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Zwartgelakte nagels
Zwartgelakte nagels Een liftster tegen wil en dank. Een verborgen geheim. Eenstrijd tegen verwachtingen. Het herdefiniëren van vriendschapen familiebanden. Vier stemmen vertellen het verhaal over een road trip. James - rijkeluisstudent voor wie zijn hele leven allesdoor zijn ouders is bepaald - is op weg naar zijn eersteonderwijsopdracht, in een gloednieuwe knalrode BMW M3. Sophie - vrijgevochten schoonheid van midden twintig - loopt weg op het moment dat haar vriend haar ten huwelijk vraagt. Angela - moeder van James - weet niet wat ze met haar leven aan moet nu haar enige kind het huis uit is. Michael - James` vader - hoopt vooral dat zijn zoon eindelijk eens loskomt uit de verstikkende omgeving van het huiselijk gezin. Zwartgelakte nagels is humoristisch en aangrijpend en laat de lezer opgewekt achter.
180 pages, Paperback
First published May 25, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
April 25, 2011
This is a story about a boy searching for freedom, and a girl returning from hers. I love Aussie fiction, road-trips, new friendships, awkward male leads and confident females, so this was already a book for me before I even opened the first page.
It is a story that heavily highlights the pressure parents can put on their children rather than letting them choose the path they would like to take themselves which I think is a common issue for teenagers, and parents, alike. There were times I couldn't wipe the smile off my face, at Sophie's self confidence, spunk and boldness and at James's embarrassment at being in an unfamiliar situation. I was also brought to tears at one point when Sophie returns home. It's times like these that I wish I was more eloquent so I could really describe what I want to; I'm just really in love with this book!
James is one of those awkward teens who doesn't have any luck with girls and plays life very safe. Whether this is due to his mother's over-protectiveness, his lack of confidence or both, it means that when Sophie appears in his life, she is sure to turn things upside down. Sophie is a free spirit who left home to get away from the pain of loving people who leave, and the mindset of the small town she lived in. She is the total opposite of James, and just what he needs to help him discover what he wants in life. And James might just be the kind of person Sophie needs to face her family again.
Black Painted Fingernails is told in alternating chapters. James's chapters tell the story as it is happening in present time, with an occasional look back at the past. Sophie's chapters look at her life and how she ended up sitting in the car next to James, heading home for the first time in three years. I believe it is done this way because the problems that James faces are current whereas Sophie's issues all stem from her childhood. Both James and Sophie are attempting to face their problems but without their chance meeting, it may not have gone so smoothly. There are also chapters by James's dad and his mother. They each have a couple of chapters set in present time which help the reader to understand the environment that James has come from but also shows teens the difficulty some parents have when their 'nest' is suddenly empty.
Black Painted Fingernails reminds me of Swerve by Philip Gwynne and Wavelength by AJ Betts. All three books look at males in their late teens struggling with where to go in their lives and what will come next. In each case, a girl helps show them the way.
It is a story that heavily highlights the pressure parents can put on their children rather than letting them choose the path they would like to take themselves which I think is a common issue for teenagers, and parents, alike. There were times I couldn't wipe the smile off my face, at Sophie's self confidence, spunk and boldness and at James's embarrassment at being in an unfamiliar situation. I was also brought to tears at one point when Sophie returns home. It's times like these that I wish I was more eloquent so I could really describe what I want to; I'm just really in love with this book!
James is one of those awkward teens who doesn't have any luck with girls and plays life very safe. Whether this is due to his mother's over-protectiveness, his lack of confidence or both, it means that when Sophie appears in his life, she is sure to turn things upside down. Sophie is a free spirit who left home to get away from the pain of loving people who leave, and the mindset of the small town she lived in. She is the total opposite of James, and just what he needs to help him discover what he wants in life. And James might just be the kind of person Sophie needs to face her family again.
Black Painted Fingernails is told in alternating chapters. James's chapters tell the story as it is happening in present time, with an occasional look back at the past. Sophie's chapters look at her life and how she ended up sitting in the car next to James, heading home for the first time in three years. I believe it is done this way because the problems that James faces are current whereas Sophie's issues all stem from her childhood. Both James and Sophie are attempting to face their problems but without their chance meeting, it may not have gone so smoothly. There are also chapters by James's dad and his mother. They each have a couple of chapters set in present time which help the reader to understand the environment that James has come from but also shows teens the difficulty some parents have when their 'nest' is suddenly empty.
Black Painted Fingernails reminds me of Swerve by Philip Gwynne and Wavelength by AJ Betts. All three books look at males in their late teens struggling with where to go in their lives and what will come next. In each case, a girl helps show them the way.
June 15, 2011
With the toss of a coin James finds himself with company on his way to the country. Sophie with her black fingernails and slipping black dress is going as far as James can take her.
