Gary Lonesborough

Indigenous boy Jamie lives in a country town with his Aunty Dawn and Uncle Bobby after his parents were deemed unfit to care for him and his brother. Although he does very well at school, he hangs around with the wrong crowd at night, drinking and doing drugs and then one night, after some white boys in the town give him major grief, he and his mates decide to steal one of the boy's car. They take the car for a ride and then the cops spy them and start a after them. After a terrible chase at night through the bush, the four boys wind up crashing and Jamie finds himself arrested.
He is not granted bail and ends up in Juvenile prison where her participates in a riot that ends up in him being put in segregation. The only two good things to come form his arrest are he re-connects with his estranged brother and the social worker Shae introduces him to poetry writing as a way to express his feelings. Eventually Jamie is let out but will he just make the same mistakes again when the white boys decide to hunt him and his mates down for what happened to the car?
Very engrossing book which is part poetry. Jamie is a likeable character although his anger at the world and the way it influences him to make poor decisions is so frustrating to the reader - he makes similar mistakes over and over. Eye-opening book I think for the privileged students that I teach who have little knowledge of the struggles of indigenous youth in this country.… (more)

When you're growing up in 3 distinct minority groups life can be difficult. Meet Jackson, a teenager, an Aboriginal and gay. When his Aunty and her kids arive in time for Christmas they bring with them Tomas.

This is a beautiful debut novel that deals sensitively with what a lot of teenagers who are questioning their sexuality are going through on a daily basis.

Highlighted in the story is the importance that family, immediate and extended can play in the whole 'coming out' process. How I wish a book like this was around so many decades ago.… (more)

Jackson's daily life as an aboriginal boy in the Mish is one of hanging out with friends at the beach and going to parties. He's dating Tesha but feeling conflicted about their tepid relationship. Over the Christmas holidays, Aunty Pam brings over her kids and Tomas, a boy staying with her after a stint in juvie. Tomas' presence stirs Jackson in a way that never happened with Tesha. Being openly gay in the Mish isn't common and Jackson isn't sure if gay is what he is. Jackson and Tomas make tentative moves towards each other until it's clear they are both moving forth in a relationship of sorts. Jackson's story is internally driven as he tries to make sense of what he is feeling, going back and forth in his mind and tearfully questioning. The pace is unhurried and the tone is introspective. It's a supportive portrayal of what it can be like to explore one's sexual orientation and that there is no one right answer for everyone.… (more)