Random House Australia. ISBN 978-1864718904 The Shapeshifters is a compelling book documenting the heart
aches of
bringing together the Avian and Serpiete lands that have been warring
with each other for two thousand years. Each of the five stories in
this magical book are written in the first person. Hawksong,
book one,
follows Danica Shardae, the Avian Tuuli Thea's heir, and her struggle
to end the war and bring peace to the two lands. Danica soon realises
that the Serpiete's Royal House, the Cobrianas, want peace as much as
she does. She is faced with the dilemma of either accepting Zane
Cobriana, leader of the Serpietes, as her pair bond and accomplishing
peace or continuing the war. Danica is unsure if Zane really wants
peace or is he looking for the means to end the Shardae line?
I would recommend this book to teenage fans of the fantasy genre and
people who enjoy stunning twists and turns in the plot. One stand out
feature is that the solid and well developed characters are so life
like that you feel as if you're one of the Serpiente dancers dancing a
sakkri'nira in the sha'Mehay. What I say to anyone who reads this is:
'Go and treat yourself with this superb book'.
Zoe Pfeiffer (student)
The Double-Edged Sword by Sarah Silverwood
Book One of The Nowhere Chronicles. Orion, 2010. ISBN: 978-0575095793.
Recommended. I spent a nail biting two days reading this enthralling
book. I was hardly able to put it down. It is a magical story
supporting the many-universe theory that shows up in most fantasy books
and containing believable characters. The use of day to day situations
in this book authenticates the story line. The story starts in London,
Somewhere, in twenty-ten and follows the first few days of Finmere
Tingewick Smith's sixteenth year. Knotted mysteries have surrounded Fin
as long as he could remember, he was an orphan left on the second step
of the Old Bailey. It's time for those knots to be untangled, both in
The Somewhere and The Nowhere. With the help of his friends they fight
to save the retired Knights of Nowhere.
I'm sure you'll find this book just as compelling as I did. I would
highly recommend it for any young adults who love a complicated plot
and love a read that keeps them guessing right up to the end. The
Double Edged-Sword is one of those books youll just keep reading
again
and again. I'm happy to say that in a few months the second instalment,
The Traitor's Gate, will be available sometime in 2011.
(Kayla, age 14)
Misguided Angel by Melissa de la Cruz
A Blue Bloods novel. Little Brown, 2010. ISBN 9781905654758. Misguided Angel was at first a bit strange as it was part of a
series,
then I began to understand
it more as I read the book.
When Schuyler and Jack (Mimi's brother) run away from the coven in New
York to find the gate of promise, they run into a lot more trouble then
they expected. They have Venators chasing after them and Nephilim,
child of Croatan and Red Blood taunting them. Schuyler and Jack go to
extremes to find the missing people taken by the Croatan, but they are
lead to places and trapped.
Back in New York, where the coven is, there are mysterious murders and
emails, threats of separation and a lot of sadness and stress to the
coven and families.
When the murderer is still undiscovered and more Blue Bloods go missing
from the coven, they send in a new Venator from Singapore, Deming, the
death angel. Deming goes into a lot of research to find the murderer
and goes on death walks. When they are all too late, Deming has lost
the love of her life (her bond mate) and the victims. Misguided Angel is a fast moving, exciting but thrilling book
with lots
of death and vampires. It has a theme of thrill, harm, vampires,
humans, mystery and magic. Its imagery sets a scene in your mind
because the author goes into great details. The word building was
beautifully structured and atmospheric.
The book is set in New York and Italy and its surroundings.
It is a very unique book to me as it was kind of confusing because it
jumped from one place to another. One minute I was reading about
Schuyler and Jack in Italy, then next I was reading about Mimi and the
coven back in New York, and it kept shifting points of view.
I would recommend this book for young adults and teenagers who love
reading about the fantasy world and mythical creatures. I would
definitely read Misguided Angel again as I found it a great
read.
Tayla Pollard
Good Oil by Laura Buzo
Allen and Unwin, 2010. ISBN 9781741759976.
Amelia Hayes is fifteen years old. She is in Year 10 and attends a
private girls school. From the moment she starts her job at Woolies she
is confronted with Chris Harvey. Chris becomes her number one
heartthrob, her crush, no other guy can measure up. However, Chris is
twenty-one and in his final year at Uni. The six year age gap is a bit
of an issue but Amelia thinks it could work. Will Chris ever see Amelia
as she sees him?
