Where you left us by Rhiannon Wilde

Narrated in alternating chapters, Where you left us combines the stories of two sisters, Cinnamon and Scarlett, once close, but now estranged, brought together in their family home, Halycon House,  for the summer break. Theirs is a highly dysfunctional family: their father is an aging and depressed rock star, their mother (separated from their father) a dreamy Tarot reader, Cinnamon is angry, Scarlett is fearful, and they are both haunted by the story of great-grandmother, Sadie, a madwoman and a murderer.

Issues of mental health come to the fore. Ian Prince spends his time in his room, rarely speaking to his daughters. Cinnamon’s anger and resentment at being left to take care of him, combined with her fear of emotional attachment, threatens her relationship with her ex-boyfriend, now best friend Will, as well as her budding interest in the new girl in town, Daisy. And timid Scarlett battles anxiety and panic attacks.

Threaded throughout there is also the historical mystery story of what happened to Sadie. As Will and Scarlett draw closer together following the clues, events lead to the inevitable climax when all the emotions explode.

This is a book that keeps your interest until the end, with its gothic atmosphere in the old house on the cliff, the mystery story, the mix of personalities, and the two romantic threads, one involving a tentative same sex relationship.

Rhiannon Wilde is particularly good at describing the hesitancy and the thrill of developing love between teenagers. The issues recalled for me Finding Jupiter by Kelis Rowe, with its portrayal of young love whilst also dealing with loss and grief, and a family secret. That was a story of young Black Americans. Wilde’s story is a welcome Australian young adult novel, equally powerful, and competently dealing with relevant contemporary issues. Readers who enjoyed Wilde’s first novel Henry Hamlet’s heart will love this book too. Teacher's notes are available.

Themes: Romance, Friendship, Mental health, Depression, Anxiety, Panic, LGBQTI+, Family.

Helen Eddy