This Australian novel was a complete surprise! It was a very pleasant one too. This book starts with a dead boy, and over the course of a novel that deals with unrequited love, abuse, neglect, sexuality, bullying, prejudice, death and suicide we find another boy who learns how to live. Living is not without pain and I would not describe this book as a happy one, but one that will stay with me for a very long time. There are moments of pure joy in the book and characters who become the readers’ friends along the way. The writing in this novel creates characters who we have all known, or thought we knew, and it makes the reading experience incredibly personal even if you did not fit one of the character types yourself.

One of the most lovely parts of the book is how we learn the characters’ backstories. Instead of long explanations that seem disconnected from the forming and dissolving friendships we learn in a way that is much like organic nature of real friendships. I would recommend this book to almost anyone who has an open mind, a heart, and the ability to be surprised.

Thank you Meg Gatland-Veness and Netgalley for a copy of this title.
Wow THIS is my #1 Book of The Year.
To be honest I really cannot recall why this ended up on my reading list. I didn't know anything about the storyline, where it was set or what age this was written for. This beautiffully written Aussie set book had me hooked from the first page. As I didn't know where I was being taken, the storyline was a complete shock to me but it was written so tenderly that I didn't pause for a moment.
The biggest shock was that this was written by a young woman. Meg - Kudos to you for this absolutely beautiful book. You are on my watch list now x

I Had Such Friends was a wonderful story about youth in a small Australian town. It tackled tough high school issues such as bullying, sexuality, poverty, abuse, suicide and death. It bought out lots of emotion in me. As a parent of a not to far away high school son and a daughter who struggles with friendships, this one really hit a chord for me.

I Had Such Friends is a YA book but absolutely speaks to older adults too. This book is wonderfully written and very relevant to today's society. It tackles some tough subjects and has very likeable characters that you care about. I would love to read a sequel and see how these tennis life's have evolved.

This book will s set in rural Australia and centres on the life of teenagers who are discovering who they are and where they fit into the world. It starts with the popular boy Charlie being killed in a car accident. Hamish, the second least popular boy in school does think it will affect him but little does he know the chain of events about to happen. Charlie's girlfriend was the popular and prettiest girl at school Annie. Annie starts to notice Hamish. At the sameness time the rebel and outsider boy Peter also befriends him. Charlie is an innocent boy, son of cabbage farmers. His life is finally starting to become more than school and the farm.. but is he ready for it?

This is a very emotional book which deals with a lot of tough subjects... grief, love, sexuality, abuse, bullying and general teenagers growing up. Thanks to Pantera Press and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased

A moving story about teenagers in a small town in Australia, this emotional novel reminded me just how awful adolescence was, and made me so grateful, yet again, that I don’t have children, as it would be so hard helplessly watching them survive it all - endlessly worrying that they may not.

Hamish Day is the son of poor cabbage farmers, and the second most unpopular kid in school. His only friend, Martin, is even more despised - even by Hamish. When the most popular boy, Charlie, is killed in a car crash, Hamish doesn’t think it will affect him, but then Peter, the school rebel and football star, invites him to hang out together, and Charlie’s girlfriend Annie, the most beautiful girl in his year, asks him on a date. Bewildered, but hopeful that finally he has some defence against the bullies, and his crushing loneliness, he opens himself up to love and friendship. It’s best to go in to this not knowing too much more.

This is a YA book that works equally well for adults (well this adult, anyway.) Teenagers these days have even more to deal with than we did, although some issues are eternal - cliques, dysfunctional families, bullying, the conflict of wanting to be cool but wanting to succeed academically as the ticket out...
The writing was eloquent and the characters realistic. Hamish’s relentless self-deprecation and self-pity, even though he knows he’s not the only one suffering, were tiresome but accurate, but you still care what happens to him. He’s pretty awful to poor Martin, and admits it, but doesn’t know how to be any different - the terrible part of growing up.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Please note the ARC format is not suitable for Kindle and requires Adobe Digital Edition to read.

I went to read this book which I had downloaded, o my to find it was only metadata and has been archived so I can't redownload

<b><i>"...I saw you standing there and you looked so separate from everyone around you.  You looked how I felt."</i></b>

Meg Gatland-Vaness, a young Australian author has delivered a terrific debut YA novel with I Had Such Friends.          There was much to enjoy about her story even though it covered topics that have been addressed many times before.

Hamish is a 17 year old high schooler in rural Australia.   His family is strapped for cash - often the plight for our farmers - and this was made evident in the small details about the state of their home, the lack of luxuries, the need for thrift.  His home life is quiet as he and his parents have retreated into themselves following a family tragedy.    He seriously lacks confidence, has only one friend (who is perhaps more nerdy than himself) and is bullied often at school.   That is until he is befriended by one of the cool footballer kids, and the prettiest girl in the school.   However things are not necessarily what they appear, secrets abound and things do not work out for the best.

