Clem, Kate and Ady go to a boarding school. Clem, a swimming star, has lost her love of competing but she has found a new love in Stu. Kate, a a brilliant cellist, is expected by her parents to become a doctor, but she’d rather be a musician. Ady is one of the cool girls, but her home life is a mess and she’d prefer to be a clothing designer instead of a socialite.

All three are forced to come together through a ‘life program’ at school. At first they resist it, but they have one thing in common. A nasty website posts abusive messages about the girls in their school, and each one of them is a victim of this abuse. It’s up to them to find out who is behind it and stop them.

Three Australian authors have cleverly collaborated to examine the pressures on today’s youth. Some kids, sadly, have even committed suicide because of online bullying. Teenagers already struggle with identity, self-image issues and peer group pressure, but technology has taken these things to a new level. Clem, Kate and Ady eventually sort out the tangle of emotions and find a way to be true to themselves. Hopefully this book will inspire others to take the same path.

Reviewed by Wendy Noble
Age guide 16+

Take Three Girls by Cath Crowley, Fiona Wood and Simmone Howell