Just So Stories

Hawkeye Books

October 2024

ISBN: 9781923105218

ISBN-10: 1923105213

RRP: $26.99

I was so keen to review this, so thank you Hawkeye, and what a fabulous read it is! Set in Ulladulla, one of my favouritest places in the world [was always my dream retirement plan] at the time of the Currowan bushfire, such a dark time back in 2019/2020 [wasn’t that just the year everyone wanted refunded], this is a completely engrossing coming-of-age narrative that examines friendships and loyalties, character, courage.

15-year-old Miles has only the one real obsession – surfing. And what a place to be able to do that. But underneath the charm of his relatively quiet coastal home town, there is a festering criminal element that has complete disregard for either people or property.

As the bushfires rage ever closer, threatening to engulf the entire coast, Miles’ life-long friend, Wes, always a bit of a loose cannon, has become willingly entangled with a seriously bad bunch of people. Even his step-mother’s bogan cousin has taken his anti-social behaviours a step further by joining forces with this gang.

While Miles tries to focus on his growing relationship with Jenni, his growing disquiet over Wes’ toxic masculinity, racism and over-weening self-aggrandizement increases, and it all threatens to explode over Miles and his family, as well as his genuine friends.

There’s a lot to unpack in this one and I think it would be a brilliant choice for a class novel, especially for boys as it explores all those themes which are impacting on the choices young men are making at critical points in their lives.

It has all the adrenaline rush of a top-notch thriller movie and I can easily see it translating to the screen. There is some “sketchy language” and sex stuff in it [as my Year 9 bright thing Emily said with some anxiety about The Road to Winter, which was our novel study] so be mindful in regard to your school’s ethos but it is an excellent read and would partner well the above-mentioned text.

I am giving it a Banzai Pipeline 5 🏄🏄🏄🏄🏄 rating for readers from around 14 years upwards.

Ulladulla author, teacher and surfer writing on a wave of success with new book