You're the kind of girl I write songs about by Daniel Herborn

HarperCollins, 2015. ISBN 9780732299507
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Set in Sydney's inner west, this is the story of Tim and Mandy.
Mandy is well into her gap year and is accomplishing not much. She's restless and wants to do something with her life - she just doesn't know what that might be yet. Enter Tim, who is trying to finishing school (in Year 13) and is an aspiring song writer and musician. He has a mysterious past. Where are his parents? Why does he live with his uncle?
This is a slow-paced novel told in chapters alternating between the point of view of Tim and Mandy. This gives the reader the opportunity to appreciate the qualities of the characters (such as the way Mandy gives meals to a homeless man she sees regularly).
'I unwrap the parcel and it's a mixtape Tim has made for me. Cute boys making me mixtapes has always been my sad secret fantasy, the thing I'm too cool to admit I wanted.'
The book is infused with the essence of Sydney, the Australian music scene and includes mentions of artists and bands that have the reader searching the Internet for more information. This book is about love and friendship, with the sensitive writing giving insight into how the characters think and about how they feel about each other. There is much to relate to in this book.
Linda Guthrie