Winner, NZ Booklovers Award for Best Young Adult Book 2025
The judges say: ‘Steph Matuku’s Migration is an electrifying YA sci-fi novel that world-builds a futuristic society deeply rooted in Māori traditions. Set in the richly imagined realm of Aowhetū, the novel follows an 'Intuitive' trainee navigating the rigorous demands of a military wānanga while grappling with external threats and the weight of her own limitations. Matuku crafts a narrative that is both thrilling and deeply introspective. The protagonist's transformation—from a privileged youth to a fierce defender of her people—is compelling, marked by moments of self-doubt, resilience, and revelation. The urgency of an impending invasion echoes the historical realities of colonisation, lending the story a powerful thematic depth. What sets Migration apart is Matuku’s ability to effectively incorporate fast-paced and densely layered prose with evocative environmental descriptions. The world of Aowhetū is truly alive in the writing, with landscapes that are rich and immersive. The novel’s exploration of cultural survival and personal transformation feels both timely and timeless, making Migration a gripping and thought-provoking read.’
"I wholeheartedly give Migration 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for any teenager (or teen-at-heart) who likes viscerally-described action, great world building, interesting spirituality, and fascinating real world parallels. It’s well and truly a match for The Hunger Games, leaves The Maze Runner for dust, and makes Ender’s Game look well and truly boring. Best of all, it was written in Aotearoa and demonstrates exactly how strong our country’s writing game is."
Reviewed by Ceridwyn Roberts www.thesapling.co.nz
Farah can’t wait to escape her māmā’s incessant demands and attend the legendary Western Wānanga, where Aowhetū’s best military fighters are trained.
Through daring battles against her classmates and encounters with cryptic temple masters, Farah sheds her life as an upper ngāti and becomes an intuitive.
But when her world comes under attack, she learns who she really is.
YA Science fiction
Paperback
Steph Matuku
380 pages
H: 210mm W: 138mm