Butterfly (novel)
Butterfly is a 2009 young adult fiction novel by Sonya Hartnett about the troubled adolescence of Plum Coyle, set in 1980s Australian suburbia.[1]
 First edition | |
| Author | Sonya Hartnett |
|---|---|
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Young adult novel |
| Publisher | Hamish Hamilton |
Publication date | 2 April 2009 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 224 pp (paperback, first edition) |
| ISBN | 978-0-241-14446-6 (paperback, first edition) |
| OCLC | 297800574 |
| Preceded by | The Ghost's Child |
| Followed by | The Midnight Zoo |
Plot
Plum Coyle is on the edge of adolescence. Her fourteenth birthday is approaching, when her old life and her old body will fall away, and she will become graceful, powerful, and at ease. The strength of the objects she stores in a briefcase under her bed —a crystal lamb, a yoyo, an antique watch, a coin —will make sure of it. Over the next couple of weeks, Plum’s life will change. Her beautiful neighbor Maureen will begin to show Plum how she might fly. The older brothers she adores will court catastrophe in worlds that she barely knows exist. And her friends, her worst enemies, will tease and test, smelling weakness. They will try to lead her on and take her down.
Hartnett uses the suburban landscape as inspiration for many of her books, including Butterfly.[2]
Awards and nominations
- 2009 shortlisted The Age Book of the Year Award — Fiction Prize
- 2009 highly commended The Fellowship of Australian Writers Victoria Inc. National Literary Awards — FAW Christina Stead Award
- 2009 shortlisted Colin Roderick Award
- 2010 shortlisted Miles Franklin Literary Award
References
- Greenlaw, Lavinia (2009-06-05). "Blooming youth". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
- McEvoy, Marc (2012-04-28). "There's no place like home". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2023-06-01.