Looking for Alibrandi

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Written by Melina Marchetta, Looking for Alibrandi is a popular Australian Young Adult novel about an Italian-Australian teenager, Josephine Alibrandi. Due to its themes of self identity, coming of age, teen romance and sexuality, and depression and suicide it is widely studied in Australian high schools.

A film adaptation was produced in 2000, starring Pia Miranda, Anthony La Paglia and Matthew Newton.

Tropes used in Looking for Alibrandi include:

• Ass Pull: At the very beginning of the book, Josie explains to Sister Gregory why she was reading a magazine in class by attempting to relate it to the topic her class is currently studying.
• Betty and Veronica: A conventional one at the start with Josie as Archie and her two male love interests as Betty and Veronica. Brutally averted by the events in the book of course.
• Book Ends: The film opens and ends with "International Wog Day". Only with Josie being proud of it at the end.
• Chekhov's Gun: Josie and John write letters to each other, seal them and give them to each other. They promise not to open each other's note until after the HSC, but after John kills himself, it's not hard for Josie to work out what John must have wrote in his letter to her...
• Follow the Leader: The works of Irini Saviddes are remarkably similar, being written by an English teacher and featuring second generation immigrant girls coming of age, as does the book Wogaluccis. It is likely that this has more to do with publishers realizing these themes are marketable, rather than these books being intentionally derivative.
• Strange Minds Think Alike: In the film, upon finding out that Josie has a boyfriend, her parents independently ask if he has a car. This leads her to realize where she was conceived.
• Tear Jerker: John's suicide and the aftermath is absolutely heartwrenching.
• Teen Pregnancy: Josie's mother gave birth to her as an unmarried teenager.
• The Un-Reveal: John and Josie exchange sealed letters about their hopes for the future. When John dies, Josie realizes his letter must be his suicide note. Averted then played straight in the movie, where she does read the letter, but it still doesn't help.