At Seventeen (Celeste Walters, UQP, $18.95 pb, ISBN 9780702236204, April) ****

Celeste Walters has built a reputation for writing novels that challenge our perceptions and understanding of teenage life and the effect institutions have on our society. In her new novel At Seventeen we see the world through the eyes of Catherine as she enters boarding school for her final two years while her parents move to Spain. Her brother Henry will cope; captain of the team, academic, oblivious younger sibling, but not Catherine. She yearns for a connection with her mother, recognition of her creative talent, and the warmth and support that her family seems unable to provide. When she stumbles across a collection of papers left by her late grandmother, the celebrated artist Clarissa Harris, Catherine discovers a connection and a deep family secret. The papers reveal a person with similar hopes and dreams, and a voice that also longs for meaning and understanding. This prompts Catherine to uncover the story of her lineage and ultimately confront her mother with the truth, a revelation that could heal or shatter the fragile fabric of the family forever. Told in engaging and dynamic present-tense prose, the novel takes you deep into Catherine’s world and provides an intimate tale in the process. A delicious treat for older teens or anyone wanting to remember the heady days of 17.

Ben Beaton is a writer and teacher in Perth

This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2008, Thorpe-Bowker