Spiked

by Jocelyn Harewood

Steven has big problems. He can't control his rages and is haunted by his past violent behaviour, petty crime and loser mates. He's determined to clean up his act. Then he meets Jenny at a disco and they are drawn to each other. But Jenny's been hurt too often before and she has her own troubles with her health-freak mum. Can their love survive Steven's efforts to get back his life and Jenny's interfering mother. Then a life-threatening crisis changes everything. Vibrant and funny, Spiked is a rare insight into the hearts and minds of teenagers and their parents.

Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

I have lived in many places, mostly in Australia, but settled in Melbourne when I had kids, so they weren't moved everywhere like I had been. I left school at 15, worked in a laboratory, sold insurance, taught maths, wrote off-campus training manuals, then finally settled into writing as my passion. Once I think people need to know something, I can't stop writing about it. Missionary zeal, I think, as I come from a family of preachers.
Mostly I like to write about teenagers, as they often get a raw deal. So my books are called Young Adult fiction, but I really write them for parents. My next book is about how poor people don't get access to help, even though laws are written to help them.
All my work is funny. Black humour, or just bawdy. It just comes out that way. So read my next novel when it comes out to see how sexual abuse in the workplace becomes a funny book for young adults.