October 29

‘The Fault in our Stars’ by John Green

‘Joy and heartbreak skillfully interwoven’ could sum up this beautiful book from John Green. I’m a huge fan of Green’s writing: “Looking for Alaska”, “Paper Towns” and now “The Fault in our stars”, the latter being my favourite.

Superficially, this is a story of two teenagers (Hazel and Augustus or Gus), both cancer sufferers, who fall in love. But to tell that story is to sell the novel short, because it tells us so much more about our lives, why we live and how we should live.

Dedicated to Esther Earl, a teenage cancer sufferer who Green met as a chaplain in a children’s hospital, Green says: “She was an otherwise normal girl who was funny and smart and I wanted to capture those qualities in Hazel Lancaster.”

I GET these kids, painted so poignantly by Green, ordinary teenagers stuck in their pain of dying, and their even more excruciating pain of living! “You don’t get to choose if you get hurt in this world, old man, but you do have some say in who hurts you,” Gus pens (p.313).

This novel almost feels to me like a still life – as though Hazel and Augustus are teenagers caught glaring into the spotlight as we examine their lives, their humane and vulnerable beauty exposed, questioning the platitudes thrown at them by adults, catching the nuances of meaning in each moment, the blackest humour in everyday existence, all beautifully rendered in Green’s prose like a piece of art.

It’s love that triumphs in the end – ‘better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all’. Even though we know from the beginning that due to ‘the fault in their stars’, their love will not last, that the painful reality is that ‘some infinities are bigger than other infinities’, we are caught up in their fight to make meaning of their lives. Esther herself reminds us: “…don’t forget to be awesome — love, Esther.” And they are truly awesome, as is Green’s writing! Highly recommended. Mrs O.

BORROW ALL OF JOHN GREEN’S NOVELS FROM OUR LIBRARY – F GRE

Student Reviews

When you have cancer, everything causes depression. This is what Hazel Grace Lancaster believed before she met the future love of her life, Augustus Waters.

Hazel has been diagnosed with lung cancer and was expected to make an appearance at a support group, however she is unsure whether to attend. She soon realises that it was a good idea to attend as she meets an inspiring young man. The teenagers, both being cancer sufferers, begin to spend a lot of time together. They travel to Amsterdam in order to meet a famous author, Peter Van Houten. Hazel and Augustus’ relationship begins to flourish and their emotions are running high.

Hazel and Augustus share a close bond together due to their similarities in life. They both face many challenges throughout the story, which will affect them both physically and emotionally.

This captivating story, written by the famous John Green, became outstandingly popular when it was published in early January 2012. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the novel as it was a very moving yet beautiful story. Whilst reading ‘The Fault In Our Stars‘, it was very difficult to put the book down because there were constantly twists and turns included.

As a teenager, I found the story to be very relatable and interesting. John Green has educated readers about diseases and created awareness. He has included descriptive language to engage the readers and keep them entertained.

I would positively recommend The Fault In Our stars to readers of all ages who are looking a novel in the romance category. This book was an emotional story and definitely brought a tear to the eye. I would undoubtedly rate The Fault In Our Stars 5 out of 5 stars.

Lindsay F, Year 9

……

For Hazel, every day was a countdown to that moment when she won’t have to suffer the pain of cancer and just let go. However when the teenage romance starts, she begins to know the enjoyment of life. Augustus, another sufferer from cancer, meets the girl of his life, which somehow reflects the images of his ex.

It all began at the support group, when they caught each other’s eye and then progressed through to giving each other their beloved books. ‘An Imperial Affliction’ was given to Augustus and this book led them to commence an unforgettable journey. During their journey to Amsterdam they find the author of ‘An Imperial Affliction’, and face unbelievable truths and heartbreaking realities. Soon, more unreal difficulties are faced in Hazel’s life. How will these two teenagers go through these problems?

Another creation by John Green, this book has enthralled readers throughout the world. ‘ The Fault In Our Stars’ has been placed on the New York Times’ Bestseller list and has turned into a spectacular movie. This book definitely shows the style of the author’s writing and humour; also the plot of the story truly engaged me and I never let the book out of my hand.

