Jarvis 24 by David Metzenthen

I tend to worry, I know I do, but only because I think there is lots of things to worry about. For a start, I think I should’ve said there are lots of things to worry about, which would worry my English teacher, Ms Inglis, more than me – and I worry, for instance, that I lose crap all over the place, and that I have to find some kind of Work Experience for next week, and that my mother’s new second-hand car’s number plates are CISSY, which she refuses to change.

Marc E. Jarvis is fifteen. He lives in Camberwell, one of Melbourne’s well-heeled eastern suburbs and doesn’t stress too much. The things he likes are playing footy and hanging out with his mate Trav. His story, Jarvis 24 is a funny, likeable and unforgettable book. The name of the book comes from the number on Marc’s footy jumper. But it’s another athlete, Electra, who hits Marc’s calm suburban life like a bolt of lightning. She has come to Melbourne to train at a wealthy private school and Marc has seriously noticed her. Jarvis 24 runs on believable characters doing realistic things in ways that are funny, true and packed with emotion. A highly enjoyable read. 

Jarvis 24 is longlisted for the Gold Inky