Sometimes you have to figure out who you're not before you can figure out who you are

Seventeen-year-old Gem loves movies, her feminist mom, and Dodgy, her coworker in a video store (at least she thinks she loves Dodgy). When a school trip inspires Gem to make an underground film, her best friends Lo and Mira are quick to join the project, taking on the roles of producer and star. The film is intended to cement the girls' friendship as well as their superiority over their sucker high school peers. But when the fragile balance of their friendship begins to falter, and intentions lead to betrayals big and small, it will take great movies, bad haiku, and a pantheon of great voices-from Dostoyevsky to Thoreau to Andy Warhol-to help Gem find the meaning of love, friendship, and being true to herself.
About the Author
SIMMONE HOWELL is an award-winning short story writer, screenwriter, and small press publisher. She won a 2004 AWGIE award (Australia) for her short film 'Pity 24' and has been screened at the London-Australian Film Festival and the Los Angeles Shorts Festival. She lives in Melbourne, Australia with her husband and son.
Reviews "Heathers meets I Shot Andy Warhol in this gritty ode to underground cool. …[T]een misfits and film geeks will devour this renegade read with pleasure." -Publishers Weekly "Through short, episodic chapters, Howell crafts a realistic story that female readers should relate to, specifically the turbulent and volatile nature of the girls and their friendship. Lo, Mira and Gem are sassy, whip-smart characters with interests in art, politics, literature and film. …Abefitting contribution to the teen-literature market." -Kirkus Reviews
"Howell creates an engaging coming-of-age novel about a summer in a seventeen-year-old girl's life. The writing is unique, because of or despite being peppered with Australianiasm that Americans might not understand. …Gem's narration rings true, and the characters are endearing, whether good or bad. …Although the subplots are many, they are nicely