I would definitely recommend this book to teenage girls, who are ready to know the reality of romance and who are expecting to laugh and cry.

Grace P, Year 9

October 9

‘Never Fall Down’ by Patricia McCormick

What sort of book do you pick up at an airport bookshop?

Fortunately for me, in Siem Reap, Cambodia, I chose ‘Never fall Down’ by Patricia McCormick, the story of Arn Chorn-Pond, who today is a peace activist and motivational speaker. McCormick narrates Arn’s story when, as a young Cambodian boy soldier, he is forced to leave his home, to witness horrifying events and make excruciatingly difficult decisions as he firstly flees from the Khmer Rouge, survives by learning to play a musical instrument, and later joins the Khmer as a soldier.

Although the text looks suitable for Upper Primary, the story contains graphic and unflinching details of wartime atrocities, however the violence portrayed is never gratuitous. The complexity of war and the personal choices facing everyday citizens are well portrayed in this unforgettable story – a tiny glimpse into the genocide of two million people in Cambodia’s ‘killing fields’ through the eyes of one boy.

Suitable for Secondary readers and adults.

August 21

‘On Two Feet and Wings’ by Abbas Kazerooni

Abbas leaves his family when he is 9 years old to escape being drafted into the army. He’s alone on the streets of Istanbul, trying to survive. His journey is aided by the kindness of strangers and his innate uncanny sense of who is trustworthy and who is not.

On Two Feet and Wings is the author’s autobiography. It’s highly accessible, harrowing enough but not too graphic, making it highly suitable for upper primary – lower secondary students. In the most graphic scenes, Abbas is beaten up, has a knife held to his throat and fears for his life. But what shines through is not the danger or the destitution, but Abbas’ strength of character and his will to survive. The author’s tone is never condescending, never preaching, but the story holds many lessons for today’s young readers.

This story forms a wonderful adjunct to recent titles dealing with displacement, such as “In the Sea There are Crocodiles” by Fabio Geda, “No Safe Place” by Deborah Ellis and “Mountain Wolf” by Rosanne Hawke (in my view, the latter two books are suitable only for teens and above).

Mrs Osborne

August 21

‘The Fault in Our Stars’ by John Green

‘Joy and heartbreak skillfully interwoven’ could sum up this beautiful book from John Green. I’m a huge fan of Green’s writing: “Looking for Alaska”, “Paper Towns” and now “The Fault in our stars”, the latter being my favourite.

Superficially, this is a story of two teenagers (Hazel and Augustus or Gus), both cancer sufferers, who fall in love. But to tell that story is to sell the novel short, because it tells us so much more about our lives, why we live and how we should live.

Dedicated to Esther Earl, a teenage cancer sufferer who Green met as a chaplain in a children’s hospital, Green says: “She was an otherwise normal girl who was funny and smart and I wanted to capture those qualities in Hazel Lancaster.”

I GET these kids, painted so poignantly by Green, ordinary teenagers stuck in their pain of dying, and their even more excruciating pain of living! “You don’t get to choose if you get hurt in this world, old man, but you do have some say in who hurts you,” Gus pens (p.313).

This novel almost feels to me like a still life – as though Hazel and Augustus are teenagers caught glaring into the spotlight as we examine their lives, their humane and vulnerable beauty exposed, questioning the platitudes thrown at them by adults, catching the nuances of meaning in each moment, the blackest humour in everyday existence, all beautifully rendered in Green’s prose like a piece of art.

It’s love that triumphs in the end – ‘better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all’. Even though we know from the beginning that due to ‘the fault in their stars’, their love will not last, that the painful reality is that ‘some infinities are bigger than other infinities’, we are caught up in their fight to make meaning of their lives and to survive. Esther herself reminds us: “…don’t forget to be awesome — love, Esther.” And they are truly awesome, as is Green’s writing! Highly recommended.

Mrs Osborne

April 30

‘The Coming of the Whirlpool’ by Andrew McGahan

The Coming of the WhirlpoolThe Coming of the Whirlpool by Andrew McGahan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Coming of the Whirpool has all the elements of a modern classic for young adults: an unlikely hero who is only too aware of his frailty, a monumental struggle against the elements, drama, the hero’s conflict within himself as well as with society.

