A suspenseful story set in a small town in Australia where secrets are unravelled.
Feature image credit: Penguin Books Australia
Tristan Bancks, Australian actor, director and children/YA author is the great nephew of Jimmy Bancks, creator of the Ginger Meggs comic. He is best known for his Nit Boy and Mac Slater: Coolhunter books as well as several stand-alone stories, including the award-winning Two Wolves.
Scar Town, Banck’s new novel for teens, is a suspense/thriller that is not for the faint hearted.This story is full of twists and turns and will keep the reader on the edge of their seat till the very end.
It is set in the small fictional town of Scarborough, inspired by Jindabyne in the Blue Mountains. Scar Town is the story of three kids. There is Will, whose father was the local policeman before he disappeared seven years ago and his body was never found. Will hopes that one day his dad will turn up alive. Nine people from the town have disappeared in the last decade. J (short for Juno) and Dar are twins, and they live with their father who spends most of his time drinking. Their town was covered by water seven years ago when a dam was built. Most of the town buildings were moved to higher ground. But now the dam wall is failing and the old town is slowly being uncovered as the water drops.
Scar Town begins with the children deciding to swim out to an old house which is now above the water line. They discover things in the wall cavities which leads to a race against time to save those they care about.
Through the discoveries by the children and their subsequent angst and horror, the reader will see that everyone’s family is not as it first seems. We all have secrets, some bigger than others. It is what we do with these secrets that can make or break a family. Reading Bancks’ novel, we discover that families can sometimes disappoint and wonder whether blood really is thicker than water. And who can we really trust?
Bancks has the ability to write a story which is well written, doesn’t linger for any length of time, and can keep the reader interested the entire length of the book. The storyline is full of great writing which pulls the reader into the book by creating a world which feels real and can easily be imagined.
For those young people who perhaps aren’t ready for a longer book with more adult themes, Scar Town is perfect. It is not too long at 242 pages, and while terrifying at times as the children fight for their lives, there is much love for family and friends, which is the driving factor.
Reviewed by Sue Mauger
The views expressed in this review belong to the author and not Glam Adelaide, its affiliates, or employees.
Distributed by: Penguin Books Australia
Released: August 2023
RRP: $16.99

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