The characters within the story are realistic although you might not
wish to know some of the minor characters. Amelia is a close
representation of a nerdy private school girl, but most girls who go to
schools like hers usually know something about boys. Chris is very
realistic and by far the best character in the book. He is out there, a
party goer, friendly, can get along with just about anyone and doesn't
use too many swear words. I do warn parents though that there is a
sexual scene that might not be suitable for all children to read and
there is a degree of swearing within the book. The story takes place in
Sydney, Australia. Mainly at parties, Chris and Amelia's houses,
Woolies and at school (University/Private Girls High School).The style
of writing is not too in-depth and fairly basic really except for the
entries in Chris's diaries which are concise and straight to the point.
The main theme is about love and chasing the guy you want but cannot
have, even if you think it could work when it is so obvious that it
won't. Sometimes you have to settle for friendship. There is a minor
sexual theme laced into the story which makes it a little inappropriate
for the target audience.
In my opinion the target audience is twelve to fifteen year old girls,
if we're looking at the style of writing, however if going by the
themes the target audience should be sixteen to eighteen year old
girls. This book probably is aimed at the first target audience yet is
not appropriate for them to read. I found this book rather
uninteresting and bleak. However, the two sections that were written as
Chris's diaries were thoroughly enjoyable. I would rate this book 6/10
stars.
Amelia Kelly (Age 17)
The Cocky who cried Dingo by Yvonne Morrison
Ill. by Heath McKenzie. Little Hare, 2010. ISBN 9781921541421.
(Age 3-6) Recommended. In a wonderful Australian adaptation of The
Boy
Who Cried Wolf by Aesop, Yvonne Morrison has written a witty and
humorous story of 'a handsome and arrogant' young cockatoo who plays
one trick too many on the other birds in the forest. Cocky just loves
making mischief and causing mayhem in the flocks of birds that live
near him. He screeches that he is caught in the jaws of a big hairy
dingo and wakes up all his mates. After playing the same game again,
the birds take no notice when a real dingo comes along and catches
Cocky's crest in its jaws.
With the use of clever rhyming and vivid alliteration, Morrison has
ensured that children will really enjoy the story of the Cocky who was
too clever for his own good. The moral of not teasing and telling lies
is told beautifully with subtle humour without being didactic.
Beginning readers will find the rhymes an incentive to following the
story and it is great to read aloud.
Heath McKenzie's signature funny Australian illustrations are drawn in
gorgeous colours and it is fun to work out the different types of birds
that feature on the pages. A sly little drawing at the end of the book
lets the reader know that Cocky is still full of tricks, even if they
are not so mean.
With lots of action, a little fear, suspense and excitement, this is a
treat for the young child or as a read aloud in the classroom.
Pat Pledger
Worlds next door edited by Tehani Wessely
Fablecroft, 2010, ISBN 9780980777017.
(Age 9-13) Recommended. Short stories. An engaging collection of
speculative fiction, Worlds next door encompasses short stories
ranging
from horror to science fiction. Written by twenty five of Australia's
top writers in the genre, including Pamela Freeman, Michael Pryor, Dave
Luckett, Sue Bursztynski and Paul Collins, this is an excellent
collection for both the library and the English faculty.
The first story, The best dog in the world by Dirk Flinthart,
is
science fiction at its best. Scientists exploit a dog's faithful nature
in a heart wrenching way. Old Saint Nick by Leith Daniel is a
Christmas
story with a twist and would be perfect to read aloud to a restless
group. I loved the horror in Little Arkham by Martin Livings,
where a
fan of Christopher Death, an author of gruesome stories, discovers just
what happens in the school where he is the principal. The
Nullabor wave by Matthew Chrulew is a startling original story with
a
unique Australian flavour, about driving across the desolate plains and
the witch in Tabitha by Rowena Cory Daniels is very
frightening.
Expertly selected by Tehani Wessely, individual stories in this
excellent collection would make perfect introductions to
different speculative fiction genres or as an introduction to the short
story. Ghosts and strange creatures abound, making the collection one
that children will really enjoy listening to as well. Audio versions of
some of the stories and teaching ideas can be found at the World next
door website .
