Reviews

“Last night I stayed up late in order to get Bulletproof finished. In truth, I couldn’t put it down. The book reads like a top ten young adult list book. I fell in love with the characters, recognised every aspect of the Australian landscape and lifestyle and cried and cried at the ending almost yelling at the book that this could not be the end. And, then, to bring the characters some peace at the end was such a comfort, but I still couldn’t sleep! This book should be compulsory reading and part of the school curriculum, in my opinion.”

“Reading this wonderful story took me back 45 years to those stormy teenage times. Even though there were some changes from my salad days with the addition of cell phones most of the storylines were pretty much as I had remembered and in going back there I could still feel all the dramas as if they were my current reality.
I hope too that young people reading this will be cautioned regarding the lifelong damage that can result when things get out of hand.
I recommend this book to oldies like me and especially to young people in the hope that it will give them some guideposts to navigate this turbulent time. ”

“Loved User Pays. Within this book I recognised so many of the characters I failed to identify when I was this age. This book really does capture the “making good choices” message we all want our children to hear but are often deaf to. This book can absolutely help teenage girls and boys navigate the trials of teenage-hood whilst being entertained in this page turner. This is the kind of book that the independent schools network could be using in PDHPE as an Australian tool for higher education. Really looking forward to the next instalment.”

“I have finished both Bulletproof and User Pays enjoyed them both immensely. Very funny, very readable but also very - what’s the word? - wise. Great characterisations. There were many lines I thought were just perfect - ”Nobody was to blame and everyone suffered” - ”I was who I was; small, intense, with principles”
I’m looking forward to more!”

“A great quick read that grips from the beginning...you know something dramatic is going to happen but not what...and it’s not obvious. A great read for a young teen who is almost ready for the world of adult fiction.”

“While I’m not the target group, I still very much enjoyed this page turner. The author did an excellent job of capturing the tone of young teenagers and reminding us all that nothing much has changed at school. There is always the cool gang and the peripherals who will do or say anything to be accepted. This should be compulsory reading text for school aged children between the ages of 14-16 as a clear reminder of how when we aren’t true to ourselves and lose our ability to do right, things can go horribly wrong.”

“User Pays is beautifully written and cleverly crafted to encapsulate the conflictions one faces through their transition to adolescence.”

“Age old themes of queen bees and wannabes are addressed in this debut novel of Wendy Howitt. I am not the target demographic but I think giving this story to a young teen entering the tricky world of high school could start a very worthwhile conversation about staying true to yourself.”