We Didn't Think It Through

by Gary Lonesborough

From the author of the award-winning The Boy from the Mish, comes a compelling coming-of-age YA novel about navigating the challenges of racism, family and friendship in a small Australian town.

The justice system characterises Jamie Langton as a 'danger to society', but he's just an Aboriginal kid, trying to find his way through adolescence.

Jamie lives in Dalton's Bay with Aunty Dawn and Uncle Bobby. He spends his downtime hanging out with his mates, Dally and Lenny. Mark Cassidy and his white mates - the Footy Heads - take every opportunity they can to bully Jamie and his friends. On Lenny's last night in town before moving to Sydney, after another episode of racist harassment, Jamie, Dally and Lenny decide to retaliate by vandalising Mark Cassidy's car. And when they discover the keys are in the ignition… Dally changes the plan. Soon they are all in Mark Cassidy's stolen car cruising through town, aiming to take it for a quick spin, then dump it.

But it's a bad plan. And as a consequence, Jamie ends up in the youth justice system where he must find a way to mend his relationships with himself, his friends, his family and his future.

2024 NSW Premier's Literary Awards, Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature

2024 NSW Premier's Literary Awards, Indigenous Writers' Prize

NOTABLE 2024 CBCA Book of the Year, Older Readers

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Australia, Indigenous, Queer, Crime, LGBT

Audible Audio

First published July 4, 2023

About the author

Gary Lonesborough is a Yuin man, who grew up on the Far South Coast of NSW as part of a large and proud Aboriginal family. Growing up a massive Kylie Minogue and North Queensland Cowboys fan, Gary was always writing as a child, and continued his creative journey when he moved to Sydney to study at film school. Gary has experience working in Aboriginal health, the disability sector (including experience working in the Youth Justice System), and the film industry. He was Bega Valley Shire Council Young Citizen of the Year, won the Patrick White Young Indigenous Writers' Award, and has received a Copyright Agency First Nations Fellowship. The Boy from the Mish is Gary's debut YA novel.

Reviews

[Marieke (mariekes_mesmerizing_books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating 4.5 stars. Another heartfelt novel from the autor of The Boy From the Mish/Ready When You Are.

I’ll probably think of this story whenever I hear a Justin Bieber song in the future. Jamie, did you really have to steal that car?

We Didn’t Think It Through is such a fitting title for this story. Hijacking a car while drunk and high because white boys are racists and bullying you and your friends? I understand the anger and the hurt, but committing a crime like this?

Throughout this story, it’s palpable that Gary Lonesborough has worked in supporting Aboriginal children and young people in the youth system and out-of-home care. Jamie’s experience as a sixteen-year-old Koori teen ending up in juvie felt so real. I wanted to shake Jamie when he and his friends stole that car. Don’t do it, don’t do it, I wanted to yell, you’re angry and drunk and high and not thinking things through. It’s not a joke. It’s a criminal thing to do. But, of course, those boys didn’t listen. In a rush, Jamie and his friends took the car; the action leaving a huge impact on their lives.

My heart broke when Jamie ended up in prison and felt worthless. But at other times, I really didn’t like him because he was so stubborn and stupid and let his anger lash out too many times. Then my heart jumped up when he made conversations with the other boys. Boys who’d rather be in prison because there was nothing left for them in the outside world. Boys who had been in prison several times—sometimes even from the age of 10. Boys who felt even more worthless than Jamie did. And suddenly I got teary eyed because of the poem Jamie wrote. I wanted tell yell at him again, put your anger in your poems instead of doing more stupid things.

The racist slurs in this book made me shiver, and I felt the punches from the screws in my gut. The story is intertwined with snippets of Jamie’s past, and my heart ached for Trey and Jamie.

We Didn’t Think It Through is very different from The Boy From the Mish. What’s the same is the simple and vivid writing, the feeling of discomfort and the tension, and the character growth. I love all those things in a story, and therefore I can’t wait for Gary’s next book!

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[Cherie • bookshelvesandtealeaves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Allen & Unwin for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is such an important book. These stories deserve to be told just as much as any other and I’m so grateful to have been able to read an early copy!

