It is 1979 and a teenage girl is charmed by a man she meets in a disco. Before long, like Alice through the looking glass, she tumbles into a world of strange and frightening characters. Desperate to escape, she takes us into the darkness and out again, delivering her tale with wit, warmth and furious zest.
Memoirs of a Suburban Girl is the cautionary tale of an everyday girl who makes a wrong turn.
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here to read Deb Kandelaars' article on website
mamamia.com.au.
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here to watch a video review of
Memoirs of a Suburban Girl.
'Deb Kandelaars takes the reader safely into a place where she herself was never safe. Ever since I first saw material from this book I knew it was something astonishing. Its wholehearted, witty and vividly accomplished account of the fascinating and terrible reality of a violent relationship offers us an understanding that we'll all wonder how we've lived without - this is a very big achievement.' - Peter Bishop, Varuna, The Writers' House
Praise for Memoirs of a Suburban Girl:
'Harrowing but brilliant.' -
Daily Telegraph
'Gritty and confronting - powerful stuff.' -
Sunday Age
'Impossible to put down ... Highly recommended, for everyone. Parents, siblings, friends and neighbours ...' -
ANZ LitLovers
'I could not put it down ... Riveting, disturbing and utterly compelling.' -
South Coast Register
'Poetically powerful, and emotionally invigorating ... This is
Puberty Blues with bite.' -
Bonzer
'The strong characterisation and narrative is brave, sensitive and compelling. You'll want to read whatever this new novelist offers next.' -
Good Reading
'Kandelaars should be praised for this work, not only for her extraordinary writing, but for bringing attention to this issue that affects so many.' - Samantha Bond,
Indaily
'A gritty and gutsy look at the role of the bully and victim.' - Debbie Phillips,
Chronicle, Toowoomba
'I believe it is a must for every young impressionable woman and how to make sensible choices in life.' -
Readers in the Mist
'
Memoirs of a Suburban Girl is much more than an issue based story ... it's a great read for its own sake.' -
A Strong Belief in Wicker
Deb Kandelaars was born in the Riverland, South Australia, and grew up in Adelaide’s north-eastern suburbs. She graduated from the University of Adelaide with a Masters in Creative
Writing.
Memoirs of a Suburban Girl is her first novel winning her a Longlines residential fellowship at Varuna, The Writers’ House in 2009, and was short-listed for the Adelaide Festival
Awards for an Unpublished Manuscript in 2010.
