FRIDAY BROWN

by Vikki Wakefield

[Blurb: ‘I am Friday Brown. I buried my mother. My grandfather buried a swimming pool. A boy who can’t speak has adopted me. A girl kissed me. I broke and entered. Now I’m fantasising about a guy who’s a victim of crime and I am the criminal. I’m going nowhere and every minute I’m not moving, I’m being tail-gated by a curse that may or may not be real. They call me Friday. It has been foretold that on a Saturday I will drown…’]

This is a short listed book for older readers for CBCA awards this year so was eager to read it. I was blown away by it. The first chapter drew me in as I took in each word that was so craftily written. The descriptions were beautiful yet haunting, with each character  reeling me in.

I so loved the relationship and special kind of love she formed with Silence, her new friend, which was so special since her whole life she had only really known her mother, and travelled from town to town as a loner. When she meets Silence her world changes dramatically but life in the 'gang' doesn't sit well with her from the start. She is running from life, from herself, from memories, but along this new journey she eventually finds her inner self. She must make some hard decisions.

I have to admit that I cried through most of the last few chapters, which made me feel silly, as this was just a YA fiction, but I was totally hooked by then, and the story didn't quite turn out how I had expected. 

CLARA IN WASHINGTON

CLARA IN WASHINGTON   by Penny Tangey   (LWH)

The main reason for wanting to read this new release YA novel was because it was written by the daughter of one of our teaching staff, Marilyn Tangey (who is currently on leave and teaching in East Timor). This is not Penny's first novel but as I hadn't ever read one of her novels I thought I'd give it a try, especially being a young Australian writer.

Clara, who has just finished VCE and has decided to travel with her mother to Washington and spend the Summer holidays rediscovering herself and to be someone else other than 'a studious geek' which some of her friends describe her. Clara's mum was always working long hours so Clara, who is sick of staying indoors watching TV, decides to don the gloves and scarf for the chilly Winter weather in Washington, to venture out on her own in a new and strange country, where at times she is fearful and very nervous getting around on the subways by herself, and constantly scared she may be mugged. She decides to overcome her fear of leaving the apartment and visit a few museums and do some 'tourist' thngs.