Gracie Faltrain Gets it Right (Finally) (Cath Crowley, Pan Macmillan, $16.95 pb, ISBN 9780330423939, May) ****

Not having read the first two books in this series—The Life and Times of Gracie Faltrain and Gracie Faltrain Takes Control—could be seen as a somewhat of a hindrance when reviewing the latest offering. Not so, as the characters are immediately likeable and the storyline easy to follow. Gracie (or just ‘Faltrain’ as she is known by her friends) is now in Year 12 and needs to get her head down and bum up and seriously study. However, the lure of her greatest love, soccer, is ever present. The state trials are coming up and she has high hopes of making it into the Matildas one day. If not already interested
in sport, this book will appeal to girls (especially) and boys wanting to be involved, as it emphasises the team aspect and deals with themes such as trust, growth, conflict and courage. Gracie and her
friends are genuine and the constant switching from one character’s viewpoint to another is fluid and engaging. The rigours of Year 12 are outlined well (the fear of oral exams for example) and the teenage
romances plausible—it is obvious the author knows her audience well. The end leaves you wanting more. I know two books that’ll be on my bedside table next!

Katie Horner is editorial assistant at Bookseller+Publisher

This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2008, Thorpe-Bowker

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