Girl Defective by Simmone Howell
Rating: 4 out of 5 hearts
312 pages
Released: March 2013
Buy it @ Angus & Robertson
We, the Martin family,
were like inverse superheroes, marked by our defects. Dad was addicted
to beer and bootlegs. Gully had "social difficulties" that manifested in
his wearing a pig snout mask 24-7. I was surface clean but underneath a
weird hormonal stew was simmering...
It's summer in St Kilda. Fifteen-year-old Sky is looking forward to great records and nefarious activities with Nancy, her older, wilder friend. Her brother – Super Agent Gully – is on a mission to unmask the degenerate who bricked the shop window. Bill the Patriarch seems content to drink while the shop slides into bankruptcy. A poster of a mysterious girl and her connection to Luke, the tragi-hot new employee sends Sky on an exploration into the dark heart of the suburb. Love is strange. Family Rules. In between there are teenage messes, rock star spawn, violent fangirls, creepy old guys and accidents waiting to happen. If the world truly is going to hell in a hand-basket then at least the soundtrack is kicking. Sky Martin is Girl Defective: funny, real and dark at the edges.
It's summer in St Kilda. Fifteen-year-old Sky is looking forward to great records and nefarious activities with Nancy, her older, wilder friend. Her brother – Super Agent Gully – is on a mission to unmask the degenerate who bricked the shop window. Bill the Patriarch seems content to drink while the shop slides into bankruptcy. A poster of a mysterious girl and her connection to Luke, the tragi-hot new employee sends Sky on an exploration into the dark heart of the suburb. Love is strange. Family Rules. In between there are teenage messes, rock star spawn, violent fangirls, creepy old guys and accidents waiting to happen. If the world truly is going to hell in a hand-basket then at least the soundtrack is kicking. Sky Martin is Girl Defective: funny, real and dark at the edges.
Review
I could not put this down, I read it in two sittings! The way Simmone Howell sucks you into her story and characters is magic. This book is about a girl discovering who she is and finding "her people". It's a story of finding love, uncovering secrets and lots of music.
I felt like such a loser when I was reading this! There were so many music references that I didn't get because I didn't know the artists that the characters were talking about. It's another book I've read that is set in Australia, specifically St Kilda (a suburb in Melbourne). I live close to St Kilda and have visited many times so it was cool to read about places I have been.
A huge part of enjoying any book is enjoying the characters and Simmone knows how to write a good character. Sky is a rebel teenager, more than I ever was, but I guess living in St Kilda can do that to a girl. Gully is Sky's younger brother and when reading this you know that Gully has Asperger's or is on the autism spectrum but it's never spelled out. I really liked that about this book, everyone accepts him for who he is but doesn't label him. He could be difficult at times but I really liked Gully and thought he was a cool little dude.
Other than the characters, the intrigue was a big reason for my want to keep reading. I NEEDED to know why the girl in the graffiti was so sad. There were also moments of romance that were really nice, they gave me all the normal butterfly feelings in my stomach.
I have listened to Simmone Howell talk about writing and she also read the first chapter from this book. It made me want to read it oh so more. Now that I've read it all for myself I want to get my hands on Simmone's other books!
I felt like such a loser when I was reading this! There were so many music references that I didn't get because I didn't know the artists that the characters were talking about. It's another book I've read that is set in Australia, specifically St Kilda (a suburb in Melbourne). I live close to St Kilda and have visited many times so it was cool to read about places I have been.
A huge part of enjoying any book is enjoying the characters and Simmone knows how to write a good character. Sky is a rebel teenager, more than I ever was, but I guess living in St Kilda can do that to a girl. Gully is Sky's younger brother and when reading this you know that Gully has Asperger's or is on the autism spectrum but it's never spelled out. I really liked that about this book, everyone accepts him for who he is but doesn't label him. He could be difficult at times but I really liked Gully and thought he was a cool little dude.
Other than the characters, the intrigue was a big reason for my want to keep reading. I NEEDED to know why the girl in the graffiti was so sad. There were also moments of romance that were really nice, they gave me all the normal butterfly feelings in my stomach.
I have listened to Simmone Howell talk about writing and she also read the first chapter from this book. It made me want to read it oh so more. Now that I've read it all for myself I want to get my hands on Simmone's other books!
On the cover
This cover is so cool! The girl on the front looks so sad and I want to know why. It reminds me of Graffiti Moon and I almost feel like Shadow could have painted it.
What I'm reading next: Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor
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