Quiet and sad, this is a lovely novel. It won't rock your world but it will make you think about the mean lives some people lead. The petty mean conceQuiet and sad, this is a lovely novel. It won't rock your world but it will make you think about the mean lives some people lead. The petty mean concerns of village life in Ireland at the time this is set, but also how these are not petty and mean to those living their lives in a small village in Ireland in the early 50's. Eilis lives with her widowed mother and her beloved sister. When the opportunity arises for her to move to America, with a job and accommodation in Brooklyn all set up for her, she reluctantly goes. This is the story of her new life, loves, trials and disappointments and her loves. It is sweet at times, utterly sad at others.
I've never seen the movie but I will now. I expect to love it....more
This book broke my heart. The treatment that these young boys receive at the hands of their cruel jailers is just horrific. Boys who have done little This book broke my heart. The treatment that these young boys receive at the hands of their cruel jailers is just horrific. Boys who have done little wrong but who are sent away to endure the most horrific kind of abuse of their human rights. The worst thing is that this story is true.
Elwood is the most endearing boy, when an older man takes him under his wing and appears to be being kind to him it leads to a terrible situation where he is arrested, tried and sent to a school, which is not a school it is a prison. The build up as Elwood gradually becomes aware of the horrors surrounding him is beautifully written. Although the brutality that the boys live through is horrific it isn't gratuitously described and that is what gives this book it's power, it is unsaid and therefore somehow even worse. But it is all somehow gripping and beautiful. Elwood is such a wonderful character, I'll always remember him I think. His good naturedness is so heartening amid a sea of awfulness.
I raged and was angered and cried. This is a book to understand some of the worst of racism. It is gripping and wonderful. ...more
If the first half had been as gripping as the second I would have upped the star count considerably. This really did take a while to get underway. TheIf the first half had been as gripping as the second I would have upped the star count considerably. This really did take a while to get underway. The incredibly likeable characters notwithstanding this needed a stronger hand with a red pen. We meet the really short Paul, the really large and aptly named Big and Small, who is not small, she is long and thin but her family name is Small. These three become friends and allies, fighting against the bullies and becoming involved in rock climbing. There is a lot in this book. From the terrible plight of those who are mercilessly given a hard time at school to dealing with terrible and life-threatening illness and on to dealing with suicide. It is A LOT! It is all handled with sensitivity by the author which is really good.
This is one of those books which covers a bunch of issues that young people may face in their lives. It just has a slight touch of the unrealistic about it. Everything is just a little bit too tidy. The school stuff is done very well, the way the teachers speak to the kids is great but I think it tries to do just a bit too much in the second half.
Jamie and Maya are cute as buttons as we would totally expect from characters created by Becky Albertalli. They are, because of a number of circumstanJamie and Maya are cute as buttons as we would totally expect from characters created by Becky Albertalli. They are, because of a number of circumstances, volunteering for a local political candidate. They are a doomed couple, from different cultures with entirely different ways of viewing the world. And of course this is a love story and love conquers all.
This book doesn't really translate all that well to our country, the politics are firmly placed in the USA and our system is so different, but if you just read it for the cute romance it works. One thing is that if you've got teenagers who don't want any dodgy naughty behaviour in their love stories, then this will fit the bill admirably.
Not my favourite but perfectly fine as YA romances go. ...more
Another winner from Karen McManus! It nicely reconnects you with some of your favourite characters from One of Us is Lying and brings in some new peopAnother winner from Karen McManus! It nicely reconnects you with some of your favourite characters from One of Us is Lying and brings in some new people for your to get attached to. Seriously, you wouldn't want to be going to this school, bad things happen here. These kids are crafty and clever. The mayhem that Simon wrought amongst these kids in the first people has continued on, there are conspiracy theories, gossip and general meanness all over the place. Now we have a game, a truth or dare game, one that spreads malicious rumours about lovely people who do not deserve to be treated badly. It sets best friends against each other and it tortures the meek.
This one took a wee bit of time to get me hooked in, but once I was in I devoured it in a couple of sittings. These books aren't big but they pack a hefty punch. I love the diversity of the characters and I love that it feels so real inside these pages. The other thing I love about these books is the fact that they work for every kind of kid. They are a good fit for all high schools, you can chuck this series at anyone and they will relate. I've read some fairly ordinary YA in recent months and it is so refreshing to read something reliably good and which suits all audiences.
Heartily recommended, all those who loved the first one will enjoy this one and I really hope there are a bunch more to come.
This wonderful book is a treat! A really interesting concept, it has a really local flavour and it is funny, clever and full of exuberant life. I didnThis wonderful book is a treat! A really interesting concept, it has a really local flavour and it is funny, clever and full of exuberant life. I didn't read it all in one sitting, I've had it sitting beside my chair and I've been dipping in and out of it over the evenings and it has been a lovely experience.