Although the language and level of description may be unfamiliar to some of today’s teen readers (unless they are keen fantasy lovers), however this story brought to mind other great sea tales such as Moby Dick and The Old Man and the Sea. Dow has stayed with me long after I had finished reading – for me, the mark of a great story!

The first in a trilogy, the story is none the less satisfying and bound to be a classic of our time. Mrs Osborne

View all my reviews

September 19

‘Fleshmarket’ by Nicola Morgan

Many of us know that if we had lived 200 years ago, we would not have lived for very long. Chances are that I would not have even survived my birth! ‘Fleshmarket’ by Nicola Morgan takes us back to life in 1822, providing a rare look at a time when many life conditions, including sanitation and medicine, were far more crude and rudimentary than they are today.

We are introduced to eight year old Robbie, the main character of this novel, in the prologue, where he is bystander at his mother’s breast cancer operation. Performed without anesthetic, the operation which is intended to save her life leads to her death from infection several days later, and Robbie blames the surgeon, Dr Knox, for her death. When family circumstances change for the worse, Robbie becomes fixated on Knox, trying to get close enough to him to work out how to get revenge. But morality is more complex than that, as Robbie’s own values are tested and he comes to understand more of Knox’s life mission.

Inspired by the author’s tour of Surgeon’s Hall in Edinburgh, this is a horrifying glimpse of life in the not-too-distant past. Both Robbie’s mother and Dr Knox are based on true characters, which intensifies the chilling reality and brutality of some parts of the story, including the prologue. For me, the accounts of surgery and post-mortems were almost unbearable, yet this is a true representation of life in that era. Morgan has captured early surgery so well that we quiver at the prospect of living in that era.

Although written with a teenage audience in mind, this novel could be read by adults. Morgan’s writing is powerful, the content definitely thought-provoking, lingering long after the novel is finished. It provides valuable reading to supplement studies of science and medicine in the early 19th century. It is definitely not a read for the faint-hearted! Mrs O.

September 4

‘Incarceron’ by Catherine Fisher

Dystopian fiction takes us on a journey into another world, and I found the world of ‘Incarceron’ to be totally engrossing. Catherine Fisher has created richly detailed settings, multi-faceted characters we can identify with and a highly suspenseful plot. From the very beginning of the book, the setting is so well drawn that it’s easy to picture this story as a movie.

The story takes place in two worlds, one a prison and the other a palace. Both Finn and Claudia, the two main characters of the dual narratives, are imprisoned in their own ways, yet they are bound together by their past lives. As their stories slowly unravel, we learn more about who they are, and we watch them grow as they are tested by adversity and circumstance.

This is a highly imaginative and inventive story, suitable for readers aged 10 – 12 and above. Highly recommended. P.S. I can’t wait for the sequel to come out: ‘Sapphique’. Mrs O.

September 4

‘A Straight Line to my Heart’ by Bill Condon

Tiff has had a hard start in life, but along the line she got lucky. Taken in by Reggie, a family friend, she joins the household, which is completed by Bull (Reggie’s stepson) and their gorgeous dog Wolfie. Theirs is a family of choice, their love displayed by comfortable silence, affectionate hugs and teasing banter. At its heart there’s something very special – an ever present compassion and the strong knowledge that imperfect people can love perfectly.

Tiff’s coming of age story, her first hesitant work experience placement as a cadet journalist at the local paper, her even more hesitant first kiss, is carefully and lovingly portrayed by Condon with wry humour and authentic dialogue. Even when catastrophe strikes, it’s not dwelt upon; it’s just another darker brushstroke on the canvas of Tiff’s life. We silently cheer our battling heroine on and know that she will come through for us because of the groundswell of love behind her.

