Herald-Sun 2002

Books aimed at teenage boys that involve football are not in scarce supply. So anyone venturing onto that wee-worn paddock had better have something new to say. Fortunately, Hyde does, and for the most part says it with style. Johnny Carbone, 17 and blessed with football talent, has a habit of losing the plot when the big moments arrive. Johnny is haunted by a dream in which a tiger-like animal figures. There’s a thread about his dead father (father figures are spectral, too), and a Tasmanian bushman, who underscore the emotional journey confronting Johnny. The female characters are less convincing, Johnny’s girlfriend in particular, but overall Tyger Tyger offers a worthwhile blend of challenge and satisfaction.