By turns hilarious and bittersweet, this fresh, engaging novel illuminates the hidden corners of suburban life, love and friendship.
In my family, when anyone rides the wave of their emotions, we say they're chucking a birkett. When the emotion drives out all common sense, we say they're chucking a big one. The telltale signs are: flaming cheeks, shortness of breath, bulging eyes and a prolonged illogical outburst.
Gemma Stone is convinced that it's always unseemly to chuck a Birkett and that it's actually insane to chuck one in front of a complete stranger. But that was before she fell in love with a boy who barely knows she exists, before she auditioned for the school play, before she met the family of freaks her sister Debbie is marrying into, before the unpredictable Raven De Head took an interest in her, and before she realised that at the right time and for the right reason, a Birkett could be a beautiful thing.
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Lisa Shanahan trained as an actor at Theatre Nepean, University of Western Sydney. Whilst studying, she taught drama and wrote plays for children. After completing her degree she undertook a Writing for Children course with Libby Gleeson where she discovered a great passion for writing stories for children. Her books include Sweetie May, Sweetie May Overboard!, What Rot!, Bear and Chook and two picture books with Allen & Unwin: Gordon's Got a Snookie and The Postman's Dog, both illustrated by Wayne Harris.