**spoiler alert** Representation: Black characters, character with a physical disability Trigger warnings: Racism, racist slurs, white supremacy, hurri**spoiler alert** Representation: Black characters, character with a physical disability Trigger warnings: Racism, racist slurs, white supremacy, hurricane, death of people, physical assault and injury, blood, grief and loss depiction, near-death experience from a fall, hospitalisation of a child Score: Five out of ten.
I couldn't enjoy this one. I saw The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride in a bookstore last year, but got it from the library a few days ago. I wanted to read another piece of literary fiction, and that one fit the bill. I was disappointed when I closed the final page. McBride could've done better.
It starts with a scene of two workers set in 1972 finding a skeleton at the bottom of a well, lasting for a few pages, but who is it? McBride then cuts to the early 1920s, where the central storyline begins. There I meet Moshe, a Jewish American, who lives in Chicken Hill, Pottstown, Pennsylvania in America, a community of other immigrant Jewish and Black Americans. Other than that, there isn't much plot to this creation.
The pacing is slow, lasting 380 pages, with only the first and last few being intriguing. There are too many side plots and characters to keep track of, making it feel like character soup. Focusing on only one character would resolve that issue. It was difficult to relate to them, anyway. Increasing character depth and development would've helped. The writing style is accessible, lacking purple prose, with some basic descriptions of the setting. However, the racial slurs were too much to handle since there was a slur starting with n every few pages, unsettling me.
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store is a piece of literary fiction because it revolves around racism. Yet, the story is sometimes disjointed, especially with the cuts from the 1920s to 1935 to 1936 and back to 1972. Making transitions smoother can help. It's like McBride forgot what the plot was and wrote something else before returning to it.
At least there is the 3rd omniscient POV, which helped me distinguish between the different characters, like Dodo, Chona and Paper. The concluding pages tried to engage me, but they didn't help. All I found was the skeleton was a person who lived in Chicken Hill and a hurricane eventually erased the town. Also, Black isn't capitalised when discussing race, which is unsurprising given the context....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Black characters Trigger warnings: Death and murder of a brother and another person by suicide in a body of water, ne**spoiler alert** Representation: Black characters Trigger warnings: Death and murder of a brother and another person by suicide in a body of water, near-death experiences, shipwreck, blood, grief and loss depiction, caning, physical assault and injury, slavery, colonisation Score: Nine out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander circled my recommendations for months until the library finally purchased it and I soon picked it up. I glanced at the blurb, making it seem heavy, yet intriguing, and the ratings were high. I don't see poetry novels every day, and it was another hit when I closed the final page.
It starts with Kofi Offin living in the Asante Kingdom in 1860. Well that was a breath of fresh air. I wanted to read a piece of historical fiction that isn't white history or entirely set in a Western country for once. The opening pages look typical until I read 150 pages, and that's when the central storyline darkens the tone from there. It was heavy enough when Kofi's teacher forced him to speak English and not his first language, Twi, but now his future looks uncertain after he accidentally killed his opponent from the other part of the kingdom.
But wait! It gets worse. Kofi's life worsens when he is captured and is now a slave. It's a simplistic plot that's easy to follow, but it's a fascinating look into what slavery was like through Kofi's POV. The pacing is slow, almost lasting 400 pages, but it didn't feel tedious or repetitive as there was always something happening. The Door of No Return isn't a coming of age story like a quote on the front cover told me, it's more like a piece of historical fiction in verse.
Alexander executed the writing style well, meeting my expectations, since he wrote compositions I enjoyed before this one. The final pages were heartbreaking as Kofi's fate is up in the air. Other than that one miss I still regard him as an excellent writer. The Door of No Return is the first instalment of a planned trilogy, which explains the abrupt conclusion, so I'm excited to see what happens next....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: N/A Trigger warnings: Military violence and war themes, World War One mentioned, death of a person in the past in a c**spoiler alert** Representation: N/A Trigger warnings: Military violence and war themes, World War One mentioned, death of a person in the past in a car crash, plane crash, imprisonment, incarceration, colonisation, near-death experience, drugging Score: Five out of ten.
