1
of
1
The First Third
Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.
Check link for latest rating. ( 1,273 ratings, 217 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
$2100
$2300
Elsewhere:
Unit price
/
Unavailable
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER
Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks
Found a better price? Request a price match
The First Third
$2100
$2300
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 moreLife is made up of three parts: in the first third, you're embarrassed by your family; in the second, you make a family of your own; and in the end, you just embarrass the family you've made. That's how Billy's grandmother explains it, anyway. Ages 12+.
A painfully funny yet poignant contemporary Australian story for young adults, The First Third is the witty sophomore novel from Will Kostakis, sure to appeal to fans of Nick Earls and Melina Marchetta.
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
Life is made up of three parts: in The First Third, you're embarrassed by your family; in the second, you make a family of your own; and in the end, you just embarrass the family you've made. That's how Billy's grandmother explains it, anyway.
She's given him her bucket list (cue embarrassment), and now, it's his job to glue their family back together. No pressure or anything.
Fixing his family is not going to be easy and Billy's not ready for change. But as he soon discovers, the first third has to end some time. And then what? It's a Greek tragedy waiting to happen.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780143568179
Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 24 July 2013
Country: Australia
Imprint: Penguin Random House Australia
Audience: Teenage
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 17.0mm
Width: 129.0mm
Height: 198.0mm
Weight: 206g
Pages: 256
About the Author
Will Kostakis is the author of Loathing Lola.
Also by Will Kostakis
View all-
Rebel Gods
With the Monuments gone, newbie gods Connor, Sally, and Locky must stop the rebel gods from reducing the world to ruin. Trouble is, they don't know how. While Sally searches for answers and Locky makes plans to change the world, Connor struggles to keep up appearances as an ordinary teenager. But when a rebel god offers them a deal to...Paperback$1999Elsewhere:$2199Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Begin, End, Begin
WINNER OF A 2018 BOOK OF THE YEAR ABIA Bestsellers. Award-winners. Superstars. This anthology has them all. With brilliantly entertaining short stories from beloved young adult authors Amie Kaufman, Melissa Keil, Will Kostakis, Ellie Marney, Jaclyn Moriarty, Michael Pryor, Alice Pung, Gabrielle Tozer, Lili Wilkinson, and Danielle Binks, this all-new collection will show the world exactly how much there is...Paperback$2100Elsewhere:$2299Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Sidekicks
The Swimmer. The Rebel. The Nerd. All Ryan, Harley, and Miles had in common was Isaac. They lived different lives, had different interests, and kept different secrets. But they shared the same best friend. They were sidekicks. And now that Isaac's gone, what does that make them? Will Kostakis, award-winning author of The First Third, perfectly depicts the pain and...Paperback$2200Elsewhere:$2400Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
We Could Be Something
WINNER: 2024 Prime Minister's Literary Awards, Young Adult Literature NOTABLE BOOK: 2024 CBCA Book of the Year, Older Readers SHORTLISTED: 2024 Victorian Premier's Literary Awards, Prize for Young Adult Writing SHORTLISTED: 2024 NSW Premier's Literary Awards, Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature SHORTLISTED: 2024 Queensland Literary Awards, Young Adult Book Award The enormous heart of We Could Be Something...Paperback$1999Elsewhere:$2499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Pre-orderOtis Ottley and the School in the Sky
Otis Ottley and the School in the Sky by Will Kostakis Otis Ottley lives in the shadow of the Manor School for Magic. Literally. It's an island hovering over his town, and he's determined to reach it. While many kids dream of roaming the prestigious institution's halls, casting spells and conjuring spectacles, Otis has a very specific mission: to seek...Paperback$1799Elsewhere:$1999Unit price /UnavailableOut 1 Sep 2026Pre-order -
Monuments
All 16-year-old Connor is trying to do is avoid his ex-best friend when he stumbles upon a trapdoor to a secret chamber under his school. But when Sally Rodgers breaks into the same secret chamber looking for an ancient being, things take an unexpected turn... and Connor's life will never be the same again. Along with the mysterious Sally and,...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
