Black Painted Fingernails

Black Painted Fingernails

3.53 of 5 stars 3.53  ·  rating details  ·  134 ratings  ·  28 reviews
A captivatingstory of tender new friendship and self-discoveryfrom the author of Kissing Annabel

"How about we toss a coin? Heads, it's west and a lift. Tails, it's still west, but no lift."

James is heading into the country on his first teacher-training round when a mysterious girl asks him for a ride. Sophie has him all worked out: "You live with your parents and they boug...more
Paperback, 216 pages
Published June 10th 2011 by Allen & Unwin
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Community Reviews

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Shirley Marr
In this instance, my three star rating means exactly that: for me this was an average book.

And I don't mean that as a bad thing. It's not a bad book. It passes all the criteria. It's just not great either. When I say it's a boy-meets-girl road trip novel - the first things that pop into your head about what you think it is... well, it's exactly that.

Boy is trying to get away from his parents. A wild, mysterious girl shows up at the gas station and asks for a lift. Boy is attracted to girl. Girl...more
kate.o.d
in steven herrick's newest book, published a couple of months ago now, student teacher james is heading to a country town for his very first teaching experience. ostensibly, james is ready - he's got the job, somewhere to stay (and all paid up), he's got the keys to a bmw and a healthy cut lunch for the drive.

luckily for the reader, who might be despairing at this point for james' lack of imagination and sense of adventure, he stops to fill up with petrol and is somehow conned into giving sophie...more
ALPHAreader
With the toss of a coin James finds himself with company on his way to the country. Sophie with her black fingernails and slipping black dress is going as far as James can take her.

While James is leaving home for the first time, Sophie is returning after a long absence.

Along the way they’ll share laughs, burgers and secrets.

‘Painted Black Fingernails’ is the new young adult novel from Australian author Steven Herrick.

James and Sophie’s story is based on the assumption that you can always open...more
Braiden
Black Painted Fingernails by Australian author Steven Herrick was a quick one to two day read, encompassing one’s struggle to be who we want to be and do what we want to do despite the pressures inflicted from others. If you’re having trouble finding your purpose in life, then this is a story for you. Many teens can relate easily to the characters that are introduced in this novel.

James and Sophie are well developed characters coming from two very different lives and families. James’ mother is v...more
Jess - The Tales Compendium
This is a story about a boy searching for freedom, and a girl returning from hers. I love Aussie fiction, road-trips, new friendships, awkward male leads and confident females, so this was already a book for me before I even opened the first page.

It is a story that heavily highlights the pressure parents can put on their children rather than letting them choose the path they would like to take themselves which I think is a common issue for teenagers, and parents, alike. There were times I couldn...more
Holly
I wanted to like this so much. It started off promising, and the writing was readable enough. But it lacked the essence to make me go "wowsers" and the ending felt unresolved and messy.
When Sophie first comes on the scene, I immediately think MPDG. You know, that kind of female character. Think Alaska Young, think Zooey Deschanel, think the bodacious wild girl who cannot be tamed. I fell into the familiarity of her character, pleasantly surprised with the soft, caring element of her personality....more
Isamlq
Black Fainted Fingernails would have been ordinary save for two moments that I found positively honest. The story itself swings from James , on his way to becoming a teacher, to Sophie, on her way home, to Michael, who wants nothing more than to have his son break out, just be, and finally, to Angela, who’s having the hardest of times in letting her son go.

Road Trip. As usual there’s the meeting of new AND a slow progression towards getting to know who you’re with. Here, every single one of the...more
Steve lovell
Herrick just gets better. His last, 'Slice', was touchingly superb, but this offering matches it.
'Black Painted Fingernails' is a journey a young man makes over a couple of days to a vocational destination somewhere in the dusty, gritty NSW outback. Shortly after embarking Sophie inveigles a lift with him, and the world changes. As with 'Slice', this is a novel of love - between parents and an indulged son (as well as between themselves), between a daughter and her father, and between a teenage...more
Rebecca
When I read the blurb I was like ‘Awesome! I’ve heard great things about this author and I love road trip books! What could be better! ’ While I did enjoy it, I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would.


The book is mainly told in James’s and Sophie’s POV, however is sometimes told through the parents eyes.
My favourite aspect about this book was how, the author, Steven Herrick, described the scenes, characters and surroundings.


