Jasper Jones tells the story of Charlie Bucktin, a thirteen-year-old boy living in Western Australia during the Vietnam War. He befriends the town outcast, Jasper, but soon finds himself in a dire situation that tests his morality. Charlie helps Jasper to cover up the murder of their fellow classmate, Laura, while local residents search tirelessly to find her.
Silvey’s novel received great praise and acclaim as an emotional coming-of-age story that grapples with important social issues. Michael Williams of The Monthly states that “amid the glimpses of small-town bigotry and adult compromise, Jasper Jones offers tender moments of adolescent romance and irresistible vignettes of...