Clem is a boy in strife. Blamed for the death of his mother, carrying a terrible secret from Grade 5 and in trouble with the police, he's now in a school for toxic teenagers. And that rev-head school counsellor wants him to write letters.
Through his writing Clem goes deep into the trauma that has defined his life. Then he comes face to face with his mother's death.
In a rush of bush bike racing, the death of one student and the consequent arrest of another, an unexpected first girlfriend, and some surprising friendships, Clem's story is the celebration of a boy who finds an unexpected future.
Ages 12+
Kathryn Apel
It's not often you find a book that grabs your heart, wrings it out then refreshes it with hope. And all this through a bunch of colloquial letters. The ending was totally unexpected and so quick! Suddenly I was on the last page and thinking it's not going to finish properly. Yet it did. Real sentiment, no sop or cliche. Just a perfect resolution of all that had been building and I'd missed all the clues! (It was so simple that I actually feel a bit stupid admitting that I'd missed it!)
They told me I had to write this is an incredible story that will have repercussions wherever it is read. I just hope it's read widely!
Guest, 14/05/2010
