The Dark Part Of Me

by belinda-burns

As the hot Brisbane summer unfurls, Rosie cannot help but lust after her ex-boyfriend, Scott, who has returned after two years abroad. Rosie's mum says Scott is a man, and deep down all men are rotten. But what does she know? She doesn't seem to have noticed that her teenage daughter is spiraling out of control with her increasing appetite for sex and drugs. In some ways, Rosie's mum is right, Scott's out to treat her like dirt. But every time Rosie sees him she just has to screw him. Rosie's erotic trysts with her best friend Hollie have also begun to lose their adolescent playfulness and are turning into something far more serious. And now Hollie's brother is out of prison, having done time for the manslaughter of one of Scott's friends, things are bound to turn ugly...Sexual depravity, violence, racism and homophobia abound as these teenagers, bereft of a true understanding of themselves and of their society's history, reach for anchorage.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Contemporary, Romance

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Joe Stamber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having rested my Kindle, I'm trying to get through some of the paperbacks I've accumulated from various sources (mainly charity shops) over the years. I wasn't expecting too much from this one, having read the blurb and decided it was probably aimed at a (much) younger and more female market, but as I read on I was pleasantly surprised. The Dark Part of Me is a coming of age story of sorts, a snapshot into the life of a rebellious teenage girl trying to cope with her dysfunctional life. Belinda Burns has a writing style that is very easy on the reading eye and the tale flies by almost effortlessly. Early on in the book, Burns switches to present tense for some back story in the style of flashbacks and I didn't think much of that (the use of present tense), but that's a fairly minor criticism. For a fast, light read, with characters not too deep but enough to carry the story, and a few laughs along the way, The Dark Part of Me earns itself 4 stars.

[Kirsty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up from the recommended shelf in the library. I was looking for a light read - a bit of fluff to relax with in between heavier reads. This book fit the bill perfectly, but it was also much more.

I'm sure this book would probably split readers. There's a fair bit of sex, a generous helping of drugs, and some other crazy stuff along the way. Because of this, some readers may find it offensive. If you can get past that though, it's actually a really enjoyable coming-of-age story. It centres on Rosie, an dropout law student, whose world is thrown upside down when her ex-boyfriend comes back from travelling. Add in a quirky best friend, her crazy brother and some sex and drugs and you're in for a juicy story.

Sound like chick-lit? Well yes it is, kind of, but it doesn't really conform to the rules and still stands in its own right. I really enjoyed this book.

[Evelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy to read, fast paced young adult story which centers around a rebellious teenager named Rosie who still can't stop thinking about her ex-boyfriend. When the ex returns home, all hell breaks loose as Rosie tries to reconnect with him and embarks upon a wild coming of age journey involving copious amounts of sex, drugs, and crazy friends along the way. It's trashy and very teen, but had enough black humour in it to keep me interested throughout. A perfect lazy holiday read.

[Mon · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're a lonely bore like me who stays in on a friday night with books, TV and too much pasta, this is the book filled with the wildest characters you once aspired to be, until you had that really bad lost-all-consciousness hangover that turned you off clubs at 4am forever.

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hateful characters treating each other terribly with plenty of bigotry thrown in.

The characters in this book are despisable, the sex wholly unrealistic and hardly sexy and there's more than enough "casual" racism peppering the pages to make this an utterly regrettable read for me. The heroine alone physically and verbally abuses her mother, at turns verbally abuses and abandons her best friend, pines after a misogynistic and homophobic ex boyfriend, and pretty much slut shames every woman she comes across. The overt racist remarks and actions towards asians, black people and australian's indigenous people topped by a healthy dose of homophobia and blatant sexism oh yes and ageism and fat phobia. Honestly I found this book so intolerant and the characters so intolerable, I failed to see any appeal.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an Australian coming of age chick lit offering with a difference.
Rosie’s ex boyfriend Scott has returned after his travels in London and despite treating her like dirt she just doesn’t seem to be able to resist him.

Her best friend Hollie hates Scott but it is not as simple as best friend allegiances – there is a dark twist to Hollie’s life too. After her and her brother found her mum dead after she had committed suicide with a shotgun her brother went off the rails. Now he returns after a spell in prison, no less messed up, and Hollie’s own feelings and life seem to fall into mayhem.

Set amidst the very raw background of sex, drugs and very mixed up teenage emotions this is sure to shock.

Personally I would have probably enjoyed this book a lot more when I was younger, now being a little more prudish than I once was I did find it a little unnecessarily crass at times, but I’m sure the language and style would probably appeal much more to a young Ozzie reader.

[Lollipop Lollipop · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is great reading i took it to mauritius and read half of it on the plane there.....its an even mix of laughter, filth, and very general daily descriptions of normality, but with a bit of blackness.......

Nice easy to read I enjoyed it a lot ...

[Alissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up at the airport in South Africa earlier this year.

You know I'm a sucker for coming-of-age books. :)

[Shona · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pretty rubbish