Debut YA Novel by Australian author Tara Jenkinson released 11/01/2020

Publisher: Lightning Source
Cover Artist: grafiz_designs via Fiverr
Page Count: 378 pages
ISBN (Paperback): 978-0-6487092-0-6
ISBN (eBook): 978-0-6487092-1-3
Release Date: 11 January 2020

Clubland is the hottest club in town.

And as member of the club’s inner clique, eighteen year old Lexie Perkins’ life is a never-ending party. With a fun group of friends, an internship at her dream job, and a gorgeous boyfriend, her life off the dance floor is as dazzling as a strobe light.

But in the harsh light of day, not everything is as glamorous as it first appears, and an impending event that sees work and play collide will send Lexie into a spiral of self-destruction, where she risks making choices that will change her life – and the lives of everyone around her – forever.

Relationships will crumble, mental boundaries will be pushed to their limits, and true character will reveal itself as Lexie and her friends learn that there is a thin line between enjoying their youth and destroying their future.

A young adult novel about toxic friendships, drug abuse and learning to own your mistakes, Clubland is the debut novel from Australian author Tara Jenkinson.

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Amazon | Amazon AU | Booktopia | Barnes & Noble | Chapters

PURCHASE IN STORE:
Dymocks Rundle Mall, South Australia

EXCERPT:
Pushing her way down to the dance floor, Lexie greeted more familiar faces. She found Daria and Ashley front and centre of the DJ booth. They squealed when they saw her and pulled her into an overly excited embrace.
‘It’s about time you showed up, biatch!’ Daria exclaimed.
Feeding on the raucous energy that surrounded them, Lexie and her friends danced to music the DJ spun from his platform overlooking the crowd. Jake and Pauly soon joined them on the dance floor. Tegan appeared behind Lexie and wrapped her arms around Lexie’s waist, the tension from earlier in the week long forgotten. A bottle of water was shared around. The beat of the previous song faded into the opening strands of Tiësto’s “Love Comes Again”, a classic club anthem. The crowd roared its approval, and an almost primal impulsion seemed to take over the room.
Lexie was dancing to this song when it started.
The blissful smile pulling at the corner of her lips. Her dancing slowed to a stationary sway. Pins and needles in her knees and fingers; the warm tingling slowly spreading to the palms of her hands and the tips of her toes. She closed her eyes as the tingling reached her head.
Basking in irresistible euphoria, Lexie swayed to the electronic rhythm that flared through her veins like the tail of a shooting star. Her eyes peeled open. The world was a sparkling kaleidoscope of colour. Sheer white from the strobe bounced off the oversized disco ball above her; hot pink, fluoro green, and deep purple glow sticks flashed like shards of an electric rainbow around her. She reached out to touch the colours, but they danced away. The robotic-like movements of her friends caught her attention. She stopped chasing the broken rainbow to gawk at them.
Daria noticed Lexie’s expression and grinned knowingly, her own chocolate brown eyes bulging. ‘Feel good?’ She saw the words on Daria’s lips but didn’t hear her voice.
Lexie nodded. She felt something solid in the palm of her hand. Looking down, she saw Daria’s hand holding her own. Her best friend winked and began mouthing along to the lyrics of the song.
Anchored by physical contact, Lexie found herself moving in rhythm to the music again. Daria reached for Jake’s hand. He took it, then scooped up Lexie’s free hand; together, front and centre of the dancefloor, they revelled in the loose abandon that belongs only to the young.