This novel has much in common with Metzenthen’s ‘Jarvis 24’. It’s a quiet ‘sitter’ of a novel which might be underestimated by some. For me, though, the picture of Tiff remained long after I put the book down – the measure of a great book. I’d like to meet Tiff again. 4 1/2 stars

“There’s nothing quite as good as folding up into a book and shutting the world outside. If I pick the right one I can be beautiful, or fall in love, or live happily ever after. Maybe even all three.” (p.1)

August 16

‘Alone’ by James Phelan (Chasers #1)

If you found John Marsden’s ‘Tomorrow, when the war began’ series scary, then this book is definitely NOT for you.
Jesse and his three friends’ school trip is interrupted by a massive explosion. They find themselves stranded in New York, a city in chaos, abandoned except for zombie-like ‘chasers’ infected with a virus which turns them into predators, thirsting for any liquid including human blood.
The four teenagers have a desperate struggle to survive, using every skill they’ve developed and finding more strength than they knew they had.
This book is highly accessible to teens and would be most suitable for middle teen boys who are reluctant readers. While not MY favourite read, I can think of a few boys who’d just love it. It’s a cut above some other horror stories presently available, with a nice twist at the end which leads into the rest of the series. 3 1/2 stars. Mrs O.

“You sound like you think this is it, Dave said. Like you think we’re the only survivors who aren’t infected and it’s up to us to start things over again.
Like a new earth, Anna said.
I looked at her. A new earth?
It’s like the planet has reset, she explained, to create a new earth full of hope. Those of us who are left will become the adults of a world that’s changed, a world where things like wars and greed are just a memory…It’s like a torch has been passed to a new generation.” (p.156)

Reserve ‘Alone’ by clicking HERE.

August 12

‘The Happiest Refugee: A Memoir’ by Anh Do

I must be the only person in Australia who is not familiar with Anh Do, which a few visits to YouTube will no doubt fix…nevertheless his memoir was both tragic and funny, humble and most of all uplifting. For any reader who has encountered refugees before, many parts of his story will sound familiar: the harrowing sea voyage, his encounter with racist attitudes in Australia and the family credo to succeed. But pervading it all is Anh’s luminescent smile, his family’s ‘can do’ attitude, helped along by the kindness of strangers wherever they go. It’s a heart-warming story. Most impressive is the family’s attitude to life – to not just survive, but to achieve personal happiness by helping others and by doing whatever you can do best.
‘The Happiest Refugee’ will no doubt be seen as essential reading as part of the Asian literature of new National Curriculum; it has so much to offer. It’s highly readable for both teens and adults, filling in a gap of our migrant history about which teenagers may know little. Timely too, considering Australia’s present refugee debate. Mrs O.
Reserve ‘The Happiest Refugee’ here.

August 12

‘Marcelo in the Real World’ by Francisco X. Stork

Marcelo knows that he is different. He hears music no one else can hear, talks to a doctor about it, and he’s always attended a special school. He loves looking after horses after school, but his father demands that Marcelo work in his law firm’s mailroom that summer to experience “the real world.” There Marcelo meets Jasmine, who he gets to like very much, and Wendell, the son of another partner in the firm who he likes very little.

He learns many things about the real world – about competition and jealousy, anger and desire. But it’s a picture he finds in a file — a picture of a girl with half a face — that truly connects him with the real world: its suffering, its injustice, and what he can do to fight.

This is an astonishingly beautiful book. It’s a long time since I’ve read a book which touched me so deeply, with its mesmerising honesty, integrity and simplicity. I feel as though I’m discovering many things for the first time through Marcelo’s eyes. It’s my ‘Book of the Year’ so far. Mrs O.
Click here to reserve “Marcelo in the Real World’.

August 12

‘Room’ by Emma Donoghue

To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It is where he was born and grew up; it’s where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play. But Room is also the place where Jack and his mother have held prisoner by Old Nick for years. Ma knows that they must escape and needs Jack to help her carry out her bold plan.
This is an extraordinary story. The clarity of the five-year-old narrator’s voice, seeing events through his eyes, the division of the story into four parts (only one of which takes place wholly in the Room) and our empathy with both of the main characters and their family, make this a completely unforgettable story. I’m still thinking about its implications and what it tells us about the ‘rooms’ in our own lives. Amazing! Suitable for older readers. Mrs O.
Reserve ‘Room’ here.

