Ted Dawe's a teacher, and activist. He's also been a builder's labourer and flown hot air balloons! His first book started in his head - and stayed there for awhile - until it all came spilling out one summer.
His first book, Thunder Road, won the Senior Fiction category in the 2004 New Zealand Post Book Awards - and best First Book.
Sandy’s been sent to stay with his uncle on a farm – because his dad can’t cope with his behaviour, since his mum died. Now he’s in the country with all these cousins and a really different lifestyle. Now he has a chance to make a new life.
Trace moved to Auckland and met Devon - another country boy living the life he wants in the city. At first the friendship is easy, but then Devon hatches a plan to get the ultimate wheels for driving on the Thunder Road - the home of the illegal street-racing scene. At the centre of his plan is a stash of stolen weed - an ambitious and dangerous plan. As Devon and Trace get dragged further and further into the underworld they find themselves rapidly running out of time. This first time novel is an amazing read and hopefully the first of many more.
Recommended for ages 13 +
Reviewed by Erika
What I love about K. Road is its authenticity. Craftily entwined in one novel are exciting and frightening tales of shady businessmen, dodgy cops, street-kids and taggers. Behind it all lies K. Rd, where these characters could certainly exist in real life. I can walk down K.Rd and feel like I’m in the book. As each character’s story bumps into another, the book gets harder to put down!
Recommended for ages 16+
Reviewed by Matthew |
