I liked the concept of this novel :- bad boy Joel is sent to his father's shack in outback W.A. for 3 months where he is to contemplate his past misdeeds and emerge a changed boy. Clang! Enter even worse bad boy mate Cragg who steals the hermit up the roads' rifle and goes on a rampage in the tiny local town nearby and also Joel's discovery of a cannabis crop within walking distance. These 2 things seem to blow away any chance Joel has of rehabilitation, and it is all compounded by the distance growing between Joel and his girlfriend Bella. This book didn't quite deliver what it promised. I found the main character extremely hard to warm to as he swung between self-loathing and beligerence, and the profuse use of the f-word throughout ( I mean, it wasn't really that necessary when the character is THINKING to himself, is it?) really grating. The only truly engaging character in this novel was Joel's father who seemed to be grappling with his own demons and was also less-than-perfect but didn't come across like a complete no-hoper. I also could not really recommend this to my students as the drug use is only written about in a positive light; there is no real consequence to bring across the evils of pot smoking. Pity about the delivery as the idea was really good.