Zac & Mia

Zac & Mia is an Australian young adult novel written by A.J. Betts. The book was released on 24 July 2013.^[1]

First edition
Author	A.J. Betts
Language	English
Publisher	Text Publishing
Publication date	24 July 2013
Publication place	Australia
Media type	Print
Pages	304
ISBN	0-544-66878-2

Background

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.^[3]

Plot

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.^[1]

Structure

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.^[3][5]

Reception

The Australian praised the book, calling it "warm and uplifting".^[4] Australian Book Review praised the use of the book's three-part format.^[3] The Guardian also praised the format but criticised Mia's character.^[5] Hypable, in a positive review, labelled the book "much more than your standard YA cancer novel", and called the multiple perspectives of the narrative "beautifully written".^[6]

TV series

The book was adapted into a web series by AwesomenessTV,^[7] 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".^[8] 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^[9][10] The second season was released on Hulu in February 2019.^[11]