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The Brink

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( 773 ratings, 159 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Brink by Holden Sheppard is a gripping coming-of-age novel that follows a group of teenagers who embark on a wild summer road trip getaway. Their adventure quickly turns into chaos as unexpected tensions and personal crises surface, challenging their friendships and identities. The story delves into themes of self-discovery, freedom, and the complexities of adolescence.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This gripping coming-of-age tale offers a raw and honest exploration of identity, love, and resilience. You might enjoy this book if you're drawn to stories that delve deeply into the tumultuous journey from adolescence to adulthood, filled with both emotional intensity and liberating moments.

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A group of teenagers on schoolies find themselves confronting life-changing tragedy head-on in this electrifying novel by an award-winning YA author.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A group of school-leavers: free at last, ready to party, expectations high.

A remote island on the Western Australian coast wasn’t exactly the plan, but they’re not going to let that hold them back.

Leonardo, geeky, asthmatic, shy, and prone to anxiety, has landed with them. He’s terrified—he’s definitely not part of this cool gang. Super high-achiever Kaiya is trying to forget her frustration with her drug-addicted sister as well as dealing with pressure from the popular girls to lose her virginity. Mason, footy jock with the physique to match, is coming to terms with his secret desire for his best mate, Jared. And Jared wants a week off from his relationship with Val so he can have sex with as many girls as possible.

But the party takes a dangerous turn when Val is drugged and a man is later found dead on the beach. Blame, fear, mistrust, coverups, power plays and dark secrets tear the group apart and expose the deadly tensions beneath the surface. And each teen is forced to confront demons that will lead them either to devastating tragedy or transformative triumph.

Whoever survives the week will never be the same again.

The Brink is a raw, powerful novel that pulls no punches in its authentic exploration of masculinity, sexuality, mental health, drug and alcohol use, relationships, and sex. Holden Sheppard takes the teenage experience to the next level.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Brink by Holden Sheppard is lauded as a gripping and exhilarating thriller that delves into themes of masculinity, sexuality, and self-discovery. Reviewers praise its vivid characters and thrilling plot, noting Sheppard's ability to tackle complex social issues with a uniquely gritty and authentic voice. The novel is described as a must-read that appeals to both young adults and adults, offering a compelling exploration of adolescence and identity amidst a tense and fast-paced narrative.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781922458643

Publisher: Text Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 02 August 2022

Country: Australia

Imprint: The Text Publishing Company

Audience: Teenage

DIMENSIONS

Width: 153.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 352

About the Author

Holden Sheppard is an award-winning author born in Geraldton, Western Australia. His debut novel, Invisible Boys (Fremantle Press, 2019), was published to both critical and commercial success. It won the WA Premier's Prize for an Emerging Writer, was shortlisted for the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards and was named a Notable Book by the Children’s Book Council of Australia. Invisible Boys is currently in production as a television series. The Brink is his second novel. It is shortlisted for the Indie Book Awards 2023 (Young Adult).

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