Likely lad

Rebecca Sparrow follows up her debut best-seller The Girl Most Likely with a prequel entitled The Year Nick McGowan Came to Stay.

Stepping back to the eighties – Sparrow’s heyday – this new book previews all of Rachel Hill’s adult insecurities and idiosyncrasies, as she and best pal Zoë chart their final year of high school studying hard, hosting children’s birthday parties and getting mixed up in salacious rumours.

Nick McGowan, formerly the ‘boy most likely’ to be come a doctor and coolest guy in school, burns out in his final semester of year eleven, and is booted from the boarding houses for his rebellious behaviour. Nick’s dad pushes him to finish his senior year at the school, and Rachel’s parents kindly offer to take Nick in for the year at a P&C Meeting - without consulting her, of course.

At first Rachel is furious, then worried, then optimistic and then resentful, as Nick moves into her house and they fail to connect as housemates. Nick’s laidback attitude to school and general disregard for rules incenses the super-organised and focussed Rachel, and the two clash head for much of Nick’s first few weeks in the house.

But the circumstances leading up to Nick’s end of school year meltdown have remained a mystery, and while the rumour mill is working overtime at school, Rachel sees Nick’s proximity to her as the perfect opportunity to uncover the truth, but the truth isn’t exactly what she was prepared for.

Sparrow has a naturally casual writing style, which is also very visual. Her first novel is in development with Mel Gibson’s Icon Films, and The Year Nick McGowan Came to Stay has just as much potential to translate to the screen.

Because of the age of the characters, the story is suitable for young adults as well, although some colourful language will probably mean it doesn’t make the curriculum list for senior English.

Set in the western suburbs of Brisbane, local readers will delight in figuring out which landmarks are mentioned, or carefully veiled in some cases. Twenty and thirty-somethings will also connect with the events, music and television shows that pepper the story with pop-culture – I’m already investigating some references to Mr Snuffleupagus from Sesame Street that jar with my primary school recollections of the show.

The Year Nick McGowan Came to Stay is an easy, and quite quick read – I polished it off in a weekend. Sparrow already has another novel in the works, not from the ‘Most Likely’ franchise however, and I look forward to seeing how her talents adapt to a different style of story. She’s mastered the chick-lit and young adult market with just two books – who knows where the next adventure will lead her loyal fans?

Belinda Yench

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The Year Nick McGowan Came to Stay

Author: Rebecca Sparrow
Publisher: University of Queensland Press
Price: $22.95

Read our review of The Girl Most Likely