Young adult fiction
- The Smell of Paint
- Written by Sheryl McFarlane
- ISBN: 1-55041-457-7
- 5 x 8.75, 192 pages, Trade Paper
- $14.95 CDN / $12.95 US
- Published by Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2006
Reviews
“McFarlane leads the reader into Jess¹s busy world. You will be laughing and crying along with her as she pursues her dreams.”
Andrea Gordon
“Sheryl McFarlane perfectly captures the humor, anger and sadness of a family dealing with grief in this sensitive portrayal of a teenage girl coping with loss and learning about the value of true friendship.”
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
Awards and Honours
- The Smell of Paint was short-listed for the 2008 Saskatchewan’s Readers’ Choice Willow Award.
- The Smell of Paint is the gold medal winner of the Moonbeam Award in the Young Adult category.
- 2007 Victoria Butler Book Prize nominee.
Teen Reads Blog
Teen Reads is my YA blog.
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The Smell of Paint
The story is about Jess who is a natural born runner. When she’s chosen for the city track team, she tests the waters with her two best friends, Jill and Jen who assure her that she has what it takes. Unfortunately, her mother doesn’t share her excitement, nor does she understand Jess’ interest in track and field , especially with Jess’ older sister about to win a scholarship to a prestigious music school! When her mom signs Jess up for an art class that conflicts with track practise, Jess loses it. She loves her mom, but she is determined to be an athlete. Of course it doesn’t hurt that Brendan is a javelin thrower on the same track team, but Jess won’t let even him distract her from her goal to be the best. Her mother’s sudden cancer diagnosis changes everything. Anger, denial, bargaining and isolation fuel Jess’s track season as she runs her way to the provincials. But will her mother even be around to watch her win?
Author’s Inspiration
My daughters Cloe and Katie were partly the inspiration for the main character of The Smell of Paint.
“Some people paint with words, or with music, or with a brush and paints. I like to make something beautiful when I run. I like to make people stop and say, ‘I’ve never seen anyone run like that before.'”
This is a quote from one of the all time great US track athletes that inspires Jess, the main character in The Smell of Paint.
Book trailer
Sheryl McFarlane’s first YA novel, The Smell of Paint speaks about issues relevant to youth. This trailer created by airbookvideos.