While James is leaving home for the first time, Sophie is returning after a long absence.
Along the way they’ll share laughs, burgers and secrets.
‘Painted Black Fingernails’ is the new young adult novel from Australian author Steven Herrick.
James and Sophie’s story is based on the assumption that you can always open up to a stranger because you’ve got nothing to lose by telling them your secrets. On the dusty highways and backwoods roads leading into the country Sophie and James trade banter and stories that slowly open them up to hard truths and old scars.
James and Sophie couldn’t be more different. James grew up in privilege, firmly attached to his mother’s apron-strings and benefitting from his father’s job as a surgeon. He studied hard in school and had few friends, and as he heads into the country for his first teaching job in a primary school, James reflects on all that pushed him out of home. He seems at once elated and terrified to be leaving the nest, while at the same time we begin to understand that the path he’s currently on is not necessarily of his own choosing.
James was a lovely and sweet character, if a little dull. He’s very sheltered and almost fragile – and despite being a bit of a drip, there’s a lot of him that’s relatable. He’s just beginning his adult life, and thrilled to be leaving his over-protective mother behind . . . but still terrified of the big, bad world and unsure of his place in it. Sophie is the perfect antidote to James’s fragility. By contrast she’s brash and funny, alluring and evasive. She has more secrets than James to share, and more to lose by going home.
Sophie looks at me for a long time before speaking. “Do you ever feel like screaming in public, but stop yourself, because of what people . . . ” She looks in the direction of the kitchen. “Because of what people you don’t know and don’t care about might think?”
“I’m scared of what everybody thinks,” I answer.
The story is told from alternating chapters between James and Sophie, and James’s mother and father whom he has left back home. I’m still not sure if the mother/father perspectives were necessary. Beyond better understanding James’s claustrophobic home life, I think these narratives were more intended to let young readers know how hard parents have it when they find themselves with an empty nest. Perhaps this is Herrick asking his home-leaving readers to take a care for those they’re leaving behind?
Two strangers in a car, one leaving home while the other is returning. A boy who is finally admitting what he wants out of life and a girl who needs to face the family she left behind. ‘Black Painted Nails’ is a wonderful little character road trip with an unfurling narrative and two compelling protagonist’s riding shot-gun.
While James is leaving home for the first time, Sophie is returning after a long absence.
Along the way they’ll share laughs, burgers and secrets.
‘Painted Black Fingernails’ is the new young adult novel from Australian author Steven Herrick.
James and Sophie’s story is based on the assumption that you can always open up to a stranger because you’ve got nothing to lose by telling them your secrets. On the dusty highways and backwoods roads leading into the country Sophie and James trade banter and stories that slowly open them up to hard truths and old scars.
James and Sophie couldn’t be more different. James grew up in privilege, firmly attached to his mother’s apron-strings and benefitting from his father’s job as a surgeon. He studied hard in school and had few friends, and as he heads into the country for his first teaching job in a primary school, James reflects on all that pushed him out of home. He seems at once elated and terrified to be leaving the nest, while at the same time we begin to understand that the path he’s currently on is not necessarily of his own choosing.
James was a lovely and sweet character, if a little dull. He’s very sheltered and almost fragile – and despite being a bit of a drip, there’s a lot of him that’s relatable. He’s just beginning his adult life, and thrilled to be leaving his over-protective mother behind . . . but still terrified of the big, bad world and unsure of his place in it. Sophie is the perfect antidote to James’s fragility. By contrast she’s brash and funny, alluring and evasive. She has more secrets than James to share, and more to lose by going home.
Sophie looks at me for a long time before speaking. “Do you ever feel like screaming in public, but stop yourself, because of what people . . . ” She looks in the direction of the kitchen. “Because of what people you don’t know and don’t care about might think?”
“I’m scared of what everybody thinks,” I answer.
The story is told from alternating chapters between James and Sophie, and James’s mother and father whom he has left back home. I’m still not sure if the mother/father perspectives were necessary. Beyond better understanding James’s claustrophobic home life, I think these narratives were more intended to let young readers know how hard parents have it when they find themselves with an empty nest. Perhaps this is Herrick asking his home-leaving readers to take a care for those they’re leaving behind?
Two strangers in a car, one leaving home while the other is returning. A boy who is finally admitting what he wants out of life and a girl who needs to face the family she left behind. ‘Black Painted Nails’ is a wonderful little character road trip with an unfurling narrative and two compelling protagonist’s riding shot-gun.
July 18, 2016
Black Painted Fingernails is the 6th book by Australian writer Steven Herrick. The story starts with James Spalding, a student teacher, setting out west to the town of Hillston for his first teacher-training round. He’s setting out with a cut lunch from his mother, Angela, a gleaming new red BMW M3 from Michael, his dad (a well-off surgeon) and also with a definite lack of enthusiasm. Sophie, owner of the Black Painted Fingernails, is twenty-one, looks gorgeous, wild and unconventional and is hitching a ride back home. She approaches him at a petrol station for a ride. James, young, inexperienced and (by his own admission) a bit geeky, is overwhelmed by her cockiness, and finds himself with a passenger.
