Butterfly (novel)

Butterfly is a 2009 young adult fiction novel by Sonya Hartnett about the troubled adolescence of Plum Coyle, set in 1980s Australian suburbia.

Plot
Plum Coyle is on the edge of adolescence. Her fourteenth birthday is approaching, when her old life and her old body will fall away, and she will become graceful, powerful, and at ease. The strength of the objects she stores in a briefcase under her bed —a crystal lamb, a yoyo, an antique watch, a coin —will make sure of it. Over the next couple of weeks, Plum’s life will change. Her beautiful neighbor Maureen will begin to show Plum how she might fly. The older brothers she adores will court catastrophe in worlds that she barely knows exist. And her friends, her worst enemies, will tease and test, smelling weakness. They will try to lead her on and take her down.

Hartnett uses the suburban landscape as inspiration for many of her books, including Butterfly.

Awards and nominations

 * 2009 shortlisted, The Age Book of the Year Award — Fiction Prize
 * 2009 highly commended, Fellowship of Australian Writers Victoria Inc. National Literary Awards — FAW Christina Stead Award
 * 2009 shortlisted, Colin Roderick Award
 * 2010 shortlisted, Miles Franklin Literary Award