Jasper Jones

Jasper Jones and Charlie Bucktin couldn't be more opposite. Jasper, who is half Aboriginal, lives by his wits and cares not at all what the uptight residents of Corrigan think of him. Charlie, the son of a local teacher, is a good kid who sees his dad as similar to his hero, Atticus Finch. Narrator Matt Cowlrick portrays each boy splendidly. He also captures the diverse Aussie accents and personalities, along with the typical kids the boys encounter as they search for a murderer. Best is Cowlrick's spirited description of Charlie getting drunk (and sick) for the first time. The great contrast of the boys adds to the intrigue and wonder as they learn that things aren't always as they seem. S.G.B. (c) AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

February 7, 2011
Australian author Silvey wears his influences (notably To Kill a Mockingbird) a little too obviously on his sleeve in a novel about crime, race, and growing up in a 1960s Australian mining town. Charlie, 13, is woken up on a hot summer night by teenage outcast Jasper, who wants to show him something secret. That secret turns out to be the dead body of Laura Wishart, Jasper's occasional paramour and the older sister of Charlie's own crush, Eliza. The boys, assuming that Jasper will be blamed, hide the body, and Laura's disappearance combines with the boys' guilt and lies to create an ongoing spiral of stress. The town of Corrigan is rife with racism, which is directed mainly at the half-aboriginal Jasper and Charlie's Vietnamese best friend, Jeffrey. The banter between Jeffrey and Charlie drives the novel's lighter scenes, but can distract, feeling more like Tarantinoesque pop culture asides than anything else. Still, when Silvey, making his U.S. debut, focuses on the town's ugly underbelly, as well as the troubles in Charlie's family, the novel is gripping enough to overcome its weaknesses. Ages 12–up.