The story is told in several voices: James is detailing what happens to him and to Sophie on the trip west; Sophie details what has happened in her life to bring her to this point; Angela and Michael separately detail their anxieties about James on this, his first time away from home. At Sophie’s suggestion, they enter the “Truth Factory”, and learn a great deal about each other. James admits that he doesn’t know what he does want, but he is quite certain he doesn’t want “my mother to tidy my room or buy my underwear or find me a suitable girlfriend. I don’t want to be a teacher”.
Herrick sets a great scene: the reader feels present in the story from page 1. The dialogue is authentic, the characters quickly become people you care about and the plot is realistic. This novel has some lessons to teach: decide what is really important in your life; think carefully about burning all your bridges, as you may want to use them to go back home; stay connected with the people you care about and tell them you love them, they could be gone tomorrow. This is a heart-warming tale and an easy read. I did wonder if the author used “chaise lounge” (three times!) intentionally, tongue-in-cheek, or if both authors and proof-readers can’t spell these days. Am I showing my age? This novel is described as Young Adult Fiction. I am not a Young Adult, but I very much enjoyed it, none-the-less.
The story is told in several voices: James is detailing what happens to him and to Sophie on the trip west; Sophie details what has happened in her life to bring her to this point; Angela and Michael separately detail their anxieties about James on this, his first time away from home. At Sophie’s suggestion, they enter the “Truth Factory”, and learn a great deal about each other. James admits that he doesn’t know what he does want, but he is quite certain he doesn’t want “my mother to tidy my room or buy my underwear or find me a suitable girlfriend. I don’t want to be a teacher”.
Herrick sets a great scene: the reader feels present in the story from page 1. The dialogue is authentic, the characters quickly become people you care about and the plot is realistic. This novel has some lessons to teach: decide what is really important in your life; think carefully about burning all your bridges, as you may want to use them to go back home; stay connected with the people you care about and tell them you love them, they could be gone tomorrow. This is a heart-warming tale and an easy read. I did wonder if the author used “chaise lounge” (three times!) intentionally, tongue-in-cheek, or if both authors and proof-readers can’t spell these days. Am I showing my age? This novel is described as Young Adult Fiction. I am not a Young Adult, but I very much enjoyed it, none-the-less.
October 20, 2011
Black Fainted Fingernails would have been ordinary save for two moments that I found positively honest. The story itself swings from James , on his way to becoming a teacher, to Sophie, on her way home, to Michael, who wants nothing more than to have his son break out, just be, and finally, to Angela, who’s having the hardest of times in letting her son go.
Road Trip. As usual there’s the meeting of new AND a slow progression towards getting to know who you’re with. Here, every single one of them discovers a little of what’s in them and of what’s in the people with them. And this is where those “two moments” come in: that James is so unsure about what he wants but dead certain about what he DOES NOT want, is so me. Seriously, truly… that’s me in a handful of words.
The Passenger. How Sophie inserts herself in to his life was toostrange too creepy easy, but it was James’ failure to act that had me questioning him: too kind, too helpful… No way, me thought, but her being with him, rubbed off in way because eventually he did show he could be snarky and quick too. But what he said later on, that she was being provocative for the sake of it, was another moment where he showed himself capable of being insightful. It was a moment of him calling it like it was: pure honesty.
Family This was where things turned ordinary and predictable for me. His is one with a mother was hoping for one thing, and a father imagining others. But there’s a re-discovery here too. Again, that re-discovery seemed a bit “too happily ever after” for me, but it was sweet nonetheless/ Hers is a source of heartache. I have come to expect a measure of sad in books from Aussie YA, and this does not fail to deliver. The why of her leaving and the why of her coming home unfold slowly… and got me paying attention, and shocked. Her eventual reaction, had me slightly surprised my head: Her decision was not an easy one to make.
There’s a moment or two in this that hit it for me…
3/5
Road Trip. As usual there’s the meeting of new AND a slow progression towards getting to know who you’re with. Here, every single one of them discovers a little of what’s in them and of what’s in the people with them. And this is where those “two moments” come in: that James is so unsure about what he wants but dead certain about what he DOES NOT want, is so me. Seriously, truly… that’s me in a handful of words.
The Passenger. How Sophie inserts herself in to his life was too
Family This was where things turned ordinary and predictable for me. His is one with a mother was hoping for one thing, and a father imagining others. But there’s a re-discovery here too. Again, that re-discovery seemed a bit “too happily ever after” for me, but it was sweet nonetheless/ Hers is a source of heartache. I have come to expect a measure of sad in books from Aussie YA, and this does not fail to deliver. The why of her leaving and the why of her coming home unfold slowly… and got me paying attention, and shocked. Her eventual reaction, had me slightly surprised my head: Her decision was not an easy one to make.
