Things I really liked about this book: 
 - the Australian setting, something a little different from the usual American high school (which always somehow feels like I am reading a teen 'sitcom" and is harder to relate to). I think the hot lazy red earth atmosphere worked really well here as the backdrop for the territory wars. 
 - the writing has an immediacy and urgency that is often lacking in YA fiction. 
 - the slow reveal and unraveling of all the layers, and the family secrets. Although in the beginning it was a bit confusing, the way the two stories unfolded and intersected was cleverly done. 
 - there is something really enjoyable about the tone of this book, the characters and the themes of love and loss and finding yourself.