by Margaret Mahy (Author)
Compelling drama in which 17-year-old Ellis comes to terms with the meaning of death...Ellis is an ordinary 17-year-old; someone who's planning to finish school and go to university like any other teenager. The difference is that four months ago, his best friend Simon killed himself. Still -- that was four months ago. Ellis has now 'got over it'. Except, of course, he hasn't. Returning to his home town, he gets drawn into a situation in which the 'old' Ellis would never have become embrangled. He gatecrashes a party and persuaded to 'rescue' two sisters -- Ursa and Leo, driving them back to the Land of Smiles -- the ex-motel where they live. From that moment on, nothing is the same again. The story is narrated hour-by-hour, as Ellis packs a life-time of experiences into the next twenty-four hours. Giving in to high spirits and booze, Ellis wakes next morning in a strange bed, with a stonking hangover and a shaven head! He learns that a child has been kidnapped, and is persuaded to help in her rescue...This is a bizarre, surreal and powerful novel in which the reader is taken on the same roller-coaster ride as Ellis.
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 192
Publisher: HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks
Published: 04 Sep 2000
ISBN 10: 0001857479
ISBN 13: 9780001857476
Children’s book age: 12+ Years
Book Overview: Received an Honour Award in the 2001 NZ Post Children's Book Awards Senior Fiction category.