Allen & Unwin, 2012. ISBN 9781742375229.
When this hefty volume was passed on to me for reading and
reviewing, I was immediately intimidated. Libba Bray's The
Diviners counts up over 500 pages, and surprisingly each page
builds on the last to create an exciting tale.
From the word 'go', The Diviners revels in descriptions of
1920s New York - its estates and their upper-crust owners, the
parties they host and their enigmatic, mysterious, brilliant guests,
many of whom form the novel's eclectic character ensemble.
At the heart of this wholly vaudevillian thriller is Evie O'Neill, a
country girl new to the glamorous New York City. At first, she is
caught up in the quirky, larger-than-life street atmosphere of NYC,
before dipping into the gaudy Prohibition-era world of nightclubs,
cinemas and other social attractions.
The clause of Evie's stay in New York is that her uncle has offered
her accommodation (in no less than his curious museum devoted to
eerie culture concerning the Occult - what could possibly happen
here?)
The shiny, glittery setting of the novel quickly becomes tense and
dangerous, as Evie's stay is shaken by creepy incidents of the
homicidal variety, which Evie becomes involved in investigating. The Diviners recalls Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden novels of
the mid-20th century, with their decidedly feminine but powerful
young heroines delving into mysterious crimes. The main difference
here is the theme of Occult which runs through The Diviners,
adding an element of darkness and making for a very exciting plot
device.
Unrelenting in its nostalgia and its compulsive, twisted
storytelling, The Diviners is one for late night thrills.
Just make sure you can sleep in the next day.
Henry Vaughan (Student)
Pretty Girl by J. C. Burke
Random House, 2013. ISBN 9781741663136.
Recommended for mature readers 14 and up. Sisterhood stories have
long been popular with girl readers, whether the formulaic
Babysitters Club books for younger girls or more complex offerings
such as Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants or Divine
Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood series for young adults. Pretty Girl slots well into this chick lit genre and while
you may well have thought the two latter series mentioned above had
some darker moments, this new novel by J. C. Burke takes a group of
best friends into far murkier places.
Four friends, Paige, Sarah, Jess and Tallulah, have been 'besties'
all the way through school and have now arrived at university where
they all live together on campus. In this new setting, they find
themselves divided as issues of wealth, partying, drugs, studying or
lack of it and more separate each according to their personalities
and circumstances. One thing links them together, albeit
unknowingly. A charming and good looking young man befriends each in
turn secretly with dire, and indeed, fatal results. Jess is dead,
Paige is recovering from a near-fatal accident in a mental
institution, Tallulah is out of control and Sarah is beset by doubts
and suspicions, as she struggles to keep up with wealthier friends,
her memories of Paige's accident, Jess's death and her own
longstanding relationship with Will. Enter Jonny - gorgeous,
exciting, sexy and psychopathic. As Sarah falls under Jonny's spell,
Paige's memory starts to return, piece by piece. Will Sarah be saved
from the terrifying control of Jonny's twisted mind in time?
As the readers, we are already putting together the clues about
Jonny well before the girls do and we are mesmerised by the
seemingly inevitable nightmare into which Sarah is being drawn.
Burke has drawn her characters with great clarity and we can
recognise each one's flaws and strengths. A terrific plot which
unravels with a steady pace heightens the tension and sense of
impending disaster perfectly.
Recommended for mature readers 14 and up - some pretty heavy duty
language, drug and sex references throughout.
Sue Warren
The only game in the galaxy by Paul Collins
The Maximus Black Files. Ford Street, 2013. ISBN 9781925000041.
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Science Fiction, Adventure. RIM, the
major spy agency in a galaxy where corrupt corporations rule, is at a crossroads. Their best and most sparkling recruit, Maximus
Black is drawing power into his own hands, killing as he goes. He
has taken care of his psychologist who tried to warn others of his
psychopathic tendencies, and is now after Anneke, a clever agent who
seems to allude him at all turns. In books one (Mole hunt)
and two (Dyson's drop) the two sparred constantly, and this
one has more of the same. Exciting, fast paced, it holds the reader's
attention as the two sharpen their wits against each other, Black
thinking he has rid himself of her forever, but then finding himself
indebted to her as she kills someone about to take him out. Cat and
mouse has nothing on the sequence of events here.
