Pink by Lili Wilkinson
Allen and Unwin, 2009.
(Age
range: 14+) Recommended. Pink is a colour so often associated with
femininity
and girls and so aptly used as the title for this novel which deals
with peer
group and personal identity.
Ava
is trying to discover who she really is and where she truly fits in. As
she
begins a new school year having transferred to Billy Hughes private
school she
finds herself in with the ultra cool Alexis and her friends and also by
default
in with the misfit stage crew which is preparing props for the school
production. As Ava experiences the huge diversity of the two groups she
also
finds her friendship with Chloe, her best friend from her previous
school,
challenged by the new surroundings and her continual uneasiness with
who she is
and what she is becoming. Through her actions Ava alienates the people
who
really matter most to her and it is only through another's actions she
sees the
bigger picture more clearly.
Lili
Wilkinson is a talented author who seems to have an innate ability of
tapping
into the teenage mind and writing to suit their needs and likes.
Tracy
Glover