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'Finn the Swimmer. Finn the Winner. Finn who works hard and pushes through and never gives up.
'Or just Finn. And whatever Finn could be.
'Life is pretty simple for fifteen-year-old Finn: just keep following the black line in the pool. But in a moment it all changes: distracted by a familiar face in the crowd, he falters on the blocks and loses not just the race, but the single-minded focus that has driven him this far.
'Did he really see what he thinks he saw? It doesn’t seem possible—not after what happened—but now Finn can’t stop wondering, and everything is starting to unravel. For the first time, he’s got no idea what he’s supposed to do or who he’s supposed to listen to. His bossy older sister, Connie, who wants to know the truth? The whip-smart and unforgiving Aaliyah? Or the unflappable Loki, who gets Finn like no one else ever has?
'It turns out that in life there’s no such thing as a simple choice. And sometimes there’s no choice at all.'
Source : publisher's blurb
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Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
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Sinister Undercurrents : Three New Young Adult Novels
2022
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , April no. 441 2022; (p. 30-31)
— Review of Fish Out of Water 2022 single work novel ; The Break 2021 single work novel ; If Not Us 2021 single work novel'Few traits typify the mythology of the Aussie bloke quite as strongly as a love of water and a laid-back attitude. Increasingly acknowledged is the role violence plays in shaping our laconic beach-lovers. Three Young Adult novels tackle this sinister undercurrent of male identity, but in different ways and to different effects. In Kate Hendrick’s Fish Out of Water, swimmer Finn aspires to be a ‘top bloke’ like his father, but does he really? Philip Gwynne’s Taj just wants to surf, but he must deal with a foreign government intent on executing his father in The Break. In If Not Us, by Mark Smith, surfer Hesse is trying to save the environment but soon discovers that taking a public stand on a controversial issue can have dangerous consequences.' (Publication summary)
-
Sinister Undercurrents : Three New Young Adult Novels
2022
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , April no. 441 2022; (p. 30-31)
— Review of Fish Out of Water 2022 single work novel ; The Break 2021 single work novel ; If Not Us 2021 single work novel'Few traits typify the mythology of the Aussie bloke quite as strongly as a love of water and a laid-back attitude. Increasingly acknowledged is the role violence plays in shaping our laconic beach-lovers. Three Young Adult novels tackle this sinister undercurrent of male identity, but in different ways and to different effects. In Kate Hendrick’s Fish Out of Water, swimmer Finn aspires to be a ‘top bloke’ like his father, but does he really? Philip Gwynne’s Taj just wants to surf, but he must deal with a foreign government intent on executing his father in The Break. In If Not Us, by Mark Smith, surfer Hesse is trying to save the environment but soon discovers that taking a public stand on a controversial issue can have dangerous consequences.' (Publication summary)