Set in an amazingly technological world, where people can change
their images with a drug, or use a different drug to take someone's
memory, the background is all heavy metal, a very nasty virus, shape
changing and weaponry. The thinking reader will be alert to the
chops and changes which occur with great rapidity as the two try to
outfox the other, but drugged Anneke is not quite sure of who she
can trust.
Anneke who also works for RIM, knows that there is a mole within the
company, and so is out to find that person and eliminate him. Her
resolute aim brings her closer to Black, and the reader who has read
the previous two in the series, will be kept gripped by the book,
reading to the end to find out what happens to these two major
players, especially after they both realise that there they are not
the masters of their own destinies.
Fran Knight
Interview with Paul Collins by Pat Pledger
Paul Collins has written over 150 books and 140 short stories. He is
best known for The Quentaris Chronicles (The Spell of
Undoing is Book 1 in the new series), which he co-edits with
Michael Pryor, The Jelindel Chronicles, The Earthborn
Wars and The World of Grrym trilogy in collaboration
with Danny Willis. Paul's latest book is The Only Game in the
Galaxy, book three in The Maximus Black Files. The Beckoning is
Paul's first adult novel.
He is also the publisher at Ford Street Publishing and runs a
speakers' agency called Creative
Net.
Paul has been short-listed for many awards and won the Aurealis,
William Atheling and the inaugural Peter McNamara awards. He
recently received the A Bertram Chandler Award for lifetime
achievement in Australian science fiction. He has had two Notable
Books in the Children's Book Council of Australia Awards.
He was a kick-boxer and has black belts in both ju jitsu and
taekwondo - this experience can be seen in The Jelindel
Chronicles and The Maximus Black Files.
1. I loved your action-packed series, The Maximus Black Files,
and enjoyed the third in the trilogy, The Only Game in the
Galaxy. What is the planning process for a trilogy like this?
Did you have the three books all planned out before you wrote them?
Trilogies and such work in different ways. Sometimes it's more the
publisher's decision. For example, when I put Dragonlinks,
book one of The Jelindel Chronicles quartet, to Penguin,
they would only commit to that book, not a series. Obviously I had
to leave one or two loose threads because I knew I needed somewhere
to go when writing book 2. Dragonlinks did well so Penguin
agreed to publish Dragonfang, but wouldn't commit to a third
book. And so it went. The Jelindel Chronicles went to book
4, Wardragon. The same went for The Earthborn Wars
that TOR (US) took. The first book, The Earthborn, went well
so they commissioned a sequel, The Skyborn. I then wrote a
third book, The Hiveborn. With The Maximus Black Files
I had a very loose outline for three books. I sent it around to
dozens of publishers but no one was interested. They didn't think
Maximus Black had any redeeming features. Well, he doesn't, really.
But that's why the series is rather unique. And oddly enough, his
total evilness hasn't deterred people from loving the series. Max is
a true anti-hero.
2. The Maximus Black Files books have appeal for both boys
and girls. How do you ensure that your writing will be enjoyed by
both sexes?
You need a strong male and female character. Max needed a foil and
someone who is every bit as good as him. Anneke Longshadow has her
own demons, but she's ultimately more good than bad. She's a homage
to my favourite fiction character, Modesty Blaise.
3. The beckoning, your adult horror novel, is a big
departure from your science fiction series for young adults. What
sort of research went into all the detail about cults and the
occult?
I wrote The Beckoning about 30 years ago. I used to write my
novels on a manual typewriter on the counter of various bookshops I
owned. Rather than research material and possibly misinterpret text,
I actually go to people who are specialists in their fields. So I
went to a Victoria Police detective for the police material, a
tarot/palm reader for the psychic stuff, a former cult member for
authenticity, etc. I think it's a more thorough approach to
research, and a damn sight quicker.
4. Why did you give The Beckoning to another publisher -
Damnation Books - rather than publishing it with Ford Street, your
publishing house?
Basically, Ford Street only publishes picture books through to young
adult literature. The Beckoning is of course for adults.
Besides, again, I had sent it to many publishers over the years. The
closest it came to being published was when it was long-listed for a
horror series Lothian published. But because manuscripts aren't
accepted, doesn't mean they're not publishable. It reached number 7
on Amazon's psychic thriller page, just six places behind Stephen
King's latest novel. It's been in the Top 100 of two Amazon lists
for a while now.
5. The Beckoning is getting great reviews on Amazon and as a
Kindle book. What impact has the sale of e-books had on publishing?