Clouds and Sunshine by Ruth Pollock is so obscure for a debut novel I'm the first one to review it on this website. I haven't heard of this one until a few days ago, but since no one reviewed it, I didn't know what I would get. I got exactly what was on the blurb (in a way,) a 20th century historical romance, but the execution was okay.
It starts with a prologue featuring characters in an early 1900s version of New South Wales, then it cuts to the backstory, which still felt like an extended prologue before finally cutting to the central storyline featuring Rosie in the 1980s. The location hasn't changed for 80 years. I was afraid it would be disjointed considering the massive time jumps, but Clouds and Sunshine eventually plants its feet in the 1980s after a few pages.
What's with the few pages set earlier than that, though? I'm unsure. Rosie first dabbles in gymnastics and swims at the local pool sometimes before settling on wing walking. I haven't seen a story touch on that before, but okay. Sure. Let's see how this goes. Rosie meets another character, Chas, also passionate about the same subject, and even when wing walking seemed novel the first few times, it got repetitive and tedious to read. The characters aren't it. Where's the chemistry. There isn't any. They lack depth and the only development they had was learning wing walking, but other than that they remained the same throughout the creation. If Pollock wants to include the 1900s scenes, why not include more Australian history from the 1900s to the 1980s? That could improve the reading experience.
The last 100 pages mildly intrigue me as a subplot involving Rosie's drink being spiked unfolds, but it folds swiftly as Steve is the culprit, but then it switches to wing walking. By the time I read the concluding pages I disconnected from the narrative as it doesn't focus on anything else other than the topic. I needed a break from that, but I didn't get any....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Black and Asian characters Trigger warnings: N/A Score: Seven out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
At least I**spoiler alert** Representation: Black and Asian characters Trigger warnings: N/A Score: Seven out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
At least I didn't take a few years to get around to reading Sunny Rolls the Dice by Jennifer L. Holm. After reading Swing it, Sunny, I hoped this one would be as good if not better, but let me get this straight: I wasn't disappointed. I only found the other three instalments slightly more enjoyable, but at least it wasn't an underwhelming reading experience.
It starts (more like continues) with Sunny opening a 1970s magazine and completing a quiz on how 'groovy' she is (according to late 1970s standards,) only to discover she is 'not groovy.' The theme of this collection of illustrations seems to be self-worth and how judging yourself could lead to negative consequences, and that is a discussion topic that is still relevant. The central problem is Sunny continues to judge herself harshly and changes her attributes to make herself more 'groovy' for most of the narrative, and she only stopped that in the concluding pages.
Let's move on to some other aspects, the pictures were engaging and so were some of the characters, with the spotlight being on Sunny this time as she keeps developing and changing as a character. The side characters are sometimes on the page, like Arun (an Asian,) but not as often as Sunny. Dedicating more page time to them would help though. It appears Sunny stopped judging herself mostly by herself, with help from other people, but there wasn't a support network. Perhaps people didn't understand problems like this back then in the late 1970s? (If so, then there's one downside to living in that decade.) The lighter scenes like when Sunny plays Dungeons and Dragons (a contemporary game at that period) with her friends is a jarring juxtaposition compared to the heavier subjects. At least the finish is heartwarming as I see Sunny's arc come to a close. There is one more book in the Sunny series to read, Sunny Makes Her Case, but no library has it, so I'll write my thoughts on it once I obtain it. It sounds intriguing, though....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Character with a physical disability Trigger warnings: Loss of limb (arm,) drug use, abuse and addiction mentioned in**spoiler alert** Representation: Character with a physical disability Trigger warnings: Loss of limb (arm,) drug use, abuse and addiction mentioned in the past Score: Seven out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
It looks like I finally read this one. I haven't read from Jennifer L. Holm in almost two years, but I needed to complete the Sunny series (which I read out of order, since I read the first and then the fourth instalments) so I picked Swing it, Sunny, up. I headed in with high expectations and found it enjoyable.
Did I mention this one is one of the few illustrated novels I haven't read yet until now? It starts (more like continues) with Sunny Lewin moving away from Florida after the events of the first novel and now enters her first year of middle school. I initially thought it would only be another story in the list of school narratives, but it goes deeper than that. The only intriguing subplot is one involving her brother, Dale, who had to attend boarding school because of his drug abuse issues. I appreciated the pictures, which looked engaging and the likable characters, though I couldn't relate to the dysfunctional family, with Dale distancing himself from his siblings and parents, but I'm sure others can relate.