Pat Pledger
Captain Mack and the giant squid by John Lomas-Bullivant
Walker Books, 2010. ISBN 9781406323603.
(Age 6-10) Graphic novel. In the first of a series, Captain Mack has to
prove that he can save a submarine trapped between rocks deep in the
ocean. But there is a monster squid there that makes it difficult for
him! After this daring rescue, Captain Mack comes home to find that
there is a Space Monster invasion at Sunshine City causing panic and
mayhem. His old foe, Tracy Trickster has been up to her tricks again.
What can he do about it?
This colourful graphic novel, with its easy story line and short
sentences, is aimed at newly independent readers, especially
boys. The action in the story is suspenseful and is sure to
interest the young reader. The comic book type illustrations are also
appealing.
The humour in both the illustrations and dialogue add interest to what
should prove to be a popular series with the very young who will also
delight in the silliness and naughtiness of Tracy Trickster.
Pat Pledger
Jungle Kill by Jim Eldridge
Egmont, 2010. ISBN 9781405247801.
Six men! One mission! Failure is not an option!
When Mitch embarks on a dangerous mission he ends up being held
captive. Escaping, Mitch ends up doing something that gets him in
trouble but little did his persecutors know he was a member of the
Special Forces.
This action packed book has an easy flowing plot, leading you to a
front line in an African forest. Don't let the slow start drive you
away from the fast-paced action within these pages. The main characters
are great role models for young male readers to look up to as they show
strength, skills and courage. I recommend this novel to boys thirteen
and over as there are graphic scenes of warfare. I really enjoyed
reading this novel. It was very exciting.
Kane Wallace (13 yrs)
Infinity: I am the power they can't tear down by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Atom, 2010. ISBN 9781907410215.
The book Infinity is a great read and I recommend it to all
young
adults and their teachers. Infinity would be a good resource to
introduce reading to reluctant readers because it has an attractive
font and is very easy to read.
The main character is Nick. He lives in a three-bedroom house in a run
down part of the city. He is fourteen years old and hates going to
school because the other students ridicule him for wearing second-hand
clothes. In the storyline, Nick finds himself being pulled between the
forces of good and evil. The plot is inhabited by killer zombies who
enjoy feasting on human brains. Nick and his friends have to kill them
to stay alive. As if that isn't enough Nick's mother constantly nags
him and makes his life a living hell. The reader is left in suspended
animation at the end of the book. I really need to know what happens
next, the poor guy needs a break.
When does the sequel come out?
Jessie McGrath (Year 8)
Nicholas Dane by Melvin Burgess
Puffin, 2010. ISBN 9780141316338.
(Ages 16+) Recommended. Melvin Burgess has always pushed the
boundaries in his writing. When he won the Carnegie medal for Junk
in
1996 it made headline news, hardly surprising as it represented such a
seismic shift in literature for young people. Subsequent novels also
roused strong opinions, and Nicholas Dane will be no exception.
Set in the 1980s this is the harrowing story of Nick whose mother dies
of a heroin overdose and who finds himself at the tender mercies of a
group of so called teachers (all inadequate, bullying torturers) at a
children's home. Burgess does not hold back. Details of child sex
abuse, the skewed and damaged thought processes of paedophiles, the
physical and emotional torture of children, drugs, prostitution and
armed robbery all figure in this compelling novel.
Melvin Burgess is a genius at painting pictures with words. (I still
shudder when I picture one of the characters in Junk cradling
her baby
while she injects heroin). This is an even tougher subject to write
about for young people, and the line between adult and young adult is
very hazy indeed. It is exceptionally well written; perhaps the only
way Burgess could successfully handle such horrific storylines was to
adopt a clinical almost documentary approach. Of course this factual
style simply serves as a reminder that this story is embedded in the
horrific experiences that real children endured at the hands of the so
called care system.
The trauma that Nick and his friends Oliver and Davy experience is hard
to believe. Nick is a tough character and Burgess does not dwell in
huge detail regarding the emotional cost of his abuse, but it's there
in his attempts to blot out the horror with drugs and alcohol and in
his total inability to build successful relationships. Oliver is
perhaps the most tragic character. Groomed by paedophiles since a young
age, he knows no other form of affection. The fact that he disappears
and Nick fails in his attempts to find him leaves the reader to draw
their own conclusions - lost in the care system, or murdered by
paedophiles? We never find out.
