Review: Friday Brown by Vikki Wakefield

Friday Brown has been sitting on my to-read pile for a little while now--in fact, it was one of the book purchases that I made at Adelaide Writers' Week in early March--which is a bit silly of me, as it turned out to be a fantastic read. An Honour Book in the Children's Book Council of Australia 2013 books for Older Readers, Friday Brown tells the story of a young woman who is grieving for her mother and finds out what life is all about ... the hard way.

After the death of her mother, seventeen-year-old Friday runs away from the rich grandfather that she barely knows and finds herself living in a squat with an eclectic bunch of kids, including Silence, a boy who does not talk but who regards her as a kind of kindred spirit. The kids live under the rule of Arden, a young woman who uses her approval and disapproval like currency, and who uses sex (or perhaps sexual attraction,) in a similar manner. Over time, Arden and the headstrong Friday begin to clash more and more. The author raises a lot of questions about free will, standing up for oneself and the ties that bind us to other people. And another thing ... once you've read the book, you'll discover just how frightening that picture on the front cover actually is ...

Recommended for lovers of Australian novels and YA fiction. 

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