Nicole Hayes

I loved this book. The fact that AFL is a major character in the book really helped. The fact that I read it around the 1 year anniversary of losing my Dad in a car accident really helped too. It was a case of the right book at the right time for me. Shelley and her Dad are living the lives of ghosts following the death of her mother and brother in a car accident two years ago. Still caught in their grief, they are in limbo - feeling guilty if they are happy about anything. Josh, Shelley's show more childhood friend and her brother's best mate, is always in the background offering support to Shelley which makes her uncomfortable, but she can't pinpoint why and neither can we - yet. Shelley starts at a local Catholic school on a scholarship halfway through Year 10 and hopes it is a new beginning, a chance to "draw a line between one day and the next". There she meets Tara, a football tragic like herself, and Shelley is drawn into the world of the fanatic Glenthorn supporters who attend training, and everything else they can wangle their way into. Mick (Eddie) the new recruit from WA befriends Shelley and she is thrilled. Slowly Shelley's life feels like it is taking a turn for the better. However, as the football soaked part of her life takes off, Shelley finds her family, and her new friend Tara, don't understand it. Tara withrdraws from her, her father bans her from going to training and Josh can't understand why Shelley is happy to go to the Glenthorn games, but not his own Raiders games (where she and her brother also played). This is a gentle book, which encourages you to stick with Shelley, even though she sometimes is VERY naive and more than a bit frustrating. I will not post spoilers, but there are revelations in the last third of the book that helped to make sense of it all and I was very satisfied with the ending - feeling quite happy and uplifted. Definitely recommended for anyone over the age of 12. show less

It took me about 3 chapters to work out that this book wasn't set in present day Australia, but rather was set in the 1990s. I think the author should have put a preface at the front of the book which would have made the reader's transition into the past much easier. I also don't understand why she went to all the trouble of re-naming the football team, the training ground and the suburbs but still had the MCG as the MCG. I spent a lot of my time while reading this distracted by trying to show more guess which fictitious name represented what real one. For example Fernlee Park could be either Waverly or Glenferrie football grounds as obviously her beloved football team are the Hawthorn Hawks, not the Glenthorn Falcons.

As someone who grew up on the edge of the era in which she writes, I can see a lot of authenticity in the story, although I kept wondering about the freedom the main character is given to "hang around" the football club as a cheer squad member at all hours of the night...I can't remember my parents being THAT lenient.

Anyway, I digress. This is the story of Shelley, an absolute footy fan who has recently lost her mother in a terrible car accident. Her father has moved her to a new all girl's school where she meets Tara, who is as obsessed with the Glenthorn football term as her. Tara invites Shelley along to training and suddenly Shelley is enveloped in the world of the cheer squad and training and matches and also, unfortunately, in to the life of one of the new players.
There is lots of alcohol, swearing and bad life choices as Shelley slowly reveals the truth about her life while uncovering some other truths about Tara's life and all the others drawn to the magic and spectacle of Australian Rules football. show less

Nice to read a book set in my home town for a change. Frank (Francesca) is a typical teenager, struggling to juggle school, her friendships, her passion (her band) and attentions of a new boy in her life. What makes Frank's life that little bit harder is her home life , for as well as having an asthmatic younger brother and a dorky professor Dad, she has to contend with her mother's job which seems to influence every part of her day as her Mum is the Premier of Victoria.. Frank is used to show more media pressure but when photos of her Mum and a younger man hit the tabloids,( taken by Frank's new boyfriend no less), frank has to battle with the divide in her family. What is the truth? And how will she cope with friendship complications, family secrets, an election year, bullying at school and a health scare with her brother. Absorbing read from start to finish with lots to keep you engaged. Characters very realistic and flawed, and accurate portrayal of hardships endured by those closest to politicians under fire! Highly recommended. show less

Shelley is in year 10 at school and is still grieving after a family tragedy two years earlier. She develops a strong interest in football and soon becomes a fanatical supporter, even making friends with a star player. It seems like a pathway out of her grief but along the way she must deal with other issues such as finding her place in a group, and learning the difference between being a kid and an adult. Suitable for YA readers and above.