Unless you are in a deep state of grief, trauma and despair. Which Alex and his twin sister Amy are, having lost their parents in a terrible road accident. The twins are young, about twenty, but already have complicated lives. Alex has lived in Dubai for the past two or three years, having fled NZ after a personal crisis which is carefully disclosed as the novel goes on. He works in a very high pressure role for an advertising/media sort of business. Lucky he is young in body and soul to cope with the stress and lifestyle. Amy meanwhile has been pretty directionless in her life, going to university, drifting. They grew up with what we would call an entitled existence - their parents very successful film producers, so away from home a lot, leaving the twins - what we call benign neglect parenting. Hardly surprising that Amy and Alex have a difficult relationship.
As expected the mode of travel is a pretty clapped out car that struggles with the distances and the roadways that the two of them take. Plus no money. Amy is the navigator, Alex the driver, the ultimate goal being the far side of Stewart Island, and only 3 weeks to do it in, as Alex has to be back in Dubai. So much happens on this trip, so many sibling dramas and wounds opened up. There is a near death crash, drugs, a typically ghastly Cook Strait ferry crossing, grim accommodations, but they make it. And Dubai? Well, that would be telling if Alex makes it back there.
This is such a surprising novel, perhaps a little long, but there is lot of ground to cover. Like most fiction set in New Zealand, the landscape, the sea, the mountains and hills are all heavily featured, characters in themselves, contributing to the mood of the twins, reflecting their inner turmoils and special sibling relationship. Revealing, intimate, insightful moving towards an unexpected and satisfying conclusion. More from this writer please.
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