Obviously people who buy the ebook aren't likely to purchase the
paperback. Not unless they absolutely love the book and either want
it on their bookshelf or to give as a gift. And as a rule, I think
remuneration to the author is basically the same between ebook and
paperback. It can be because ebooks cost virtually nothing to
'publish' whereas paperbacks cost around $8000 once you factor in
printing, design, cover, advance, editing, etc. I see paperback
sales plummeting to such an extent it will no longer be viable to
publish them other than in POD.
6. You are both an author and a publisher. What is the difference
between working on your own manuscripts and looking at other
people's books? What are you looking for in the books that you
publish?
I never rely solely on my own judgement in publishing my own work
via Ford Street. Ford Street is an imprint of a larger publisher,
Hybrid. So it's Hybrid that actually takes a look at my books and
decides whether they're publishable or not. And I think this is
important. Authors often think their work is good, and that's a
problem. We don't see our own faults. That's where a good editor can
turn a so-so book into a good or great book. A small example of this
is when I tried selling The Glasshouse, it featured tomatoes
rather than pumpkins. An editor said, 'Tomatoes aren't 'sexy', but
pumpkins are'. So it was a simple change but an important one. Many
publishers rejected that book, but it sold 4000 copies to ASO, a
book club, and then another 1200 copies. So it had great sales, yet
publishers rejected it. I imagine there are thousands of good
manuscripts lying about the place right now that would be top
sellers were they given the chance. And it's these types of books
that I'm looking for with Ford Street. It doesn't matter to me that
MSS have been rejected by major publishers, because most of my own
books have been, only to go on and be successful books. I'm
publishing Andrew Plant's The Poppy in March 2014. Four
publishers rejected it before he sent it to me. Two book clubs have
just pre-ordered 2500 copies. I shook my head when Andrew told me he
was having trouble finding a publisher for it. It's simply a
brilliantly illustrated book and one that has 'success' written all
over it.
7. I am impressed with your editing. How long does it take to get a
book to publication?
To be fair, I don't do all the editing at Ford Street. I also employ
freelancers, some of the best editors in the industry. This is very
costly, but I think extremely important, as I've said. Editors can
lift manuscripts to their full potential. And I think if I have any
gift at all, it's in reading a manuscript and thinking, 'This could
be so much better if the author did . . .' There's no set time
between acceptance and publication. This can vary on how long a book
takes to edit. All going well, it can take around eight months. Of
course, the lead time with a small press is much shorter than that
of a larger publisher. I believe some publishers have their
schedules in place right up to 2015. So if an author sold a book to
them now, they wouldn't see it in print till late 2015 or even 2016.
8. As an author what advice would you give to beginner writers?
The best advice can be summed up in one word: persistence. As you'll
have gathered from this interview, many of my own books have been
rejected time and time again, only to be successful books when
finally published. It's not generally known that every major
publisher in Australia, including Penguin, rejected Dragonlinks.
I waited until the publisher at Penguin left and resubmitted the MS
to her replacement, who promptly accepted it. Dragonlinks is
my best selling book.
9. Where to now for Paul Collins?
I have a fantasy novel on submission with a publisher right now.
It's called Broken Magic. It can be either published as a
straight novel or over six months, chapter by chapter. I'm also
putting the final touches on my six Lucy Lee books for Macmillan's Legends
in their own Lunchbox series. There are six of the Lucy books. Other
authors in the series are James Roy, Meredith Costain, Bill Condon,
Tristan Bancks and Sherryl Clark.
10. Last but not least, what does Ford Street have in store for
2014?
I've contracted 11 books so far. These are: The Poppy by Andrew Plant; Chasing Shadows by Corinne
Fenton and Hannah Sommerville; The Cuckoo by Gary Crew and
Naomi Turvey; Jamie Brown Is Not Rich by Adam Wallace; Dead
Dog in the Still of the Night by Archie Fusillo; Butterfly
and Oscar by Tricia Oktober; Elephants Have Wings by
Susanne Gervay and Anna Pignataro; I Wish My Mother Were An
Octopus by Shona Keenan and Lee Burgemeestre; Celia and
Nonna by Victoria Thieberger and Kayleen West; Found You
by Mardi Davis and The Monster Who Ate Australia ((reprint)
by Michael Salmon. I think there might also be a sequel to Monster
School by DC Green.
The beckoning by Paul Collins
Damnation Books LLC, 2013. ISBN 9781629290348.
(Age: Adult - 16+) Recommended. Horror. Thriller. Cults.
