Killing Darcy

by Melissa Lucashenko

Overview

A gripping tale of murder and prejudice from the Miles Franklin Award-winning author of Too Much Lip. Koori teenager Darcy Mango is young, broke and on parole. His biggest problem isn’ t tracking down his mob in northern New South Wales or finding a place to live. After he gets work on the Menzies horse farm, Darcy’s fate gets mixed up with a strange, old-fashioned camera found in the rainforest. What it reveals might never let him

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780702266102
Publisher:	University of Queensland Press
Publication date:	06/10/2024
Edition description:	Second edition
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.75(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Melissa Lucashenko is a Goorie (Aboriginal) author of Bundjalung and European heritage. Her first novel was published in 1997 and since then her work has received acclaim in many literary awards. Her sixth novel, Too Much Lip, won the 2019 Miles Franklin Literary Award and the Queensland Premier’s Award for a work of State Significance. Melissa is a Walkley Award winner for her non-fiction, and a founding member of human rights organisation Sisters Inside. She writes about ordinary Australians and the extraordinary lives they lead. Melissa Lucashenko is a Goorie (Aboriginal) author of Bundjalung and European heritage. Her first novel was published in 1997 and since then her work has received acclaim in many literary awards. Her sixth novel, Too Much Lip, won the 2019 Miles Franklin Literary Award and the Queensland Premier’s Award for a work of State Significance. Melissa is a Walkley Award winner for her non-fiction, and a founding member of human rights organisation Sisters Inside. She writes about ordinary Australians and the extraordinary lives they lead.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 7 Up--When 16-year-old Filomena spends the summer in New South Wales, Australia with her ex-hippie, horse-trainer father, Jon, and her 14-year-old half-brother, Cameron, she uncovers a murder in her family's past. Riding in the bush, she discovers a ruined house; inside she finds an old camera that takes pictures of the past. When Darcy, a young gay Aboriginal, comes to work at Jon's stables, Fil and Cam involve him in the suspense. Darcy's knowledge of Aboriginal law and the spirit world shed light on the mystery. Throughout the story, "whitefella" and "blackfella" cultures collide, and ignorant tolerance grows into acceptance. The supernatural mystery takes a backseat to the prejudices Darcy faces because of his race and sexual orientation and Fil's changing perceptions of Aboriginal culture. Because of this tangle, the plot jerks and often dead-ends before coincidence prods it into motion again. While primary characters are strong and believable, minor characters are incomplete and inconsequential. Dialect is confusing, and while the glossary helps, several Aboriginal and slang terms are not included. While this is a promising effort, Lucashenko attempts to put too many books between one cover, and it's difficult to get a handle on the story. Is it a realistic YA novel, a discourse on racism in Australia, or a supernatural mystery? Who knows.--Trish Anderson, Pinkerton Elementary School, Coppell, TX

School Library Journal