Wow! This book blew me away. Edgy, raw and poignant, this has everything. Four schoolgirls in mid 90s small-town Australia form a band through their love of Nirvana. Their lead singer, Lily, walks out and disappears and mystery surrounds their music teacher after he is arrested.

The writing is exceptional. Although set years ago this contains very current issues including the poverty that surrounds the girls, the people they trust and sources close to them. It's sad and brilliant and I urge you to read it.

Thank you for my advanced copy.

This was like nothing I've read before. I loved the pace and the narrative device of it being by a group of young women. The style and voice was strong and absorbing. It's a great picture of childhood neglect and poverty and how children fight back. Really.clever concept that's perfectly executed. I like the theme of music as a redemption and escape, too

A propulsive, original read, full of heart, anger and grunge.

I read this so fast - I was so absorbed in the world and minds of these girls. I loveddd how they come across as a kind of hive mind, with the use of "we" pronouns rather than "I" and "me," really hammering home how close they are and how much they rely on one another. The girls felt so real, while indistinct from each other, but it works because of the hive mind vibe. The plot is great, and I was invested in every aspect of it. I wanted their band to succeed, I wanted them to solve the mystery of their friend Lily, I wanted to know why they stopped being friends, and more that I won't get into because of spoilers.

In Bloom is a 90's period piece, which feels strange to say since it wasn't even that long ago. But it captures the feeling of the decade. The phenomenon of Nirvana and the event of Kurt Cobain's death grounds the novel in time.

The ending just felt a bit strange to me, but not necessarily in a bad way? I didn't really see it coming, and it wasn't explored too much by the end of the book. It leaves you feeling a bit shocked, a bit incomplete. But I suppose that's what the girls feel.