6 by Karen Tayleur
Black dog books. ISBN 978 174203155 2.
An amazingly confronting story of six young people in their last year
of school. The voices of the characters seem so realistic and so true,
especially to parents who have been through year twelve! Sarah is
the clever girl but longs to be admired and sought after by Finn, a
first footy team member and very good looking. We hear the
stories of the other five but it is mostly Sarah's story. The little
ditties at the beginning of each chapter are intriguing, encouraging
the reader to find out more.
Year twelve is a roller coaster ride for many students and so each
person's story contributes to the whole. It's the usual scenario
of who loves whom and how does this work and if it doesn't, then how
devastating life becomes! What is so compelling about this year
twelve drama is that the resolution is unexpected, thankfully! A very
cleverly written story involving death, alcohol and cars. Parents and
teachers sometimes worry about stories for year twelves, but this has
all the elements of a disaster with an intriguing ending for
discussion, and with the characters able to move into the next phase of
their lives and having a little more understanding of the others in
their group.
Well recommended for Middle and Senior Students
Sue Nosworthy