Alyzon Whitestarr is a 2005 young-adult novel by Isobelle Carmody

Isobelle Carmody

Isobelle Jane Carmody is an Australian writer of science fiction, fantasy, children's literature, and young adult literature.-Biography:Carmody began work on the highly acclaimed Obernewtyn Chronicles at the age of fourteen...

. It follows the story of Alyzon Whitestarr who, when she wakes from a coma after an accident, can smell people's feelings, view flashes of their lives and perceive their essences. With these new senses she discovers that some people's spirits have been infected by a sentient disease.

Background

Alyzon Whitestarr was first published in Australia on 26 September 2005 by Penguin Books

Penguin Books

Penguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...

 in trade paperback format. It was released by Random House

Random House

Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...

 in the United States in 2005. Alyzon Whitestarr won the 2005 Aurealis Award for best young-adult novel and the 2005 Golden Aurealis for best novel.