Emily Gale and Nova Weetman, Outlaw Girls, Text Publishing, February 2024, 320 pp., RRP $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781922790231
Like many teens who defy authority as a hobby, rebellious Ruby has fallen in with a troublesome crowd. When her latest prank goes awry, she is sent to her Uncle Harry’s farm, soon finding freedom on the back of her beloved horse, Queenie. Missing her friends and home life, Ruby’s days are uneventful until a horseback Katie Kelly, Ned’s sister, turns up in 2022, courtesy of a time portal. Privy to history, but unable to reveal the Kelly family’s fate, Ruby follows Katie back in time to help the bushranger family. Before long, the two teens, remarkably alike in their appearance, interests and sensibilities, are travelling back and forth between the plentifulness of modern times and hardship of colonial days, learning about each other, and life, along the way.
Narrated by Ruby and Katie, this captivating time slip, middle grade novel seamlessly weaves elements of mystery, adventure and history with depth and authenticity. I wasn’t even aware that Ned Kelly had a sister, perhaps not surprising given her relative absence from the records, and yet I love how Katie comes to life in this imagined story. The flawed, occasionally unlikeable, character of Ruby is well drawn, growing from a misguided teen to a capable, principled woman. With a deft touch, Outlaw Girls brings the past to life, exploring universal themes like betrayal, loyalty, family, friendship and finding your voice. Young readers will be engrossed by this very Aussie tale, the second in the timeslip series that began with Elsewhere Girls.
Saddle up for this rollicking romp of a ride over 150 years through Victoria’s high country.
Reviewed by Maura Pierlot
