats Nance and his twin half-brothers; the hydro crop growing in his bedroom; the way his friend Merrick always drags him...Paperback$2200Elsewhere:$2400Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
To the River
A compulsively readable psychological thriller from the award-winning author of After You Were Gone. The Kelly family has always been trouble. When a fire in a remote caravan community kills nine people, including 17-year-old Sabine Kelly's mother and sister, Sabine confesses to the murders. Shortly after, she escapes custody and disappears. Recently made redundant from marriage, motherhood and her career,...Paperback$4000Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Inbetween Days
Jacklin Bates has life figured out—dropped out of school, moved in with her runaway sister, and in love with an older boy. But why does she have a sinking feeling that she still needs her mum? Perhaps it's because she's stuck in Mobius—a dying town with the macabre suicide forest as its only attraction—stuck working in the roadhouse and babysitting...Paperback$2600Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
All I Ever Wanted
All I Ever Wanted by Vikki Wakefield tells the story of Mim, a young girl who knows what she wants and where she wants to go—anywhere but home. Stuck in the suburbs with her disengaged mother, who won't get off the couch, and with two brothers in prison, Mim has set herself rules to live by, but she's starting to...PaperbackSold Out -
Friday Brown
Seventeen-year-old Friday Brown is on the run—escaping memories of her mother and the family curse. She’s also fleeing a grandfather who’d like her to stay. Lost, alone, and afraid, she encounters Silence, a street kid, and joins his gang led by the beautiful, charismatic Arden. When Silence is involved in a crime, the group escapes to a ghost town in...PaperbackSold Out
More from Young Adult
View all-
Song of the Saltings
On the isolated island of Brack, the people live by an ancient bargain: every year, a sacrifice must be made to the Glimm, the creature that haunts the salt marshes. Eight years ago, it should have taken Lotta. Instead, the monster spared her and claimed her pony, shattering tradition and anointing her both folk hero and object of suspicion. Now...Paperback$2499Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New ReleaseTell Me with Kisses
From New York Times bestselling author and Wattpad sensation Mercedes Ron comes the English translation of the third in the Tell Me series, where Kamila Hamilton is caught between the two Di Bianco brothers after they burst back into her life. From New York Times bestselling author and Wattpad sensation Mercedes Ron comes the English translation of the third in...Paperback$2399Elsewhere:$2800Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Release Me
The searing second volume in a new series set in the #1 global bestselling Shatter Me universe ten years after the fall of The Reestablishment. Rosabelle Wolff had a plan. Now she wants revenge. To save her sister she needs to get back home and destroy the system that created her. Rosabelle’s greatest strength is her ability to deaden her...$2200Elsewhere:$2499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
A Language of Dragons
The most exciting debut of 2025 – an incredible fantasy Dark Academia, perfect for fans of Babel, Fourth Wing, and the Scholomance trilogy. EVERY FIRE STARTS WITH A SINGLE SPARK. Welcome to Bletchley Park… with dragons. London, 1923. Dragons soar through the skies and protests erupt on the streets, but Vivien Featherswallow isn’t worried. She’s going to follow the rules,...Paperback$1700Elsewhere:$2299Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Shatter Me: Shatter Me series 1
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi is a gripping dystopian novel that plunges readers into a world where society is on the brink of collapse. At the heart of this chaos is Juliette, a 17-year-old girl with a fatal touch—literally. For 264 days, Juliette has been imprisoned in solitary confinement, her only crime being an accidental touch that resulted in death....Paperback$2200Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableBackorderShips mid August -
Cozy Corner
Relax and unwind with this adorable colouring book – it’s time to get cozy! Step into a world of calm and comfort with Cozy Corner, featuring 45 beautiful hand-drawn pages ready for you to colour in. Settle into your very own cozy corner with these brand new colouring pages! This follow-up to Coco Wyo's beloved Little Corner promises a new...Paperback$1700Elsewhere:$2100Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Bunny vs Monkey: The Great Big Glitch (a Phoenix Comic Book): the instant number one bestselling book from Jamie Smart, Illustrator of the Year
When Bunny, Monkey and friends discover a glitch in reality, life gets even crazier than normal: Bunny declares himself The Woods' Magical Protector, Pig becomes a superspy, plus there's complete metal Monkey mayhem! Experience the laughs and chaos in Bunny vs Monkey: The Great Big Glitch (a Phoenix Comic Book), the instant number one bestselling book from Jamie Smart, Illustrator...Paperback$2499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Summer I Turned Pretty
The Summer I Turned Pretty is now a major new TV series on Amazon Prime! If you loved The Kissing Booth and Jenny Han's smash-hit Netflix movie series To All the Boys I Loved Before, then you'll adore this gorgeously funny, romantic story! Everything that happened this past summer, and every summer before it, has all led up to this....Paperback$2400Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson is the New York Times No.1 bestselling YA crime thriller that has captivated readers globally. Now adapted into a major BBC series, this intricately plotted and intensely gripping novel is being lauded as a modern classic in young adult literature. Pippa Fitz-Amobi, an intelligent and determined high school student, is looking...Paperback$1800Elsewhere:$2299Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Powerless
OVER A MILLION COPIES SOLD! THE INSTANT NO. 1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING PHENOMENON. ‘Nothing short of epic’ - Rosie Talbot, bestselling author of Sixteen Souls ‘A thrilling fantasy with the most delicious slow-burn romance’ - M.A. Kuzniar, bestselling author of Midnight in Everwood ‘[A] titillating debut’ - Publishers Weekly ‘A masterpiece’ - Goodreads Reader Review ‘Everyone needs to read it’ -...Paperback$2500Elsewhere:$2899Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Free Gift
The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks
Louise Rennison for the Dork Diaries generation - hilarious, relatable and full of heart. The first book in the hilarious new series for children by the bestselling creator of Hurrah For Gin. The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks follows Lottie Brooks, who is 11 and feels like her life is already officially over. Not only is she about to...Paperback$1799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Free Gift
Lottie Brooks's Totally Disastrous School-Trip
The fourth book in this hilarious bestselling series full of friendship, family, and first experiences from the creator of Hurrah for Gin. Lottie Brooks's Totally Disastrous School-Trip continues to navigate the many perils of growing up in this fantastically funny illustrated series for a 9-12 audience, filled with friendship, embarrassing moments, and plenty of lols. Woe is me. So much...Paperback$1900Elsewhere:$2100Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow
Why buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.
Young Adult lists from the team
Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!
-
![]()
![]()
![]()
Lizzy's listYoung Adult
Emily's YA Recommendations
The amazing Emily visited Book Hero and made a list of some of her favourite reads - perfect for ages 12 and...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Lizzy's listYoung Adult
Lizzy's Favourite Young Adult Romance
In this list there really is a bit of everything - coming of age stories, magical stories about enemies to lovers, boarding...View the list
