South Austrailan author Vikki Wakefield takes a gritty look at the cycle of poverty in
This Is How We Change the Ending. How people get stuck there ... and what it takes to break free. Nate McKee is a high schooler living with his dad in a Housing Trust flat in a fictional South Australian town. He shares a room with his half brothers, three year old twins, because his dad is currently using his bedroom for a hydro crop that will (supposedly) make them rich. The only support Nate has is from his stepmum Nance, who is just eight years older than him and has her own struggles with poverty, an abusive husband and the twins, one of whom has additional needs and the other who is already showing signs of turning out like his dad. His best mate is becoming a criminal. Nate's only solace is his notebook, where he records his feelings and the local youth centre, but after a violent incident, it appears that the centre will be closed. Then a local graffiti artist finds Nate's notebook and decides to use his words to make a difference, setting off a chain of events that might just lead to a path that creates change.
This Is How We Change the Ending is a gritty and real look at poverty. How some people get stuck at the bottom. And how real change can only come when people stand united and stand up not just for themselves but for others. This was not always the easiest of reads. I found it a bit tough going in places and my heart broke over and over again for Nate and for Nance. The ending is an incredibly powerful one.
Compelling. Highly recommended.
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