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The Unaustralians
Maxine is mad. Her best friend is dead and she blames Australia. That's right - the whole country! She grabs her boyfriend Henry and hits the road, looking for meaning, kicks and vengeance. Their quest leads them into a frightening world of activists, breatharians, eclipse-chasers and techno freaks. They trip through Nimbin, Canberra and Sydney. But they won't give up. They are the UNAUSTRALIANS.
Kindle Edition
First published March 3, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 30, 2017
A young woman (and her boyfriend) becomes involved with eco-warriors and hippies taking non-violent action to protect the environment but things gradually take a sinister turn.
I found this book a quick / easy read (only around 40,000 words) and the disjointed lifestyle described seemed very believable. The plot was meandering with an aimless central character trying to find something to believe in and getting sucked into various crazy / bad situations. The writing style and narrative reminded me of ‘On the Road’. The ending indicates that there will be at least one more book describing the journey the protagonists are following.
I found this book a quick / easy read (only around 40,000 words) and the disjointed lifestyle described seemed very believable. The plot was meandering with an aimless central character trying to find something to believe in and getting sucked into various crazy / bad situations. The writing style and narrative reminded me of ‘On the Road’. The ending indicates that there will be at least one more book describing the journey the protagonists are following.
March 16, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. I wasn’t sure if I’d like it when I first came across it, but was captivated by the writing in the introductory section.
It’s basically the story of Maxine (Max), a young woman who is bored with her life in dull suburban Canberra, disillusioned with society in general and determined to make a difference. The suicide of her friend Box is the inciting incident that leads her off in search of new and revolutionary experiences, with her pothead boyfriend Henry in tow.
She has a go at joining ecowarriors, then new age gurus, then squatters, has a few scary experiences with hallucinogenic drugs, then gets involved with a psychotic woman. Her open and trusting nature gets her into potentially dangerous situations which she fails to recognise as such. She thinks she’s street smart, but is basically naïve and ignorant. I think many readers may recognise their former teenage selves in this story. The author crafts a clever tale to show how young people like her can be sucked in by the siren calls of cults, charismatic leaders, criminals and even terrorists.
The quality of the writing is outstanding throughout. The descriptions of Australian countryside and wildlife are beautiful and atmospheric, without slowing the pace of the story. The dialogue is sharp, funny and believable. Some authors don’t handle the omniscient viewpoint well, but here the author maintains his detached, slightly satirical narrator persona while brilliantly conveying his characters’ feelings and thoughts through action and dialogue. There is a lot of sly humour and some real laugh out loud moments.
My only criticism is that I really hate cliffhanger endings in novels. I think a novel should have a satisfactory conclusion to the main storyline, not just leave us in mid action, even if there are plenty of plot threads which could lead onto sequels. That said, I don’t think it justifies docking a whole star, as the rest of the book is outstanding.
It’s basically the story of Maxine (Max), a young woman who is bored with her life in dull suburban Canberra, disillusioned with society in general and determined to make a difference. The suicide of her friend Box is the inciting incident that leads her off in search of new and revolutionary experiences, with her pothead boyfriend Henry in tow.
She has a go at joining ecowarriors, then new age gurus, then squatters, has a few scary experiences with hallucinogenic drugs, then gets involved with a psychotic woman. Her open and trusting nature gets her into potentially dangerous situations which she fails to recognise as such. She thinks she’s street smart, but is basically naïve and ignorant. I think many readers may recognise their former teenage selves in this story. The author crafts a clever tale to show how young people like her can be sucked in by the siren calls of cults, charismatic leaders, criminals and even terrorists.
The quality of the writing is outstanding throughout. The descriptions of Australian countryside and wildlife are beautiful and atmospheric, without slowing the pace of the story. The dialogue is sharp, funny and believable. Some authors don’t handle the omniscient viewpoint well, but here the author maintains his detached, slightly satirical narrator persona while brilliantly conveying his characters’ feelings and thoughts through action and dialogue. There is a lot of sly humour and some real laugh out loud moments.
