In this young adult novel to be released June 2016 best friends Kit and Liza have been looking forward to this trip forever.
Points of Departure
by Emily O’Beirne
Genre: YA Contemporary (LGBT)
Release Date: June 16th 2016
Ylva Publishing
Summary:
Five girls, five tickets overseas. It’s exactly what they all need after the final slog of high school. But when Kit’s suddenly forced to drop out, Liza’s left with three girls she barely knows.
There’s Mai, committed only to partying. There’s Tam, who already has her doubts about leaving her sick father behind. And there’s Olivia, so miserable about screwing up exams she’s not even sure she wants to get out of bed, let alone on a plane.
Meanwhile Kit’s stuck working double shifts to pay off a debt, wondering if she’ll ever get it together.
All Liza wants from this trip is to discover a new version of herself. She just hadn’t planned on doing it without Kit by her side.
And they’re all learning that travel isn’t just about the places you go, but who you’re with at the time.
Review:
Points of Departure is a sweet story about friendship, growing up, and figuring out who you are and what you want.
There’s a lot of points of view to keep straight (but not Mai? That part was a bit odd) and the present tense of the story threw me a bit initially, but once the story sucks you in you just don’t want to put it aside until you’ve finished. Plus, you’re suddenly finding yourself with a mad desire to roam around Europe and Asia…
Ah, if only.
I really enjoyed spending time with Liza, Kit, Tam, Olivia, and Mai. From parents with cancer, coming out worries, overprotective parents, dealing with the financial repercussions of bad decisions (never, ever get an apartment with your loser boyfriend when you’re still in high school or its equivalent, people–that just has bad idea written all over it), to watching your sister giving birth (!)–these girls had a lot on their plates. But they also got to spend most of the book globetrotting too, so…
There’s a touch of romance–a little angsty, a little sweet–not the focus of the story, but a nice addition. Mini Moe #2 and I will definitely be looking for more from Ms. O’Beirne in the future.
Rating: 4 stars / B+
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
About the Author:
Thirteen-year-old Emily woke up one morning with a sudden itch to write her first novel. All day, she sat through her classes, feverishly scribbling away (her rare silence probably a cherished respite for her teachers). And by the time the last bell rang, she had penned fifteen handwritten pages of angsty drivel, replete with blood-red sunsets, moody saxophone music playing somewhere far off in the night, and abandoned whiskey bottles rolling across tables. Needless to say, that singular literary accomplishment is buried in a box somewhere, ready for her later amusement.
From Melbourne, Australia, Emily was recently granted her PhD. She works part-time in academia, where she hates marking papers but loves working with her students. She also loves where she lives but travels as much as possible and tends to harbour crushes on cities more than on people.
Living in an apartment, Emily sadly does not possess her dream writing room overlooking an idyllic garden of her creation. Instead, she spends a lot of her time staring over the screen of her laptop and out the window at the somewhat less pretty (but highly entertaining) combined kebab stand/carwash across the road. (from the publisher’s website)
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