Golden Boys (Sonya Hartnett, Penguin, September)

Golden Boys is not a departure for Sonya Hartnett, but it’s a continuation of her craft that shows why she is one of Australia’s best writers, for adults as well as older teenagers. It’s in a similar vein to Of a Boy (2002) and Butterfly (2009). As in those earlier novels, adults are in most cases not to be trusted and can’t be relied upon to provide appropriate guidance for children in turmoil. The children who are the main characters in this novel are predominantly from two families: the Kileys, a family with too many children and not enough money; and the Jensons, a much richer family that has mysteriously moved to a down-at-heel neighbourhood. Rex Jenson seems very affable as he encourages Freya, Declan and Syd, the three eldest of the Kiley clan, to come to his house and associate with his two sons, Colt and Bastian. Each of the families has its problems, and two other neighbourhood boys get drawn into the events that unfold. The novel doesn’t go where the reader necessarily expects it to, and Hartnett does a wonderful job of depicting the sometimes brutal world of childhood that runs parallel to, and occasionally intersects with, the world of adults.

Blair Mahoney teaches English, literature and philosophy at Melbourne High School

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Category: Reviews