My only criticism is that I really hate cliffhanger endings in novels. I think a novel should have a satisfactory conclusion to the main storyline, not just leave us in mid action, even if there are plenty of plot threads which could lead onto sequels. That said, I don’t think it justifies docking a whole star, as the rest of the book is outstanding.
November 5, 2016
This book tells the story of a young couple, Max and Henry, and what happens when they take off from their dull suburban lives in Canberra in search of adventure. They join a group of activists at a forest protest and then move on to an eco village. From here the main character, Max, travels to Sydney then back to Canberra where she reunites with Henry and by the end of the book the couple are in Melbourne. Along the way Max encounters eco activists, eclipse followers, techno freaks, squatters, junkies and hippies. Although she is open and accepting, it's clear that not all of these people are what they seem to be.
This story captures perfectly the naivety and idealism of youth. Max is a hot headed impulsive risk taker whose idealism makes her too trusting. She writes letters to the Prime Minister giving him advice, believing she can make a difference. While Henry is more cautious, he constantly escapes from reality into pot-fuelled daydreams. Max's parents may as well be aliens and their home in suburban Canberra contrasts sharply with the lifestyle she's searching for.
Although a dark undercurrent is ever present with a sense of impending doom never far away, the story is fast paced with plenty of humour. The author's descriptions of locations, birds and wildlife are brought vividly to life giving a sense of the beauty and wilderness.
This book was difficult to put down and gripped me from the beginning. The ending is sudden and unexpected, leaving me wanting to know more. I loved this book and hope there will be a sequel.
This story captures perfectly the naivety and idealism of youth. Max is a hot headed impulsive risk taker whose idealism makes her too trusting. She writes letters to the Prime Minister giving him advice, believing she can make a difference. While Henry is more cautious, he constantly escapes from reality into pot-fuelled daydreams. Max's parents may as well be aliens and their home in suburban Canberra contrasts sharply with the lifestyle she's searching for.
Although a dark undercurrent is ever present with a sense of impending doom never far away, the story is fast paced with plenty of humour. The author's descriptions of locations, birds and wildlife are brought vividly to life giving a sense of the beauty and wilderness.
This book was difficult to put down and gripped me from the beginning. The ending is sudden and unexpected, leaving me wanting to know more. I loved this book and hope there will be a sequel.
December 14, 2016
Real rating 4.5 stars
I thoroughly enjoyed this very entertaining read. I don't use the word "very" much, and I don't normally devour a book in 2-3 days. For me "The Unaustralians" is a story of angst and rebellion. It follows the life of a wannabe revolutionary named Max, her boyfriend Henry and a few other whacked out, druggy types that they meet along the way. Max wants to change the world but you get the impression she thinks she knows more than she really does. She is wayward, experimental and was largely affected by the death of another friend Box. I connected with her character. I enjoyed the fact that while she appeared unpredictable, her sexuality was subtle. She is pathetic really. But that is the point.
The best thing about "The Unaustralians" is the writing. The author has really got what it takes to succeed. He has put in the correct balance of pace, description and dialogue. There's no clumsy info/back story dumping, no intrusive dialogue tagging and some metaphors were downright creative. "smiled like a crooked nail", "his large eyes like wet marbles", "the sky went briefly lavender". I have read many traditionally published books which are far lower in writing quality.
The only reason I don't give 5 stars is because I thought the ending was an incy wincy bit flat, but that's because I sense the author is (hopefully) lining up a sequel. I highly recommend.
I thoroughly enjoyed this very entertaining read. I don't use the word "very" much, and I don't normally devour a book in 2-3 days. For me "The Unaustralians" is a story of angst and rebellion. It follows the life of a wannabe revolutionary named Max, her boyfriend Henry and a few other whacked out, druggy types that they meet along the way. Max wants to change the world but you get the impression she thinks she knows more than she really does. She is wayward, experimental and was largely affected by the death of another friend Box. I connected with her character. I enjoyed the fact that while she appeared unpredictable, her sexuality was subtle. She is pathetic really. But that is the point.