We Didn’t Think It Through follows Jamie, a 16 year old Aboriginal kid, and his mates as they mess up, go to juvie, and decide what kind of people they wanna be.

It’s a harsh, honest look at the systems in our country and the way they’re built for and by white people, the way Aboriginal people are stereotyped and often end up living up to those stereotypes due to the way they’re treated, the way white people often abuse their positions of power.

But it’s also a book full of hope, somehow, too. I especially loved the ending and the happy note it finished on. It’s the ending Jamie deserved.

I can’t recommend this one enough, especially if you’re looking for more Indigenous stories for Blak History Month.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great read. Lonesborough combines great, relatable characterisation with a briskly moving plot, making you want to keep reading to work out where our protagonist will end up. While I enjoyed Lonesborough's Boy from the Mish, it had stilted moments and at times felt closer to how people should be than how they are. None of that could be said about this book, which is noteworthy for how Lonesborough balances Jamie's agency, and capacity to shape his own future, with a realistic portrayal of entrapping institutional violence and racism. Jamie's life is populated by many helpful, but not perfect, adults, none of whom, unlike in many stories involving kids in jail, have magic saviour powers. Here, Jamie must save himself, but there is help available. I hope this book does get into the hands of its intended audience, I could imagine it might help a lot of kids feel less alone, and give them new ways to imagine their own presents, as well as futures.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is very different from The Boy From the Mish but also a very similarly poignant and important read.

It's about Jamie, who after a night of drinking and getting high, steaks a car from these racists bullies with his buddies and ends up in juvie while he awaits trial.

This book is really about the injustice of the justice system and the systemic racism that is so damn prevalent everywhere. It's a difficult one to read but I did enjoy seeing Jamie's journey even when I was frustrated with his decisions.

I'll admit, I did think this would be queer but it's not. The MCs brother is queer but that's it. That's definitely my own expectations though just from the authors debut.

Idk about audible elsewhere, but if you have audible plus is the US this audiobook is free so that was nice.

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tough read. Jamie's journey is authentic yet difficult.

It's interesting that there seems to be a lot of structures and people in place to help youth in juvenile centres, but still so much works against them.

Gah.

[Jia Yi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un roman plutôt sombre mais qui ne se veut pas lourd dans sa forme, malgré les thématiques lourdes qui sont abordées. On suit le parcours d'un adolescent de 16 ans, Jamie, dans une petite ville, Dalton's Bay, face au racisme ambiant qui subsiste encore aujourd'hui, envers les communautés aborigènes en Australie : autant dans le traitement des familles aborigènes (séparation forcée), le racisme ordinaire qui mène à des situations très réelles et insoutenables : comment cela se fait qu'un enfant de 10 ans se retrouve en prison parce qu'il est aborigène ?

Gary Lonesborough met en lumière des vécus des jeunes aborigènes et methinks, que c'est une super porte d'entrée ce bouquin ?!

Par contre, il faut vraiment check les TW.

[Noah Melser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Young adult fiction: one of the few YA books that doesn't try to make everything tame and complete. Protagonist gets done for joyriding. Nice pacing and authentic character voice, with good variations in description to vary storytelling and enhance readability. Really enjoyable to read, character engaging and convincing. Has the feeling of those books you remember reading as a kid that got you into it in the first place with that immersive somewhat lonely first person lens.

[Stef Rozitis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a hard read. It goes into gaol (juvie) with the protagonist and even though things are pretty dark in there, there is always the menacing hint that it could be worse. There is a racist warder, just one because this is a book and needs coherent characters but you can feel that it could be more than one and then you would be totally fucked.

It helps you understand deaths in custody and that's not an enjoyable thing to understand.

It's also a courageous enough book not to portray the protagonist or any member of his family as innocent, also not to make excuses. That might sound like a fine line when it shows you systematic racism and how it can beat people down but at the end of the day it also shows that the main thing Jamie learns from Trey is that you can't afford to make it an excuse.