There’s a moment or two in this that hit it for me…
3/5
May 25, 2011
Black Painted Fingernails by Australian author Steven Herrick was a quick one to two day read, encompassing one’s struggle to be who we want to be and do what we want to do despite the pressures inflicted from others. If you’re having trouble finding your purpose in life, then this is a story for you. Many teens can relate easily to the characters that are introduced in this novel.
James and Sophie are well developed characters coming from two very different lives and families. James’ mother is very over-protective and can’t go very long without thinking or wondering about her son’s wellbeing. The signs of an over-protective mother with her only child. James’ father, a surgeon, is the opposite to his wife. He is laid-back and decides that it is James’ right to do what he wants with his life, persuading his wife to have this same outlook. Whereas with Sophie, her parents divorced and never knowing her mother, has grown up with a father and brothers. She escapes under ideal circumstances, crossing path with James on his trip to the country for his teacher-training.
In this novel we are seeing alternating chapters between characters and point-of-views. James is seen through first person and his travel to teacher-training, and then with Sophie. There are chapters in third person of Sophie’s past for why she escaped from her small town and family. And then we have present third person chapters of James’ mother and father and how they’re coping with having their only son away. At first it was confusing, but then later on I thought that it slightly worked having given Steven Herrick some degree of freedom to work with this story and give more detail, character-work and backstory to Sophie’s and James’ lives and how they contrast one another.
I do believe Steven Herrick did a great job at adapting this concept of struggling teens in a setting that’s close to home, with circumstances that are relatable to both teen and parental readers, but not to the point that it was executed extremely well. I enjoyed the story but it doesn’t stick out to me as a read that was memorable. At times I was interested and then other times I was just flicking pages. At times I was engaged and then other times I was not. Maybe I lost a touch lately for contemporary because I need something hard-core and twisted to keep me engaged.
First paragraph:
‘I’m stuck in cross-city traffic, smelling petrol fumes and watching the man in the car beside me sing along with his iPod. He closes his eyes opera-style and lets rip. His double chin wobbles as he strains for the high note.’
Favourite quotes/lines:
‘"Maybe what stays alive...is what we carry inside us."'
James and Sophie are well developed characters coming from two very different lives and families. James’ mother is very over-protective and can’t go very long without thinking or wondering about her son’s wellbeing. The signs of an over-protective mother with her only child. James’ father, a surgeon, is the opposite to his wife. He is laid-back and decides that it is James’ right to do what he wants with his life, persuading his wife to have this same outlook. Whereas with Sophie, her parents divorced and never knowing her mother, has grown up with a father and brothers. She escapes under ideal circumstances, crossing path with James on his trip to the country for his teacher-training.
In this novel we are seeing alternating chapters between characters and point-of-views. James is seen through first person and his travel to teacher-training, and then with Sophie. There are chapters in third person of Sophie’s past for why she escaped from her small town and family. And then we have present third person chapters of James’ mother and father and how they’re coping with having their only son away. At first it was confusing, but then later on I thought that it slightly worked having given Steven Herrick some degree of freedom to work with this story and give more detail, character-work and backstory to Sophie’s and James’ lives and how they contrast one another.
I do believe Steven Herrick did a great job at adapting this concept of struggling teens in a setting that’s close to home, with circumstances that are relatable to both teen and parental readers, but not to the point that it was executed extremely well. I enjoyed the story but it doesn’t stick out to me as a read that was memorable. At times I was interested and then other times I was just flicking pages. At times I was engaged and then other times I was not. Maybe I lost a touch lately for contemporary because I need something hard-core and twisted to keep me engaged.
First paragraph:
‘I’m stuck in cross-city traffic, smelling petrol fumes and watching the man in the car beside me sing along with his iPod. He closes his eyes opera-style and lets rip. His double chin wobbles as he strains for the high note.’
Favourite quotes/lines:
‘"Maybe what stays alive...is what we carry inside us."'
June 21, 2011
Herrick just gets better. His last, 'Slice', was touchingly superb, but this offering matches it.
'Black Painted Fingernails' is a journey a young man makes over a couple of days to a vocational destination somewhere in the dusty, gritty NSW outback. Shortly after embarking Sophie inveigles a lift with him, and the world changes. As with 'Slice', this is a novel of love - between parents and an indulged son (as well as between themselves), between a daughter and her father, and between a teenage girl and her non-stereotypical 'boyfriend'. It is a book of nude swims (one accompanied by a feral goanna), parental sex and, ultimately, a boy becoming a man. It shimmies back and forth over time as we get to know and feel for the main protagonists. As a parent I can relate to the feelings of those in the tome on that score, and such is Herrick's tender touch this reader can even remember back when maybe he felt just a little like the boy James commencing one's first 'adult' relationship. Both the main youthful characters are delightful inventions.