The best thing about "The Unaustralians" is the writing. The author has really got what it takes to succeed. He has put in the correct balance of pace, description and dialogue. There's no clumsy info/back story dumping, no intrusive dialogue tagging and some metaphors were downright creative. "smiled like a crooked nail", "his large eyes like wet marbles", "the sky went briefly lavender". I have read many traditionally published books which are far lower in writing quality.
The only reason I don't give 5 stars is because I thought the ending was an incy wincy bit flat, but that's because I sense the author is (hopefully) lining up a sequel. I highly recommend.
October 3, 2016
Sometimes I have a hard time describing why I like a book. This is one of those times. "The Unaustralians" is a fast-paced book about a young couple, who want to make a difference in the world. This gets them into all sorts of adventures -- and troubles. The book ends very nicely with a cliffhanger. On our journey, we get to see both the beauty of national parks and the grayness of big-city life. I could really get into the story, it is very well written.
January 9, 2017
THE UNAUSTRALIANS oppose a mediocracy that refuses to acknowledge the needs of the planet, the people, each other. They intend to rise above suburbia and recreate the world one way or the other. Of course we’re talking about the young and righteous and otherwise insane.
Enter these pages to be immediately reintroduced to yourself at seventeen: certain, ignorant, and utterly sincere. Max embraces the obvious inadequacy, even active evil of the system as evidenced by her experience of Canberra. She’s ready for violent action: “I’m talking about the barricades here. I’m talking about throwing paving stones at the police and setting cars on fire.” Not so Henry, the stoner boyfriend she drags in her wake.
They’re off on a rollicking ride at first, a confused road trip peopled with protesters of primarily the pacifist if radical variety. Outsiders, all of them, members of a varied but dynamic fringe. But one can either save trees or blow up towers, and Max is entranced by the profoundly troubled Jenny Mental, and ready to leave behind idealistic dreams for effective action. Jenny, buoyed by this support, is eager to oblige, and then anger takes the lead.
The writing is smooth and utterly fresh, the transitions surprising but natural. Casual descriptions are apt and delightful. A city brings “unique individuals with different faces and hat sizes.” Max notes chimneys “stuck up into the sky like cannons designed to shoot down the sun.” There is a wonderful sense of absurdity, of the heartbreaking ridiculousness of the naïve but earnest: a young couple attempts to literally live on air: “Total merging with the higher vibrations.” A boy is an eclipse-chaser, or anyway wants to be, GPS willing. I couldn’t easily visualize Max despite a description, but I knew her and she functioned well in the novel, her adventures and subsequent decisions seemingly inevitable. Jenny Mental virtually repels us from the page, while a host of conformists – family, educators, authorities – either stand uselessly aside or help to viciously marginalize the troublemakers.
Be advised: the end comes quickly, a shock. That’s the point.
Enter these pages to be immediately reintroduced to yourself at seventeen: certain, ignorant, and utterly sincere. Max embraces the obvious inadequacy, even active evil of the system as evidenced by her experience of Canberra. She’s ready for violent action: “I’m talking about the barricades here. I’m talking about throwing paving stones at the police and setting cars on fire.” Not so Henry, the stoner boyfriend she drags in her wake.
They’re off on a rollicking ride at first, a confused road trip peopled with protesters of primarily the pacifist if radical variety. Outsiders, all of them, members of a varied but dynamic fringe. But one can either save trees or blow up towers, and Max is entranced by the profoundly troubled Jenny Mental, and ready to leave behind idealistic dreams for effective action. Jenny, buoyed by this support, is eager to oblige, and then anger takes the lead.
