That Thing I Did is about an adventurous road trip which happens out of the blue in a funeral hearse. It is set in the ‘mullet’ part of Adelaide, near Yatala Labour Prison, and it follows a regular boy, who has a love for writing obituaries and his supportive, loving family.

Typical setting, right? Wrong. You should never judge a book by its cover, or by its introduction. Taylor Kennedy, his neighbour Chip Carter who talks to dead people, prison escapee Jackson Rollock who wants to liberate his granny from her nursing home, said escapee’s grandmother, Daisy, as well as hitchhiker, Chloe, who is picked up from a gas station, hit the road together to grant Daisy her dying wish of seeing her ex in Mount Gambier before she dies of cancer.

It is such a joyful ride filled with adventure and romance, which we see between Chloe and Taylor (jealousy is involved to make it spicy!). Webster writes so well, to the point where I forgot about my surroundings. It did take me by surprise (I’m talking mainly about the first chapter), and the language was shocking, since I normally read books that contain little to no swearing, but then I realised the author is bringing out the characters to show their real personalities. While reading the book, you will learn about some of the locals like Chocolate Starfish, a ’90s Aussie rock group and Aussie slang like ‘breatho’, short for RBT.

I learnt a lot in terms of the local style of language and character. I think this book is a fun read, but I would definitely recommend it to an older audience as there are many adult references.

Reviewed by Mithra, Year 11
Cerdon College Merrylands NSW
Age Guide 16+