Jaxie Clackton

Jaxie Clackton, a teenager in contemporary Western Australia, is the novel’s protagonist and narrator. His life is defined by both resilience and struggle. At home, Jaxie endures relentless abuse at the hands of his alcoholic father, which scars him physically and emotionally. This environment instills in him a deep-seated mistrust of authority and a worldview shaped by violence and survival. Hardened by trauma, Jaxie’s initial perspective is shaped by anger and defensiveness, and he instinctively views relationships through a lens of power and dominance, believing aggression is the only way to protect himself from harm. The novel begins with Jaxie’s flight into the harsh Australian outback after his father’s death. Though this journey is driven by a desperate need to escape his traumatic past, it quickly becomes a quest for self-discovery and healing. Alone in the wilderness, Jaxie is forced to rely on...