Wrecked

 

Wrecked, by Louisa Reid, is an emotional rollercoaster. Eighteen-year-old Joe narrates the events of his life which hinge on a court case where he is on trial for dangerous driving that resulted in a fatal accident. Written in verse, each poem tells a new aspect of Joe’s story. It is an intense novel which subtly touches upon domestic violence, emotional abuse, drug and alcohol abuse, rape, and abortion. Romance is at the forefront of this novel. There is so much to unpack within this story, every page brings something new and worthwhile to the narrative.

Reid’s writing is clever, sophisticated and perfectly suits this coming of-age story. Using variations of typeface and font, the placement and size of the words on the page are used to reflect emotion and action. At times, the narrative is possibly too fast and could do with more expansion, but this simultaneously asks the reader to slow down while reading Wrecked in order to savour its literary craftsmanship. If it is coming-of-age novels you enjoy, this one has all of the traditional themes, although it is in an unconventional format, both in form and in perspective. This is a young-adult novel that can be enjoyed by both young and old, and should be making its way onto all school reading lists.

Lorna O’Dea