As a aged practitioner of the profession James is reluctantly travelling towards I have presented the works of Herrick to hundreds of students over the years. As my time in the classroom is winding down I'll miss doing this, but I do trust that this author has many more books like this in him that I can read on into my dotage.
'Black Painted Fingernails' is a journey a young man makes over a couple of days to a vocational destination somewhere in the dusty, gritty NSW outback. Shortly after embarking Sophie inveigles a lift with him, and the world changes. As with 'Slice', this is a novel of love - between parents and an indulged son (as well as between themselves), between a daughter and her father, and between a teenage girl and her non-stereotypical 'boyfriend'. It is a book of nude swims (one accompanied by a feral goanna), parental sex and, ultimately, a boy becoming a man. It shimmies back and forth over time as we get to know and feel for the main protagonists. As a parent I can relate to the feelings of those in the tome on that score, and such is Herrick's tender touch this reader can even remember back when maybe he felt just a little like the boy James commencing one's first 'adult' relationship. Both the main youthful characters are delightful inventions.
As a aged practitioner of the profession James is reluctantly travelling towards I have presented the works of Herrick to hundreds of students over the years. As my time in the classroom is winding down I'll miss doing this, but I do trust that this author has many more books like this in him that I can read on into my dotage.
April 1, 2012
This book was not for me, though I don't think it was a bad book. The characters were relatable with James, a man finally leaving the nest and Sophie, a somewhat wild and rebellious girl who lives her life on her own terms. However, I can't say I ever really liked either of them. They were just there. That's how the whole book was for me. I never felt like I was enjoying or hating it, it was just something to pass the time with.
Having the author also write with more of an Australian culture made the story as a whole a little less grasping for me. There were a few terms here and there that I wouldn't understand and it would have me pull away from the story. Though the alternating chapters were nice, I didn't feel as though I had a good bearing on who James was as a character since he was always shown in the present. Also, I felt the handful of chapters in his parents perspective were unnecessary and took away from the flow of the book. Sophie, though confident and probably the most well-developed character in the story, had a lot of back stories where I kept feeling unsure about why Herrick bothered to even mention it.
Overall, I never felt the characters really grow through the book, they more just changed suddenly, like magic. This book was a slow read for me and just left me frustrated that it wasn't ending so I could move on to something more interesting.
Having the author also write with more of an Australian culture made the story as a whole a little less grasping for me. There were a few terms here and there that I wouldn't understand and it would have me pull away from the story. Though the alternating chapters were nice, I didn't feel as though I had a good bearing on who James was as a character since he was always shown in the present. Also, I felt the handful of chapters in his parents perspective were unnecessary and took away from the flow of the book. Sophie, though confident and probably the most well-developed character in the story, had a lot of back stories where I kept feeling unsure about why Herrick bothered to even mention it.
Overall, I never felt the characters really grow through the book, they more just changed suddenly, like magic. This book was a slow read for me and just left me frustrated that it wasn't ending so I could move on to something more interesting.
April 8, 2015
Everything about the book screamed, "generic 90s family read". (I don't know why 90s but the girl just reminded me of someone like Monica from friends) I mean, I finished the book, which is unusual for me, so I'm guessing it was an alright read. Throughout the whole read I was constantly looking for a 'plot'. There wasn't one. Unless you call, "boy and a girl goes on a road trip and fall in love, whilst the boy finds himself (?)" a story. It was a long read of 'introduction of various characters with lots of gaps for most of them'. They randomly put James parents as a sub-main character which was weird, but it was alright.
Didn't really like the ending either. I lost interest enough to skim read everything at the end and never found out how the dad died and what happened to the station wagon that Sophie bought.
I don't know. The book was just a fragment of various details to develop a character and the timeline did get annoying because the author kept jumping back and forth in weird order.
One random thing I found funny was the fact that the author was mocking a generic writer in the book named Ethan yet I wonder if he realised his book was mediocre at best to be on a clearance sale for $1 at a bookstore only within 4 years of release.
Didn't really like the ending either. I lost interest enough to skim read everything at the end and never found out how the dad died and what happened to the station wagon that Sophie bought.
I don't know. The book was just a fragment of various details to develop a character and the timeline did get annoying because the author kept jumping back and forth in weird order.
One random thing I found funny was the fact that the author was mocking a generic writer in the book named Ethan yet I wonder if he realised his book was mediocre at best to be on a clearance sale for $1 at a bookstore only within 4 years of release.
August 12, 2011
When I read the blurb I was like ‘Awesome! I’ve heard great things about this author and I love road trip books! What could be better! ’ While I did enjoy it, I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would.
The book is mainly told in James’s and Sophie’s POV, however is sometimes told through the parents eyes.
