Description
Life was not meant to be easy. It was meant to be a treacherous obstacle course, a cruel gauntlet, and right then I was in the thick of it.
Hunter is stuck in a car with his family as they travel up the Queensland coast. It is a trip that his mum thinks will bring the family closer together, especially now that his stepdad and baby brother are part of the mix.
But with tension and secrets sizzling beneath the happy family facade, the road trip soon becomes Hunter's worst nightmare. The further away from home he gets the more he can't shake thoughts of the accident that took his dad away from them.
Forced out of his comfort zone, Hunter tries to embrace life on the road. Between campsites he parties with friendly backpackers on the beach, has one too many close encounters with wild animals and finally meets a girl who actually understands how he feels. But is it enough to help him deal with the real reason his family set off on their journey in the first place?
Review
Sandy Feet delves into a family break up and the battlefield that can ensue, in all its ugliness.
Through the eyes of 16 year old Hunter, we gain an understanding of the depth of feeling and breadth of people impacted by his parent’s divorce.
The book tackles drink driving, step-families and tragedy, but the guts of the story is a teenage boy finding his way in the world.
Unfortunately, there were times in this book when the author’s adult female voice could be detected, rather than Hunter’s voice. This had some negative impact and limited how genuinely I could associate with the characters.
All in all, a topical and uplifting story for both boys and girls 13+.
Reviewed by Rob
