CATEGORIES

Pirate Rain is the latest collection of poetry from award winning writer Jennifer Maiden. The 32 poems in this collection explore the gamut of greed and ambition, the political and the personal, delving into such topics as the war on terror, global recession, and Hurricane Katrina. Maiden’s poems straddle a fine line between prose and poetry, rich with dialogue and characters, yet coloured with dexterous poetic touches. There is a sequential narrative that runs through many of the poems in Pirate Rain, and historical figures become characters within Maiden’s lyrical narratives, as in the seven Hillary and Eleanor poems in this collection, featuring Hillary Clinton and Eleanor Roosevelt in a somewhat surreal friendship. This collection sees Maiden explore further political territory with the return of George Jeffreys and his partner Clare in another (almost film-like) sequence of poems. Poetry becomes personal in ‘Diary Poem: Uses of Anger’, where Maiden confronts a critic who attacked her poems, suggesting they are merely diary entries, by exploring a diary entry as a poem. Jennifer Maiden charts unique territory with her often witty voice and individual style. Pirate Rain is a rich collection of poetry that deserves several reads and would sit well on anyone’s poetry shelf.

This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine (March 2010, Vol 89, No. 6) is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2009, Thorpe-Bowker.

As Thomas Shapcott is a poet with a long-standing interest in music, it is tempting to look for a musical analogy for this latest volume of poetry–it isn’t a lament but is something close–resigned, disillusioned, exhibiting a subdued yet persistent negativity. This atmosphere of deflation permeates even those poems which are not overtly confessional, such as ‘Stravinsky in Melbourne’. Interestingly, Shapcott does not view language or poetry itself as providing any type of redemption, while he states; ‘I believe in communication’, this claim is undermined by constant references to the unreliability and constraints of language. Like fellow Australian poet Robert Gray, he seems wary of over-intellectualising and pledges his faith in the surface of things, positing the idea: ‘What if the soul were expressed most honestly by the skin?’ This notion of exteriority reaches its apotheosis in ‘Adelaide Lunch Sonnets’ where good food and wine seem to provide the most tangible avenue to happiness, though we are constantly reminded that even this is an act of will on the part of the poet. Overall, this is an accessible work by an authoritative poet and represents an urban Australian landscape readers will have little difficulty relating to.

This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine (March 2010, Vol 89, No. 6) is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2009, Thorpe-Bowker.

I was chatting with a friend not long ago about Neil Gaiman’s writing style, and we agreed that his is an authorial voice you either like or you don’t: my friend doesn’t like it, but I do. A lot. Gaiman has a knack of adapting to whatever genre he’s writing in, but his work always has a sense of the very old, the very deep, and the very strange.

I started The Graveyard Book with high expectations, and wasn’t disappointed: Like all the best children’s literature, it’s wildly imaginative, seductively scary, and a sophisticated read for both kids and adults.

Loosely inspired by The Jungle Book, The Graveyard Book  is the story of a baby who escapes from the ruthless killer who’s murdered his parents, and escapes to a very old graveyard. Rechristened Nobody “Bod” Owens, he’s raised by the graveyard’s ghostly  inhabitants and encounters vampires, werewolves, witches and other beasties as he grows up. (The Guardian has a more detailed, though mildly spoilery, synopsis; I recommend going into it without knowing about the plot’s direction.)

It kind of reminded me of Harry Potter, if Harry Potter’s sprawling story was condensed into a single book: The Graveyard Book  has the same magical, captivating and adventurous tone. I felt really sad when I turned the last page, both because of the way the plot wrapped up, and because I’d finished a really great book.

Each chapter advances Bod’s age by around two years and stands alone as a story (more or less), making this a breezy read. If you never read anything of Gaiman’s before, this is a fine entry point.¹

Gaiman has proposed writing more books exploring the backstory of the Graveyard universe, but with a darker, more adult tone – a sort of “The Lord Of The Rings, to which The Graveyard Book would have been The Hobbit“, in his words. I want to read that book so bad. Right now.

This month’s guest reviewer, Sam Downing, is a twenty-something blogger, young-adult writer and hack journalist from Sydney. Follow him on Twitter and visit his blog here.

Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols

I was overjoyed to get this in the mail yesterday, OVAH-JOYED. Thank you so much to Jenn for organising it’s journey across the ocean to this uber-grateful Aussie. Now Jenn’s act of kindness has nothing to do with the review I am about to give because I consider Jenn to be the drug of choice in YA-verse. I was already biased.