Covering all manner of themes including grief, domestic violence, emeging sexuality, friendship, bullying and suicide this was a moving story.       I'll admit I predicted several of the bigger events - hoping to be wrong because I cared about these characters - but this did not detract from the story.   At times I felt Hamish's self deprecation was a little overdone but then I'd recall my own angst ridden years, the uncertainties and fears felt by many teens and could only empathise.

Though it's decades since I was in the target market for YA fiction I continue to take great pleasure from this genre and I Had Such Friends was no exception.     Sincere thanks and congratulations to Meg Gatland-Vaness, Pantera Press and NetGalley for the opportunity of reading this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! A fantastic insight into the life of Hamid Day. Some unexpected twists and turns, while leaving the reader eager for more. This gripping book doesnt fear away from tackling a variety of taboo’s and stereotypes in high schools. It addresses real life problems in today’s society and provides an avenue of support for children who may have gone through similar experiences. A very well written book - I am eager for more!

Hamish is a high school senior making his way through the last year of high school. He has only one friend. A student at his school just died tragically in a car accident. His name was Charlie.

Annie was Charlie's girlfriend. Or so we thought. Annie befriends Hamish and a relationship (platonic) begins. They become very close, even closer than Hamish's only friend Martin. Where will this go with Annie? Hamish is confused.

Things are even more confusing when Peter, the school jock, begins a friendship with Hamish. This is where in the story things really start to explode. You will have to read to find out.

I found this story to be very realistic. It was well written and very detailed. I would recommend this story for older more mature students.

I tried multiple devices and multiple formats for this book and I still couldn't download it on any eReader. I don't know if it's just my phone and computer but I was not able to read this book and cannot review it. It sounded like it had a lot of promise though, just sadly couldn't download it.

Easy read. Beginning starts out so slow, finally picks up 3/4 way through. Unfortunately, I do believe HS life was depicted honestly and realistically in this book. Heartbreaking.

3.5 Stars for this ARC,(thanks to NetGalley and Pantera Press). Opinion is my own.

High School is brutal, especially for kids like Hamish...poor, skinny, no friends. But, things are not always what they seem. This book starts out slow, then moves quickly over half way through. Abrupt ending. So many topics being dealt with....bullying, child abuse, neglect, death, homophobia. As a parent of a HS child, my heart broke for these kids. So many secrets and no adults to help them navigate life issues. Set in Australia, the author does a good job of describing the surroundings and situations.

‘It was scary having someone know the things that made you vulnerable.’

This YA novel is set in a small town somewhere in rural Australia, where Hamish Day lives with his parents on a struggling cabbage farm. Hamish Day is seventeen years old when Charlie Parker dies. Unlike Hamish, who only has one friend, Charlie was popular. Charlie’s girlfriend, Annie Bower, is the prettiest girl in the school. Hamish and his friend Martin Archer are on the periphery: bullied and ridiculed, surviving. But things change for Hamish after Charlie Parker dies. Peter Bridges, school rebel, becomes friendly with him, as does Annie Bower.

To write more about the plot may reduce the impact of the story on those yet to read it. Be warned, there are a number of confronting issues here, including abuse, grief, suicide, and grappling with sexual identity. The story unfolds in the self-conscious and occasionally awkward voice of Hamish, and it took me a little while to get into the rhythm of the narrative. But the further I read, the more realistic Hamish’s voice became for me. I was returned at times to my own teenage years, to my own recognition of many of these issues. I was reminded of how painful the journey of self-discovery can be, of how our teenaged sense of self is influenced and develops.

Hamish has a lot to learn, and much of that learning will be painful for him. Can we ever make the transition through adolescence to adulthood less fraught, less painful? I found much of this novel sad, but not without hope. I wonder how the young adults reading it feel?

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Pantera Press for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

I Had Such Friends follows Hamish; a farm kid who, quite frankly, only has one friend. He's on the bottom of the high-school-foodchain, just above his friend Martin. When one of the popular kids crashes in a carcrash and dies, things seem to change.. A loner in school suddenly seeks out his attention and for some reason, the dead kids girlfriend starts to talk to Hamish..

In this story we see how much things can change, how important support is for people and how important it is to have people around you who'd catch you if you fall. Without spoiling some of the big parts in this story, I'd like to state that this might be a very important read for people who don't exactly know where they stand in life.. Relationship-wise and people who love reading about that kind of stuff.

