(review by Julie Dargan)
Wrath by Anne Davies is one book that needs to be in every secondary school library in Australia. The book follows the story of Luca after he finds himself in juvenile detention for murdering his mother and stepfather.
I loved the style of Davies and found this a book that had me engrossed from the beginning. It does not begin with the crime or why the crime happened, that is revealed nearly 3/4 into the book.
The storyline is as gripping on in many ways. Having teenage boys myself I can now understand the importance of keeping dialogue open and always being there for your children. The story shows Luca slowly withdrawing from his mother after her divorce from his father and subsequent re-marriage.
Teenage years are very turbulent for both mother and child and Wrath goes into the self-absorbing mind of a teenager very well. Mix that with rejection and a society of readily available drugs and you have a recipe for disaster.
I will now be making both my boys read this book and will be interesting to see what insight they gain from the book.
Julie, very grateful - thank you!