Book Review: Extreme by J A Mawter
Australian Young Adult Fiction – Freewheelers Series #3
May 25, 2008
Extreme! (HarperCollins, 2008) is the third book in the Freewheelers series written by Australian author Jeni Mawter. Focusing on a group of friends with a shared passion for BMX bike riding, Mawter explores the topics of friendship, bullying and standing up for what you believe is important.
Freewheelers #3: Extreme!
The Freewheelers are a group of friends with diverse social and cultural backgrounds. Mio, the central character of this story, moved to the area from Japan two years previously. Tong is a recent immigrant from Vietnam and lives with his aunt and uncle. Clem and Darcy are twins with a Jewish background and Bryce now lives with his father and step-mother after spending some time living as a street kid.
In Extreme! the Freewheelers are dismayed to find that the local council has decided to prohibit BMX bikes in the new skatepark scheduled to open the following weekend. Their outrage is increased when a group of local skateboard riders taunt and harass them about it.
Rather than responding to the skaters threats and intimidation, the Freewheelers decide to petition the local council to change their minds. With the help of Mr Lark, a Vietnam veteran who has befriended the group, they collect signatures and gather information to present to Council. Their actions draw the attention of the skaters, who increase their intimidation and taunting of the group.
Mio has other issues to deal with as well. When Mr Lark allows her to borrow his dog tags to take to her history class, she is very conscious of the importance of keeping them safe. She is distressed to discover that they have been stolen from her locker and is further dismayed when she is called to the principal’s office to explain hate emails that have been sent to other students from her email address.
The Freewheelers need to find Mr Lark’s dog tags, discover who is causing problems for Mio and defend their right to use the skatepark.
Young Teen Issues and Concerns
The setting for this novel is very general. No specific details of location or even the age of the students is given. While this may frustrate some detail-conscious readers, it is more likely to have the positive benefit of allowing teen readers to adapt the location and situation to a setting that is relevant for them personally.
The issues that the Freewheelers must deal with are those familiar to young teens – bullying and intimidation by other kids, the struggle to find an acceptable way to express themselves, clashes with authority, and the strong bonds of friendship. The Freewheelers remain loyal, even when they are mistrusted by those in positions of authority and bullied by their peers.
The interactions of Mio and Tong in particular highlight the complex process of adjusting to a new culture. Mio’s relationship with her parents is very different to those of her friends. She is shamed by the reprimand of the school principal and struggles with her upbringing which discourages any action that might bring negative attention. Tong’s traumatic experiences in his homeland are reflected in his reluctance to draw attention to himself and lack of self-confidence.
Entertaining and Relevant Teen Fiction
With the Freewheelers series, Jeni Mawter has brought together an exciting and interesting storyline with social and cultural issues that are relevant to young readers today. The use of BMX and skate terminology will appeal to kids interested in these activities, however the storyline is interesting and relevant enough to give the book an even broader appeal.
Suitable for readers from the age of 10-14, Extreme! follows the first two books in the series, Unleashed! (HarperCollins, 2006) and Launched! (HarperCollins, 2007).
