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Content snapshot
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Violence
Barely any
No significant violence; a suicide is a central event
Language
Some
Adult language in the Australian YA register; Josie's voice is sharp and funny
Sexual Content
Barely any
Mild YA romantic content
Substance Use
Barely any
Some teen drinking
Emotional Intensity
Some
A character's suicide and its aftermath — and Josie's coming to terms with both grief and the secrets it reveals — gives the novel its emotional depth beyond the comedy
What this book is about
Melina Marchetta's beloved Australian YA debut follows Josephine Alibrandi, Italian-Australian, Catholic, scholarship girl, through her final year of high school in Sydney. The novel is funny and sharp; it is also honest about family secrets, suicide, and the grief that follows losing someone to depression. A foundational work of Australian YA that remains essential reading decades after publication.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
A friend's suicide is a significant event
Reader Verification
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