Zac & Mia
First edition | |
| Author | A.J. Betts |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Text Publishing |
Publication date | 24 July 2013 |
| Publication place | Australia |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 304 |
| ISBN | 0-544-66878-2 |
Zac & Mia is an Australian young adult novel written by A.J. Betts. The book was released on 24 July 2013.[1]
Background
Betts started writing the novel in 2009 after working on a cancer ward in a children's hospital. Betts' main inspiration was a young woman named Tayla, who died suddenly. She later continued writing when Tayla's mother encouraged her to continue.[2] Betts' main job previously was being an English teacher.
Plot
The novel follows seventeen-year-old Zac Meier as he undergoes treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma in Perth, Western Australia. He meets Mia, a fellow cancer patient in the adjacent room, and the two quickly form a connection.[3]
Structure
The novel is divided into three sections, Zac, and, and Mia.[4] Several critics have noted similarities between the book and The Fault in Our Stars.[5]
Reception
The Australian praised the book, calling it "warm and uplifting".[4] Australian Book Review noted that, despite the book's subject matter, it does not lapse into meldrama.[3] The Guardian also praised the format but criticised Mia's character.[5]
TV series
The book was adapted into a web series by AwesomenessTV,[6] which premiered on 7 November 2017 on go90. Anne Winters plays Mia, and Kian Lawley plays Zac.[2] The series was renewed for a second season following a "strong fan response".[7] The series was nominated for six Daytime Emmys in 2018, winning two including Outstanding Writing in a Digital Drama Series and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Digital Daytime Drama Series for Winters[8][9] The second season was released on Hulu in February 2019.[10]
References
- ^ "Zac & Mia by A.J. Betts". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
- ^ a b "7 Little-Known Details About the New 'Zac & Mia' Show". AwesomenessTV. 1 November 2017. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
- ^ a b ""Zac & Mia by A.J. Betts"". Australian Book Review, November 2013. 31 October 2013. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
- ^ a b Lawn, Joy (29 March 2014). "Contemporary cool in young adult fiction". The Australian. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
- ^ a b "Zac and Mia by A J Betts – review". The Guardian. 8 November 2014. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
- ^ "'Zac and Mia' adapted for digital series". Books and Publishing. 24 March 2017. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
- ^ Petski, Denise (29 November 2017). "'Zac And Mia' YA Series Renewed For Season 2 By AwesomenessTV". Deadline. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
- ^ Montgomery and Sheehan, Daniel and Paul (21 March 2018). "2018 Daytime Emmy nominations: Full list of nominees for 45th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards". goldderby. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
- ^ "Perth author inspires Emmy-winning series". The West Australian. 1 May 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
- ^ Ellenbogen, Rachael (12 February 2019). "'Zac And Mia' Season 2: Star Anne Winters Teases New Relationships, Struggles". International Business Times. Retrieved 12 September 2021.