This one is right up there for me. It is the kind of voice I love and I'd personally call this a cross-over novel, one that works for adults and YA. It is set in a small Australian town where people play footy, surf and the culture of bloke is at it's peak. It is tough to stand out in this place. You fit or you don't. If you don't you'll be picked on and persecuted and made to pay. Hamish is a poor, skinny kid who has nothing cool about him. The story takes place over Hamish's last year of high school. His only friend, Martin, whom he really doesn't like but you've got to talk to someone, is even more hideously uncool. Hamish has been stuck with him by default even though he can't stand him.

At the start we are told that Charlie one of the schools most popular guys has been killed in a car crash which also involved the utterly gorgeous Annie, the school sweetheart, most beautiful creature who ever walked the earth. Annie has survived and emerged sad and lonely. Hamish has worshiped her from afar but always known that he has no chance with her. She and Charlie are the school elite, but now Charlie is dead and everything is different. Change is on the way, one day Peter the school bad kid, gives Hamish a ride home from school and everything starts to happen. Peter and Hamish become the kind of friends who don't talk about anything but spend time together and gradually gradually they begin to build a relationship. At the same time Hamish and Annie are becoming girlfriend and boyfriend and Hamish has gone from untouchable to being in demand. But all is not what it seems.

This book is about relationships, attitudes, sexual tension and racism. You have so much in here! I loved Peter, I loved him so much more than Hamish and what happens to him is horrific. I loved so much about this book but I admit that it isn't perfect. There are some problems with the writing in places. And I really had a problem with Annie, she seems to be almost unnecessary to the story other than a bit player. I loved the relationship with Hamish and his parents and could totally see that playing out. I thought the sex was really well written too. There are problems but overall I thoroughly loved the story and the way that the scenes felt so realistic. I loved Hamish struggling to keep up with Peter at the beach with the way he pondered lying to his parents.

I'd love to see this book in lots of small town libraries, it is shocking and I think quite realistic in the way the casual homophobia is visited upon teenagers. It is certainly not a hopeful book. The actions of the teenagers and their rage against Peter and Hamish is horrific to read. It makes you understand why country Australians race to the big cities to reinvent themselves as gay people. I know this happens in every country! I read this at the time that I watched Hannah Gadsby and her Nannette show and possibly that is why is resonated so strongly with me.

I'm going to be buying and recommending this book. Possibly with a tighter review than this, as I've got a bit statementy here!

If you are a fan of Jasper Jones and books by Scot Gardner then this book is going to work for you.

Thanks to Netgalley for access to this book.

I really enjoyed this book in spite of the sad parts. Hamish, a high school senior in Australia, is the narrator and he is funny and honest. HE tells it like it is. I wish he had a better self-image because he called himself a loser constantly, which obviously he wasn't. He has one best friend and he lives with his parents on a remote cabbage farm. This is the story of how he made new friends through a series of events that happen in his life. A classmate dies, another classmate starts talking to him and hanging out with him out of the blue and a girl asks him out. I don't want to ruin the story because even though the book is short, a lot happens. Hamish learns to love and be loved and how to have other friends and succeed whereas before he was just kind of stuck in a rut. He is a great character, soooo funny and sarcastic and does not sugar-coat his life before his new friends or after. Definitely worth reading! Tackles some tough subjects like suicide, sexuality, loneliness, alcoholism and child sexual abuse. Honest and real.

Content Warning: suicide

This story has been told many times over and it never ceases to be heartbreaking. Yet, does it make any insightful contributes on the correlation of the LGBTQ+ community and negative mental health due to society's poor treatment of them? I'm hard press to say that this book handles the material outside of the normal depiction of it already circulating.

Hamish Day is a kid who obsesses over gender norms and makes frequent remarks criticizing himself. Referring to how he talks to how he looks, he constantly compares himself to a girl. Obviously, in a way that's meant to be an insult. Gathering clues, you can discern that he has been bullied and these are labels that society has given which he internalizes. It's an intriguing portrayal of toxic masculinity and insecurity.

His home is a place filled with grief as his parents largely ignore him consumed by a tragic event. Martin, a fellow loser, is his only friend that he barely tolerates. This is a character who doesn't illicit sympathy. He lies to his parents, ghosts his friend in favor of newer, cooler people. He hates himself so much that you also hate him, too. Overall, the narrative can be abrupt and disconnected like random thoughts strung together. All of this gives an animated quality despite his social anxiety or maybe because of it. In addition, I can't always tell when he's joking so some of the shit he says is off-putting even more so because he actually believes it. For example, Hamish's idea of a gay person involves stereotypes which he safely thinks he has avoided. Innocuous behaviors like checking your nails fall into scrutiny. It's hard to read this bullshit but misinformation leads to unfair judgements.

