If anyone saw Corey Matthews wandering down the main street of Narra with a skateboard under his arm, they would have had no idea of the trouble he had to handle in his life. They would’ve thought he was just another fifteen-year-old guy hanging out.
There isn’t much to do in Narra. Zac and Corey have lived here all their lives and, although they are best mates and enjoy spending time together, what they want more than anything is a place to skate. When good girl Lauren Saxelby decides to make a skating film, enthusiasm for a town skatepark starts to grow. Corey is right into it (and into Lauren, too, it seems) but Zac won’t have a bar of the project. He’s been caught before by schemes which don’t eventuate. Their friendship is threatened by the project.
For Corey, the skatepark is something to hold on to – a dream to follow. His life is pretty difficult, and perhaps if he can make something good happen it can help. After all, he’s a Matthews, which means he’s automatically classed as no good – so he can use all the help he can get.
Getting Air is a gritty teen read with plenty of skateboarding action as well as a hard-hitting exploration of family violence, loss and grief. The story was first told in a play called Skate before being rewritten as a novel. It will appeal to readers aged twelve and over, especially rural teens and those with an interest in skateboarding, who’ll be able to relate.
Getting Air, by Debra Oswald
Random House, 2007
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