Everybody Jam

By Ali Lewis

Danny used to be an ordinary boy. He had an ordinary life living in the outback of Australia on his family’s cattle station. However, in the last year, things have changed. His older brother Jonny was killed in a tragic accident leaving his whole family grief stricken, it hasn’t rained in the outback for months and it’s nearly time for the annual muster, and now Sissy, Danny’s sister, is pregnant and the new house maid has arrived all the way from England. An emotional story of family life, family love and family troubles, this novel follows Danny in the upcoming months to the muster as he struggles to cope with the future and accept the past.

I really liked this book and thought that Lewis got the perspective just right. It is told from Danny’s point of view and gives his thoughts and feelings. This makes it perfect for teenagers as they can connect with the narrator immediately. The plot was gripping and you always wanted to know what was to come. I thought that the storyline was never boring and never predictable. Lewis mixes the normalities of family troubles with the unique qualities of the Australian outback and the surprising twists of the Dawson’s life creating a believable story which is both interesting and emotional.

The mix of feelings in this book is varied and when reading it you experience a rainbow of emotions. Firstly, you can easily connect with Danny and the frustration he feels when no one talks about Jonny. Secondly there is always a sense of excitement in Danny’s words as he counts down the days to the muster. Thirdly, and finally, you can feel Danny’s bewilderment as he tries to come to terms with all the changes in his life, whilst all the time acting grown up and trying to fill Jonny’s shoes.

The characters in this novel were brilliantly created and always thought through. Every single one was unique down to the finest details and the portrayal of each person through Danny’s eyes was spot on. Danny himself was created very well too and he almost has a split personality. There is the way others see him- as a collected young man who is struggling with changes but doesn’t want to talk- and also the way he talks about himself and his problems- a confused boy wanting to appear bigger than he is who’s trying to remember and be like, his honoured older brother.

My favourite character was Liz as she was the classic newbie. Hated at first by Danny she opens up and the two become good friends as the novel progresses. She and Danny could connect as they were both feeling out of their comfort zones and both had problems and new challenges. Liz was portrayed through Danny’s eyes as the odd one out- the ugly duckling always making mistakes. However what I really enjoyed in this book was you could see their friendship progress. As the story went on less of Liz’s mistakes were mentioned and more of her successes.

Lastly, Ali Lewis is an Australian author as you may have guessed by the setting of this book. It was very different for me when reading this book as Lewis used some Australian slang words. Liz was constantly referred to as a ‘Pommie’ which was interesting and different. The title of the book ‘Everybody Jam’ was slang for apricot jam and although this language was different and unexpected it fitted with the context and the rest of the novel and I soon got to grips with it all.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book and thought it was a great novel. The plot was interesting and it was easy to understand the common yet unusual problems Danny faced. The setting was different and this coupled with the Australian slang and charming characters made the book unforgettable and unique. I would definitely recommend the book, it was super!

 

By Eleanor Lavender, Year 9

Everybody Jam

Everybody Jam
Ali Lewis

Living on a cattle station out in the Australian Outback, Danny Dawson is a thirteen year old boy struggling through a difficult time. His fourteen year old sister is pregnant, his older brother has recently died in an accident that no one ever mentions, and the drought is putting an increasing strain on the family. To add to things, the annual muster has almost arrived and this will be Danny's last one before boarding school, so he needs to prove himself and prove he is as good as Jonny, his deceased older brother. To add to his problems though, he has Buzz the camel to train against his fathers wishes, and the new house girl, Liz, to contend with, who seems to make mistake after mistake. As the tension builds, unlikely friendships are formed to build up to a dramatic and exciting finale.

I loved the insight into another culture with this book! The Australian Outback became a very real and very special place, whilst I enjoyed learning about the cattle stations and the way of life out there. It contrasts so vastly to the UK and the way of life is so unique to how we live and what we take for granted.

I thought the plot was excellent - there were plenty of twists and turns throughout that kept it entertaining and exciting, as well as making me really care about the characters. I particularly liked the characterisation of Buzz and how he got to play a large part in Danny's life - a camel is an unimaginable pet in my life! I also liked the character of Liz (The Pommie) and Danny's scathing remarks about her, whilst all along the reader is likely to share similar views to Liz.

I'm not so sure about Danny's narration as I felt it was a little immature for a thirteen year old and made him seem a lot younger than he really was. However, that was the only flaw that I could really spot - I thought everything else was absolutely excellent! The title is also incredibly fitting, as I think this a novel for everyone, like how everyone likes the 'everybody jam' in the book.

This book was incredible and definitely one of my favourite so far!

Rachel, Yr 12