The Yearbook Committee

The Yearbook Committee
Written by Sarah Ayoub
Contemporary, Coming of Age
Published March 1st 2016
320 Pages
Thank you to Harper Collins Australia
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★★★★
Five teenagers. Five lives. One final year.

The school captain. Ryan has it all... Or at least he did, until an accident snatched his dreams away. How will he rebuild his life and what does the future hold for him now?

The newcomer. Charlie’s just moved interstate and she’s determined not to fit in. She’s just biding her time until Year 12 is over and she can head back to her real life and her real friends…

The loner. At school, nobody really notices Matty. But at home, Matty is everything. He’s been single handedly holding things together since his mum’s breakdown, and he’s never felt so alone.

The popular girl. Well, the popular girl’s best friend… Cool by association. Tammi’s always bowed to peer pressure, but when the expectations become too much to handle, will she finally stand up for herself?

The politician’s daughter. Gillian’s dad is one of the most recognisable people in the state and she’s learning the hard way that life in the spotlight comes at a very heavy price.

Five unlikely teammates thrust together against their will. Can they find a way to make their final year a memorable one or will their differences tear their world apart?
New girl Charlie can't wait for the school year to end to move back to Melbourne. She doesn't belong in Sydney and certainly doesn't belong at Holy Family High School. Her single mother fell in love with a wonderful man and to keep their newly blended family together, Charlie now finds herself stuck in Sydney until she leaves for university.

Hood wearing Matty seems like a recluse, spending his school day hidden from the world while trying to make ends meet. On a scholarship at the prestigious school, Matty struggles to find a balance between school and taking on the role of provider for his mother, a woman who is as lost as he feels himself.

Both Tammi and Ryan seemingly have it all. They're the beautiful people of Holy Family, their friendship circle known for their popularity and bullying of others. But Tammi's doting boyfriend David is tired of waiting for the young couple to take the next step in their relationship, pressuring her to have sex while Ryan is nursing a career ending injury and unable to play his beloved soccer again.

But it's the ambitious and dependable politicians daughter Gillian who will bring the motley group of teens together, as they are all sentenced to work on the Holy Family yearbook. While tentative friendships between the unlikely group begin to form, worlds will collide making their final year memorable, perhaps for all the wrong reasons.

Kelly's Thoughts

Labeled as The Breakfast Club for the new generation, The Yearbook Committee was wonderfully written, engaging and most importantly, relevant.

The Rebel

The Newcomer. Charlie may seem as though she has a chip on her shoulder, but since moving to Sydney from Melbourne, she feels  as though she doesn't belong. Her mother is pining for a new baby, while Charlie can't wait to finish the year at Holy Family and return home. She's determined not to form any sense of companionship with her peers, her goal of making a clean break to university at the end of the year within her grasp. I loved Charlie's couldn't care less attitude, being a teen is confusing enough without having your life moved interstate during your final year of school. She's an intelligent girl who isn't afraid to stand up for others and what she believes in.

The Jock

The School Captain. Ryan had it all. Popularity, friends and the envy of his team mates until his accident that ends his promising soccer career. Without leading his team to victory, Ryan feels lost and in need of direction. Ryan seemed to wallow in his own pity, he was agonising over his injury long after his team mates had moved on and achieved success without him. His character begins as a narcissistic teen but through his interactions with his fellow yearbook committee members, he begins to see that he is more than a failed sportsman.

The Loner

Matty's storyline was by far the most touching and emotional. He is seen as a loner, hiding behind is hood and shutting off the world around him with his music. But at home Matty is the breadwinner. He works to keep food on the table and the bills at bay, while his mother's depression slowly eats away at her, unable to seek treatment for an illness she refuses to recongnise.

The popular girl

Tammi isn't popular, but popular by association. Her supposed best friend being bully Lauren, a girl with a mean streak that isn't above belittling others simply for her own amusement. Tammi's boyfriend is now captain of the soccer team, taking the title from Ryan after his accident. But it's the expectations he places upon Tammi to take the next step in their relationship, pressuring her to have sex even though she's been transparent with her own expectations of needing a commitment before she's ready. With her father as a strict officer of the law, Tammi is forced to moonlight as a children's clown at parties, wanting to feel the independence of making her own money without her parents discovering her extra curricular activities. 

I could tolerate Tammi, but was desperately wishing the meek and easily swayed girl would have spoken out against the blatant bullying. Her character was able to defy her parents, but not speak out against her peers. She was incredibly frustrating but yet an example of peer pressure that teens face to feel included and popular. Throughout most of our lives, we've all felt like a Tammi at one point or another, too intimidated to speak out against someone for the fear of being labelled as an outcast.