Psychic powers. When Matt Brannigan's family is threatened and his
daughter Briony targeted by the Zarathrustan cult guru, Brother
Desmond, he has to take action. Briony is lured to the Zarathrustan
headquarters at Modewood, a mansion near Shipwreck Coast, named for
the high number of tragic deaths occurring in the area, and Matt
discovers that he has no power legally or with the police to get his
daughter to return home. With psychic Clarissa Pike he enters the
cult's headquarters in an attempt to rescue her and all hell breaks
loose.
In Brother Desmond, Collins has created a truly evil and frightening
villain, who wants to conquer the world. He has encountered Briony
when she was very young and is convinced that her psychic powers
will give him the power that he needs to achieve his goals. He
beckons her to Modewood, and although she is aware of his
intentions, finds it difficult to keep him at bay. The exploration
of cults and how individuals are manipulated by a charismatic
leader, brainwashing and drugs is enlightening and forms an alarming
background to the story. The story resonates because it is easy to
imagine how young teens could be lured into a cult and how difficult
it is to get them away.
Collins builds up the suspense with his descriptions of Modewood, a
gloomy gothic house and all the deaths that have happened on the
Shipwreck coast. Then it is the action and the truly terrifying
events that overtake Matt and Clarissa when they try to enter
Modewood that dominate the story. Brother Desmond attacks them with
their worst nightmares and each episode left me gasping for air as
the couple battle the devil in a surreal landscape.
Clever plotting, horrifying action, a dark gothic mansion and great
characters make this a very exciting read for those who like horror.
Pat Pledger
Code breaker by Sally Rippin
A Billie B Mystery. Ill. by Aki Fukuoka. Egmont, 2013. ISBN
9781742976525.
(Age: 8-10) Recommended. Secret Clubs. Mysteries. Friends. Sally
Rippin is an author who really understands and engages with her
reading audience. Her new mystery series follows Billie B Brown and
her friends Jack, Mika and Alex as they start up their Secret
Mystery Club and work to solve neighbourhood mysteries. These books
are written for fans that have enjoyed reading the Billie B
Brown beginning chapter books and the Hey Jack series
and are now looking for a more challenging read as they grow up. On
Sally's blogspot,
she comments that the books will be triple the length of the
existing Billie books with a much more complex writing style and
story structure for older readers. Code breaker begins with Billie and her friend Jack
receiving a mysterious coded letter. When the friends meet up at
recess the next day they are excited to have a case to solve. Jack's
letter is written in Japanese and Mika translates the haiku that
provides the hiding place for another clue. Billie's feelings are a
little hurt as each clue is written to challenge the strengths of
the other club members. In the background family life and school
life continues, however there is something secretive happening with
their parents as well. All is revealed in the end with an exciting
surprise for the club members.
Aki Fukuoka's graphic illustrations bring to life Billie and her
friends' characters, adding fun to Sally Rippin's novels. The font
size is still large with some use of bold text to emphasize
feelings. This series is a great extension for the Billie B
Brown fans and is recommended for students from 8-10 years of
age.
Aki's Art .
Sally Rippin's webpage.
Rhyllis Bignell
Clara Button and the wedding day surprise by Amy de la Haye
Ill. by Emily Sutton. Bloomsbury, in association with the Victoria
and Albert Museum, 2013. ISBN 9781851777006.
(Age: 7+) Warmly recommended. Picture book. Customs. Historical
fiction. The author's background as Professor of Dress History
shines through this sumptuously produced hard cover book about
wedding customs. Clara and her brother Ollie Button love doing
things. Clara has a room full of materials, boxes of scraps, sewing
implements and a basket of wool and bits that are very necessary to
a budding designer. Her brother Ollie has a complimentary room with
an array of boxes filled to overflowing with heels, and springs,
metal bits and pieces, all just ready to experiment with and make
inventions. Not an ipad or computer in sight!
When Mum receives an invitation to a wedding for the family, Clara
and Ollie are told to work out what they need to wear. Clara takes
all her clothes from her wardrobe to try on and decides on a dress,
but feels it needs some augmentation. She dreams of the wedding
dresses women wore in the past, while Ollie begins to make an
invention to take with them. The following day the family goes to
Portobello Road market and there see a wonderful haberdashery shop
where Clara buys what she needs to add to her outfit.
But that night, dyeing her hair to match her outfit, some dye falls
on her chosen dress, fortunately mum comes to the rescue.
