Reviewed by
Dianne Bates
On the front
cover, Melina Marchetta describes the book’s protagonist as ‘a gutsy character
with a lot of heart.’ Certainly Frankie Vega is gutsy; she’s also full of
vitriol, so much so that when the book starts she stands accused of viciously
(and inexplicably) attacking a fellow school student and breaking his nose
which earns her a suspension. Abandoned by her mother, Juliet, Frankie lives with her aunt
Vinnie who runs a kebab shop and who is forever giving her niece a second
chance.
As the book
starts, a teenage boy turns up claiming to be Frankie’s half-brother. From then
on, Xavier comes and goes until it’s obvious that he’s well and truly missing
which involves Frankie in a search with him, aided by Nate who has secrets of
his own.
This is a
fast-paced, action-filled story full of cool (and oppositional) attitude with
authentic, snappy dialogue laced with much bad language. Frankie is a character
who some teen readers are sure to empathise with, but she’s a difficult girl;
adults, such as her aunt, psychiatrist and principal, find almost impossible to
deal with. Certainly she’s rude and brutal and honest.
This gripping
and dark novel about searching for the truth, finding yourself and falling in
love, ends with a bang, certainly not a whimper. Many teenage girls in
particular will relate to this debut novel by Australian Shivaun Plozza.
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