A sharp, wise, hilarious novel about love—romantic, platonic and toxic—from a brilliant new voice in Australian fiction.

SIDE CHARACTER ENERGY
by Olivia Tolich
Text Pubishing Australia, February 2026

Before she met Bee, Gertrude was alone—like a whale singing on a different frequency so that none of the other whales could find it. Then Bee decided they were friends, and now they’re not just best friends: they live in the same house and work together too.

Gertrude’s whole life, in fact, seems to revolve around Bee. Not that it’s a problem; she’s just not sure why she’s going on double dates with Bee and her new boyfriend Will, a pompous-finance-bro, and his friend Arthur, who is apparently also a jerk.

Apparently. Because there might be more to Arthur than Gertrude thinks. And, according to Arthur, there might be more to Gertrude than she thinks as well. And if that’s true? Where would that leave her life with Bee?

The author herself writes, “This book is for everyone who watches a romcom and thinks the best friend should get their own movie.” 

Senior Editor at Text, Mandy Brett, writes, “A lot of craft goes into crafting effortless fun. Olivia Tolich is a master of her craft.” 

Olivia Tolich is an emerging author based in Melbourne. She holds a Masters of Creative Writing, Publishing and Editing from the University of Melbourne and works as an educational publisher.