Clover hasnt had the most conventional upbringing. Raised by a single mother who the kids at school consider to be odd is not easy. Her mother is ideologically opposed to Facebook and her many eccentricities make it hard for Clover to relate to the kids at school. Theres also the small little fact that Clover has no idea who her father is.

When Clover and Keek bond over useless teachers and unreasonable parents, it is the start of a friendship Clover never even knew she needed. Keek introduces Clover to a very different side of life she didnt know existed and is her gateway into an artistic outlet which is both therapeutic as well as criminal

From the first page I loved Clover. Shes the kind of angry and confused character who doesnt even realize how mad she is. At the kids at school, at her mother, but mostly at herself. And one of the best things about this book is how well Clover is written. Shes realistic. Her internal rage is palpable and adds to her three dimensionality. Shes an artist who poses the question about what makes art, art. Her new-found interest in street art is an interesting one considering this particular form of self-expression may be considered to be vandalism to some but something a lot more creative to others. Clover is also wonderfully ordinary. Shes not going to save the world but if she tries hard enough she just might be able to save her little corner in it. She makes bad decisions (why anyone in this day and age would take up smoking is a little beyond me) but ultimately she has to take responsibility for her actions. Shes a character I could believe in because she is relatable.

The relationships in this novel are another highlight. Clover is an outsider in school and is fairly intolerant of her classmates. From her former best friend Allison to new mate Keeks, we get an insight to why Clover is how she is. The role of the parents are interesting both Keeks interactions with his mother and father and Clovers relationship with her mum. I read somewhere that the hardest part about YA fiction is trying to find a way to get rid of the parents but in this book they are very much around even Clovers non present father and it works so well. Clover and Keeks friendship is a lot of fun. They have their problems and theres a lot of drama surrounding them but somehow it just works.

Cracked is a realistic and relatable novel about growing up. The characters are real and written with humour and a fair dose of reality. This is a book I would recommend to any fan of distinctively Australian young adult fiction which is both meaningful and well-written.