CAR CRASH

“Scarifying and unforgettable, Car Crash is a story of carnage and life-long consequences – not just from a single, sudden catastrophe but from the long, slow cataclysm of masculine confusion. A brave and unsettling account.” —Tim Winton, bestselling author of Cloudstreet “A heart-soaring act of literary bravery where the ongoing cost of experience is exposed in every note-perfect sentence. This is a profound reflection on the deafening soul noise heard by a beautiful group of young friends fated to live the rest of their lives with the silence of the dead. Some books just have to be written. And some books just have to be read.” —Trent Dalton, internationally award- winning and bestselling author of Boy Swallows Universe “I began this book with my guts in my mouth. Then, as I read on, I winced with recognition, I laughed a lot and my heart gradually broke open. It's odd to talk about ‘talent' when a book covers such sensitive, sad subject matter, but the truth is that Blaine has it. There are strong sentences, clarity of intent and tone, wicked one-liners and a mastery of metaphor. This book is for everyone – it truly captures something of ‘modern Australia' in a tenderly told story of one young man's tumultuous coming-of-age.” —Bri Lee, bestselling author of Eggshell Skull “A poetic, unflinching meditation on the exuberance of youth and the trauma of survival. It shines with a fierce intelligence.” —Kristina Olsson, award-winning author of Boy, Lost: A Family Memoir “Car Crash is a clear-eyed, bruising and tender account of how the moments that thrust you into adulthood can take place in seconds. Blaine's journalism has long made me suspect he's one of the best writers of his generation. Car Crash confirms it, without a doubt.” —Benjamin Law, author of The Family Law “Car Crash is brutal and gutting, but it's also moving, lyrical, warmly told and very funny, with the kind of wisdom and hope that's made possible by the understanding of pain. Blaine is a fearless writer of great agility and heart, and this book is an astonishing insight into the wild work of grief, in all its dark corners, in all its bright illuminations.” —Brooke Davis, author of Lost & Found “Car Crash is an accomplished debut that dissects ideas of grief, mateship, survivor's guilt, stifling masculinity and class in regional Australia, and will be appreciated by fans of Don Watson, Corey White and Chloe Hooper.” —Books+Publishing