Tracks Author Channa Wickremesekera By Channa Wickremesekera
Traxnyc
Shehan has a crush on Robbie his friend and classmate Robbie is straight and finds Shehan s advances unsettling But then that is all Robbie has going for him in his turbulent life And when they both realise that it is already too late Wickremesekera weaves this bleak tale with a fine ear for the language and s of young people and leavens the inevitable sadness and tragedy with a sardonic wit and an honest take on adolescent sexuality Michael Cooke Greenleft Weekly Australia The first person narrative powerfully immerses the reader into Shehan s point of view This engages us to inhabit his perspective taking us past the point of judgment or personal distaste latent homophobia or prejudice against violent yobbo delinquent youth Devika Brendon Ceylon Today Tracks Author Channa WickremesekeraShehan is an Aussie born teenager to Sri Lankan parents His family can be considered well to do middle class in the city of Melbourne Just like any other 16 year olds he has issues The biggest seems to be his sexual orientation Shehan doesn t have many friends but he belongs to a group of misfits who hangs out by the rail tracks after school He has a crush on the Gang Leader Robbie A blond athletic boy coming from a working class family background However Robbie has a girlfriend Plus Robbie has far serious issues like Domestic violence and abuse to worry his head over Shehan s crush. Tracksmith Finally I m so glad to read about a regular coming of age story by a migrant author which has nothing to do with Sri Lanka s ethnic conflict Everything happens in the Australian suburb where Shehan and his friends live And there are no unnecessary Sri Lankan references either It s a story about friendship love heartache and class issues The story isn t a literary masterpiece but it serves well for the target audience of Young Adults Keeps the reader engaged till the end Channa Wickremesekera About half way through reading this book I picked up my pencil and started making corrections I do not usually mark the books I m reading in any way even if they are destined for the Op Shop I like the next reader to enjoy the book free from my observations about it But this book is not ready for publication and should never have been sent to me for review I felt as if I were back in the classroom wearily marking up writing and rehearsing what I would say to my student have you re read this very carefully as you are supposed to before bringing it for me to read It is such a pity because Tracks has such great potential I have read Channa Wickremesekera s work before see my review of Asylum and liked it very much And that is why against my better judgement I broke my own rules and agreed to review a self published book. Tracks troops Tracks begins well but it needs a good editor The story explores the sexual identity of Shehan a middle class teenager of Sri Lankan heritage He has a crush on a troubled student called Robbie who has been expelled from countless schools because of his violent temper Robbie is not gay but he likes Shehan not least because Shehan tries to help him get away from his violent father. Tracksmith The novel paints a convincing picture of a gay adolescent facing the dilemmas of falling in love with someone who is straight The first person voice is pitch perfect and Shehan s struggle to reconcile his head and his heart when things get out of control is engaging But when Shehan eventually realises the dangerous risks of his friendship with this very violent young man and recognises that he is compromising his own academic future as well Wickremesekera undercuts his own theme by having his convincing gay character suddenly fall for a girl An editor would have sorted out this flaw in the novel s trajectory either by dispensing with the girl character replacing her with another gay character or by making Shehan much less certain of his sexuality early in the novel As it is the book is a wasted opportunityTo read the rest of my review please visit almost rated this book with one star because the production values are so unsatisfactory but it is a story that has potential and it did keep me interested almost to the end Channa Wickremesekera TRACKS Channa WickremesekeraThe confident assured style of writing allows the reader to dive right into Tracks and the often impenetrable world of youth. Traxsource The story revolving around Shehan and Robbie and their small group of mongrel school friends is confronting yet plausible The time frame of year 12 of high school gives the story focus. Tracks pub menu Taking on the point of view of a young adult is challenging as anyone who has had anything to do with students sitting for the HSC will attest Shehan is on the threshold of adulthood he is confused about so many aspects of his life When Robbie arrives this is compounded on many levels as Shehan questions his sexuality where he belongs in the scheme of things and where his future lies All of this is captured sensitively and credibly The inner life of Shehan reveals the tension and the way in which he is tugged this way and that The comparison between his life and Robbie s is stark and compelling. Book tracks by robyn davidson I particularly enjoyed the Buddhist philosophy that is interwoven into the narrative as Shehan s parents do their best to guide their son without insisting on a particular path that he should take They do not approve of his actions and associations yet they make it clear that it is his life and the choices he makes will have consequences for him and for others Again the contrast between the approach of Shehan s parents and the angry violent punishment meted out by Robbie s father brings Robbie s plight into high relief It s a study in family psychology as well as rite of passage yet this strengthens rather than detracts from the absorbing narrative The ending is inevitable and the author doesn t shy away from portraying the shocking brutality that cuts short the life of a youth exposed to ruthless violence in a dysfunctional family There are no easy solutions no moralising and no judgements made I wish it could be prescribed reading for politicans and child welfare services A great read Highly recommended Sharon Rundle Sharon Rundle has published books short stories essays and articles She has co edited three Indo Australian anthologies published in Australia and India in 2010 2012 2014 She completed a Doctorate of Creative Arts in 2016 Sharon is Chair of the UTS Writers Alumni and served on the Board of Directors of the NSW Writers Centre She is a professional member of the Institute of Professional Editors the Society of Editors NSW Inc Copyright Agency Limited CAL the Australian Society of Authors ASA a life member of the Indian Association for the Study of Australia and a founding member of Asia Pacific Writers and Translators Channa Wickremesekera
| Tracks Author Channa Wickremesekera By Channa Wickremesekera |
| 0646932713 |
| 9780646932712 |
| English |
| 156 |
| Paperback |
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