Phillip Gwynne, The Break, Penguin Random House, September 2021, 384 pp., RRP $19.99 (pbk), ISBN 9780143789383
Taj is an Australian teenager living in Bali with his mother Flick, who runs a fashion empire with stores in numerous countries. His father Kimbo is in Kerobokan Prison under sentence of death for drug smuggling. Kimbo was convicted ten years ago, and a date has been set for his execution. Taj is part of the Bali ex-pat community and spends his spare time surfing, a pastime taught to him by his Dad. When his father’s last hope of reprieve is dashed and the execution is imminent, Taj comes up with an escape plan and organises for his father to leave the country using false documents. They nearly succeed, but a volcanic eruption stops the plane his father is on from taking off. This leads to a desperate attempt to find another way off the island and to safety.
Taj is helped by his girlfriend, Inga, his friend Sonny, and a girl from school he barely knows, Kartika. They are brave, complex characters who act from a variety of motivations. Not everyone they encounter is trustworthy and the teens find themselves facing some truly perilous situations. With virtually non-stop action, the story is a roller coaster ride that nevertheless allows for some quieter moments as Taj and his friends learn what they are capable of. Unexpected truths start to come to light that challenge each of them and cause them to ask questions about their own families and backgrounds.
The Break brings Bali to life vividly and respectfully: the sights, sounds, cultural and religious aspects, climate, food, lifestyle, and language. It doesn’t shy away from the darker aspects, such as pirates, the ready availability of drugs, and what it’s like in Kerobokan Prison, and it touches on the traumatic history of Indonesia and Timor-Leste. It has a depth of psychological understanding that draws the reader into the thoughts and fears of Taj and the fully realised characters around him as they face complex, sometimes traumatic experiences. The Break transports readers to another culture, takes us on a wild adventure, and keeps us gripped until the very end.
Reviewed by Rachel Le Rossignol