Everything tries to turn you into a piece of shit but you still have to not.

I found it interesting that these Aboriginal youth who were portrayed as "violent" and a "menace to society" were portrayed that way on the basis of property crimes (a car, the roof of a building being damaged etc). ACTUAL violence by white footballers and a white warder (screw) is ignored and not criminalised. In the end Jamie does behave violently but it is after he has exhausted every opportunity to walk or run away from the violence. Lonesborough doesn't underline this idea in the book, he leaves it subtle. But possibly he like his character is a poet.

I both didn't completely believe and really wanted to believe the transformative power of poetry. I hope Lonesbrough is more wise than me in that regard.

[Books.and.brews_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story follows Jamie who is a 16-year-old indigenous child who finds himself in Juvie after he and his mates make a reckless decisions while under the influence and filled with emotions. We get an inside look to his time in juvie, the people who influence him and his realisation of what kind of life he wants to live.

This book is raw, honest, and filled with emotion, this is definitely an important book and I look forward to reading more from this author!

Thank you also much Allen and Unwin Aus for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review

[Mary McLean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am jealous of the generation coming through that has access to incredible stories like the ones Gary Lonesborough tells. These stories are real, stereotype-breaking and are sent with a message.

The story follows Jamie, a young Aboriginal boy who is caught up making bad choices and ends up in Youth Detention. Lonesborough tackles this with the heartbreaking reality that is Youth Detention, the devastating cycle and the people who reach out to help and want to ensure a favorable path for young people. I really hope these books are stocked in schools and encouraged to read by all young adults, because the issues that Gary talks about are real, they are authentic and they are happening now. The more young people who understand this, the more we can do to assist the system.

I love Gary’s writing and adored The Boy from the MIsh, this is a great follow up and encourage all to sit down and inhale it as I did. Thank you to NetGalley for the copy of this fantastic YA novel.

[kaitlyns_library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heavily engaging novel that highlights the racism and stereotypes experienced by First Nations people. This book also explores how one serious mistake can impact a person. Reading Lonesborough’s new book, I liked the fact that it was so different to The Boy From The Mish, but both still had valuable teachings. If you want a quick read that explores First Nations issues, this one is for you.

[PErvOL Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

No inaczej się to skończyć nie mogło...będę długo się po niej zbierać, bo z pewnością była bardzo ujmująca, choć niepozorna....Jeszcze mie wiem co napisać, ale na pewno precyzyjnie wnika w to, jak odcienie szarości mogą być różnie egzekwowane...

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

A powerful YA read exploring the justice system and First Nations peoples experiences from the perspective of 16 year old Jamie. At times it was a tough read, but it felt genuine and real throughout.

[K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trigger warnings: theft, incarceration, drug use, alcohol abuse, parental substance abuse, forced removal of children from families by the government

I absolutely ADORED Lonesborough's first book, so when this was announced I was extremely excited about reading it. It's a very different tone to The Boy From the Mish, which is full of hope and discovery. This, in contrast, is about a young Aboriginal boy who makes bad decisions and finds himself in juvenile detention.

As a youth worker, Lonesborough clearly knows what he's talking about in crafting this story, and in a lot of ways it reminded me of Dear Justyce by Nic Stone. It deals extensively not only with the incarceration of young Aboriginal men, but with the systemic reasons WHY young Aboriginal men end up incarcerated. Jamie has grown up with his aunt and uncle after being removed from his parents by child protective services. His brother left town several years earlier and hasn't returned. He's got a close group of friends, but they egg each other into self destructive behaviour - the idea of egging a car or slashing a tyre quickly escalates into stealing a car and going for a joyride.

