Slice by Steven Herrick

A funny, refreshing look at the most awkward time in any young boy's life—from school, girls, and parties to parents, friends, and the dreaded "sex talk"

Darcy Walker is a normal 16-year-old boy—but he can handle that. He can even cope with parents, deal with parties, and soldier through the occasional fight. He's certainly got his infatuation with the beautiful Audrey under control, is clearly the best at spending quality chess-time with his nerdy best friend, Noah, and doesn't blink an eye at the misadventures that can occur when kayaking on a school excursion. He's a teenage boy—he can handle anything. That is, if only he'd learn to keep his mouth closed first.

Slice is set in Katoomba* ~ and I read it while in Katoomba on holidays :) Okay, that's irrelevant to the review, but it made the experience just that more cool, you know?

It's funny
and brilliant
and everything you'd expect from Steven Herrick.

See the watermelon on the cover? It's grinning. I couldn't stop smiling when I read this one.

It was also, sneakily, powerful and life-affirming.

And that's what I LOVE about Steven Herrick. He has characters that feel like you've known them forever. Characters that sneak up on you and then BAM you care about them completely and feel like you're the one sitting down at the dinner table with them. He takes those ordinary, mundane parts of day-to-day life and makes you appreciate them ~ and find the awesomeness in just being alive and being in the moment.

Okay, so this review just got a little Oprah-esque ~ so putting it back on track... This book is FUNNY. Grin-achingly, laugh-out-loud witty and clever and, mate, how I loved it. It's a male POV that makes you simultaneously love all male characters and also feel sorry for them in a lovingly-cringe-y way. Life is not always easy for the adolescent male. Particularly for Darcy who just can't keep his mouth shut (much to my amusement and to his detriment)

I loved it all but in particular, LOVED: 

• the school kayaking trip on the river 
• the shaving scenes 
• the awkward father/son sex talk moments, haha. 
• the romance with Darcy and Audrey. Cute and hilarious and when the kissing scene arrives ~ ahh, it's just grin-worthy and sigh-worthy and makes me all nostalgic :) 
• the whole side-plot with Noah's dad. That's the kind of stuff that just blows me away in books. LOVED it. 

Steven Herrick is one of my all-time (I'm talking ALL-TIME) fave authors. His books are brilliant for teens and still just perfect for adults or anyone really.

* I grew up in The Blue Mountains and lived in Katoomba for 3 years. Love the place :D

Slice @ goodreads
Steven Herrick site (you can order his books (cheaper than bookstores and FREE postage, and get them personally signed)


ALSO> Major drum roll... Steven Herrick has a new book coming out this year and it sounds BRILLIANT and I am most most thrilled. Cannot wait to buy it! Steven Herrick's books are always a guaranteed certainty for me as I know I'll want to keep my copy to re-read and share with my friends and family.

upcoming 2011 YA novel:

 What a spunky cover! 

And the tentative blurb: ‘How about we toss a coin? Heads, it’s west and a lift. Tails, it’s still west, but no lift.’

James is heading into the country on a teaching round, but his life takes a new direction when a mysterious girl asks him for a ride. Sophie has him all worked out: you live with your parents and they bought you this car, and a very nice car it is too…
But gradually James gets past her wild hair and attitude, and Sophie trusts him with a secret she’s been keeping too long.

A captivating and tender-hearted story about living the life that’s true for you and being open to love.