Title: The Whole of My World

Author: Nicole Hayes

Ease: Moderate

Rating: 5/5

I didn’t realise that this book was set in the late 80s/early 90s until the protagonist, Shelley, used a scrunchy to put her hair up. The mention of Jason Donovan was the next hint. The story though, of girl grieving for the life she lost and looking desperately for a future, is timeless.

The Whole of My World is beautifully written and transports the reader into the passionate world of Australian Rules Football, a world that Shelley Brown is seeking refuge in after the death of her mother two years earlier, and changing to a private Catholic school where she has only managed to make a single, equally troubled, friend.

I’m far from an AFL fan but the strong Aussie voice and heart-rending story kept me turning pages to find out how Shelley would solve her problems and find a way to restart her life.

A really enjoyable read, especially for young adult women looking for a different sort of protagonist.