When the family turns up to the wedding in all their finery, they
find it is a Hindu wedding, giving the author and illustrator the
chance to display a neat resolution to the tale, with a
multicultural flavour.
The illustrations add an historical level to the story, revealing
the breadth of the collection at the V&A.
Fran Knight
Stormbringers by Philippa Gregory
Simon and Schuster, 2013. ISBN 9780857077356.
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. Historical fiction. Romance.
Religion. In 1453, a stranger tells Luca Vero, a trainee priest,
that he has been chosen to search for indicators that the end of the
world is imminent. Along with his servant, Freize, and clerk,
Brother Peter, they travel across Europe, where they meet Isolde, a
Lady Abbess, who has left the abbey with her servant, Ishraq, to
regain her inheritance, stolen by her brother. Isolde and Luca are
attracted and all five begin to travel together, the two becoming
closer. So begins the first book Changeling in this series Order
of Darkness, introducing the main characters and their plans.
Stormbingers, the second in the series, takes them to Piccolo
in Italy where they are amazed at the large number of ragged and
weary children, and entering the town find that a charismatic leader
has told them of Jerusalem and the last days where the graves will
open. Luca must interview this young man to see if he can add
anything to his knowledge about the end of the world, his reason for
travelling. But he and Isolde are transfixed by the words he utters,
thinking that he is speaking to them about their lost parents, and
being together once again. The suspicious Freize doubts Johann and
questions his motives. But follow him they do, and when a tidal wave
occurs, sucking the water out of the harbour, Johann and his
followers think it is a sign from God to walk across the sea. When
the water returns most of the children are drowned along with many
from the village, so Isolde and Ishraq are branded stormbringers and
put on trial for their lives.
Gregory weaves a tale redolent of Medieval life, with its plethora
of suspicions and religious fervor, the crusades and hatred of Islam
behind the ill-fated children's crusade of the fifteenth century.
Although historians disagree about the possibility of the children's
crusade, Gregory's story rings true because of the mass of detail
which forms the formidable background, and the interplay between the
main characters will have readers following their story eagerly.
Fran Knight
Vivian versus the apocalypse by Katie Coyle
Hot Key Books, 2013. ISBN 9781471402173.
(Age 15+) Highly recommended. 2012 Guardian/Hot Key Books Young
Writers Prize. Dystopian fiction. Cults. Religion. Road trips.
Seventeen year old Vivian Apple returns home to find two holes in
her parents' ceiling. They have disappeared in the Rapture. Worthy
members of the Church of America have saved, and her parents appear
to be part of that group of Believers. However Vivian begins to
believe that they are alive somewhere, and as the weather begins to
create chaos, and the Believers become dangerous, she and her friend
Harp are joined by Peter and a heavily pregnant Edie on a mission to
find them.
This is a compulsively clever, engrossing read that I had to finish
in one sitting, and really worthy of being a co-winner of the
Guardian/Hot Key Books Young Writers Prize, with Joe Ducie, the
author of The rig. Quite unique in its plot, Coyle plunges the
reader into a world where religious fundamentalism has taken over
and everyone is expected to obey the dictates of the Church of
America's leader, Frick. Vivian is cynical about the religion and
had always doubted the advent of the Rapture and can hardly believe
that her parents have left her alone to fend for herself. Armed with
a sledgehammer and accompanied by her friends, she embarks on a
thrilling road trip across America to the place where Peter believes
the Church is located. On the way they encounter bad weather and a
strange group called the New Orphans, whose commune life is
strangely appealing.
This is not your usual dystopian novel, with a strong female
protagonist and a gorgeous boy romance. While Vivian is feisty, she
questions her beliefs and those of the people around her. She is not
perfect but her coming of age is central to the novel and she is not
afraid to take action and responsibility for those actions. The
characters of Harp, Peter and Edie are equally well portrayed and
the road trip sees them growing as individuals as well. There is
some love interest but Vivian's growth towards adulthood is more
important than romance.
Coyle does not shy away from social commentary in this novel. With
witty remarks and wry humour, the reader is often lead along a path
of thinking about society and what makes it hold together. The
themes of fundamental religion, peer pressure, advertising, parental
responsibility and nature versus nurture are ones to ponder long
after reading this novel.
This would be a wonderful class novel or literature circle book. It
is not too long at 288 pages and is a compulsive read that would be
sure to appeal to a teenage audience. Readers could then be led to
the dystopian novels of authors such as Margaret Atwood, Kazuo
Ishiguro and George Orwell.