My favourite aspect about this book was how, the author, Steven Herrick, described the scenes, characters and surroundings.
A snippet from the book:
*She enjoys driving; the creases around her mouth are deeper, more pronounced. Her hair falls in tangled dreads across her shoulders and down her back. Her skin is smooth and pale. pg. 68
I liked Sophie and James, the main characters, especially Sophie. There was something about her and her black painted fingernails that attracted me. I found her to be an interesting character and I wanted to know more about her.
I enjoyed this book and will be sure to check out some of his other titles.
Aussie YA Book Challenge 2011
The book is mainly told in James’s and Sophie’s POV, however is sometimes told through the parents eyes.
My favourite aspect about this book was how, the author, Steven Herrick, described the scenes, characters and surroundings.
A snippet from the book:
*She enjoys driving; the creases around her mouth are deeper, more pronounced. Her hair falls in tangled dreads across her shoulders and down her back. Her skin is smooth and pale. pg. 68
I liked Sophie and James, the main characters, especially Sophie. There was something about her and her black painted fingernails that attracted me. I found her to be an interesting character and I wanted to know more about her.
I enjoyed this book and will be sure to check out some of his other titles.
Aussie YA Book Challenge 2011
April 3, 2018
James is net onderweg naar zijn stageplek als leraar, als hij bij zijn eerste tankstop Sophie oppikt. Samen vervolgen ze hun weg, James naar het begin van zijn toekomst, Sophie naar de afwikkeling van haar verleden.
Waar James wat verlegen en terughoudend is, is Sophie een brutaal kruidje-roer-me-niet, met het hart op de tong. Ze daagt hem uit niets dan de waarheid te spreken, en dat is niet gemakkelijk voor een bescheiden jongen als James. Hij is als enig kind - moederskind - gewend de lieve vrede te bewaren en soms zijn mening voor zich te houden. Hij is zeer beschermd opgevoed en heeft weinig tegenslag gekend in zijn leven tot dan toe.
Maar ook voor Sophie, die een groot geheim met zich meedraagt, is het niet altijd voor de hand liggend om eerlijk te zijn. Ze heeft na een vervelend voorval een aantal jaren geleden alle contacten met haar familie verbroken. In de tijd dat ze voor zichzelf moest zorgen heeft ze het nodige meegemaakt.
In een hoog tempo ontwikkelt zich een wederzijds respect en vriendschap tussen de twee. James besluit van zijn voorgenomen route af te wijken, en zo niet op tijd op zijn stageplek te verschijnen, om Sophie helemaal naar huis te brengen. Daar aangekomen maakt hij kennis met haar familie en begrijpt hij pas echt goed wat er aan de hand is met haar.
Steven Herrick beschrijft mooi het Australische landschap en de dorpen waar James en Sophie doorheen komen. Zijn sfeertekening is even eenvoudig als fraai: We rijden langs een grauwe boerderij aan de rand van Sophies dorp, waar kippen in de modder scharrelen en een hond rondzwerft tot het eind van zijn lijn. Een welkomstbord op de kruising zit vol kogelgaten. [...] 'Het komt goed, Sophie. Je vader is vast blij je te zien.' Mijn opmerking valt in de ruimte tussen onze stoelen.
Herrick is vooral bekend om zijn 'free verse novels' voor kinderen en jongeren. Zwartgelakte nagels is zijn eerste gewone Young Adult-roman. Een goedgeschreven, makkelijk leesbare mozaïekvertelling, waarin beurtelings James, Sophie en James' ouders aan het woord komen of de hoofdrol spelen. Over een roadtrip, met als belangrijkste kenmerken vrijheid en vriendschap.
En een zoetsappig, bijna overdreven happy end. Alles komt goed...
Vertaald door Tjalling Bos.
Waar James wat verlegen en terughoudend is, is Sophie een brutaal kruidje-roer-me-niet, met het hart op de tong. Ze daagt hem uit niets dan de waarheid te spreken, en dat is niet gemakkelijk voor een bescheiden jongen als James. Hij is als enig kind - moederskind - gewend de lieve vrede te bewaren en soms zijn mening voor zich te houden. Hij is zeer beschermd opgevoed en heeft weinig tegenslag gekend in zijn leven tot dan toe.
Maar ook voor Sophie, die een groot geheim met zich meedraagt, is het niet altijd voor de hand liggend om eerlijk te zijn. Ze heeft na een vervelend voorval een aantal jaren geleden alle contacten met haar familie verbroken. In de tijd dat ze voor zichzelf moest zorgen heeft ze het nodige meegemaakt.
In een hoog tempo ontwikkelt zich een wederzijds respect en vriendschap tussen de twee. James besluit van zijn voorgenomen route af te wijken, en zo niet op tijd op zijn stageplek te verschijnen, om Sophie helemaal naar huis te brengen. Daar aangekomen maakt hij kennis met haar familie en begrijpt hij pas echt goed wat er aan de hand is met haar.