As much as it's about Jamie's incarceration, it's about him trying to find his place in the world. His place within his family. His place within the education system. His place within his community and his culture. And I'm really glad I read it.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved The Boy from the Mish, and it cemented that I will buy any book from this author. I faithfully preordered and slowly started a collection, but I never actually got around to reading the books. Better late than never I suppose; because here we are.
The main message I got from the start was not to have emotionally unstable friends. You become the people you hang around with, and when you normalise unstable behaviour you begin to think it’s the norm. So much of this book was about the consequences of internalising things and messaging around you and the damaging results. Our MC isn’t a bad kid, he just finds himself in situations and has no outlet for his anger. He’s a teenager: he does stupid stuff without thinking it through. Unfortunately when he does stupid stuff, he does really stupid stuff.
This has such and authentic voice to the narrative and it’s very easy to see how it has a main tag of realistic fiction.
Jamie gains some emotional maturity through the story and a few people reaching out and encouraging him along the way. This ending could have gone two very different ways, and we luckily got the hopefully one.

[Jeffrey Regan · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a 'pleasant' surprise. Hard to describe the effect of this book on this aging white fella.
So much of it reminded me of teens all over and the things they get into without thought especially hanging with their mates. The things that we have all learnt from the school of hard knocks come out here but are overlaid with the special issues that seem to affect indigenous kids in our country that make it harder for them to grow up with self esteem and chances in life.
The 'juvie' experiences described are informative and in one sense harrowing and make me angry.
However the writer here is not overly judgemental he leaves us to come up with those conclusions.
As brutally honest as Jamie is in this story especially about his anger (which he doesnt seem to know its origins but we can see with hindsight) there is very little self pity. His slow growth and hinted-at eventual brighter future are heart warming but not guaranteed.
This book, I would have to say, is well written. It educates and makes one feel and I guess react.
Will certainly send me back to his other books and anything written in the future.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent YA coming-of-age novel about a Koori teenager grappling with finding a way forward as he's caught in the youth justice system. It's a dehumanising system that continues to lock up Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kids at disproportionate rates, that sees criminals instead of children and fails at every step to provide them with meaningful support.

Drawing on his own experiences as an Aboriginal youth worker supporting kids in juvenile detention, Lonesborough paints a layered, empathetic picture of these kids, their families, their trauma and their resilience. He also digs into the intergenerational trauma of child removals, which continue to afflict Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families at a devastating rate, despite the supposed end to the Stolen Generations.

Parts of the resolution felt a little pat, but it's nonetheless an impressive book. Lonesborough is a brilliant new voice in Australian YA and I'm excited to see what he does next.

[elbow ☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is particularly relevant given that 16-year-old cleveland dodd, an indigenous boy, recently died in custody. it's fucked up that stories like this even need to exist, but it's important to recognise that they do because of the colonial system that australia still upholds. i wish more people, namely my year 6 teacher who "corrected" me when i stated that the stolen generations didn't really stop in the 1970s, but continued to this day, could read this book.

politics aside, i really enjoyed this book. i read it in about 2 days and i could barely put it down. the characters were distinctive and the dialogue was genuine. it represented emotion really well, particularly male mental health and how it often is ignored. i think that jamie's fears were expressed well, as well as his values.

gary lonesborough is a great author, and i can't wait to read more from him.

[Sarah Krause · Rating 4 out of 5]

As soon as I saw this pop up on @netgalley I knew I had to request it! I absolutely adored The Boy From The Mish – so original and stereotype breaking. YA storytelling that is not only enjoyable but also has a message with heart and a point to be made.

I admit I was a little concerned with how this topic would be handled – as it is based around a young Aboriginal boy who ends up in Youth Detention. But I needn’t have worried at all. Lonesborough handles the issues and story with sensitivity, and of course with a great deal of cultural awareness. A few of the scenes in the Detention Centre were so heartbreaking in their accuracy, as was the racism evident in the town and police and guards.

I thought it was a great read and a brilliant follow up to Boy From the Mish. I love that Lonesborough is bringing YA stories that have not been told or heard before in this format. And I love that once again he is challenging stereotypes and educating people on the ongoing issues that effect First Nations people in this Country.

I hope schools are stocking up and pressing both these books into the hands of young people of all backgrounds. This one is out July 4 and I'm predicting it will be a huge success.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Gary Lonesborough's first novel "The Boy From the Mish" so as soon as I saw this was available I picked it up without having any idea what it was about.

