Notes from the Teenage Underground [Paperback] Howell, Simmone

Gem is fifteen, sullen, and stuck in the suburbs with a mother who doesn't understand her and a school full of people she'd rather avoid. Then Lo arrives — a new girl with a record collection, a sharp wit, and zero patience for mediocrity. Together, they form an alliance against the beige hell of teenage conformity: sneaking out to see bands, writing manifestos, plotting escapes. But friendship at that age is messy, and Lo's idea of rebellion runs deeper and darker than Gem bargained for. Simmone Howell nails the intensity of adolescent obsession — the way one person can rewrite your entire world, for better or worse. Set in 1980s Melbourne, this is sharp, honest, and painfully real. For anyone who ever felt like an outsider, or wished they had.