Julian Corkle was destined to be different, his mother recognised his talent at his birth, his pizzazz, even if his beer drinking sports mad father thought otherwise, all he wanted was for his son to be a sports enthusiast too. But his mother believes in his small-screenability, and encourages Julian even if he does prefers dolls to cricket balls, and his favourite pastime is styling her hair. So for Julian not the medical career as a doctor that his older brother strives for (unless it is to be a nurse), nor the sports career his ultra-butch sister looks to be heading for. No, Julian aims to be a star of the small screen, all he needs is that luck break to prove himself.

Julian narrates his own account of his struggle through school, where he survives by his wits, having enough sense to hide (temporarily) his difference, that is his preference for attractive boys and his colourful feminine tastes. He takes us through the disastrous family move from small-town Ulerstone, Tasmania, to Hobart, his early departure from school and his efforts to make that vital connection that will lead to stardom. But it seems he and his mother are the only ones to appreciate his talents.

Julian Corkle is a Filthy Liar is an hilarious record of Julian's attempts to succeed, a very different coming of age tale. He quickly wins the reader's heart in his no holds barred account of his more often than not failures to achieve his goal, his refusal to keep his flamboyance hidden, and his not to be thwarted belief in himself. When he does eventually meet with success, it is not quite as he imagined it, yet he is nonetheless happy for it. Julian Corkle . . . is an endearing and extremely funny tale. ( )

This book has a lot of things right, but somehow does not quite do it for me. I like getting a sense of how it could have been growing up in Tasmania in the 70s, being anything but a typical teenageer- and wanting to be anything but a typical teenager. In a way, that´s how Julian survives, and what makes the book funny, but at the same time, it also makes the story very predictable.. inspite of the unpredictability of Julian´s stories. Take a teenager with penache, love of glitter, Elizabeth Taylor and David Bowie, with a doting mother, a sister who only cares about sports and also plays in the other league, school full of bigoted Brothers and bullies that are ignorant...all and all, not a bad book at all, I do laugh now and again, but.. I am not loving it. Give me The skipped parts or My most excellent year any day. Or, fot that matter, Adrian Mole. ( )

Growing up as a drama queen in Tasmania isn´t easy, especially when you are destined to be a star and your father just wants you to be a real bloke. But Julian Corkle fights his way through life and lies, straight prejudices, mean bosses, a tough school and the real world. A hilarious read that sometimes is just too much over the top. ( )