And she didn’t disappoint. I wasn’t sure upon reading the first chapter, I was wary of Meg. I wasn’t sure that I could relate or see the world through her eyes but I was oh so very wrong. Meg is a complex, strong, contradictory protagonist with boatloads of humour, snark and moxie. She’s tortured, yet exuberant. All her characteristics, her dialogue, her motivations and her decisions are all clear to understand and as such you are just plain sucked into her interplay with John After.

Why do I love Jenn Echols’ narrative?

“My knee radiated heat. As I watched him pull himself from the car and walk casually across the brightly lit parking lot, I thought dumb things: I will never wash my knee again. I will never wash those jeans again. I will cut the knees out of those jeans and sew a pillow to sleep on every night, just to have a molecule of him in bed with me.”

Echols writes a delightful mix of randomness, absurdity and truth. She doesn’t sugarcoat teen world but instead adds the right amount of sweet and sour. Meg and John are in a constant battle for the upper hand and their discussions ranged from barbed, snarky, humorous to doe- eyed. Their relationship is a like a mood swing, you never know when things are going to change up and how it might affect you. I loved the package though. John’s seeming calm is at direct contrast to the fire that is Meg. What we soon realise is John’s burning up too, for a multitude of reasons. I did at times want to know more about John but the quick pace swept away any reservations I may have possessed.

Echols has attempted a different kind of narrative with this novel. The world is more fully realised and the characters are greatly detailed. I devoured each page with a fervour I wasn’t sure I possessed and was fully immersed in each event of Meg and John’s lives. I am more hungry than ever to get my hands on future Jenn Echols works and want to congratulate her on a truly wonderful read that made me travel a gamut of emotions and invest in her tremendously real characters.

Adele Walsh, book blogger of Persnickety Snark fame and trusted reviewer, recently selected her best young-adult reads of 2009.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

This book has been calling my name for many months now and having finally got it in my hot little hands, I have inhaled it. It’s a darn good read but do I think it’s a great book? To be completely honest – yes….ish. On the tail of the fantastic The Hunger Games, Catching Fire has reintroduced many of the ideas that made its predecessor are roaring success. But it’s the reintroduction of the love triangle and the Quell (which I will remain vague on) are rewarding but slightly problematic.

Catching Fire has a much different pace to that of its predecessor. While all the events that occurred after the previous book are covered, we are constantly bouncing from Katniss’ recollections of many characters before we get back on track. It’s inconsistent and the pull isn’t as strong as it could be. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still engaging but there is a lost of an undefinable quality in the continuing storyline.

The first half of the novel starts off as a political examination of what happens to a dictatorship when rebellion arises; it’s much more exciting than it sounds. The tension and stakes are continually raised as those in District 12 suffer until tighter control and closer inspection. It’s a natural and thrilling continuation of what was glimpsed in The Hunger Games. The second half of the novel returns to what is familiar and in that way it’s a step back. Though some of the situations are tweaked, the characters mostly new and the pace sped up…I found myself a little disinterested, I wanted back to the political machinations. Having read Patrick Ness’ Chaos Walking series of late, I’ve had a quality template of how stakes can be raised within rehashing the past.

Collins is known for her cliff-hangers and unfortunately this novel had considerably less of them. Instead it’s much more of a psychological examination of how you survive a brutal experience and the choices you make afterward – sacrifice or survival? Or perhaps a little of both.

Peeta’s intelligence is highlighted well in this novel; he’s clearly much more cunning than Katniss previously gave him credit for. They are an interesting match that could have been explored more deeply than Katniss’ continual (and repetitive) dithering feelings for the poor kid. It’s here where Katniss’ effectiveness lost some of her shine with me. I cannot believe that this girl who is decisive and responsible would string two guys along like she has. Yes, Peeta and Katniss need to keep the premise going that they are in love but her interactions leave both guys in a state of limbo. I refuse to believe that she’s innocent in this – she can make a decision. The audience has been fortunate to witness the total of Katniss and Peeta’s interactions through recollections but we haven’t had that same opportunity with Gale and Katniss, nor do I want there to be. They both know she has somewhat feelings for another and it’s cruel what she puts them through, even if she is a puppet at the hands of the President. (Relationship specific SPOILER – highlight to read) At one point it seems considerably callous – Katniss wondering how she would have felt had Gale volunteered in his brother’s place, making friendly with another girl and not longer being “hers”. Once she thinks she’s soon-to-be dead, she kisses Peeta with abandon, while still on camera. Conflicted feelings aside, it made weakened her moral core for me and the effectiveness of her character. It’s understandable but she needs to make a freaking choice! Too much time of this novel felt like it was the boys handing her to one another as a baton, each having time with her and yet not really having her because she was too busy dithering. Sigh.

