The Incredible Here and Now

Michaels older brother dies at the beginning of the summer he turns 15, but as its title suggests The Incredible Here and Now is a tale of wonder, not of tragedy. Presented as a series of vignettes, in the tradition of Sandra Cisneros Young Adult classic The House on Mango Street, it tells of Michaels coming of age in a year which brings him grief and romance; and of the place he lives in Western Sydney where those who dont know any better drive through the neighbourhood and lock their car doors, and those who do, flourish in its mix of cultures. Through his perceptions, the reader becomes familiar with Michaels community and its surroundings, the unsettled life of his family, the girl he meets at the local pool, the friends that gather in the McDonalds parking lot at night, the white Pontiac Trans Am that lights up his life like a magical talisman.