Steven Herrick beschrijft mooi het Australische landschap en de dorpen waar James en Sophie doorheen komen. Zijn sfeertekening is even eenvoudig als fraai: We rijden langs een grauwe boerderij aan de rand van Sophies dorp, waar kippen in de modder scharrelen en een hond rondzwerft tot het eind van zijn lijn. Een welkomstbord op de kruising zit vol kogelgaten. [...] 'Het komt goed, Sophie. Je vader is vast blij je te zien.' Mijn opmerking valt in de ruimte tussen onze stoelen.
Herrick is vooral bekend om zijn 'free verse novels' voor kinderen en jongeren. Zwartgelakte nagels is zijn eerste gewone Young Adult-roman. Een goedgeschreven, makkelijk leesbare mozaïekvertelling, waarin beurtelings James, Sophie en James' ouders aan het woord komen of de hoofdrol spelen. Over een roadtrip, met als belangrijkste kenmerken vrijheid en vriendschap.
En een zoetsappig, bijna overdreven happy end. Alles komt goed...
Vertaald door Tjalling Bos.
June 15, 2019
A spunky, fly by the seat of her pants girl and a gentle, responsible, good boy meet up accidentally and as they travel together, they gain insight into one another and each gains some of the much needed traits of the other. This was fun to read, very descriptive and I learned a few new young people expressions like "Y-fronts". It makes sense. This author has many books to his credit and it will be worth looking into them after reading this feel-good story.
March 30, 2022
Back and forward with different points of view, James's, Sophie's, James's Parents, James's Mum and James's Dad. Sophie's is past tense and James is present tense.
Story made sense but reading to many POV's in kinda annoying.
Thought it be more about traveling to places, as the front cover has a map of NSW.
Story made sense but reading to many POV's in kinda annoying.
Thought it be more about traveling to places, as the front cover has a map of NSW.
January 2, 2024
James Spalding is headed to a country school for his 6 week teacher training round. His parents have gifted him a BMW, it's his first stint away from home. He's cossetted, even overwhelmed, by his parents, doesn't know what he wants to be and is anxious about life.
Sophie is 21; her Mum walked off the farm when Sophie was 10, breaking the heart of Sophie's father and their kids. Since leaving home, Sophie has been fending for herself for a long time and wears bravado like armour. She hitches a ride with James and the rest unfolds...
Steven Herrick writes with a lilting, flowing language that is effortless to read. He reveals the inner lives of characters, the circles within circles, the wheels within wheels.
Sophie is 21; her Mum walked off the farm when Sophie was 10, breaking the heart of Sophie's father and their kids. Since leaving home, Sophie has been fending for herself for a long time and wears bravado like armour. She hitches a ride with James and the rest unfolds...
Steven Herrick writes with a lilting, flowing language that is effortless to read. He reveals the inner lives of characters, the circles within circles, the wheels within wheels.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 3, 2018
Its ok, this book is quite nice. I can't think of anything to say
August 4, 2021
Beautiful.
June 11, 2022
zzzzzzzzz
September 21, 2011
James is off on his first road trip into the country to take up a six week training placement. He leaves behind his anxious mother and drives off in the BMW gifted to him by his father. James has gone through life doing the right thing, pleasing his parents, going to University and living a relatively predictable life. When James picks up Sophie, a young mysterious hitchhiker his life begins to take a different route. Sophie is a troubled young woman who has been running from her past and has taken the long way back to her family roots. Sophie and James’s contrasting personalities play out nicely as they begin to trust each other.
This is a quick read with a slow but steady plot. The characters are well developed, Sophie and James reveal themselves little by little during their car trip and the author also shows glimpses of their past with flashbacks. These two young adults develop a strong friendship in the couple of days they are driving across country. They realise they can learn a lot from each other and heal each other’s’ past hurts. Sophie and James have realistic inner conflicts and desires and the growth they undertake during their short journey is enthralling and leads to a lovely ending.
An enjoyable YA road trip novel by Australian author, Steven Herrick.
3.5/5
This is a quick read with a slow but steady plot. The characters are well developed, Sophie and James reveal themselves little by little during their car trip and the author also shows glimpses of their past with flashbacks. These two young adults develop a strong friendship in the couple of days they are driving across country. They realise they can learn a lot from each other and heal each other’s’ past hurts. Sophie and James have realistic inner conflicts and desires and the growth they undertake during their short journey is enthralling and leads to a lovely ending.
An enjoyable YA road trip novel by Australian author, Steven Herrick.
3.5/5
January 13, 2013
I wanted to like this so much. It started off promising, and the writing was readable enough. But it lacked the essence to make me go "wowsers" and the ending felt unresolved and messy.
