Daniel Ducrou

In Daniel Ducrou’s novel, we follow Andrew as he makes the schoolies pilgrimage to Byron Bay. Andrew is trying to escape various things in his life in Adelaide. He hooks up with a girl like no-one he’s come across back home and things seem to be going great for a while. But escaping home, family and life in Adelaide is not so simple. Ducrou deals with quite a few topical issues and ideas: music, drug use, violence, sex, family, relationships and guilt. These are handled in a very realistic way and given to us through they eyes of a young adult.Ducrou has crafted his novel with an interesting plot, believable characters with depth, and credible dialogue. The result is hard to put down. Let’s hope we see more of his work.… (mais)

The Byron Journals begin with Andrew and his friend boarding a plan on their way to schoolies in Byron Bay leaving their home of Adelaide behind. Andrew is excited - more to be leaving his home than going to Byron. Soon after the pair land they meet up with friends who they start to party with. Andrew grows close with a girl, Heidi, whom he starts to begin a relationship with. After having a fight with his friend, Andrew and Heidi trash their house and move in with Tim and Jade, friends of Heidi's. Andrew quickly gets involved with the drug trafficking the trio operate and heavily gets invloved with the Byron drug scene.

The book is wonderfully written and Ducrou is seems to be a promising new writer in the Australian writing scene. This book is a deep and intimate look into the Generation Y attitude of 'I can do anything; nothing will hurt me'. Ducrou writes of drugs, sex, music and living life to the fullest - even if, at times, life seems confusing and overwhelming.

The only critism I can make of the book is the degrading way in which Heidi speaks of her and Andrew's hometown of Adelaide - often describing it as an 'f**king hole'. This troubled me at the beginning of the book but reading deeper, Heidi tells of the story which made her leave Adelaide (and put me in tears) and why she hates the town so much. Despite this, it still bothers me at times. Forgetting this, The Byron Journals is an amazing book which I would recommend for any teenager to read, especially those heading off to schoolies, and any parent concered with how their teenager is leading their life. This book neither glorifies nor discourages; it simply states the facts and allows the reader to decide.… (mais)