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4.38 AVERAGE
4.38 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse, Suicide attempt
Minor: Domestic abuse
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed listening to Steph's reading of her book. She was funny, charming & the story was very moving. She really captures the challenges young people face & gives you insight into what it means to be Indigenous.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A more intense and viscerally real interrogation of the Aussie high school system, especially the history curriculum and culture, than anything I’ve ever read. A super compelling window into the nuances of contemporary First Nations identity in our society - a perfect example of literature as a vehicle for generating empathy.
‘Content warning: This book contains sexual content, a suicide attempt, drug use, intergenerational trauma and racism against First Nations people. Discretion is advised.’
I first became aware of Ydinji woman Steph Tisdell while watching ‘Total Control’. Her role as Joely McKinnon captured and held my attention, and when I saw that she had published a novel, I could not wait to read it.
Observe the content warning, but don’t be deterred by it. While it is over fifty years since I was seventeen, I remember many of the challenges. In this novel, seventeen-year-old Layla is in her last year of school. Layla has big plans for the future and needs to do well at school. But belonging is important as well, and when Layla’s best friend finds another best friend and her troubled cousin Marley comes to stay, Layla’s plans are disrupted. Layla is Indigenous and even her well-intentioned favourite teacher makes assumptions that cause Layla pain. And then, Layla falls in love. Layla’s parents are supportive and because Layla has always done well at school, some of the early signals that all is not well are not recognised.
Ms Tisdell combines humour and insight to bring Layla to life. She is caught between cultural and personal expectations, conscious of her responsibilities but overwhelmed (at least temporarily) by circumstance. Where do you belong when you are the only Indigenous student at a middle-class high school? How do you fit in? And what about Marley?
‘So many decisions had been taken away from my people and pain was laid down in their place. My life had always been marred by complicated desires.’
Confronting, thought-provoking, and a reminder that the past is always present.
This is a young adult novel, recommended for readers aged over fifteen years old.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
emotional
funny
informative
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Suicide attempt, Colonisation
Minor: Child abuse
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A