Girl Saves Boy, Steph Bowe (Text)
This debut novel is alive with humour, verve, friendship and romance - not to mention lashings of garden gnome theft and lobster liberation. It is also unabashedly teenaged; the smart and snarky characters are delightfully kooky and have a lot of heart.
Girl Saves Boy begins with Jewel Valentine – loner, painter and head case – saving Sacha Thomas’ life when he comes close to drowning in the same lake where Jewel’s brother drowned a decade before. Jewel’s family broke down following the tragic death of her brother, and she has grown up prickly and independent. At the book’s open she is trying to adjust to life back with her mother, while mourning the death of her grandmother. Sacha has a complicated mess of problems of his own: a life-threatening illness, the death of his mother and his father’s new partner (one of his teachers from school). Sacha’s friends provide a good foil for the main characters: Little Al is a genius bogan - whose family are delightful and the comic relief - while True Grisham is an intelligent, driven young woman who came across to me as a bit superior and rather unlikable character but who relaxes and comes through at the end.
The opening chapters, in particular, were great - understated and engaging – and the dialogue was very good. Maybe being a teenager yourself helps your characters sound right…as much as Steph Bowe claims she is not your average teen! I thought it was funny, to the point of a bit strange, that we kept being given the characters heights; the characters were always talking about so-and-so being taller, or shorter and it made me giggle. The book suffers a little as a result of the almost overwhelming array of problems each character faces, but there is no doubt teenagers will enjoy the drama. The funny thing is, if this was real life I probably wouldn’t bat an eyelid, but reading it I kind of felt like the characters were almost one-upping each other with family issues and deaths.
Nevertheless, Girl Saves Boy is an excellent first novel by young author Steph Bowe, and I know that as she continues to write she will develop and hone her already considerable skill. She is certainly a very welcome addition to Australian YA.
I received this book for review from Bookseller+Publisher magazine. You can read my shorter review (though I’ve nabbed bits from there to put here) and also my interview with Steph in the current (September) edition.
Ohhh, I bought this yesterday and am now even more excited to start reading it (just finished Mockingjay after a four day Hunger Games binge so can now return to regular reading). Stupidly I forgot to bring it with me to get Steph to sign, but I did say hi and was totally herp-derp though.
ReplyDeleteVery nice review Kate, and it was lovely to meet you today!
cool review - i have this book sitting on my bedside table - yay! but have a few library books to get through first...
ReplyDeletei love your sentences here - very succinct and gives the book a certain flavour - good job.
This sounds really interesting, and I love the general off-the-wallness. I'd been wondering about it and your review has made my mind up - I'll be importing this one.
ReplyDeleteoklahoma city thunder jerseys, http://www.thunderjerseystore.com/
ReplyDeletelouis vuitton handbags outlet, http://www.louisvuittonhandbags.org.uk/
valentino outlet, http://www.valentinooutlet.us.com/
moncler jackets, http://www.moncler.us.com/
cheap football shirts, http://www.cheapfootballshirt.org.uk/
colts jerseys, http://www.indianapoliscoltsjersey.us/
polo ralph lauren, http://www.poloralphlauren.us.org/
bottega veneta outlet online, http://www.bottegaveneta-outlet.net/
nike sneakers, http://www.nikerunningshoes.cc/
cheap oakley sunglasses, http://www.oakleysunglassescheap.us.com/
swarovski jewelry, http://www.swarovski.in.net/
ugg boots, http://www.uggbootsclearance.in.net/
hermes birkin bag, http://www.hermesbirkin.org/
fitflop, http://www.fitflop.in.net/
louis vuitton outlet store, http://www.louisvuittonoutlet.in.net/
calvin klein outlet, http://www.calvinklein.in.net/
los angeles clippers jerseys, http://www.clippersjerseystore.com/
the north face jackets, http://www.thenorthfacejacket.us.com/
los angeles lakers jerseys, http://www.lakersjerseys.us/
canada goose outlet, http://www.canadagoose.us.org/
rolex watches, http://www.rolexwatches-uk.co.uk/
nhl jerseys, http://www.nhljerseys.us.com/
coach outlet online, http://www.coachoutletcanada.com.co/
coach outlet store, http://www.coach-outlet-store.us.com/
coach outlet, http://www.coachoutletus.us/
2015912caihuali
uggs outlet
ReplyDeletemicahel kors
louis vuitton outlet
birkenstock outlet
yeezy boost 350 white
prada handbags
black timberland boots
cheap uggs
oakley sunglasses cheap
birkenstocks
polo ralph lauren outlet
nike tn pas cher
armani outlet
gucci handbags outlet
ugg australia boots
celine handbags
cheap oakleys
longchamp outlet store
polo ralph lauren
polo ralph lauren outlet
cheap nfl jerseys
ugg boots canada
nike free run flyknit
adidas superstars
air max 90 white
ugg outlet
abercrombie kids
coach outlet online
oakley sunglasses outlet
ferragamo outlet
tiffany outlet
cheap rolex watches
burberry sale
true religion
2016822CAIYAN
pandora jewelry
ReplyDeletebeats by dre
celine
longchamp outlet
cheap nhl jerseys
air jordan
ray ban sunglasses
new balance
nike air max 2018
cheap oakley sunglasses
20183.30wengdongdong
20180605 xiaoou
ReplyDeleteprada outlet online
cheap oakley sunglasses
ray ban sunglasses outlet
ralph lauren outlet
alife clothing
adidas outlet online
cheap oakley sunglasses
cheap oakley sunglasses
polo outlet online
pandora charms sale clearance
arcteryx jackets
ReplyDeletefossil handbags
oakley sunglasses
belgium world cup jerseys
nike roshe run
nike air max
instyler
ray ban sunglasses
coach outlet
ghd hair straighteners
2018.7.31xukaimin