There is action taking place in various ways, on the local community noticeboard, through conversations by txt, in the minutes of meetings - these were one of my favourite things and through letters. It all starts with Tapegirl putting a notice on the noticeboard, this simple act will lead to something big, a festival of celebration on Waitangi Day where the whole community will come together to join in a day of fun and frolicking, but to make that happen will take a bunch of people. The whole thing hangs together through the noticeboard, the mysterious man in the green tracksuit, some missing goats and a committee made up of some fairly forthright people. It is just a great big rollicking festival of fun.
This book has a place in every school in the country. It has a heap of brilliant ideas you could use to engage students, it has a light touch, a great feel and I know that teachers will enjoy working with the format. A proper treasure and a whole big bunch of fun. Loved it....more
Well, I really like Adam Silvera's contemporary YA. I like his quirk, his quite sophisticated dialogue and the relationships his characters forge. I wWell, I really like Adam Silvera's contemporary YA. I like his quirk, his quite sophisticated dialogue and the relationships his characters forge. I was excited when I saw this and bought a copy immediately. The cover is a thing of total beauty, a lot of money has been spent on the marketing, the blurb sounded awesome. Why then is it only a 2 star read for me?
I think it is that it is not what we expect from Adam Silvera. It isn't memorable enough, it has a great premise, a likable kid, Emil finds out that he has powers in the middle of a fight, he has the ability to shoot flames from his hands which is pretty awesome, he is a Spell Walker. His unlikeable brother, Brighton desperately wants to have powers and is jealous that he doesn't. Bad people will try to strip Emil of his powers, they will take his essence away. Emil and Brighton will have some issues.
This book just tries too hard to be the fantasy book we all want. It has a sick mother that the boys love and try to protect, the best friend who is awesome, evil conniving people who will try to drive a wedge between the brothers, double-crossing, manipulating and dastardly characters galore. An adorable hero and a wonderful anti-hero. It is all just too much. I got confused about who fitted where, what kind of world we were in and exactly why everyone was against everyone else. There is so little history of the place this story takes in, we don't know what it looks like, who these people are. It makes it too hard to care.
There is also way too much going on. The thing that this author does well is that he makes you love his characters and that definitely happens with Emil, but I also felt like he was a bit of a cliche, someone we've read before in something like a Leah Burdugo book. The sweet non-threatening guy who is going to save the world from itself.
It is such a shame. In the end, I just wanted to be done with the book and skipped along to get it done.
This marvellous book places you squarely in the lives of those experiencing displacement from their homes, their anxieties, fear and the love they havThis marvellous book places you squarely in the lives of those experiencing displacement from their homes, their anxieties, fear and the love they have for their families. Some of them willing to sacrifice themselves in order to save others.
This book follows the lives of three children, all on the move, leaving home for an uncertain future in another country. Josef Landeau leaves Germany just before Hitler invades Poland on a boat to Cuba. Isabel is leaving her country Cuba, to go to Miami in a ramshackle boat built by the neighbours. Mahmoud’s family is on the run from war torn Syria trying to get to Germany. All of these stories are set at different times but many of the trials the families face are the same despite the decades that separate them.
This book is sad, possibly distressing for some, but an important book for young people I think, one that gets to the heart of the fact that refugees are ordinary people whose lives have been disrupted by war or persecution. I really enjoyed the book and I would be thrilled if schools bought class sets of it for their students to study. ...more
I went into this book unprepared. I expected it to be good and I'm delighted that it was great. Properly great, maybe in my top 10 reads ever.
I had nI went into this book unprepared. I expected it to be good and I'm delighted that it was great. Properly great, maybe in my top 10 reads ever.
I had not expected to be so incredibly moved by writing about trees, I like trees a lot but this is a book to make you love them, to think about them deeply and to look up and wonder at the ones you see every day as you go about your business.
With four main characters, each of whom I became very attached to and then a bunch of other people who are also important in the story, we hear their stories, you know that somehow trees are important to these people but the author cleverly keeps you guessing with some characters how this will play out. These feel like a lot of small vignettes or short stories but with a common theme, I couldn't figure out how these guys were all going to get together in a common cause until it all unfolded and I think that is a sign of perfect structure and writing.
Truly this is a magnificent novel, one to treasure and to repeat read. A book thoroughly deserving of its many glittering awards and prizes.
Please can we have more books like this for the youth of New Zealand. A book with realistic characters, situations and communities. It has taken me agPlease can we have more books like this for the youth of New Zealand. A book with realistic characters, situations and communities. It has taken me ages to read this book but only really because the world felt hard to escape from recently and my reading has suffered. There is much to love in a story where a bunch of kids are hauled out of detention one day to make up the softball team by an enthusiastic if somewhat skeptical teacher. Through softball this bunch of young high school students become friends. They banter, they have disagreements and they fall in and out with each other. It is all handled with humour and with a caring tone. We find out about their lives outside of school, the hardships, the love of their parents and for some the awful circumstances they live in. This story is set in South Auckland but could just as easily take place in any large town in New Zealand. It has themes of belonging, courage, family violence, loyalty and friendship and I know of lots of people who need books like this.