A snippet from the book:
*She enjoys driving; the creases around he...more
Lauren Murphy
James is off on his first road trip into the country to take up a six week training placement. He leaves behind his anxious mother and drives off in the BMW gifted to him by his father. James has gone through life doing the right thing, pleasing his parents, going to University and living a relatively predictable life. When James picks up Sophie, a young mysterious hitchhiker his life begins to take a different route. Sophie is a troubled young woman who has been running from her past and has ta...more
Marianne
Black Painted Fingernails is the 6th book by Australian writer Steven Herrick. The story starts with James Spalding, a student teacher, setting out west to the town of Hillston for his first teacher-training round. He’s setting out with a cut lunch from his mother, Angela, a gleaming new red BMW M3 from Michael, his dad (a well-off surgeon) and also with a definite lack of enthusiasm. Sophie, owner of the Black Painted Fingernails, is twenty-one, looks gorgeous, wild and unconventional and is hi...more
Belle
It's going to be hard for me to review Black Painted Fingernails because a) I've had reviewer's block which means b) I read this over a month ago, but also because c) It was a very "meh" book for me. I didn't hate it but I didn't love it - it was just OK.

James does everything right. Despite being an adult at uni, he's still very much a mummy's boy. He does what his parents want him to do and never puts a foot wrong. Until a random, wild girl named Sophie ambushes her way into his car (and, predi...more
Preet
This book was not for me, though I don't think it was a bad book. The characters were relatable with James, a man finally leaving the nest and Sophie, a somewhat wild and rebellious girl who lives her life on her own terms. However, I can't say I ever really liked either of them. They were just there. That's how the whole book was for me. I never felt like I was enjoying or hating it, it was just something to pass the time with.


Having the author also write with more of an Australian culture mad...more
Tammy
Black Painted Fingernails is a breathtaking novel of the past and future. James and Sophie just want to figure out what they want to do in their future, which is not easy when James’s mother is controlling and his father goes along with her, and it isn’t any better for Sophie when her mother left when she was in primary school and she hasn’t seen her father since she ran away from home due to her brother assaulting her. But when James gives Sophie a lift to her hometown, they both seem to finall...more
Steph
I discovered Steven Herrick when working as a school librarian, and just loved his simple yet lyrical style and bitter-sweet storylines. "A Simple Gift" is my favourite. This latest book was no disappointment, and I think it would be a shame if it were limited to the Young Adult market. Poignant, thought-provoking and tender.
Ernie
The ever-reliable Steven Herrick moves from his usual verse form into prose in this fast moving road story set in the NSW countryside. Herrick understands older adolescents and here he moves his convincing characters into their twenties. He writes really well about the tentativeness of boy-girl relationships.
Andrew
Read this book in just under 2 days. Started off a little slow but really got me hooked a few chapters in. Characters were great and the way the chapters flow with the presence and the past gives you a great understanding of the characters and the story as a whole.

Really enjoyed this one. 5/5
Kate Gordon
I've had the same favourite books since I was a teenager. This is the first book in maybe ten years that has seriously challenged my list! Totally, totally sublime.
Annabelle
did not mean to rate....
A Thousand Words Festival
I really enjoyed Black Painted Fingernails. It's the first time I have actually read Steven Herrick (although I'm well aware I should have read him earlier!) and his prose is so wonderful. Although the main characters are are couple of years out of high school, the struggles that they are going through as they gain confidence in their identities will resonate with all readers, and the idea of falling (and re-falling) in love at any point in your life will ring true to anyone who has ever experie...more
Zazou
Na de drie vorige boeken van Herrick in dichtvorm te hebben gelezen waren mijn verwachtingen zeer gespannen over zijn nieuwe roman.
Ik denk dat het boek helemaal nog zo gek niet is als je de voorgaande boeken van Herrick nooit gelezen hebt, maar mij viel het nogal tegen. Ik vond het erg vlak, terwijl bijvoorbeeld zijn boek "Aan de rivier" in weinig woorden precies de goede snaar wist te raken.
Crowinator
Actual rating: 2.5 stars
Gemma
Sep 18, 2011 Gemma added it
This book is really good as it has two sides to the story. It can get a bit confusing but it is worth it. Rating it 5 out of 5
Christine Bongers
Life and happiness can turn on the toss of a coin. A lovely, affirming story by a writer who just keeps getting better. If you liked Herrick's last YA novel "Slice", you'll love this. I know I did.
Designer Girl;)
Ahaha... I didn't really know what this book was about when I picked it up at my school library, but it turned out to be such a great book:)
JusMe
I enjoyed this road trip book. Getting to know James, Sophie and their family was great.
Lexi Vance
Is that Phoebe Tonkin on the cover?
Mikayla
Jun 14, 2013 Mikayla marked it as to-read
Anita
Jun 14, 2013 Anita marked it as to-read
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Zwartgelakte nagels (Paperback)
Black Painted Fingernails (ebook)
Zwartgelakte nagels
Black Painted Fingernails (Large Print 16pt)
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