He drills to the core of story in a few short words, then with surgical skill, he cuts to the heart with gentle humour.
Jack and his older sister, Desiree, sit on the roof of an old shack in the golf course when they need to. It's where they try to make sense of their Mum dying too young, their Dad unable to find up and their own struggles.
Desiree is Jack's closest confidante but she's not the greatest when it comes to advice about girlfriends or boyfriends. Or sex. Then there's Annabel, the girl of Jack's dreams.
Like so many of Steven Herrick's stories, Love, Ghosts and Nose Hair crosses emotional and physical boundaries. It's a story of heart-breaking grief, recovery and everything that happens in between and it will leave you satisfied.
Love, Ghosts and Nose Hair was shortlisted in the CBCA book awards way back in the 90s. It celebrated its ten-year anniversary last year and it's still going strong.
Love, Ghosts and Nose Hair is truly a classic Australian verse novel, but more than that, it is full of contemporary heart.
Title: Love, Ghosts and Nose Hair
Author: Steven Herrick
Publisher: UQP, $19.95
Publication Date: 1 July 1996
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780702228780
Type: Young Adult