More characters are incorporated but most of their development is rather limited and can appear shallow. The opportunity to learn more of Haymitch’s history was exciting and probably could have been expanded. In the Quell, Collins has made more of an effort to provide people behind the many tributes up for the slaughter which I respect greatly. Mags made quite an impact, as did Finnick, but in my heart of hearts I want to know more of Gale, Haymitch, Effie and Cinna. Finnick was not as he seemed but I need considerable more exploration of this than his attachment to something at home.

Catching Fire was a fantastic read. It’s easy to be sucked back into the world of Panem and invest in these characters again. However the bar was set high with the first title and the second title didn’t seem to have a way to match it. Instead Collins opted for a most effective, split personality approach to the sequel. Ultimately a huge wave and some freaking monkeys don’t have anything on President Snow and his diabolical, puffy lipped, bloody breath scented nastiness. I say bring on book three with its political uprising, rebellion , District 13 and (I hope) the discovery of the true extent of the muttation experimentation. Fingers crossed the games are not re-entered as they’ve been adequately covered and that Katniss makes a choice between the men in her life.

Catching Fire is a great read with some reinvention of the wheel (or the games) but a thrilling bridge to what will surely be a rewarding trilogy.

Adele Walsh, book blogger of Persnickety Snark fame and trusted reviewer, recently selected her best young-adult reads of 2009.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

I have had a continuous stream of tears running down my cheeks for the last few hours. Between Jenny Downham (Before I Die) and Gayle Foreman, I have cried a lifetime of tears this past week. My house mate asked ‘why do you put yourself through it?‘ I had to think about it, for a fraction of a second, before I answered ‘because every word is worth it’.

Simply, this book wouldn’t be the emotional cruncher it is without some superb writing from Forman. Without giving too much away, she makes all characters in this story extremely real. It starts off as many YA stories do, some froth and a lot of great dialogue between Mia and her family. Once that chapter is finished, the tone completely changes. Mia and her family are involved in an accident and Mia’s trapped in limbo, witnessing the lives of those who care for her, and those she cares for in return, without the power to do anything but watch.

Forman walks the line between Mia’s recollections and the present with ease. Too often a book similar in intent would be manipulative, but I didn’t feel this at all. I felt Forman’s love for each one of these people, as if they were her own. That Mia’s loss, was her loss. The empathy that courses through this book is both inspiring and astounding.

Despite the somewhat dark subject matter this is a story of hope, life affirmation and all that it brings. The relationship between Mia and Adam is honest, they might be in love but they have real problems and they aren’t all solved with a snap of their fingers. Kim is an amazing best friend, sarcastic and strong, her appearances in the book are bold and bursting with love. I particularly love an incident in the playground that was the inception of the girl’s friendship. Mia’s parents made a huge impression on me, they sounded familiar, as if I had met them but avoiding anything resembling a cliche. The hospital staff, particularly Nurse Ramirez with her biting wisdom and infinite care, also made an impression on me. How much did she really know? Mia’s grandparents melted my heart, I have always heard how outliving one’s child is the worst thing imaginable but these two transcend the situation with some honesty and hope. I was shocked by how quickly this story and girl sucked me in – as the tears would attest.

Music has a large role in this book but it’s never clunky or awkward. Mia is somewhat of a cello prodigy and her boyfriend, Adam fronts a band called the Shooting Star. Her father is a former punk and her mother was one of those feminist rock chicks, both parents still retain their rockin‘ sensibilities. When reading the acknowledgements I wasn’t surprised to see that Forman had been listening to Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova’s ‘Falling Slowly‘ (from the movie Once) while writing this novel, you could feel the song’s influence throughout each page. I think that could be the best comparison for this novel, it is to the written word as ‘Falling Slowly’ is to your ears – emotive, heartwarming, stirring, powerful and memorable.

This novel is about love. Love for your family and the family you make for yourself. The strength to follow your passion, to love your parents unconditionally and they for you, to have belief in people, to embrace music and life. It is also about choice, when no two options are easy, what would you do?

I ask: how long will it take for you to get your hands on this book?

Adele Walsh, book blogger of Persnickety Snark fame and trusted reviewer, recently selected her best young-adult reads of 2009.

Kaye is merely sixteen years old and yet she hangs out in bars; watching her mother’s band whilst drinking, smoking and swearing.  She shoplifts and stays out as late as she wants and her mother doesn’t care. But they do love each other and they seem to be pretty good friends. Would you call this ‘good parenting’?  Personally I wouldn’t but that is Kaye’s life.  She doesn’t have it easy, and she definitely isn’t perfect and that is what sets this book apart from other Faerie stories at the moment, for example Melissa Marr’s Wicked Lovely.