The good girl

On the surface, Gillian has her life together. She may not be popular or confident and is afraid to speak up against her bully, but she's an intelligent girl who understands the importance of her education. Gillian's father is a predominant politician, always under the spotlight and expects his family to be the model of perfection at all times. Gillian's mother isn't your average housewife, she herself is the vision of perfection and often comments on Gillian's weight, pressuring the teen and projecting her own dieting goals on her confidence lacking daughter. But Gillian is the only student on the committee of her own free will and will bring the group together to not only create a lasting memory of their final year but of the fleeting time they have with one another.

The Final Verdict

At the very core of The Yearbook Committee is a group of teens fumbling their way through their final year of school. They're humanly flawed and represent an understanding of the person behind the stereotype and labels we place upon one another. Even as an adult, we still relate to the same insecurities and pressure, making The Yearbook Committee an incredibly poignant and immersive read. 

Sarah Ayoub is an author who can reach teens through a shared love of words, making them feel as though they are more than the labels and stereotypes that are placed upon them, but should not define them. Be prepared to fall in love, fall apart and you'll adore each and every moment.

39 comments

  1. EEEH! I loved this review - Breakfast Club FTW. I'm always curious when I see this book in store, so thank you for saying pretty much YEP, GET IT NEXT TIME. Haha! <3

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    1. Oh yes! You need this book! I love The Breakfast Club, a group of stereotypical teens when they arrive and leave having grown as individuals and understanding that they are more than the labels placed upon them by their peers. It was such an incredible read.

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  2. Great review :) I would love a Breakfast Club read alike. I think I will add this to my summer reading list!

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    1. I can't wait to see what you think of it Alyssa.

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  3. I do like these coming of age type of stories! The comparison to The Breakfast Club sounds quite apt! I think I'd like Matty.

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    1. I loved Matty's character Lauren. He just had so much responsibility on his poor shoulders that he took on himself. Like caring for his mother, paying the bills and trying to put himself through school while keeping his scholarship. My heart ached for him.

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  4. THIS LOOKS AND SOUNDS SO GOOD! I've never heard of Breakfast Club (NO JUDGE ME) But OMG I love the fat that this book as such a WIDE and DIVERSE sense of characters and these are characters that almost everyone can relate to on some level because maybe some readers can even IDENTIFY with two or more of the characters! <3

    Lovely review, Kels!

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    1. You'll have to see if Netflix has it Kei. It's an eighties movie directed by John Hughes, who directed a lot of the eighties teen / coming of age movies. I remember first watching it when I was a teen and even now, a new generation of teens still love it. The Year Book Committee and The Breakfast Club have a lot of similarities, I think that's why readers are loving this book too. It's such a lovely read that's also poignant and relevant too.

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  5. Oh I've been wanting to read this book since I first heard that it was out! The Yearbook Committee sounds like such a great read, with all these supposedly stereotypical characters and all of them making friends with each other.
    I think it's cool to have a book where each character is there to be related to, but also has their own layers as well. I think school is such a prominent time for us, regardless of age, that the labels seem to always be some sort of point of reference for us (if only because current pop culture means that you need to know your jocks from your loners pretty well).

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    1. Wonderfully put Mawa. This will be one of those books that would have been relevant 20 years ago and still relevant in 20 years time. What really struck me is also how we judge book characters as well. For example The Jock type character. We have an expectation of his being a lady killer, one night stands, a beautiful person who's also the token asshole, popular. And at first, it seems that way. But once the storyline progresses, those stereotypes are broken down and you get to see the person behind the label (although fictional in this case).

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  6. Omg does it have 5 narrators?! Eeek. I'm worried about that. xD But my library just bought it and I AM FIRST IN LINE IN THE RESERVE LIST. *parties quietly* I'm really keen to read it because I adored Sarah Ayoub's first book. :D

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    1. I usually struggle with more than two narrators, three I can tolerate but even though this had five, each voice was really unique and clear. The chapters are also short, and all tie in together when they meet for the yearbook committee, but it was so wonderfully written. I think you'll really enjoy this one.

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  7. I LOVE books about the final year of high school. I even have a Goodreads shelf for it. Currently I'm reading Radio Silence and it's amazing. Ahhhh so many Aus YA books to buy that I haven't got around to. This and The Sidekicks and Frankie are all on my list.

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    1. I can't wait to crack open my copy of The Sidekicks too. Frankie was amazing, I loved Frankie, such an incredible YA character. The Yearbook Committee is so awesomely Australian. I can't wait to see what you think of it.

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  8. Lucky girl. I want to read this Breakfast Club wannabe. I have a short list of Aussie books I want to get and so far, it's this book and Kristy Eagar's Summer Skin.

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    1. And Frankie too Joy, don't forget about Frankie.

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  9. I totally thought of TBC while reading the blurb, and got a little giddy when I saw that part in your review. This is definitely a YA I want to read.

