Goose by Dawn O'Porter

Hot Key Books, 2014. ISBN: 9781471400636.
(Age: 16+) Goose follows the story of Renee and Flo, best friends completing their senior year of schooling and about to head off down the path of adult-hood. Flo is the more conservative of the girls whereas Renee is promiscuous and outgoing. The girls have been planning to go off to university together however Renee is having second thoughts. She wants to get out into the world and discover herself first. Flo is devastated and feels as if Renee is just trying to find a way out of their friendship, trying to cope with this abandonment and still dealing with the death of her father Flo seeks comfort in religion where she meets Gordon, a fanatical church boy and Christian rocker who believes in abstinence. After a bad night with Dean, Renee's misogynistic boyfriend, the girls have an argument. Renee cannot accept Flo's new religion and the pair go their separate ways. Lost and alone Renee finds herself missing her friend and she needs to take some drastic actions to get her back.
Goose is the sequel to the highly praised Paper Aeroplanes but can be read just as well as a standalone novel. I would not recommend this book for people under the age of sixteen as it contains strong sexual content which may make some young readers uncomfortable. Similar to Puberty Blues this novel had themes of friendship and sexuality linked in with heavier themes of abandonment, death and dementia. Despite being directed at an audience of young women I feel that this novel is a little too mature for young adult fiction and a little too immature to fit into the adult category.
Kayla Gaskell (age eighteen)