The writing is smooth and utterly fresh, the transitions surprising but natural. Casual descriptions are apt and delightful. A city brings “unique individuals with different faces and hat sizes.” Max notes chimneys “stuck up into the sky like cannons designed to shoot down the sun.” There is a wonderful sense of absurdity, of the heartbreaking ridiculousness of the naïve but earnest: a young couple attempts to literally live on air: “Total merging with the higher vibrations.” A boy is an eclipse-chaser, or anyway wants to be, GPS willing. I couldn’t easily visualize Max despite a description, but I knew her and she functioned well in the novel, her adventures and subsequent decisions seemingly inevitable. Jenny Mental virtually repels us from the page, while a host of conformists – family, educators, authorities – either stand uselessly aside or help to viciously marginalize the troublemakers.
Be advised: the end comes quickly, a shock. That’s the point.
August 6, 2017
One of the hallmarks of a good book is when it makes you sit up and think: are you inside my head?
Resonance, I think it´s called.
And this book had a lot of that for me. It´s a documentation of the frustrations that the mediocre, middle-class and often mindless life that Australians are taught to revere.
The social observation was spot-on, the humor was a darker shade of grey and the overall tone and sentiment was right up my alley.
Technically, I feel like the characters could have had extra dimensions. The pace was snappy, and at times at the expense of a little backstory and psychology. The deeper ´why´ behind the ´what´ was sometimes lacking for me.
Overall, it doesn´t detract from the book. It´s engaging, well-executed and a must for anyone who thinks beyond their own nose.
Resonance, I think it´s called.
And this book had a lot of that for me. It´s a documentation of the frustrations that the mediocre, middle-class and often mindless life that Australians are taught to revere.
The social observation was spot-on, the humor was a darker shade of grey and the overall tone and sentiment was right up my alley.
Technically, I feel like the characters could have had extra dimensions. The pace was snappy, and at times at the expense of a little backstory and psychology. The deeper ´why´ behind the ´what´ was sometimes lacking for me.
Overall, it doesn´t detract from the book. It´s engaging, well-executed and a must for anyone who thinks beyond their own nose.
February 25, 2017
Max is pissed. About what she’s not exactly sure. She just knows shit’s not right in the world and she wants to bring it all crashing down so everyone can start again. The depression-induced suicide of her friend Box is the final push that sends her off on a trip along the southeast coast of Australia with her pothead boyfriend Henry in tow to find... again precisely what she doesn’t know. But she knows she’ll discover it eventually among the ecofighters, energy-breathing hippies, techno-ravers and other counterculture “freaks” she and her boyfriend meet along the way. Or maybe she’ll find the will and way to make everything finally go up in a big fireball when she joins up with the probably-psychotic, definitely dangerous Jenny Mental.
Or maybe not. Max really has no idea.
The Unaustralians is part Catcher in the Rye, part Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas with a bit of Fight Club’s ennui-driven violence mixed in. Oskar Wyldkat’s prose is quick and quite beautiful at times. The plot meanders about quite a bit, but then so does Max. She encapsulates well the aimlessness and desire to “mean” something (along with the naiveté and, well, dumbass-ness) which is the plague of most young adults.
As other reviewers have mentioned, the ending comes rather abrupt. It does, though, feel like a fitting denouement to Max’s search. I hope there will eventually be a sequel. But then again, maybe it’s best to leave her at this cliffhanger...
Or maybe not. Max really has no idea.
The Unaustralians is part Catcher in the Rye, part Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas with a bit of Fight Club’s ennui-driven violence mixed in. Oskar Wyldkat’s prose is quick and quite beautiful at times. The plot meanders about quite a bit, but then so does Max. She encapsulates well the aimlessness and desire to “mean” something (along with the naiveté and, well, dumbass-ness) which is the plague of most young adults.
As other reviewers have mentioned, the ending comes rather abrupt. It does, though, feel like a fitting denouement to Max’s search. I hope there will eventually be a sequel. But then again, maybe it’s best to leave her at this cliffhanger...
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews