Not afraid to tackle hard issues, Kate Welshman’s coming-of-age debut novel captures the essence of the senior schoolgirl life with Amy and her friends, referred to as the ‘posse’. Dealing with underage sex, lesbianism,dysfunctional families and legal issues--all these difficult topics are handled sensitively and sensibly. Written in the first person, the reader is privy to Amy’s thoughts as she processes and handles the implications and repercussions from her actions, enhancing the plot and its power. There is plenty to grab hold of your attention and keep you engaged until the end. At 16, Amy and her friends are on the brink of adulthood. The characters are well- drawn--from the self-centred Clare, to Johanna with the strong self-preservation streak. Amy’s family, the teachers and the camp instructors are very realistic, some quite gritty. The conclusion is entirely satisfactory, not arrived at too early, nor tied up too neat or quickly. Posse is credible and accurate for these current times and the audience targeted. There is humour throughout, as a counterpoint to the heavier issues, but this book is neither depressing nor too dark. A great read!

This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine (March 2009, Vol 88, No 6.) is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2009, Thorpe-Bowker.

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