Chasing Charlie Duskin

Cath Crowley's second novel about teenage girls, their trials and triumphs, "Chasing Charlie Duskin", has finally reached the top of my enormous mountain of books that must be read. Cath Crowley's characters have many talents - they just need some help discovering them. In "The life and times of Gracie Faltrain" Gracie's passion is soccer. With Charlie Duskin it's music. Charlie's story is told alternately from the viewpoints of two girls: Charlie (Charlotte) from the city - introverted, bullied throughout her school life, alone - on holidays for the summer at her grandparents' in a small country town; and Rose who's brought up in the country - bright, confident and bossy - wanting to get out and see the world. You can read about it in the Courier Mail - or catch a review by a teenager reader - or better still read the book yourself. It's terrific.