August 12

‘All I Ever Wanted’ by Vikki Wakefield

Mim is a refreshingly restless main character, determined to be different to her surrounding world of crime and small town bigotry. Fittingly, I read this book while sitting on a bench seat in downtown Texas, Queensland, population 900. A few Mims passed me by, coming into town on a Saturday morning to buy a few groceries. I wondered what their lives were like, how many, like Mim longed to get away, to discover themselves, to experience new people and vistas. Wakefield takes care to ensure that we understand Mim’s uniqueness, so for me the ending was a little too neat. Otherwise, it would be a 5 star book for me. Highly recommended. Mrs O.
Reserve this book here.

August 12

‘Ship breaker’ by Paolo Bacigalupi

Set at a future time when oil is a rare saleable commodity, grounded oil tankers are taken apart by groups of workers who struggle to survive. Nailer, a teenage boy, works with one such crew searching for copper wiring. The harsh realities of this life, from his abusive father, to his hand to mouth existence, echo the worst poverty in the present day third world. In fact, parts of this story could also be read as though it was happening right now on the South-west coast of India, where ship breaking is prevalent. When an accident leads Nailer to discover an exquisite clipper ship beached during a recent hurricane, and the lone survivor, a beautiful and wealthy girl, Nailer finds himself at a crossroads. Should he strip the ship and live a life of relative wealth, or rescue the girl, Nita, at great risk to himself and hope she’ll lead him to a better life.
An excellent dystopian read for YA, ‘Ship breaker’ deals with themes of survival, family and kinship, and how a truly selfless loyalty can transcend everything else. Highly recommended. Mrs O.
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August 12

‘Lighthouse girl’ by Dianne Wolfer

Fay, a teenage girl, lives a lonely existence on an isolated island where her father is the lighthouse keeper. She has many chores to do looking after her father and the house, with a donkey as her only company. The outbreak of the First World War is greeted with excitement, as ships full of troops pass by the island. Kay is swept up in the nationalistic fervour, conveying messages to soldiers’ loved ones at home via signals sent from the ships. She even receives a personal message for herself from one of the departing soldiers, and we follow her friendship with Charlie through the story.
Beautifully illustrated by Brian Simmonds and enhanced by documents in many different genres, notes, diary entries and photographs, there’s an authentic historical feel to this novel. This realism is enhanced by the acknowledgment at the end of the book of the true life story on which its story is based.
Most striking for adolescents, I think, is the vast difference between Fay’s life and their own. Technology is very obviously missing. Fay must help hunt for food, amuse herself and must be grown up beyond her years to survive in such an isolated place. This would be very worthwhile as extended reading for a WWI unit of work, suitable for upper primary to mid secondary, rich in its view of the times through the eyes of one teenager. Mrs O.
Click here to reserve ‘Lighthouse Girl’.

August 12

‘In the sea there are Crocodiles’ by Fabio Geda

One night before putting him to bed, Enaiatollah’s mother tells him three things: don’t use drugs, don’t use weapons, don’t steal. The next day he wakes up to find she isn’t there. They have fled their village in Afghanistan but his mother has decided to return home to her younger children, leaving ten-year-old Enaiatollah alone in Pakistan to fend for himself. In a book that takes a true story and shapes it into a beautiful piece of fiction, Italian novelist Fabio Geda describes Enaiatollah’s remarkable five-year journey from Afghanistan to Italy where he finally managed to claim political asylum aged fifteen.

It’s amazing to think that while I was working, socialising, carrying on with my everyday life, a teenager on the other side of the world was fighting desperately for survival, living through dislocation and fear. For teenagers, this is a life changing story which could shake any complacency or self-interest and change their views of refugees forever.Although translations can sound a bit ‘clunky’, the boy’s voice shines through. Highly recommended for middle teens. Mrs O.
Reserve “In the Sea there are Crocodiles’ here.

August 12

‘A Monster calls’ by Patrick Ness

I opened “A Monster Calls’ with glee, as both Patrick Ness and Siobhan Dowd are favourite authors of mine. There was little hint on the cover of the content of the novel, except that this would be very different to both authors’ previous work. Even the blurb wasn’t very helpful: “…Darkly mischievous and painfully funny…” said nothing to me. The illustrations by Jim Kay were darkly beautiful, but still gave no real clue. Perhaps it was a fantasy?

