Henry Hamlet's Heart by Rhiannon Wilde

This story is set in 2008 in Australia and follows Henry Hamlet, Lennon Cane and their three friends, Harrison, Ged and Vince. All five are very different as they navigate their last year of High School, finals and planning their future. Henry is well spoken - far more than I'd expect from an American teen, but then it just kind of reinforces who he is - someone who enjoys academic competition, who is well read and intelligent. His best friend, Lennon Cane is the type who always seems to charm the world around him. Len, however, also lost his mother to cancer; she slipped away in a matter of weeks. As is always the case, more is happening under the surface, many people can't understand their own value as people - until faced with a situation that forces them to open their eyes, or close them for good.

Henry is a bit neurotic - okay a lot - but it's open for debate how endearing he may be. Personally I largely enjoyed him and when Lennon is struggling he falls back on something I think is amazing realistic, although frustrating, which is he simply wants to hide. Proving that the genre is a bit deeper than some would like to give it credit, I found the book fun and definitely worth the read.