Shortlisted for the 2021 Text Prize
Dale is grappling with guilt and intense regret after stumbling in on what looked to be a rape in a bedroom at a party. In his drunken confusion, he froze—and then bolted. Why didn't he do anything? Why didn't he tell someone? He can't stop thinking about what happened. He wants to make things right—but he doesn't know how.
There's no way he can talk to his dad. His mum walked out four months ago. And his best friend, Kieran, wouldn't understand. Dale's not even sure Kieran would see a problem with what happened. Kieran is so casual about sex. And drugs. And life in general. The opposite of Dale.
Then Max arrives, Dale's cousin. She's older, smart, cool—with her own perspective on Dale's problem. But she's also suffering from an eating disorder, and Dale once again is powerless to help.
Meanwhile, Dale meets Brent: he's a year older, and hot. And they hook up. It's intense and intimate and seems destined to become the perfect relationship. And Dale holds on tight—too tight.
Blind Spot is a nuanced and insightful exploration of the responsibility that comes with being a witness, the culpability of inaction and the complex nature of friendship—from an exciting new voice in Australian YA literature.
Robyn Dennison's fiction has appeared in Australian literary journals, including as a runner-up for the Overland VU Short Story Prize. She is a PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne, where she teaches creative writing. Blind Spot, her first novel, was shortlisted for the Text Prize.