Enter tall, hot, pewter haired faerie of the male variety.  This is when the chaos begins.  Between fights with friends, shocking surprises, death, new friendships, love and giving up smoking; Kaye gets busy!

This book really does contain quite a bit of swearing and this may put some people off.  To me though, it helps build the characters, it shows that they aren’t perfect little princesses.  Nor is it used out of context – these words are said by the characters, NOT used in descriptions by Black.

I can definitely see why people have been raving about this book.  Its dark grittiness sets it apart from other current faerie stories, and maybe even puts it ahead of them.  I think Holly Black is a great story-teller with such a well-written and compelling book.  The twists are mostly unexpected and are truly unique.

Overall, I loved this book and rate it at 4 stars out of 5.  I recommend it to teens and young adults aged 14 plus (because I’ve heard that the last book in the series, Valiant, contains explicit content) who are lovers of faerie stories, urban fantasy or just fantasy in general.

This review was written by Boomerang Books Member CMM, winner of last month’s $50 worth of Boomerang Bucks for Best Review. Submit a review for your chance to win!

This picture book from Claire Saxby, the author of A Nest for Kora, Ebi’s Boat and the recent Sheep Goat and the Creaking Gate, is a new take on the classic rhyme about the old woman who swallowed a fly. It is beautifully illustrated by Cassandra Allen, whose work can be seen in the Sing! 2009 project. Our sailor has great Popeye-esque arms, a stripy t-shirt and rosy cheeks and looks magnificent in all the illustrations as he swallows a krill (‘it’ll make him ill’) and then a jelly, a fish and so on until he swallows a whale. Then with a cheeky ‘burp!’ the animals are freed and the sailor sets sail. The book is fun to read out loud with some great rhymes (‘with a wish and a swish he swallowed the fish’) and is also an interesting and fun way of introducing the food chain to small children. The illustrations are fantastic–I laughed out loud at the image of the sailor set to scoff a stingray. There is a great extra page at the back with fun ‘fishy facts’ about all the sea creatures in the story, written in a way that will help children understand marine life.

This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine (Summer 2009/10, Vol 89, No. 5) is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2009, Thorpe-Bowker.

It’s 1879, and all of Victoria is abuzz with stories of the notorious Kelly gang, and their continuing life on the run from the authorities. After the death of their father, Jamie Ross and his older sister Ellen leave Melbourne so Ellen can work as a governess, or so Jamie thinks. In fact, there is no job. Ellen has a daring plan to make a fortune. Jamie and Ellen arrive in the bustling town of Beechworth, epicentre of the search for Kelly, and are plunged into a swirl of police, reporters, informants, and a whole range of Kelly’s enemies, friends and supporters. They are caught up more closely than they could ever have imagined in rumours, stories, and the birth of a legend. Author Sophie Masson turns from her more familiar worlds of fantasy to historical fiction with The Hunt for Ned Kelly. Her picture of life in the Australian bush is wellresearched and she expertly captures the energy and chaos of the gigantic manhunt. Bookish Jamie and feisty Ellen are both strong, engaging and distinctive characters. A recommended read for upper primary and above, particularly those with an interest in history, storytelling and the power of myth.

This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine (Summer 2009/10, Vol 89, No. 5) is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2009, Thorpe-Bowker.

In the tradition of The Secret Diary of Anne Frank, comes Hetty: A True Story, the abridged version of Hetty Verholme’s award-winning memoir The Children’s House of Belsen. Hetty’s world was upturned in 1943 when the German army invaded Netherlands. Forced initially into the Jewish quarter in Amsterdam and later sent to the Belsen concentration camp, Hetty and her family witnessed the full horrors and the senseless cruelty of the Nazi’s ‘final solution’. In Belsen, Hetty and her younger brothers were separated from their parents and, along with 40 other children, were placed in the Children’s House in the Belsen camp. Displaced, separated from family members and with only a tenuous hold on life, the children survived through the devotion of Sister Luba (a Polish prisoner placed in charge of looking after the children) and their love and care for one another. Hetty: A True Story, is an unflinching and chilling account, suitable for secondary students studying the Holocaust or WWII. Although descriptive and accurate in its depiction of cruelty of the Nazi’s ‘final solution’, I found at times it lacked the emotional ebb which tends to be the heartbeat of books in this genre.

This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine (Summer 2009/10, Vol 89, No. 5) is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2009, Thorpe-Bowker.