Title: Accidental Friends
Author: Helena Pielichaty
Genre: Contemporary
Published: 2008
Rating: 4 out of 5
From Helen Pielichaty's website
'At any other time they would never have met. Bright, arty Emma with her steady boyfriend. James, the public schoolboy in disgrace. Leon, angry with the world and determined on revenge. Last but not least Grace, with her hidden secret. Thrust together on their first day at college they form an uneasy alliance that turns to friendship and even love. But if fate brought them together, it's a different, life-threatening accident that will test their friendship to the limit.'
Accidental Friends was told in a very unusual format for a narrative, which I loved and appreciated. Four teens, who for different reasons end up at a place that I would describe as TAFE (in Australia). They are completing their final two years of high school due to not being able to attend a normal school. I did not loose track between the four characters at all, and each chapter ended in a manner which kept me reading well after 1AM! The characters' personalities, backgrounds, family and financial situations and the reason why they're at TAFE make the novel like a party mix, with enough characters for anyone to find and relate to or just like. Serious themes were also discussed, like body image, peer pressure (gangs), parental expectations and teen pregnancy.
The cover may make Accidental Friends seem like a 'safe, sound and clean' read, but it's much more serious. Under 250 pages, it was a quick read, great for anyone who wants to read about Brit teens (a break from YA set in the US perhaps?). I think the whole idea of Accidental Friends was superb, by using ordinary problems and situations, and all the characters were well written for such a short novel. I would love to read the sequel please (even if there isn't one...)!
I loved this one too, left me wanting more. Shame she hasn't written another in this series.
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