Juice (novel)

The narrator, captured by an unnamed antagonist referred to as the bowman, tells the story of his upbringing and survival in the plains. Raised by his enigmatic single mother, the narrator describes how he evolved from a simple agrarian life on the now-sweltering land (which requires them to spend half the year in underground habitation) to recruitment by a shadowy organization that trains highly skilled assassins. The narrator's story traces how he balanced his love of the everyday community he grew up with for the desire to participate in something larger, as the Guardian book review notes, "The protagonist's double life as a plainsman and agent of vengeance soon became unsustainable."^[3] The novel was a departure from Winton's previous work, serving as his first foray into science fiction.^[4]

Juice was shortlisted for the 2025 Prime Minister's Literary Award for Fiction.^[5]