“I must say, Caitlyn, I have heard from some of your other teachers that
you haven’t been as attentive as you used to be, and that you’re missing
more and more assignments. It’s not lack of skills, so why are you letting it
get away from you?”
Spending more time in the deputy principal’s office was not what 14-yearold
Caitlyn had in mind when she began Year 9 in her semi-arid Australian
town. As far as she was concerned, life was perfect until her wayward
cousin joined the household, her parents started fighting, her best friend
turned into Public Enemy No. 1, and her mum started making her write
to-do lists.
Surely growing up wasn’t meant to be this complicated. Now not only
does Caitlyn have to navigate the unforgiving wilderness of school, but
find a way to preserve the ties that are only just holding her family
together.