When Dale stumbles into a bedroom at a party and sees a drunk girl being undressed by a group of guys, he backs away and runs. But questions from that night haunt him, why didn't he help? He wants to make things right but he doesn’t know how.
Then Max arrives, Dale’s cousin. She’s older, smart, cool—with her own perspective on Dale’s problem, and her own problems.
This is a raw and unflinching depiction of teenage life with some heavy hitting, complex issues. It's a hard read, but one that I struggled to put down.
Author Robyn Dennison grapples with the big issues in an unflinching but realistic way. The way she handles queerness is particularly nice, it's just there, no dramatic coming out story or bullying. Dale discovers through the pages that it's okay to be who you are. As a character, he is likeable and funny but flawed. The supporting characters, particularly Kieran and Max, are also well-developed. The banter between each character drew me back to my own teenage years.
It's fast paced, and there is a lot to deal with, but the sense of urgency Dennison gives the story sweeps you up in it easily.
The ending will disappoint some, but I like it for its realism. Sometimes things just are the way they are, and we have to come to terms with the fact that sometimes there is no happy ending or resolutions.
It's an impressive debut, full of empathy, raw and gritty, and not afraid to tackle the big issues.
Reviewer: Rebekah Lyell
Text Publishing