Friday Brown

Friday Brown is cursed. Warned of the terrible fates of the women in her family, each of whom has met a mysterious death surrounded by water, Friday carries the weight of her ancestors on her shoulders. Her beautiful mother Vivienne moves them from place to place, offering campfire stories in place of family history, but when events force Friday out on her own, she sets off to find her father. Alone in a strange city, she is rescued by a boy who doesn't speak, who shows her the secrets of this new world - and before long, she is caught up in a new family of misfits and runaways, each one damaged and dangerous.

Each character in Wakefield's novel is worthy of a novel of their own, but this story is very much Friday's, as she discovers that by stepping out of her mother's shadow, she can take charge of her own life. The shocking finale takes this coming-of-age tale into thriller territory, and it is all the better for it. Packed full of unspoken mysteries, this is an absorbing read, with some beautifully-crafted sentences, which will leave readers with many unanswered questions. A story that deserves to be read and passed on again and again.