I have recently consumed ‘On the Jellicoe Road’ by Melina Marchetta. It was like a puzzle I had to patiently pursue as the pieces came together. There were times I felt I had no clue what was going on and I had to reread parts as I knew I’d missed something important. It was worth it though. I felt I had been on a real reading journey when I finished and I found the resolutions satisfying. After finishing it, I am unsure why it wasn’t predictable but I know I didn’t realise the obvious because of the crafty way the author revealed the character’s.
I loved her first book. This was different from Looking for Alibrandi
Stealing Stacey by Lynne Reid Banks
My latest YA read involved a child from London being kidnapped, without her own awareness for most of her ordeal, by her grandmother. She is taken to outback Australia and introduced to many new experiences. I enjoyed it as a light read. It was a fun read and quite a pleasant break from some of the heavier books I’ve read lately. There were some interesting characters.
The Winners of 2006 CBCA
When I read the honour books I wondered what could possibly be better and win the Children’s Book Council Awards. I read ‘The Story of Tom Brennan‘ by J.C.Burke recently and it was great. My son also enjoyed it and as a very dear friend of ours has become badly injured from an accident, we could both really relate to parts of the novel, that dealt with the aftermath of a tragic accident. It was almost therapeutic we both felt to read it and discuss it afterwards. The author has captured the numbness well. It is a frightening tale, yet I highly recommend it and feel it was well researched and written.