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• Jasper Jones is Craig Silvey’s second novel. It is set during a hot summer in 1965 in a small West Australian town, Corrigan, and narrated by thirteen-year-old Charlie Bucktin. Charlie is surprised by Jasper Jones’ appearance at his sleepout window: Jasper needs his help. Jasper, mixed race, rebellious and solitary, represents danger and intrigue for Charlie: he is desperate to impress him and so goes along with Jasper. This action unleashes a sequence of events that will change Charlie, Jasper and the people of the town of Corrigan. Silvey’s elegant prose touches on racism, adultry, truth and lies, human weakness, falling in love, trust, small-town boredom, cricket, coming of age, love of literature, hope and despair and long-kept secrets. Silvey’s characters are compelling, his dialogue is credible and his plot takes a few unexpected turns. The subject matter could have been heavy going, but Silvey provides us with exceptional comic relief in the delightful Jeffrey Lu, Charlie’s best friend. Jeffrey’s conversations with Charlie provide many laugh-out-loud moments. Charlie’s relationship with his father, Wes, and later with his prospective girlfriend, Eliza, provide a heartening contrast to some other aspects of the story. Jasper Jones is an outstanding and decidedly enjoyable novel: let us hope for more like this from Craig Silvey.

  5.00 out of 5

  CloggieDownunder

• Amazing. That's what I said out loud after finishing this beautiful novel. It starts with a gut-wrenching discovery, a wound that never heals but instead opens wider and wider until the truth is finally revealed at the end. Along the way, Silvey enthralled me with humorous conversations filled with ripe, authentic dialogue between two immature boys, intelligent philosophizing from his protagonist, subplots of racism, love, parenting, and even thrilling (though confusing since I know nothing about cricket) sports action. The story pays homage to To Kill a Mockingbird and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn with similiar characters and events - those who love these books will appreciate the nod, and those who don't know them might run to the library to pick up copies. Although it touches on so many topics, it flowed well with its blend of interesting characters, metaphorical language, suspenseful and satisfying, humorous yet tragic storyline. I couldn't have asked for more.

  5.00 out of 5

  readerspeak

• If you are a young Australian male about to read <i>To Kill a Mockingbird</i>, don’t. Read <i>Jasper Jones</i> instead. Or, if your English teacher insists, read both. This book does for Australia what Harper Lee’s classic novel does for America. It delivers the same plot elements – the young protagonist, the small town community, the dark-skinned outcast, the infamous recluse – and explores the same themes – racism, loss of innocence, courage, secrecy – all transposed into a quintessentially Australian setting and narrated with absorbing energy, authenticity and humour. There will be something in this novel for every Australian reader to relate to. Silvey’s prose captures the internal narrative of adolescence perfectly, right down to the last flutterings of anxiety and speechlessness when confronted with a member of the opposite sex. His characters are as realistic as they are charismatic, and their dialogue is read-out-loud, laugh-out-loud gold. Charlie’s best friend, Jeffrey Lu, deserves a special mention in this department.Whatever Silvey does, his short, sharp and distinctive narration brings his reader right up close to the action. His cricket game scene is recounted with such tension and excitement that even readers who couldn’t care less about cricket will be glued to the page. Every emotion is contagious, every idea is thought provoking, every trial and trouble is riveting. The blending of literary depth and narrative force is a rare joy. The entire novel just <i>works</i>.While the material may not be new, Silvey’s writing manages to avoid any feeling of retreading old ground. Mad Jack Lionel, who might otherwise have been a familiar and one-dimensional character, is well presented in the few short scenes the plot can afford him. Even the inevitable feel-good moments are more complex than one might expect. Silvey treads the line between literature and popular fiction, but never lets the quality of his writing slip for a moment, defying any attempts to pigeonhole his work as a mere rehashing of familiar plot devices and themes.Having just finished <i>Jasper Jones</i>, I am seized by an uncontrollable urge to read it again – which is a problem, as I have an equally strong urge to immediately lend it to everyone I know. I am still unsure which urge will win.

  5.00 out of 5

  SamuelW

• This novel restored my faith that a good novel need not be work. I picked it up thinking I would read one page and immediately was drawn into the mystery. Enagaging characters and a well written plot, this is an easy rewarding read. Do not be put off by the teenage main character! This book is not a 'teen' book, it's a book for anyone. Charlie is a friendly boy drawn into something way over his head, he ossilates from being charmed by his new status as a trusted friend of the town football ledgend Jasper Jones, (an older Aboriginal boy), and terrorised by his new horrible knowledge of a murdered girl. great read.

  5.00 out of 5

  jazzamatazz

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