Description
Zelle and Callum used to be best friends, but they haven't spoken in three years: not since the tragedy that wrenched them apart, and Zelle moved away.
But now Zelle is back, and their lives are about to get a whole lot more complicated.
Zelle is in denial about her alcohol use that threatens to spiral out of control, and she's deeply annoyed at having to leave the city.
Callum's future is thrown into jeopardy after both a disastrous uni interview and his budding romance turning sour.
But they can't keep running from the past forever, and circumstances force them to examine their grief and guilt and find a way through.
With beautifully assured story-telling, this is an emotionally tense page turner that leaves you on the edge of your seat.
Review
This story is told from the perspective of two former best friends, 17-year-olds Zelle and Callum.
Zelle has just returned to her small hometown where she grew up as the daughter of world-famous artists, who were small town celebrities. She was best friends with Callum since the first day she swaggered into his class as a nine-year-old.
But all of that changed the day that their friend Eli drowned in the lake, three years ago. Zelle and her family moved to Wellington, and she never communicated with Callum again.
There were reasons for their silence, but guilt was the main factor in their split. Zelle’s parent messy divorce also played a role. But Zelle has been mixing with the wrong crowd in Wellington, and her Mum thinks that the move back might prevent the escalation of Zelle’s alcohol problem.
Callum also blamed himself for Eli’s death, as they had a short-lived relationship that had just ended. But how could he forgive Zelle for just disappearing with not a word - then or since?
This is a terrific coming of age novel that tackles death and grief, broken trust, alcohol abuse, queer relationships in a small-town, finishing high school and what comes next, and most importantly friendship, that is wonderfully written with very relatable characters. The issues handled make it best suited to readers aged 14 years and older.
Teacher notes prepared by the publisher are available on our website for this title.
