The Flywheel by Erin Gough

Hardie Grant Egmont, 2015. ISBN 9781742978178
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended.
'When life throws up in your lap, find yourself a distraction.'
This novel by an up and coming Australian author Erin Gough is a well written and delightful story. The characters are cleverly crafted to be truly believable. The action is well paced and the complexities of the plot keep those pages turning.
This book is about relationships and the joy, heartbreak, misery and contentment they generate. Delilah, a self-assured homosexual, experiences young love, but suffers bullying at school. She is fiercely loyal to her friends but must make a difficult decision about the lengths to which she can take that loyalty.
'I can't believe I am sitting here. The chair is comfy, yes, but it is the very chair I've been avoiding. It is the Comfy Chair of Doom. Opposite me on her ergonomic swivel seat sits Mrs Croenberg.'
This is also the story of a relationship with school and a teacher who just does not give up on Delilah. She is a teacher who helps Delilah understand herself and provides an invitation back to schooling.
'And in this moment I am happy. I don't what's around the corner but it doesn't matter, because what I feel right now is enough.'
Very importantly, this is a story with a happy ending. The complications are resolved and there is an optimistic air to life's challenges. This book is highly recommended.
Linda Guthrie