Pat Pledger
My first Animalia by Graeme Base
Puffin, 2013. ISBN 9780670077489.
(Age 3+) Highly recommended. Picture book. Alphabet. Animals. My
first Animalia introduces the wonderful world of Animalia
to a young audience, complete with a lift the flap, word list and a
wonderful 'hidden land of beasts and birds' illustration for each
letter of the alphabet.
What I particularly liked about this book is the fact that it can be
used on so many levels. A young child just learning the alphabet can
trace fingers over a large capital letter and small letter on the
left hand side of the book, and then on the right hand can be found
four small illustrations that start with the letter and a picture of
an animal starting with that letter. For example 'Bb' has a picture
of a butterfly and the words 'Beautiful Blue Butterflies'. Lift the
flap and a word list to match the small pictures is revealed as well
as a fabulous illustration which incorporates more 'b' words that
can be searched out by an observant reader. A tantalising phrase,
'Beautiful blue butterflies basking by a babbling brook' can be used
by an adult to extend the vocabulary of young children. There is no
dumbing down in this book and I can imagine young children
delighting in the alliteration of the phrases and the new images
that are evoked. Older children will be able to return to the book
and extend their vocabularies in fascinating ways.
I love the illustrations that combine beauty and humour. Imagine the
mythical lovely unicorn sharing an illustration with an ugly gnome
playing a ukulele in his underpants!
This book is a keeper and would be a splendid present for young
children just beginning to become interested in letters and words.
It is an ideal book for stimulating the imagination and having fun.
Pat Pledger
Tadpoles in the Torrens: Poetry for young readers, edited by Jude Aquilina
Wakefield Press, 2013. ISBN 9781743052464.
(Age: 6-12) Highly recommended. Poetry. A compilation of poems for
primary school people, many already published in NSW's The School
Magazine, or as songs, or sometimes in an anthology of the poet's
work, these have not been readily available to readers in South
Australia, and so this is a most welcome resource.
With poems from a wide variety of home-grown authors including Rory
Harris, Christine Harris, Janeen Brian, John Malone, Max Fatchen and
Phil Cummings, the poems presented here represent a wide variety of
styles, and are funny and infectious. Several stood out for me. Mike
Lucas's I lost my dog, I could not help but read out at
breakfast, Jill McDougal's No school today, and Peter
McFarlane's poignant Ash Wednesday all touched a chord as I
read through the 68 poems. Many others begged to be read out loud,
which I did to any passing audience including my dog, many had me
return again and again, while many others had me drift into teacher
mode and think about how I would use them in the classroom.
Representing a range of South Australia's poets, these poems will be
well used in the classroom as read alouds, models for their own
writing and just plain good fun. With local settings, Ash Wednesday,
the River Torrens, seagulls on Adelaide Oval, the minutely described
settings will have a broad appeal to readers in South Australia, as
well as beyond.
Fran Knight
Two boys kissing by David Levithan
Text Publishing, 2013. ISBN 9781922147486.
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Homosexuality. Love and friendship.
Prejudice. The Guinness Book attempt at a world record for the
longest kiss is the backdrop for this enticing tale of seven gay
young men, as their stories are narrated by a survivor, a man who
has seen it all, and now as a Greek Chorus, watches on while a new
generation of gay young men make their marks, striving to survive in
a world where some do not accept them.
Craig and Harry have planned this day meticulously. They have
permission from their school to stage the event on the school's
front lawn, they have a host of supporters ready with lip salve,
banners, music tapes, air coolers and mistletoe. Craig and Harry
used to be a couple and over the 32 hours kissing, they recall
their lives.
Several other young men also figure in this story which ranges over
the history of homosexuality in the USA, from being hidden to coming
out, only to be decimated by the AIDS epidemic, then on to
acceptance for most in the late twentieth century. Peter and Neil
kiss often, waking and having breakfast with each other in their
parents' homes, both safe in their families' support, while Avery and
Ryan have only just met. Last night was the boys' prom, and Ryan
drove over from a nearby town, blown away by his sight of Avery with
his pink hair. They take tentative moves towards each other through
the book, Avery having to take things slowly as he was raised as a
girl.
Cooper, the one who is alone, spends time searching the internet but
cannot bring himself to meet the men he communicates with online. We
know from the start that Cooper is in a bad way after being kicked
out of home by his incensed father.