Once again it follows a teenage indigenous Australian boy who is struggling with who he wants to be and who he doesn't, as well as the usual racism, dodgy cops and family dramas.

It's very heartfelt and the characters, particularly Jamie the protagonist feel very real, especially when he does something he knows he shouldn't because he just can't help himself.

As long as Lonesborough continues writing books like these, I'll continue reading them.

[Judy Wollin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jamie, Lenny, and Dally are tight. They are mates who grew up in the same small town, live in the valley with the other Koori families and hang out together. Dally usually leads, and Jamie doesn’t plan much; he follows. Lenny tags along; he is not sure he wants to be there.
Mark Cassidy and Porter are heroes in their own white world. Footballers, and they have it in for Jamie, Lenny, and Dally. Mark and Porter bully Jamie at school, follow in Mark’s car and generally try to push buttons.
After a drinking session, Dally suggests that Lenny and Jamie go with him to trash Mark’s car. The consequences of this one bad decision are devastating. Can Jamie find a way forward?
I enjoyed the realism of the story. A must-read for everyone.
Recommended for readers ten years and older.

[Catherine Crow · Rating 5 out of 5]

We didn't think it through addresses so much in one little YA novel. Social struggles, racism, stereotypes & juvenile delinquency, to name a few.
There are quite a few moments that stuck with me from this book that give a truly personal insight into what it is like for Indigenous Australians.
There's a part that mentions that the stolen generation is over & a character says, it isn't over, they just got more clever about how they take us away & this book truly shows every facet of how Indigenous Australian's have the odds stacked against them.
It's an honest book and shows characters who break off the shackles of expectations & stereotypes as well as some who remain imprisoned by them. The few poems written by the MC are very raw & beautiful & Gary clearly has skills as a poet.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story needs to be shared in every Australian high school. Not only is it a fantastic coming of age story, the perspective opens up opportunities for kids to develop empathy and understanding of just how different life can be for young Aboriginal Australians.

Highly recommend for adult as well as young adult readers, especially as the media continues to portray Aboriginal people in a negative light. This story addresses the many problems of society and the justice system that Aboriginal people are up against.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really well written. Touches on subjects which aren’t spoken on enough in so called “Australia”. Lonesboroughs second book is a compliment to his first novel.

I imagine this book may not sit will with some people given the reality of racism towards Indigenous people, and Australia’s consistent denial that it happens. This book is one of the most realistic stories I’ve read in a long time yet it is approached from a somewhat delicate angle.

[Madi F · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow - what an experience. It was so different from the previous book by this author but still had its familiar flair. I was absolutely spellbound and could not put the thing down! It’s a beautiful yet gut-wrenching story. It’s something so completely unrelatable to me, but I still found myself attached to it deeply. I loved the poetic elements, it was so refreshing from the other books I’ve read recently. The constant links to other media was also a unique touch. Great work!

[Claire Shiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply brilliant. As I was approached the end of the story I started to cry. Not because of any plot twists but because I wouldn’t get to spend anymore time with the characters and because the resilience of young people, especially young First Nations people is incredible on so many levels.
This book will change lives.

[Suzanne Toomey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what a fantastically well written story! This book has heart and soul. I loved it and it is such an important story to be told in relation to our first nations people who are over represented in the juvenile justice system. It shows how one wrong turn can change your life. Engaging, fascinating and endearing. Highly recommended.

[Kathleen Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this book is fiction, I know that it is based on real events that happen on a regular basis. It’s about the generational cycle and trauma that comes from colonialism and Stolen Generations. A racist system which only perpetuates the cycle rather than prevents it.
I love Gary Lonesborough’s writing and look forward to reading more from him

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gary Lonesborough is fast becoming my new favourite YA author. This is another great story of a young Aboriginal boy trying to find his way in the world and stay on the right path despite the obstacles in his way.

[Bash · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful story about an Indigenous boy who ends up in juvie after a night with his friends goes wrong and how racism and colonialism has led him to this situation. I'd recommend this to anyone who loved The Hate U Give or Long Way Down.