Everybody Jam

I found 'Everybody Jam' both a shocking and a revelatory book. This book intrigued me from the start, being about a subject I previously knew very little about. Set in the Australian outback on a cattle station during the annual muster and seen largely through the eyes of Daniel the 13 year old son of the family. Daniel is a deeply troubled youngster, trying to come to terms with the untimely death of his older brother a year ago following a tragic accident, the fact that his 14 year old sister, Cissy, is pregnant and further burdened with living in tight economic times. There is much drama in this book and several unexpected twists and turns to keep the reader happy. Ali Lewis allows us to gain an insight into the grim realities of what it is to live in this harsh, unforgiving and brutal landscape. The arid nature of the countryside the excessive heat, dust and the sheer claustrophobia of the environment were all excellently illustrated. The descriptive quality of the writing is excellent, we certainly feel as though we too are riding alongside Daniel as he drives his ute. The relationship that Daniel develops with the orphaned Camel, Buzz, is both tender and gentle and is in sharp contrast to the rest of his life which is unrelentingly hard. The characters are numerous and varied but are all well developed. I was shocked and deeply disturbed by the quite open and unashamedly racist attitude of the white Australians to the native Aboriginals. This racism was challenged by the English girl, 'the Pommie', who spends some time at the cattle station helping out. However, the other characters in this book consider her to be naive and ignorant of their ways, so their views and preconceptions of what it means to be Aboriginal remain unaffected at the end of this book. I can only assume that Ali Lewis knows this topic well and is only reflecting the widely accepted prejudices that prevail and are unlikely to ever change. Something that I found deeply offence and completely at odds with my belief that Australia was a largely inclusive society. In conclusion, I would recommend this book for its sheer novelty fact. It is well written and is sure to engage many young readers, it is just a shame that the overt prejudice goes largely unchallenged.

Suggested Reading Age 5+

This book blew me away. The title fooled me at first, but beneath the cover is an amazing plot, full with wonderfully realistic characters, struggling to survive in a harsh world. They were perfectly described and developed, and I felt as if I really knew them. 'Everybody Jam' is so real, you think you're out on the ute with Danny at your side. I have never been to Australia, or worked on a cattle ranch, but this book took me there. While reading, you get drawn in to the emotional turbulence and confusion of Dannys life. I was very engaged and could not stop reading! I learnt so much about the hard and gritty existence they have every day, as well as all the jobs they have to do on the station. I adored the author's writing style. It was full of imagery, and I liked the straight-talking approach she took to the issues in this book - death, racism, teenage pregnancy. The story was very powerful, humorous in places, touching in others. I would recommend it to anyone who likes great and moving reads. Love it!

Suggested Reading Age 11+