Looking for a Contemporary Young Adult Book? Look No Further
Book Review of A Good Kind of Trouble by Brooke Blurton & Melanie Saward
Published: January 29th, 2025 by HarperCollins AU
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25 (4.25 Stars)
Genres: YA (Young Adult), Coming of Age, LGBTQIA+
Series: Book 1 of Unknown
CW/TW: Bullying, racism, homophobia, sexism.
A Good Kind of Trouble
High school is hard for most people, especially in a small town. People get bullied for being queer, they get discriminated against for being Aboriginal and suffer the sexist double standards for being a girl.
Jamie is all three. She survives the day-to-day struggles of high school by focusing on footy, her family and her crush on her best friend, Loz.
When a new girl starts at Jamie’s school, her whole life is thrown out of balance. Suddenly, Jamie can no longer tolerate the injustices in everyday life. She stands up to her history teacher about teaching their true history with books written by blackfullas.
But what happens when standing up for herself and fellow Aboriginals costs Jamie another part of herself?
Is the fight worth it?
Representing Diverse Family Dynamics
I enjoyed the characters in A Good Kind of Trouble. Not only did they feel realistic and relatable, but I loved seeing different relationship dynamics represented:
- Jamie and Poss living with their aunt and uncle,
- Stella being the new girl at a small school and trying to fit in,
- The school being so small that everyone knows each other and,
- The many changes in relationship dynamics due to personal growth.
The book’s setting in a rural Australian town allowed for the exploration of these dynamics while advancing the plot.
A Big Impact for a ‘Small’ Book
A Good Kind of Trouble was well-paced, especially with the number of themes discussed throughout the story. It was an honest reflection of the somewhat chaotic lives of teenagers. The characters are both slowly and quickly becoming adults. Often, at their age, lots of things are happening and changing, which can be hard to navigate.
Brooke and Melanie were about to fit the overwhelming and chaotic lives of teenagers into this book without sacrificing the narrative flow. Not only did this make for a deep and realistic story, but it also paves the way for the next book in the series.
Discussing Heavy Subjects in an Age Appropriate Manner
Jamie’s story captured the evolving relationships with family, friends, romantic interests and yourself. On top of this, A Good Kind of Trouble also discussed racism, homophobia, sexism and the importance of representation in all aspects of life, but especially education.
Some might say that are topics that children and teens shouldn’t have to worry about. While I agree that no one should have to face bigotry or discrimination, these topics (race, culture, gender, sexuality) are also aspects that shape a person’s identity and, therefore, are crucial for all ages.
Brook and Melanie have written a beautiful and inspiring story that will touch the hearts of readers. They’ve perfectly balanced the storytelling to focus on Jamie as an individual while also relating to and representing many different communities. This is definitely a story that will stay with everyone who reads it.
Favourite Quotes
‘It’s like they don’t even realise that speaking English is not the language we’re supposed to be speaking. I just wish the teachers would think about who they’re teaching a bit more.’
‘Sometimes I don’t feel Blak enough to have an opinion,’ she says. ‘But I also know I got light skin and passing privilege so, like, it’s my job to stand up. I’m real shame I didn’t stand up to Harris with you.’
‘I’m just so sick of being pushed out of stuff: for being a Blakfulla, for being a girl, and for being queer. I’m always at the bloody bottom of the heap.’
Final Thoughts
I recommend ‘A Good Kind of Trouble’ to anyone who enjoys a coming-of-age story that explores significant themes in an accessible way. I recommend it even more to teens, especially if they are a part of the LGBTQIA+ or Aboriginal communities.
Melanie Saward’s Website | Buy Now
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