Notes

273 p.
Summary: Set in Brisbane, Australia, and told as a series of skilfully linked short first-person narratives, this is a fast-moving account of the descent into thrills-at-any-cost of the Oxley Creek Boys: from excited young teens on a sinking home-made raft to self-seeking drug-crazed adolescents on an inexorable trail of self-destruction and deep personal loss. But their loyalty to each other remains strong, and it ends on a note of hope. A lump in the throat page-turner. When his father dies, Brian promises to take care of his Mum and little brother Douggie, but that's a lot tougher than he thought it would be. Especially when Douggie takes to sculling casks of wine, smoking dope and doing drugs with his mates. Then Douggie starts hearing voices, and the paranoia sets in. There's nothing Brian can do as he watches his brother and his mates spiral out of control, doing whatever drugs they can to stop the awful feeling of going under. That is until one night Douggie loses it totally and everything starts to unravel. "Thrill Seekers" is a moving story about mental health, drug abuse, friendship, love and loss. Carefully chosen fonts and layout help carry the reader from beginning to end without any hint of chore-factor creeping in; although this story is so engaging that there's no danger of that anyway.
Cutting edge.