So I was totally unprepared for the road ahead. I read the book in one sitting. We have all known a Conor. Maybe some of us have been in Conor’s place, but at some time in our life we will journey with him and not forget his story. It’s a story of pain and grief, of mixed emotions in the face of losing someone we love. Told in lyrical, almost mythical prose, this is a beautiful, multi-layered read which slowly unfolds and carries us with it through Conor’s pain (and our own).

It struck me near the end of the book how heart-breakingly close this story was to Siobhan’s heart, and how tenderly Patrick had carried it in his hands, made it his own and truly done it justice. From here on, as Patrick says in the book’s introduction, the story lives on in the heart of the reader. Mrs O.
Reserve ‘A Monster Calls’ here.

May 23

‘Thyla’ by Kate Gordon

ThylaThis Australian story presents us initially with the story of Tessa, a girl found wild in the bush without a memory of who she is or what has happened to her. Taken by a kindly policewoman, Connolly, to a boarding school, Tessa attempts to find her place in the ‘in’ crowd of girls’ clans, despite feeling different to everyone else and with a growing sense of familiarity and links with people and experiences in her past.
Slowly Tessa experiences a growing awareness of who she is, the terrible events of her past, where she fits into this world and her sworn life mission.
“Something is wrong with me. Something magical. Something terrible. I had been a girl in 1851, and I was a girl now. And I had stripes.”
This is a highly accessible read for teenage girls, pulling even reluctant readers into the story. The plot powers along, combining mystery, intrigue, forbidden love and the eternal battle between good and evil. The dramatically wild setting of Tasmanian history and wilderness is fascinating. It’s one of the great strengths of the novel, the author’s research lending authenticity to the historical setting of this paranormal plot. I am sure that many readers will be eagerly awaiting its sequel, ‘Vulpi’. Mrs O.

May 20

‘Too Small to Fail’ by Morris Gleitzman

Too small to fail‘Too small to fail’ is SO much fun! Morris Gleitzman is well known for his humour, however there’s much more at stake in this novel – millions of dollars, one seriously gorgeous dog and one (plus 15 more) camels, a young boy longing to be loved PLUS wanting parents who he respects. Is that too much to ask? Gleitzman steps away from the ‘voice’ so evident in his last few novels to create a fun yet serious story about a boy caught in the morality morass of high corporate finance. Underneath all the layers of wealth and glamour, is Oliver too small to fail in his quest, or will good triumph in the end? Join Oliver as he discovers that life, love and loyalty are more important than fame and fortune. This is a ripping yarn for middle school students. 4 1/2 stars. Mrs O.

May 8

‘The Dead I Know’ by Scot Gardner

dead i know“What is life without a memory? Is it death? Sometimes memory was death – slow and painful, eating away at your insides, reeking of decay. Losing your memory would save you from that; wipe your slate clean. But the good would be swept aside with the bad. All the fine things to build a life on would be lost, leaving you just one thing – that moment. No dreams and no history. The ultimate expression of living in the now.” p. 147 -148

Not since Evelyn Waugh’s ‘The Loved One’ have I read a book set in a funeral parlour. They’re rare; books for teenagers with that setting even more so. Just as rare is such a gem of a book about boys coping with feelings of grief, loss and abuse.

We are introduced to the funeral parlour setting in the very first line of this novel, however it takes some time for the main character, Aaron, to allow his story to unfold.  Aaron begins his job as an apprentice undertaker and one by one we meet the funeral parlour’s clients – those who have died and those who mourn them. But the reader develops a greater interest in the undertakers themselves and their families than in the bodies. There are many stories within this book, but Aaron is the character who intrigues us most. Why is he so guarded? Why does he sleep walk? What are his dreams about? Gradually we realise that even the book title is enigmatic and multi-layered: ‘The dead I know’. Through dealing with the dead, the lives of the living unfold, particularly the past histories of Aaron and his boss John Barton. Slowly, we learn about the dead we DON’T know.

Scot Gardner has woven a delicate and touching story of grief and loss. Though not for the faint-hearted, the incidents of violence in the story only serve to highlight the empathy and care of the well-drawn adult characters who enable Aaron to gain some acceptance of his terrible past.  Excellent read for mid-teenagers, particularly boys. Mrs O.