He also lacks self awareness but is semi-conscious of how he's perceived and a bit cynical. Sometimes Hamish would say things such as,

"I had no funny little quirks like a boy in a book might do; one who secretly collected yellow clothes because they reminded him of the sun and piled it up on his wardrobe so that on rainy days he could open the doors and let the sunshine fall into his room. No, as you well know by now, I was not that kind of boy. "
I was fucking dying at this bit because it came out of nowhere. How delusional are you to personify who you desperately want to be in the form of ridicule. This is basically all bullies to an extent. Hamish finds comfort that as long as there's someone lower on the social scale he can explain his own bullying. Despite having outward markers of someone totally insecure, he shows his vulnerability whenever he talks about his dead sister and cries often. It's nice to see that. Hamish seems to regard his life as uninteresting offering an entry into the lives of others he finds more fantastic given that the story opens not about him but about Charlie Parker.

However, the ending was rushed and doesn't explore much in the way of depression and sexuality. I think other books like More Happy than Not or Dante and Aristotle Discover the Secrets of the Universe have handled this topic infinitely better. It's just frustrating to have a meaningless death be justified like it is here. The bullies cry and the parents are hysterical turning the death into tiny spectacle. At least the author attached materials about where to get help, but I wonder if it's enough (it's at the very end, hope you don't miss it).

P.S. What's up with Annie and why did anyone think that was a good decision to shove in an obligatory hetero third wheel?

This book covers issues faced by today's youth, such as sexuality, suicide, grief and homophobia in a deep, dark way through an investigation of student's death. However, there was so much covered in so little time that it felt like an overwhelming block of information, losing the quality and development of the plot and the characters. This is not to say that the coverage of these isn't appreciated - it is, definitely - but while things hit home and pulled me in all kinds of emotional directions, it was like reaching for strands but finding my hands empty. Perhaps if it was longer, it would have read better for me.

The characters were alright, but I didn't take to Hamish at first. I only found him tolerable after 70% of the plot, but it was too late to really draw me in. I mostly disliked his actions, but he did manage to redeem himself towards the end. He was...just alright, in the end.

The plot was okay, the writing, too. It definitely had potential, but it wasn't for me.

This book covered some heavy topics, and I love that the back matter of the book included awareness messaging and information about suicide prevention organizations in Australia (where the book will be published). These seniors in high school go through a lot, and everyone is not as they seem (I know that’s a horror cliché but I really just mean that the one-dimensional stereotypes people present hide the complicated, multifaceted person they really are, and this book wandered that line in a creative way.

This novel dealt with identity both in an academic setting, as well as personal/sexual identity which I haven't seen very much. Our main character Hamish doesn't really know who he is outside of farming with his family, and studying with his only friend until two other students take an interest in him. Why they were both independently drawn to Hamish and how his relationships with them develop created a powerful narrative. Hamish discovers himself through his interactions with Martin, Peter, and Annie. Some friendships fall apart and some don’t, that’s just how life is. The people who really matter should love and understand you, and not everyone in your life deserves to stay in your life. Representing positive and negative reactions to the events that take place in this novel creates a reality and almost anyone is sure to be able to relate to. Seeing LGBT+ representation in a religious suburban/rural town is something that a lot of kids can identify with, and the various reactions to these characters was both heart-breaking and heart-warming.

It took a very long time for me to get in to this book. The main character is not particularly likeable and I found myself completely annoyed with his constant complaining and judgments. This might have been a more successful story if it was more filled out, At 288 pages there was definitely room to add.

I feel like this book could have been good but it tried to tackle too many big issues in a short amount of space and ended up not doing them the justice they deserved.

There was also the issue that for probably 75-80% of the book, I just couldn’t stand the main character. He had basically no redeemable qualities, though he did finally get his act together towards the end. He is awful to his so-called best friend (and for someone who calls himself a nerd, he sure was judgey about cosplay and video games and anime). He’s pretty sexist, judging all the girls at school except the one he’s friends with because of course, she’s not like those other girls. And he’s so terrified of sounding like a girl or coming across as sissy, like that’s the worst thing you could possibly be perceived as.

One could argue that this is a fairly typical representation of a lot of country boys, and you’d probably be right… but I can’t stand when this stuff is unchallenged within a text. And highlighting it with the occasional “I know it made me a bad person to think that” doesn’t really make him any better.

Oof. That was a bit of a rant. Sorry. Hamish just really bugged me.

The story tries to tackle sexuality, grief, domestic violence, and coming of age issues, and sometimes it nearly hits the mark. But I just never felt any kind of emotional pull while reading, and I predicted the outcome, too. It just never really felt true enough. A lot of this is probably because I didn’t like Hamish enough to care, but I think also the writing style was a bit detached and disjointed, making it hard to really get drawn in.

I do think Gatland-Veness shows promise as a writer. This one just didn’t work for me.

Thank you to Pantera Press and NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review