Through the day we are invited into their lives and the lives of men
who have gone before, the secrecy of some, the illness which took so
many lives, those hidden in loveless marriages, the hints given by
some offering support. It is an overview showing that friendships,
relationships and love within the gay community reflect any
relationship, full of trepidation at making a first move, fear that
it won't last, resignation if it does not, comfort when it does, and
particularly more so when the community and the parents support
them. In turns wistful, longing, regretful and always vigilant, the
story ranges over the full quota of what it is to be gay in middle
America, giving support to many and opening some eyes.
Fran Knight
Zac & Mia by A.J. Betts
Text, 2013. ISBN 9781922147257.
(Age: Older teens) Highly recommended. Zac & Mia is a refreshing
and insightful story that highlights the importance and strength of
human bonds and trust between people as well as how totally
different people can become friends and allies when faced with a
common enemy. This account of two people united in a long battle
inspires hope and love for others, both close friends and family as
well as a sense of unity and kindness to strangers.
Zac and Mia are both main characters who happen to meet in an
Australian hospital to be treated for different types of cancer.
These two relatable, impressionable and inspiring characters have a
strange way of meeting and become friends by only a tap through a
thin hospital wall in a time of need.
Zac is a gentle-natured and thoughtful country teenager who loves
the outdoors, riding the quad bikes and sports as well as harvesting
olives on his farm with his family and caring for the animals in the
farm's petting zoo. Mia on the other hand is an all-out city chick
with a blooming, busy social circle and many friends with a small
family and a seemingly perfect life. The effect and change that
cancer brings into their lives is phenomenal and brings two unlikely
people together to form a very close and trusting relationship.
The way this novel is written so realistically makes the characters
instantly believable and real. Their dialogue is seemingly
natural and relatable as well as infused with emotion and convinces
the reader to continue throughout the book until they reach the end.
This novel is more suited to older teens because they may have a
more empathetic and understanding view of illness-related trauma and
its effect on a person as well as how hope can transition and bloom
from such a life changing ordeal. This novel is truly breathtaking
and most definitely an interesting read.
Sara Filkin (Student)
Xander's panda party by Linda Sue Park
Ill. by Matt Phelan. UQP, 2013. ISBN 9780702249983.
(Age: 4+) Warmly recommended. Picture book, Animals, Pandas, Zoos.
When Xander decides to hold a party, he first issues invitations to
all the bears in the zoo, but the koala declines, telling Xander
that he is not a bear, but a marsupial. Xander rethinks his
invitations and invites all animals, but the rhino has a problem
with this and wants to invite birds, one of which is often on his
horn. So he invites all animals and birds, but this presents a
problem for the crocodile. Each time Xander thinks he has the
problem solved, another issue arises for him to solve.
The warmly inviting illustrations will encourage readers to find the
creatures being spoken of as they read, while the humour behind the
illustrations will cause merriment. A pleasing outcome draws the
story to a neat conclusion, and the whole will be well used to teach
readers about the different creatures that inhabit the world.
Fran Knight
The last thirteen by James Phelan
Scholastic Australia, 2013. ISBN 9781742831848. The last thirteen begins with Sam having a bad dream which
establishes the series premise, for yes, this is the first
instalment in a series of at least 13 books. Sam and his dream
introduce the major players and set the scene for the non-stop
thrills and spills which follow.
Phelan is masterful in providing just enough character description
to allow the reader to fill in the blanks and flesh out his/her own
characters in the guise of: the struggling yet valiant hero; the
talented sidekicks; the doomed, but maybe not, heroine; the
enigmatic Professor; and the school, not to mention the
organisations that are vying to gain control of Sam and the yet, as
unmet, remaining 12, who comprise The Last Thirteen.
I had a ball reading this. The action never stopped and Phelan kept
adding details like stealth technology, ancient legends, goodies and
baddies who mainly shoot each other with darts so most people aren't
too damaged, ancient treasures, bullet proof suits that change
colour and style at the wearer's discretion; ancient prophesies; and
of course, an evil and mysterious villain, so the reader never has a
chance to stop or critically analyse the plot or style or themes.
Who cares? It's fun, it's fast, it's clever and it never pretends to
be more than what it is.
Go on! Suspend cynicism and join Sam in saving the world. Spoiler
alert: be prepared for a cliff-hanger ending which basically
guarantees the purchase of the next book in the series.
R. Lange