I urge caution in sharing this book with young people. This is HEAVY
reading, perhaps best adopted by a reading group, where the traumatic
events can be chewed over and discussed. I haven't read anything as
harrowing or deeply affecting since We Need to talk about Kevin,
but of
course that was written for adults.
Claire Larson
Descent by Charlotte McConaghy
The Strangers of Paragor: Book 2. Black Dog Books, 2010. ISBN
9781742031279.
(Age: Older teenagers) When the last two strangers arrive in Paragor,
Jack and Mia are thrown into a world they know nothing about. With the
help from the other strangers and their newly made friends they must
come together for the battle of their lives!
This medieval saga is about courage, darkness and most importantly
friendship. The plot line is complex as there are multi-layering of
themes and issues. I highly recommend that the first novel Arrival
to
be read first as it will help the reader to familiarise themselves with
the characters and to understand the storyline in Descent.
I recommend this novel to older teenagers or young adults as some
scenes involve graphic violence and are inappropriate for younger
readers. Charlotte has done a wonderful job creating this novel at the
age of sixteen. Even in the very last pages, you are fixed to the story
line and can't put the book down. I won't be surprised if Charlotte
will be an author to a third novel very soon. And I will be waiting for
it!
Lauren Pfeiffer (Student, 16 years old)
Wolfborn by Sue Bursztynski
Woolshed Press, 2010. ISBN 9781864718256.
(Age 11+) Recommended. When sixteen-year-old Etienne goes to
Lucanne to train as a knight at the manor of Geraint, he encounters
more than he has bargained for. Geraint, his master, is betrayed by
enemies and disappears on the night of the Harvest Festival. It
is up to Etienne and wise-woman, Sylvie, and her unusual daughter,
Jeanne, to try and save his lord. But Etienne has a secret, he is
bisclavret, a born werewolf, and must use all his powers to help those
he loves.
The medieval world that Etienne belongs to has been described in vivid
detail by the author. The transition in beliefs and customs from the
old religion to the new is quite absorbing, as is the mystical
otherworld of the gods. I loved the way the author was able to build a
scenario where I was able to imagine werewolves as an unacknowledged
part of the society of the times.
Etienne, too, is a beautifully developed character, whose growth and
development kept me reading to the end. The love between Etienne and
Jeanne is tested and Etienne has to make some very difficult decisions
to ensure the safety of those he loves.
It is very refreshing to read a book that has a different take about
werewolves. Wolfborn is based on a medieval romance and has all
the
overtones of a well researched, gripping historical novel. I was
fascinated by the Afterword in which Bursztynski describes the source
for the story. In the 12th century Marie de France wrote a collection
of stories called the Breton Lais and Bursztynski has used one
of these
as the inspiration for her absorbing story.
More mature readers who like this story may wish to move onto The
Moorehawke trilogy by Celine Kiernan.
Pat Pledger
Torment by Lauren Kate
(Fallen, Book 2) Random House, 2010. ISBN 9780385618090.
(Age 14+) Luce has been separated from her beloved fallen angel,
Daniel, and sent off to Shoreline, a select private school. It is here
that the Nephilim, children of fallen angels and humans, are educated
in a special program. Luce desperately misses Daniel, but as she begins
to learn more about her powers, she feels that she hasn't been told
everything that she needs to know. Is she really the love of Daniel's
life through all eternity? When her life is threatened she must take
risks to find out the truth.
Girls who enjoy the paranormal will enjoy the sequel to Fallen. Lauren
Kate has provided an interesting setting at Shoreline, which is
certainly a boarding school with a difference. Luce is determined about
finding out what is going on. Even though she has been told not to
leave the boundaries of the school, Luce leaves the school, putting
herself in danger from the Outcasts. In an even more daring move Luce
starts to learn about the Shadows that she has seen all her life and
begins to use her gift to find out more about her past.
With an array of fascinating Nephilim, some danger, angst about whether
Daniel is really her one true love, Kate has provided an engrossing
sequel. However many questions are left unresolved and the cliffhanger
ending will have readers clamouring for the next instalment in this
fantasy romance.
Pat Pledger
Hand me down world by Lloyd Jones
Text Publishing; Melbourne, 2010. ISBN 9781921656682.
