One Step
Andrew Daddo
Dylan’s life so far has been pretty uninteresting. He likes girls, he does swim diving and he has a sort of best friend. When his writing is read out in class, and the bully takes it out on him, Dylan’s life could take a turn for the better or the worse.
This novel was particularly pertinent to me when I read it, as I had just shown a group of year 9 students around my university. It’s so easy to be mean to other people without even thinking about it.
There’s so much I want to say about this novel, yet at the same time I don’t want the reader to go into this with any expectations for what the novel ‘should’ explore. Just let me say it should be considered as essential on high school reading lists.
The ending! The ending killed me. It happened so suddenly without warning. Looking back over the storyline, I don’t think I saw it coming – and I think that is what Daddo is trying to convey. HIgh school is hard, and bullying is bad, and sometimes things just don’t turn out how you expect.
4 stars from me. Students should be reading this in early high school and start thinking about how their actions offend others.
Penguin Random House Australia | June 2016 | AU$19.99 | Paperback
