Not-so-gentle coming-of-age story

Snake Bite,

by Christie Thompson (Allen & Unwin, RRP $30):

Jez is 17, bored in a downtrodden Canberra suburb, and coming to realise she’s in love with her best friend, Lukey.

It’s summertime and Jez has little to do but hang out, get high and argue with her mum.

She takes it for granted that she and Lukey will be hanging out together, but then new girl Laura arrives from Melbourne and Jez’s life tilts on its axis.

Snake Bite is a great read. It grabs you from page one and the pace of it doesn’t let up until the very end. It’s a coming of age story but there’s nothing gentle about it at all – Jez’s revelations about her life and the way she perceives it come thick and fast.

It’s a one-sitting read, in the best way.

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