When Sophie first comes on the scene, I immediately think MPDG. You know, that kind of female character. Think Alaska Young, think Zooey Deschanel, think the bodacious wild girl who cannot be tamed. I fell into the familiarity of her character, pleasantly surprised with the soft, caring element of her personality.
James was a likable guy. His development is typical for a "coming-of-age story" but with fresh tones of sincerity which really resonated with me.
When Sophie first comes on the scene, I immediately think MPDG. You know, that kind of female character. Think Alaska Young, think Zooey Deschanel, think the bodacious wild girl who cannot be tamed. I fell into the familiarity of her character, pleasantly surprised with the soft, caring element of her personality.
James was a likable guy. His development is typical for a "coming-of-age story" but with fresh tones of sincerity which really resonated with me.
June 5, 2011
I really enjoyed Black Painted Fingernails. It's the first time I have actually read Steven Herrick (although I'm well aware I should have read him earlier!) and his prose is so wonderful. Although the main characters are are couple of years out of high school, the struggles that they are going through as they gain confidence in their identities will resonate with all readers, and the idea of falling (and re-falling) in love at any point in your life will ring true to anyone who has ever experienced a crush.
September 2, 2011
Black Painted Fingernails is a breathtaking novel of the past and future. James and Sophie just want to figure out what they want to do in their future, which is not easy when James’s mother is controlling and his father goes along with her, and it isn’t any better for Sophie when her mother left when she was in primary school and she hasn’t seen her father since she ran away from home due to her brother assaulting her. But when James gives Sophie a lift to her hometown, they both seem to finally figure out what they want in life, maybe even a future together.
July 27, 2011
I discovered Steven Herrick when working as a school librarian, and just loved his simple yet lyrical style and bitter-sweet storylines. "A Simple Gift" is my favourite. This latest book was no disappointment, and I think it would be a shame if it were limited to the Young Adult market. Poignant, thought-provoking and tender.
February 29, 2012
The ever-reliable Steven Herrick moves from his usual verse form into prose in this fast moving road story set in the NSW countryside. Herrick understands older adolescents and here he moves his convincing characters into their twenties. He writes really well about the tentativeness of boy-girl relationships.
September 15, 2012
Na de drie vorige boeken van Herrick in dichtvorm te hebben gelezen waren mijn verwachtingen zeer gespannen over zijn nieuwe roman.
Ik denk dat het boek helemaal nog zo gek niet is als je de voorgaande boeken van Herrick nooit gelezen hebt, maar mij viel het nogal tegen. Ik vond het erg vlak, terwijl bijvoorbeeld zijn boek "Aan de rivier" in weinig woorden precies de goede snaar wist te raken.
Ik denk dat het boek helemaal nog zo gek niet is als je de voorgaande boeken van Herrick nooit gelezen hebt, maar mij viel het nogal tegen. Ik vond het erg vlak, terwijl bijvoorbeeld zijn boek "Aan de rivier" in weinig woorden precies de goede snaar wist te raken.
October 29, 2020
Multi-POV. Cautious treading!
Weird. A little meandering?
A fast read. The POVs work out rather well.
The story feels/is weird like you wouldn't believe - and I'm not sure even why. It's actually very hard to rate.
Nothing really happens here but many things are going on. It's tricky. P: Very unusual.
FINAL VERDICT: It's good
Weird. A little meandering?
A fast read. The POVs work out rather well.
The story feels/is weird like you wouldn't believe - and I'm not sure even why. It's actually very hard to rate.
Nothing really happens here but many things are going on. It's tricky. P: Very unusual.
FINAL VERDICT: It's good
March 17, 2013
Read this book in just under 2 days. Started off a little slow but really got me hooked a few chapters in. Characters were great and the way the chapters flow with the presence and the past gives you a great understanding of the characters and the story as a whole.
Really enjoyed this one. 5/5
Really enjoyed this one. 5/5
June 22, 2013
This book was good. I don't have much to say except that I didn't hate it but didn't love it. I'm kinda stuck in this awkward place of "I Don't Know." The only thing I can say is that the ending felt a little rushed to me.
July 27, 2014
Made it to page 129. Sorry but if I am reading a book where I begrudgingly pick it up to continue reading, I must reevaluate my book pile. Since there are two books staring at me to read this one got put in the "gave up on" list. And I won't even miss the characters, which is kind of the point.
June 15, 2011
I've had the same favourite books since I was a teenager. This is the first book in maybe ten years that has seriously challenged my list! Totally, totally sublime.
Read
September 19, 2011This book is really good as it has two sides to the story. It can get a bit confusing but it is worth it. Rating it 5 out of 5
September 10, 2011
Life and happiness can turn on the toss of a coin. A lovely, affirming story by a writer who just keeps getting better. If you liked Herrick's last YA novel "Slice", you'll love this. I know I did.
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