My only criticism is that it is a bit too long, I think some of the detail bogged it down just a little too much for the intended audience, but it is exactly the kind of book which should be available in our school libraries. Please write another Des O'Leary!...more
This excellent book takes an indepth look at some of the major events in New Zealand's recent history. The Rainbow Warrior episode, espionage, bombing This excellent book takes an indepth look at some of the major events in New Zealand's recent history. The Rainbow Warrior episode, espionage, bombing and sabotage. The details and the photos of an event that shocked me so much when it happened. I just couldn't believe this was happening on our shores. The 1981 Springbok Tour, something I was involved in, that I cared deeply about and that made me the politically interested person I am. I relived old memories looking at the photos, I read and remembered and became outraged and sad. The Women's Right to Vote, this section traces the history of the women's right to vote, New Zealand was the first in the world to introduce votes for women. It is a great story, it'll make you properly angry and outraged but it is also the beginning of massive changes in society. Fascinating. The Dawn Raids, the injustice, the terrible tearing apart of families, the outrage and the pain this dark period of history in New Zealand caused were horrible.
A social studies teacher at my school thinks that this might be the most useful book for his subject published in recent times. Buy lots of copies, show them to your teachers, encourage them to get in touch with Mandy Hager and ask her to come and speak - and pay her - and appreciate the work that went into this book....more
What a treasure of a book. George is one of the most endearing characters you will ever meet in a book. George knows she is a boy, despite any evidencWhat a treasure of a book. George is one of the most endearing characters you will ever meet in a book. George knows she is a boy, despite any evidence you might see with your eyes, inside George there is a girl who loves lovely fabrics, makeup and all of the frill and frivolity of ultra feminine girl stuff. When the school play is chosen and it is Charlotte's Web, George is desperate to play Charlotte. With all her heart and soul she wants that part, she plucks up the courage to go for it and her teacher tells her that is isn't a part for a boy. George isn't a boy on the inside though. She is gutted.
George is so resilient, so brave and such a plucky 10 year old. George faces bullies and a mum who has trouble coming to terms with who George really is. It is quite the journey. If you've ever had any difficulty coming to terms with what it means to be transgender then grab this tiny book and let George tell you exactly what it is like to be in the situation where your body is something that just doesn't feel like you.
A book for every school, a book to break barriers and change lives. ...more
This is a blimmin good thriller. Jane Harper had me swept up from the beginning in the farms of the outback and the tough life the farmers have out thThis is a blimmin good thriller. Jane Harper had me swept up from the beginning in the farms of the outback and the tough life the farmers have out there, so far from any neighbour and in such treacherous heat. Nathan, the brother shunned by the townspeople for an event in his past is summoned to The Stockmans Grave near the land he unsuccessfully farms. Nathan has been summoned to the grave by his brother Bub because the body of their other brother Cameron, has been found there. He has died a long way from his truck, in the middle of nowhere and for no reason anybody can fathom. Over the course of the novel Nathan and his son Zander attempt to figure out why Cameron was at the grave, what happened leading up to the day he was found and the mysteries of his relationship with the other members of the family.
As the secrets and tensions in the families world are unravelled we come to know Nathan, Bub and Cameron very well. We understand the secrets that have been part of their growing up and the sadness which pervades their lives. This is a novel infused with the loneliness of the wide open space and the tyranny of distance.
I loved this, I read it slowly over a week or so and it kept me up late into the night to get it finished last night. It is nicely layered and the characters are interesting and everyone has secrets. If you loved The Dry as I did, you'll love this one too....more
I honestly thought I'd read this a long time ago, but picked it up at work and realised that I was confusing it with another book, bought it home and I honestly thought I'd read this a long time ago, but picked it up at work and realised that I was confusing it with another book, bought it home and read it with a slight feeling of guilt that I had missed out for so many years on this gem. I love Peter Grant, he is so quick and funny and his delightfully troubled soul is wonderful.
This is such a fun romp, I love the attitude of the police to the forces of magic, I love Nightingale Peter's debonaire guide to the magical life, I became invested in Peters relationship with the lovely Lesley and then seriously concerned for him where she was concerned. I definitely need to read the next one to find out what happens next. It is all gloriously funny, a bit scary in places and loads of snark and magic to carry it along.
What a quirky thing this is! Peter Grant has the snark I like, a trusting soul which often gets him in troubles path and a wry sense of humour which iWhat a quirky thing this is! Peter Grant has the snark I like, a trusting soul which often gets him in troubles path and a wry sense of humour which is lovely. Oh and he also is a wizard!
