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'A group of teenagers on schoolies find themselves confronting life-changing tragedy head-on in this electrifying novel by an award-winning YA author.
A group of school-leavers- free at last, ready to party, expectations high. And even though a remote island on the Western Australian coast wasn't exactly the plan, they're not going to let that hold them back.
'Leonardo, geeky, asthmatic, shy and prone to anxiety, has landed with them. He's terrified-he's definitely not part of this cool gang. Super high-achiever Kaiya is trying to forget her frustration with her drug-addicted sister as well as dealing with pressure from the popular girls to lose her virginity. Mason, footy jock with the physique to match, is coming to terms with his secret desire for his best mate, Jared. And Jared wants a week off from his relationship with Val so he can have sex with as many girls as possible.
'But the party takes a dangerous turn when Val is drugged and a man is found dead on the beach. Blame, fear, mistrust, coverups, power plays and dark secrets tear the group apart and expose the deadly tensions beneath the surface. And each teen is forced to confront demons that will lead them either to devastating tragedy or transformative triumph.
'Whoever survives the week will never be the same again.
'The Brink is a raw, powerful novel that pulls no punches in its authentic exploration of masculinity, sexuality, mental health, drug and alcohol use, relationships and sex. Holden Sheppard takes the teenage experience to the next level.' (Publication summary)
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Other Formats
- Sound recording.
Works about this Work
-
Holden Sheppard : The Brink
2022
single work
review
— Appears in: The Newtown Review of Books , August 2022;
— Review of The Brink 2022 single work novel 'Holden Sheppard’s second novel is more Lord of the Flies than teen exploitation story.'
-
Holden Sheppard : The Brink
2022
single work
review
— Appears in: The Newtown Review of Books , August 2022;
— Review of The Brink 2022 single work novel 'Holden Sheppard’s second novel is more Lord of the Flies than teen exploitation story.'
Awards
- 2024 joint winner Ena Noël Award — Author
- 2023 shortlisted Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) — Small Publishers' Children's Book of the Year
- 2023 shortlisted APA Book Design Awards — Best Designed Young Adult Book designed by Imogen Stubbs.
- 2023 shortlisted New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards — Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature
- 2023 winner Indie Awards — Young Adult
- Western Australia,