Rating: ** 2 stars

Bali Rai
Jugglin'.
Hodder, 2006

Ages 10-14

Jugglin' is one of four novels written by Rai about a group of friends who go to Devana High, an ethnically mixed comprehensive. Suky, the narrator, is trying to bring herself to tell her Sikh parents that she is really going out with Imtiaz, who's a Muslim, rather than Jit, her pretend Sikh boyfriend. Her life is further complicated by a pair of bullies who threaten to reveal her love life to her parents. The novel is not intended to be anything more than a teen soap opera but even then it's a thin plot. Much of it consists of back chat within Suki's circle of friends and family. This has some claims to realism and is haphazardly funny, but is also disturbing when the author apparently endorses attitudes that poke fun not only at teachers but at classmates whose appearance or interests are regarded as odd. It is difficult to see which age group the book is aimed at. It's not sophisticated enough to convince older secondary students. The crowd-pleasing rude humour, including the farting and cursing Punjabi grandmother, suggest a younger audience; but year 7s appear in the book only as the victims of older kids.

Clive Barnes
July 2006, No.159

Guide to the rating system:
***** 5 stars, unmissable
**** 4 stars, very good
*** 3 stars, good
** 2 stars, fair
* 1 star, poor