by Craig Silvey
Allen & Unwin
Jasper Jones is an outcast growing up in a small mining town town in Western Australia during the Vietnam War. His aboriginal mother is dead, and his caucasian father is a deadbeat drunk.
In a place where everyone knows everyone else's business, the disappearance of the shire president's daughter is all the more mysterious. But Jasper knows the truth. The girl is dead. And he knows full well that if the body is discovered, he will be blamed immediately. So Jasper enlists the help of Charlie, a bookish thirteen year old, to dispose of the evidence so they can get to the bottom of the mystery themselves. Charlie is apprehensive, but is compelled to help his new friend all the same. And as they try to figure out what happened to the missing girl, the family secrets of a cast of endearing, alcoholic, racist, and abusive characters are revealed. A very entertaining and insightful read, packed with hilarious, witty dialogue. I absolutely loved every minute of it! Recommended for book groups.
The film rights for Jasper Jones were secured by an Australian producer before it's publication.
by Kristy