(Year 11+) Lloyd Jones's last novel was Mister Pip, a winner of
a
number of prizes, in which the main character escapes the violent
reality of life in Bougainville through the fiction of Charles Dickens,
specifically Great Expectations. His new novel Hand me down
world
is about the difference between contemporary worlds, the world of the
affluent traveled sophisticated European and the world of the colonized
and the dispossessed. The main character, who is nameless and has
nothing except a child, struggles from Tunisia to Berlin, all the time
inhabiting the world of the 'illegal' immigrant, the outsider, the
unregistered foreign national. The story starts in a resort hotel in
Africa. From the first the reader sees her, and the African staff,
trained to be self-effacing, to have no personal wishes or desires, to
leave their personal stories very definitely behind and simply to serve
others. Europeans travel to Africa, to sunbake, to swim, to fornicate.
The woman, later known as Ines, continues to serve even as she
discovers wishes and needs of her own, and as she develops her own
subversive life. She becomes a woman rather than a servant and in due
course a mother who, when she loses her child through betrayal, learns
how to use others to feed her needs. 'Africa' now struggles to Europe,
almost drowns, walks, climbs, starves, and meets with incidental
kindness, accidents and cruelty. On the journey she meets a
cross-section of European life, for example Italian partisans, the
snail collector, a truck driver, a movie researcher, a performer of
Rilke's poetry and a police inspector. The existence of the other
world, the hand me down world, is made explicit in Berlin, where the
displaced climb through the divide of a wall to a squat that harbours
whole families as well as individuals who have little. Ines is a
beautiful and charismatic woman, it seems, despite having little
language, and this helps her in many situations, except for when she is
employed by a blind man who she robs in her desperation to find her
child.
The story is told through the eyes of those who come into
contact with her, whether fleetingly or constantly, and is
reconstructed by a police inspector who becomes involved with her
situation and intervenes on her behalf. This dedication is quite hard
to believe; more disappointingly, the voices of all the characters,
including Ines herself when she speaks, all sound the same, quite
detached, which is reasonable perhaps as they are giving testimony of a
kind, but sadly lacking in individuality. However, this is an
easy-to-read novel that captures the plight of the 'illegal' immigrant
in a thought provoking and sensitive way.
Jenny Hamilton
Forest born by Shannon Hale
(The Books of Bayern). Bloomsbury, 2010. ISBN 9781408808610.
(Age 12+ ) Recommended. Fantasy. Growing up in the Forest, Rin has
always found solace in the trees,
until one day they seem to reject her and the calmness that they have
given her disappears. She tries to be a good girl, becoming her
mother's shadow and imitating her mannerisms and actions but she is
very unhappy. When an opportunity comes for her to go to the City with
her brother and Dasha, she takes it, hoping that she will find inner
peace there. However, there is danger in this world and she finds
herself with the Fire sisters, Isi, Enna and Dasha, fighting to save
the kingdom from an evil people-speaker, who holds enthralled all who
hear her voice.
Newbery Honor-winning author Shannon Hale has written an appealing
fantasy with fairy tale overtones. Rin's ability to talk to trees is
quite fascinating as is her large family and the shadow like place in
it that she has selected for herself. I enjoyed following her coming of
age and her gradual realisation that although she is a people-speaker
who can manipulate others through her words, she can use her power for
good rather than evil. Her development from a shy young girl who
imitates others to a strong young woman who helps to save the Kingdom
is fascinating. Hale sends a strong message to young girls to be
careful of the people-speaker who can win over hearts and minds but may
not be ethical.
Equally enjoyable are the action packed scenes as the group of young
women travel in their quest to find who is terrorising the villages and
using fire speakers to harm the people. Hale has a deft hand with
dialogue and the funny comments and repartee from her brother Razo and
the Fire sisters add a touch of humour to the story.
Rich in characterisation and description, Hale has created a book that
has unexpected plots turns and strong friendships. This finely realised
world, inhabited by resolute young women, will appeal to girls who
enjoyed the Alanna series by Tamora Pierce. Forest Born is the fourth in The Books of Bayern series,
following The
goose girl, Enna burning and River secrets. This
was the first book
that I had read in the series and found that it worked very well as a
stand-alone story, with sufficient background information and character
development for me to appreciate the setting and people.
Pat Pledger
