Cirrus@Austlit

'Fourteen-year-old Trysten 'Tryst' Black's life changes dramatically when his older brother, Shaun, goes off to fight the Taliban in Afghanistan. Their mother, Kirsten, deals with Shaun's absence by drinking, leaving Tryst to fend for himself. Tryst's response is to rage against his father who lives in a caravan by the creek, to get into a punch-up at school and to line up for another fight with his uncle who has come to stay. When the fractured family receives news that Shaun is coming home, things begin to look better. But Tryst is dead worried about his big brother. And it's only his friends who'll listen.

'Hey Brother tells the story of a tough kid from the bush whose world comes crashing down on his shoulders. But with his own blend of fury, resilience and deadpan humour, Tryst proves to be up for every challenge. Even talking to that girl on the bus.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.