Library Matters

Book Review of the Week 

“Laughter is the Best Ending” by Maryam Master

WINNER - Younger Readers 2025 CBCA Book Week Awards

Maryam Master is an Iranian born, Australian screenwriter and playwright who loves creating shows for young audiences. Maryam started her career in television, writing over 80 episodes of Home and Away.

In 2019 she wrote the stage adaptation of David Walliams' best-selling book The Midnight Gang. The show enjoyed a sellout season at the Sydney Opera House and undertook an extensive national tour in 2021. The previous year she wrote an acclaimed adaptation of Walliams' Billionaire Boy, which also toured nationally.

In Master’s newest novel, Laughter is the Best Ending, Zee is a loner. She likes to read Oscar Wilde and watch documentaries all day which, according to her parents, is not normal for 13 year olds. So, they decide to send her on a five-day holiday camp, hoping she'd make “at least one friend”. Zee would “rather take a bath in Tabasco sauce!”

However, meeting influencer Tiffanee and super-nerds Jonah and Moses, Zee soon finds herself in the middle of a hair-raising mystery adventure, hurling her into some fierce detective work and bringing her face to face with the notorious Old Bat Viv, who is not what she seems!

I really loved the emotions and humour portrayed in this novel with the characters believable and ‘raw’ as they learnt to navigate each other’s quirks and eccentricities and pull together as a team, only to uncover compassion and friendship. Along the way there were some interesting shenanigans going on, which made me laugh out loud!

Irresistible and touching!

Recommended for Year 7+

5 STARS

Mrs Lynne Gilmour 

School Librarian