Thunder Road by Ted Dawe

It seems I've been reading 'boys books' these holidays - first Exposure and now Thunder Road, and I have to say they've been great. Thunder Road is set in New Zealand and is about the very topical and controversial theme of street racing. The main characters are Trace, a country boy who finds himself in the Big Smoke, and Devon, a confident street-smart guy obsessed with fast cars. Trace is impressionable, and under the influence of his new mate Devon, gets sucked into the street racing world and its darker side of drugs and crime. The excitement of the strip turns dangerous and the story builds to a final, dramatic climax.

This is a very well-written realistic story with lots of street racing and criminal underworld details; an exciting and thought-provoking read for teens, especially boys. I think it could turn young people who find reading 'boring' onto reading with its fast-paced, current themes. I will definitely recommend it to students at my school.