Published: 3 September 2025 (print)/2 March 2026 (audio) 
Publisher: Rhiza Edge/Rhiza Edge
Pages: 128/1 hrs and 44 mins
Narrator: Simon Kennedy
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Contemporary Young Adult
★ ★ ★ –3 Stars
When Denim and his dad arrive in the coastal town of Driftwood Heights, Denim knows things are only going to get worse. The only accommodation is in the trailer park, he’s just started Year 10, and in this small town where everyone knows each other he feels more of a misfit than ever. Besides, what’s the point of getting close to anyone if you’re just going to move away again?
When Denim befriends Mina, a quirky girl with a carefree attitude, Driftwood Heights starts to look a little brighter. But then a vintage find that seems too good to be true goes horribly wrong, and he has a tough decision to make–one that could ruin his friendship forever. What do you do when flipping your life has too high a price?
This a quick two hour read and is a decent short story that captures a point in time and the challenges people face. As part of the Rhiza Shorts series these are novellas for teens who might be wary of picking up something longer but the stories are compelling and intriguing.
The characters are basic and some of the dialogue is unrealistic. It might be the narrator but Mina’s dialogue didn’t sound like it came from a normal person, let alone a teen. Kennedy does a good job on the other characters so it might be how Mina’s written that throws off the narrative flow.
Interestingly, the first half felt different than the second. Not sure whether it would have been different if it was a longer story. Fraser could have had more space to expand, but the story pace is ok for this quick read, it’s the other stuff where there’s a rush to get out information in dialogue which sounds unnatural. It settles for the second half when we don’t need to introduce everyone and the story can play out.
Whether it’s a factor of small towns or just dodgy characters but there’s no privacy in this town. The teacher tells the class where Denim lives, the men’s shed aren’t that private about sharing people’s personal details, and private information is shared to easily. There is a fine line between community help and breaching privacy but it was a curious way to get the plot moving along.
As a character Denim is pretty solid. He’s lost his mum, had to move around a lot, and is trying to help his dad by selling things online he finds. His hobby was interesting. The fact a town would have enough op shops to sustain interest was curious, especially how new things come in each week with such regularity.
The emotional crisis was really good, it was unique and felt plausible on both sides. Fraser gives Denim enough depth to make his actions feel justifiable and there’s only a brief moment where it feels out of character. Overall it was a good story that captured a moment in time and sparked change which is what interesting stories do.
You can purchase Flip via the following
Wordery | Blackwell’s | Angus & Robertson
Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible
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