Billy wakes up to find himself hangover and curled up in a tight ball at the back of a bus with his right cheek stuck to the vinyl seat. He untangles himself and steps off the bus to discover that he is in a desert far, far away from everything familiar to him. He is aware that he needs to get home, but soon he is to discover that he no longer knows where home is.......

To say that I loved this book is an understatement. It was unlike any book that I've ever read. An adventure story with elements of mysticism and self-discovery mixed with aboriginal culture on a backdrop of the red sands of Alice Springs, Australia. As the book progressed, the writing just kept getting better and better.

I would challenge anyone not to love this book as much as I did. Just wonderful.

Many thanks to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC, for which I have given a voluntary and unbiased review.

I liked the cover, the title, the concept. The execution, though, left much to be desired. The story is a very straight forward narrative of a young part Aborigines man who, after getting much too drunk before his wedding, wakes up to find himself in a small native village and gets an opportunity to reestablish his connection with his hereditary origins via some friendly locals and a spirit guide. While I was looking forward to learning more about the Australian indigenous culture from historical and anthropological perspectives, this book didn't really offer that or, at least, not much of it, concentrating instead on a very heavy handed morality tale that, although very well intended, came across jejune in every aspect, from overly plain writing to overly simplified pathos. The book comes across very young, much like its protagonist, though the author isn't, the lack of maturity and dimensionality seems either a choice or an ability limitation. It is perfectly readable and even mildly entertaining story, but not much more than that. One sitting quick afternoon thing soon to be forgotten. Thanks Netgalley.