Return to sender by Lauren Draper

When Warwick’s famous Adder Stone was stolen from its display case in the town hall, suspicion fell on Brodie McKellon, something of a wildcat, prone to a bit of shoplifting. When she left the small town soon after to go to boarding school, the blame settled on her and destroyed her friendship with Levi, who was convinced she had taken it, knowing that their friend Eli had lied, saying she was babysitting his cousin when she wasn’t. Three years later 17-year-old Brodie is back in town staying with her Nan in the post office and dead letter store. In the past the three friends had spent many hours puzzling over some old unclaimed letters between another three friends, August, June and Winnie, trying to identify the locals and find out what happened to them. Brodie and Eli pick up the search and Levi is drawn in despite the tension over the Adder Stone incident. Brodie has a lot to deal with, her mother’s death, her father’s absence, her Nan’s health and financial problems, so the hunt for clues is a good distraction. Also distracting are her growing feelings for Levi as the letter clues reveal the developing relationship between August and Winnie.

The mystery of the plot is rather contrived and the reader is asked to suspend disbelief a lot but at its heart this is a touching story of the power of friendship. The three unconditionally support one another while respecting boundaries and they have good old fashioned adventures in this little time warp of a country town which feels far more like America than I would expect from an Australian author. With almost no alcohol (except for Nan’s tippling) and romantic attraction without sex scenes it would suit younger teen readers and school libraries.

Themes: Friendship, Mystery, Romance.

Sue Speck