How to Ditch Your Fairy – Justine Larbalestier
Allen & Unwin, 2009
298 pages
RRP: AU$17.95
ISBN: 978-1-74175-737-8

Reviewed by Liz Grzyb

How to Ditch Your Fairy is different from the other novels I’ve read from Justine Larbalestier. It’s written in the same conversational, easy-to-read style, but the world it inhabits is more removed from our own, where a person’s luck is attributed to their personal fairy. Charlie, the heroine of this novel, is saddled with a parking fairy who ensures a perfect parking spot no matter whose car she is in. This is quite annoying for her as she a) doesn’t have a license yet and b) hates cars! Her mission is to get rid of her fairy and aquire another one, hence the title of the novel.

Charlie is a funny and believable protagonist. She’s just started high school and since she is walking everywhere in an attempt to get rid of her fairy, is continually late for everything. This means she’s always in trouble. Plus, she’s got a crush on Stefan, a new boy at her school who is attracted (like every other boy) to Fiorenze “Stupid-Name” who happens to have a boy-magnet fairy. Ditching her parking fairy seems like the best way to solve Charlie’s problems, but her attempts to do so create even more!

The novel is a lot of fun and ideally suited to younger teenagers. Most of the typical teenage issues get a look-in, from boyfriends, parents and school rules to more serious ones like self-discovery and working towards dreams. Adult readers will find it a light but enjoyable read.