3,5 stars 
 Randomly enough, this is the second novel set in the 90s I read this week... Looking for Alibrandi, written 20 years ago, was apparently Marchetta's debut novel and I love it. I wouldn't put it in the life changing books for me but I found it so refreshing, funny and sincere. It didn't age really and I'd recommend it to anyone who loves coming of age stories. I think Australia-set novels are a new favorite of mine :) 
 I haven't read a lot of them and for now Jaclyn Moriarty's Ashburry/Brookefield series is still my fav of the genre, Marchetta's standalones have quite the reputation. So far, I've only read Saving Francesca and Looking for Alibrandi is my second and I'm not disappointed. Alibrandi being my favorite of the two for now. 
 I loved that the main focus was not the romance, and how said romance was handle, very realistically to me. This novel heavily focuses on family and I love that is a YA book. Or any book for that matter. 
 Josie is such a great main character. Her voice is funny, borderline selfish (she's the first to admit it), loving, questioning and yet I found her very attaching. She doesn't shy from being who she is, and yet still trying to figure out her identity as an Australian-born girl with Italian origins, an heritage very present in her everyday life and relation to her mother and grandmother. 
 Her identity is the core of this novel - this is a coming of age story after all - and Josie approaches the subject with doubts, anger and difficulties to understand the world around her but it is done with such sincerity, and honesty, open-mindness it felt great to read about her and her journey. You'd think you get annoy with a girl like her around but she was such a delight to read about - for me anyway - that I just loved her. She's not exceptionnal in any "whoah-that-quirky-girl-is-so-different" and that's even better. She's just a girl and I love her for that. 
 Then there is her relation with her father, who didn't know she existed until now, while she did know who he was. Relation that could have easily turned into angst/drama but thankfully this was avoided. I'm not saying everything is perfect and bubbly but Marchetta brought out the subject a way it felt real but not heavy. There were shouting, some crying, and also laughing and discoveries to be made. 
 Ok I didn't thought I loved Josie that much while reading but that so true now I'm writing this down. I was reading in the same room as my mother and sister and at some point they told me I was smiling to myself I didn't even noticed it. And it happened more than once. 
 Then why did I "only" rate the book 3.5 stars, you will ask? (or not) 
 First, as I said in the beginning, despite I really loved it, I wouldn't put it in the "life changing category" or very strong emotional read that my 5 stars rating is supposed to be. 
 Second, the romance. See, I said earlier that I loved the way Josie romance was portrayed but I didn't really liked the guy she was dating and those parts were the least interesting for me. 
 Fortunately, it does take a huge part in the book so it was ok by me as it was. 
 Also, this is a short book and some aspects may have been underdeveloped, like Josie's friends we don't know much but apart from that it was great. 
 This story, talking about Italian immigrants to Australia in the last century and the status of their Australia-born children isn't one I read often (at all) and I'm glad I discovered it. Their's also the status of women in these communities or in general in the 40s/60s/90s that is so worth a read. 
 Looking for Alibrandi is a novel that will make you laugh and possibly cry at some point. In all its shortness, it succeed in sucking you up in the story of a Australian girl in the 90s looking to find herself as a daughter, friend, grandaughter, Australian and part italian, girlfriend, christian and young navigating in a world changing all around. 
 The book bring up several themes that will resonate with more than one, I'm sure of it.