The Other Face of Janus is a 2001 young-adult novel by Louise Katz

Louise Katz

Louise Katz is an Australian writer of fantasy and young-adult fiction.-Biography:Katz was born in Canberra, Australia and attended art school in Adelaide. In 1996 Katz' first book was released in Australia, entitled Myfanwy's Demon. In 2001 she released her second novel entitled The Other Face of...

. It follows the story of Edwina Nearly who after facing a range of problems decides to get away from it all by visiting an art gallery only to fall into a painting in which laws of physics don't apply.

Background

The Other Face of Janus was first published in Australia in 2001 by Angus & Robertson

Angus & Robertson

Angus & Robertson is a bookstore chain in Australia. Its first bookstore was opened in 110½ Market Street, Sydney by Scotsman David Angus in 1884; it sold second-hand books. In 1886, he went into partnership with fellow Scot, George Robertson with whom he had worked earlier.- Bookselling history...

 in trade paperback format. In 2002 it was published as an audiobook by Louis Braille Books. The Other Face of Janus won the 2001 Aurealis Award for best young-adult novel.

Plot summary

Edwina Nearly finds life difficult to handle. She is happy when she enters the painting of The Garden of Earthly Delights and meets Janus. But everything goes wrong when Janus decides to visit her world and gets out of the painting. There he becomes a monster, and it is Edwina's responsibility to lure him back into the Garden.