This is a fun romp through the underbelly of London's magical set. I totally understand why is gets rave reviews.
This short story collection contains some real winners and some others which I wasn't quite so engaged in. The Lottery is one of those stories which pThis short story collection contains some real winners and some others which I wasn't quite so engaged in. The Lottery is one of those stories which people have studied at school for years, there is a very very dark video on YouTube which is most disturbing, some students were talking about it and I thought I'd get the book so they could read more of her stories. In actual fact I can't see this book being a huge hit, the stories seem very 'of their time' these days. Most of the characters are young women who are living lives that seem quite remote from modern ways, her young women are anxious to please their men, waiting desperately to be appreciated.
I loved some of the stories in this. The story of the jilted bride - poor woman, was horrific. Her pain was palpable. The story of the woman publisher, putting up with a business partner who misbehaved with young trainees. These stories are quiet, they creep along at a pace that is quite different to modern stories but they have charm and they are odd. That is an odd combination and I think it really works.
This is my second attempt at reading this monster. The first time I got distracted by a bunch of other things which clamoured for my attention and thiThis is my second attempt at reading this monster. The first time I got distracted by a bunch of other things which clamoured for my attention and this wasn't as gripping as the books lined up and I ditched it. This time, with the school holidays stretching out before me I thought I'd get stuck in and give it a jolly good go. I started at the beginning again because I really wanted to reintroduce myself to Margery who was a character I really liked from my first attempt, the story of her and Ned Willard's thwarted love affair was riveting. We also meet the cold fish who is Pierre, and begin to realise that a major theme of this book is the tension which exists between the Protestants and the Catholics during the period this book is set. It is this battle which is the major influencer between all our characters and the countries they come from. During this period of poor banished Bloody Queen Mary all the way through Elizabeth's reign and onto the reign of King James the battles between the churches were ever present. The details of the machinations of this battle are detailed in the book and I learnt a lot, but I did get tired of the incessant rampaging. I loved reading about the nasty Pierre and bossy Rollo and gave a cheer when they eventually came to grief. There are lots of small stories which are engrossing along the way which keep you interested, but I wasn't as in love with this one as I was with the other books. I really love Kingsbridge and I would have liked more connection with the town and it's inhabitants.
This is a giant of a book, I did it as an audiobook because I was driving between Christchurch and Dunedin and needed something long and riveting to entertain me for the journey, of course it is 32 hours long in audiobook format and it has been my constant companion long after I've returned. As I finished it today I got to the point of caring less and less about the minor characters.
I feel really satisfied that I've read the whole series. I've enjoyed Kingsbridge and its families. I think Ken Follett is a master of storytelling and I'll happily recommend this far and wide as a series that is well worth the effort. ...more
Randall Munroe is a huge favourite in my library and I was really looking forward to his new book. And it is great, it is interesting but I've been toRandall Munroe is a huge favourite in my library and I was really looking forward to his new book. And it is great, it is interesting but I've been too distracted to give it my full and undivided attention. I think it failed to grab me in the same way that What If did and my 3 star rating isn't a meh, it is just an indication that other shiny objects are competing for my attention. I knew that there was a queue for this in the library so have returned it and will pick it up again later.
If you like your science fun and quirky then this is a sure fire winner....more
Ok Philip, you've got me. I'm now totally invested in Lyra's future and cannot believe I have to wait another year for the next instalment. As a persoOk Philip, you've got me. I'm now totally invested in Lyra's future and cannot believe I have to wait another year for the next instalment. As a person who is bad at reading series, this one has me totally invested. Read this book for the sentences that are so beautiful they leave you sitting there just unable to continue because they are so stunning. But also, this is Lyra and Malcolm as grown-ups, I was wondering how he would pull this off, to have our children now all behaving as adults in the world, that I would miss their journey to adulthood and be scooted along 20 years, how could that work? It does though! It is perfect!
As usual with a Philip Pullman book, you will find treasures hidden in the storyline. His comments on politics and religion are all through this novel, but if you just read it for the story alone you might miss all that. Lyra and Pantalaimon are at odds. It makes me so uncomfortable even typing that, but this is not the worst of it. I'm not going to say a thing about what happens to them but their relationship is in peril and that is cause enough to pick up the book and read it. All through this book there is the clear and present danger that we've come to expect for our heroes but in this case it seems unrelenting. There is double-crossing and evilness galore. It is exciting and made the book, even though it is a monster, totally unputdownable for me.
Do watch the Martin Sheen video on the sidebar here. His voice is so perfect. I read the audiobook of this alongside the paper copy. Yes, I really am obsessed with this. If you haven't tried these books then I heartily suggest that they are as much adult books as they are for kids. True crossovers.
Highly recommended to any human over the age of 8....more