From the Publisher
A trio of characters give their perspectives in this emotionally gripping Australian import...A smart and hopeful debut novel about the necessity of finding one’s own way.
—Kirkus Reviews
It is a spectacular novel that will have readers finishing the whole thing in one sitting.
—VOYA
Cameron superbly renders characters who never feel like caricatures. ... Redemption comes quickly to these highly likable characters in a tale to which many teens will relate.
—School Library Journal
This book will be enjoyed by readers of all genres. ... Throughout this debut novel, the reader is immersed in each character’s uncertainty, hopelessness, and triumph as they each come full circle to find safety and happiness in their new lives.
—Library Media Connection
School Library Journal - Audio
★ 09/01/2013
Gr 9 Up—Three friends who want to leave high school and move on describe their anguish in Cameron's novel written in verse (Candlewick, 2013). Luke, who tries to stay out of trouble at school, spends his time playing cricket, works at the local supermarket, and hangs out at the beach. While trying to figure out where he fits in, he applies for a scholarship and traineeship to get out of school. Bongo spends his time getting wasted to block the memories of his younger brother, Dylan, who was placed in a foster home due to their alcoholic and abusive stepdad and drug addict mother. He's tired of being around addicts and misses his sibling, so he runs away from home. Casey has a very controlling father, and she's not allowed to participate in any school activities or have a job. She wants to get away and have some freedom, so she leaves home without saying goodbye. Desperate to leave their lives behind, they all choose to get "out of this place." They learn lessons along the way and go in directions they never imagined. The story is told from alternating points of view by narrators Candice Moll, Leonardo Nam, and David Atlas. Their expert Australian accents capture the emotions of the three Aussie teens desperately wanting to live life on their own terms.—Janet Weber, Tigard Public Library, OR
School Library Journal
Gr 9 Up—In this novel in verse, Luke, Casey, and Bongo stand on the brink of graduating and leaving home. All three struggle to decide who they are and what will come next. Luke is a star cricket player, but knows he wants more. Casey longs to climb out from under the thumb of her overbearing father. Bongo mourns the loss of his brother to child-protective services while living with an absent addict mother and abusive stepfather. The Australian teens tell their stories in succession, with each one overlapping slightly so as to deepen scenes already depicted, push the plot forward chronologically, and bring the protagonists back together by book's end. While Luke is a somewhat less vividly drawn character than the other two, he likely suffers slightly from his position as first narrator. The pacing can be inconsistent, leaving events underdeveloped (such as a friend's death toward the end). Ultimately, however, what stands out are the teens' authentic voices. Cameron superbly renders characters who never feel like caricatures. Though all are down on their luck to various degrees, Luke, Casey, and Bongo are not on the downward spiral of characters in an Ellen Hopkins novel. Depictions of their struggles are correspondingly tempered. Sex scenes, for example, are in no way graphically depicted. Redemption comes quickly to these highly likable characters in a tale to which many teens will relate.—Jill Heritage Maza, Montclair Kimberley Academy, Montclair, NJ
