Adrian Stirling

It's 1986 and Halley's Comet is hurtling towards Earth. Everyone is talking about what the comet will bring - wishes could be granted, people might go mad, great disasters could happen...When Andrew is asked to write down his greatest wish For The Comet Box, he can think of only one thing that his runaway sister Amelia will finally come home. As the comet draws nearer he begins to learn the reasons why she left in the first place And The more he learns, The more he wants to forget.When Amelia is captured and brought home she reveals a shocking secret that makes Andrew's once safe world begin to unravel. As the comet arrives, Andrew must choose whether to be blind To The mistakes of the people around him or to side with his sister as she tears his family apart.
Review from www.googlebooks.com, 12/02/2012
My review ( posted on googlebooks)
Set in 1986, when Halley's Comet was due to orbit the Earth; this is a story about wishes and regrets. Andrew's sister Amelia has run away from home, and this has torn the family apart. When Andrew's teacher proposes that the students in his class all write down their wishes (to be granted by the comet),he wishes for his sister to return. Then, in a fit of pique, Andrew steals the box so he can read everyone else's wishes. He discovers things about his classmates that he wishes he didn't. His best friend hates his own father (who beats him) a girl in his class hates what her parents do for a living; others wish they were thinner, had a girlfriend...an endless list of desperate hopes and self pity. This is a fascinating look back at a recent time in history, and an accurate take on the hopes, dreams and failings of middle Australian suburbia.… (más)