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Review:

Blood brothers by Peter Corris


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Allen and Unwin, 2007 ISBN 978 0 7344 1006 1
(Age 12+) Wheeled into the hospital with a fracture, Bart Fletcher's thoughts are turned to his best friend, Jack Chandra, and the possible reasons behind his tripping Bart in the rugby game, resulting in his broken leg. Out of hospital, the enmity shown to Bart by his former friend becomes obvious to all round him, and the tension moves up a gear, once Jack's girlfriend is killed in a car crash.
The story gets more involved as Bart's feelings for a girl in his year develop, and she encourages him to speak to Jack. This results in a fight and Bart talks to his mother about his absent father, once imprisoned for marijuana cultivation. The story keeps on building as Bart finds out more about his background, and decides to get a bus to Melbourne to talk to his unknown family.
A well known adult writer, Peter Corris has turned his hand to writing for young adults with a stunning opening novel. A range of issues for young adults is covered in this story, as Bart discovers his father living in a commune not far away. If the story is a little too neatly resolved, this can be overlooked when considering the wider niceties of plot and characterization.
Fran Knight





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