Letters from the Inside

Mandy and Tracey are two Australian teenagers who become pen pals, writing about the preoccupations of adolescence. However, things are never what they seem in this epistolary novel as it becomes clear that the 'inside' of the title refers both to internalised values and feelings and, for Tracey, to life behind bars. The shocks do not end here: the ending closely resembles Cormier's heart-stopping sting-in-the-tail approach, as the full horror of what has happened to both girls slowly dawns. Make this available to readers in Year 9 upwards: exposure to such masterly storytelling will enrich their own writing and experience.