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    1. It's awesome Christy and if you're a fan of the film, you'll adore this one too!

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  10. I've had this in my GR list for a while now. It sounds amazing! I love that we get all these stories in one book. And a comparison to TBC! Of course, I"m in!
    Sounds great, Kells!

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    1. You'll love this one Ernie. Hurry up and get a copy so we can discuss it.

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  11. l love your review, Kelly! “Smart, funny and relevant” from Melina Marchetta was all I needed to add this book to my tbr-list. You made me my itching with want to have it right now. I always check out books with multiple POV, though often they left me disappointed. It’s hard to write a book with several well-fleshed main characters and make their voices sound unique. So glad to see you high rating.

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    1. As soon as I seen that too Ksenia, I needed this book in my life. It generally is isn't it, but I think that's a lot to do with authors trying to be a bit to clever. Keeping it simple, it can really work and The Yearbook Committee is a perfect example of that. Would love to see what you think of it.

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  12. This book sounds so interesting!! I have to admit, I hadn't actually heard of it before, but I think it might be one I enjoy. I'm a little worried it might be too Australian for me to be able to enjoy it. I'm British, and obviously this is set in a high school so do you think the cultural references might confuse me/hinder my enjoyment of the book? I'm also a little wary of the 5 POVs, but it seems like a fun and relevant book!

    Denise | The Bibliolater

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    1. Not at all Denise. I think teens pretty much face the same issues universally and Aussies / British are pretty similar as well. It's a brilliant read Denise and I'd love to see what you think of it.

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  13. How in the actual fuck, did this slide under my radar????????? I remember seeing this book all over instagram, but nothing pushed me to look up the synopsis on goodreads. If something stood out to me, it would've definitely been the " modern day Breakfast Club " pitch which always excites me since TBC is one of my all time favorite movies. * sigh * looks like I'll just have to add this one to my reading list as well. After your review, there's no way I can pass this up.

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    1. Mine too Tika, that alone told me I needed to read it. It's a bonus that it's an Aussie author. It was just so genuine, which is what I love about Aussie YA. I insist you buy a copy. Stat.

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  14. Yet another book added to my never ending TBR thanks to your reviews LOL :-P :-)
    I watched The Breakfast Club again the other week, for old times sake, my husband wasn't impressed!

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    1. What is it with men and pretending they don't like what are traditionally seen as girls films. If you sat most of them down alone and put on the Notebook, I bet most of them would be moved to tears.

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  15. AHH I want to read this book SO BADLY. It has an email alert set up at Book Depository, promising to let me know when non-Australian people can have such a thing. Apparently, I CAN buy the Kindle edition, so that's something. I love the idea of this book, and the fact that it seems to live up to the Breakfast Club vibe makes me even happier! Great review :)

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    1. Is it not available yet? The Book Depository ship from Melbourne now with all their Aussie titles, so hopefully they update it soon. It's such an incredible read Shannon, I can't wait to see what you think of it!

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  16. I've seen a few positive reviews of this book Kelly but I love your take on it. It sounds great!

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    1. I do hope you can grab a copy Deb, it's such a wonderful and refreshing read.

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  17. The Yearbook Committee sounds like a perfect Book Club selection! Especially since it touches on so many relevant issues. Wonderful review Kelly, you certainly have moved me to recommend this to friends and as a future read for my book club! :D

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    1. It's wonderful Claudia and it would make the perfect bookclub read actually. It has so much heart, but it also delves into strong social issues such as mental illness, stress, the pressure and expectations placed upon teens and of themselves and also grief.

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  18. Ahh The Breakfast Club for the new generation?! YAS, all the yas! While I haven't watched that film in years, I remember the characters so vividly, and how despite their differences, they still managed to find things that made each other relatable. I love the sound of this book, will definitely be picking up a copy for myself soon!

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    1. It's one of my favourite films too Joy. I love how a ragtag group of teens who seem to be stereotypes find solace and understanding i one another, which is what The Yearbook Committee is all about. I loved it. Get ready for the feels and can't wait to see what you think of it.

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  19. This one sounds so relatable and although some of the characters are a bit cliche, it sounds like it's explored with a bit of depth. Love the rundown on the characters Kelly!

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  20. I usually cringe at comparisons to other books/movies but TBC is one of my all time favorite movies and if the book was successful at capturing that I'm in. And I adore that cover.

    I hadn't heard of this one before so I'm glad I stumbled upon this review.

    Karen @For What It's Worth

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  21. Great review, I seriously want to read this book now. I mean, I'm a sucker for books compared to things I like so mention of The Breakfast Club is definitely going to draw me in. It sounds interesting, though, so will be getting added to the ever growing TBR list.

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