Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 2011:
“The author’s keen ear for dialogue is evident in the humorous verbal sparring between Charlie and Jeffrey, typical of smart 13-year-old boys…A richly rewarding exploration of truth and lies by a masterful storyteller.”
Starred Review, The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, April 2011:
“Silvey’s sure-footed, evocative prose, intelligent humor, and careful plot structuring may well ensure this Aussie import lasting status.”
Starred Review, The Horn Book Magazine, May/June 2011:
“The mood and atmosphere of the 1960s small-town Australian setting is perfectly realized—suspenseful, menacing, and claustrophobic—with issues of race and class boiling just below the surface.”
Starred Review, School Library Journal, June 2011:
“Silvey is a master of wit and words, spinning a coming-of-age tale told through the mind of a young Holden Caulfield.”
