 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]
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.
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]
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]
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]
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]