The pacing is enough to keep the book going, with its length barely over 200 pages, so I didn't find it too slow, overwhelming or filled with filler pages that add nothing. Even when Dale briefly visits Sunny during Thanksgiving, an American holiday, she thinks he changes, but he eventually warms up to her, showing intriguing character dynamics and development. I don't see settings like the one in Swing it, Sunny, that often, as Holm set this one in the late 1970s, allowing for a fascinating look into what happened at that time. Some readers may feel young in a way, but I didn't mind that much. Not all side characters are the same, with some being memorable, and others, not quite as such. Developing more characters beside Dale would improve the reading experience, though. At least the conclusion is heartwarming. I'll write my thoughts on Sunny Rolls the Dice after reviewing this one....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Asian characters Trigger warnings: Racism, death of a father from a terminal illness, blood, grief and loss depiction**spoiler alert** Representation: Asian characters Trigger warnings: Racism, death of a father from a terminal illness, blood, grief and loss depiction, physical assault and injury, bullying, military violence and war themes, displacement, refugee experiences Score: Seven out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
Okay. This one was brutal. I liked this illustrated adaptation of The Kite Runner, but I don't want to reread this one. I only saw it on a library display shelf a few days ago and decided to pick it up. I glanced at the intriguing blurb, and when I closed the final page, I enjoyed it, but it was heartrending.
This specific version of The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (with artwork from Fabio Celoni and Mirka Andolfo) starts with Amir in the 1970s living his life in Afghanistan, but most prominently, he spends some of his time flying and fighting other kites. That is until the Soviets invade Afghanistan, forcing him to flee to America, but that is only one part of the narrative. The first half or so focuses on Amir's life in Afghanistan, which can be difficult for him sometimes, because of expectations from his father rooted in toxic masculinity, like having to physically fight off people, when Amir would rather read and even write a book. Scratch that. It was a lot more than difficult. The second half, lasting only a few pages, revolves around Amir living in America in the 1980s, then going back to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan in the early 2000s in the bittersweet final pages, which looks entirely different to the Afghanistan he knew.
I don't know where to begin with The Kite Runner, but I'll try: I mostly liked the art, except the intense and graphic scenes that appeared sometimes, which were harder to read. I liked the characters, especially Amir, as he developed his character, and showed traits I appreciated. I know this edition of The Kite Runner is less than 150 pages, making it short, it still uses every page and nothing goes to waste. The only white space are the margins. The pacing is swift, too. I liked this one, and wonder what the original is like....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Black, Asian and First Australian characters Trigger warnings: Near-death experience, racism, racist slur, death in a**spoiler alert** Representation: Black, Asian and First Australian characters Trigger warnings: Near-death experience, racism, racist slur, death in a car crash and other people, military violence and war themes, colonisation, World War Two, Vietnam War, refugee experiences, displacement, PTSD Score: Five out of ten. I own this book. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
Okay. That's it. Between Us by Jackie French is an example of brownface. I can't give that book three stars nor can I support her because of that. One is enough for now.
Well. This one was bizarre. I got this one at a library giveaway, and glanced at the blurb, making Refuge seem intriguing. However, I headed in with low expectations considering the equally low ratings. When I closed the final page, it was hard to enjoy Refuge because of all the issues, especially cultural appropriation.
It starts with the first character I see, Faris, on a boat with other people, escaping from a war-torn country (whose name remains unknown) when a wave tosses them into the sea, but surprisingly, Faris survives in the opening pages. The plot thickens when he discovers other characters from different countries, but, most notably, different times, like the time system is broken, allowing for stuff like this to happen.
Unfortunately, the pacing slows from there, and that is only the beginning of the problems Jackie French could've addressed to improve her creation. The characters also lack depth and sometimes can be hard to read with irritating dialogue, making me disconnect and find it harder to relate with them. I liked where the author was going with a story on the many peoples of Australia and showing how some refugees made it, but others didn't, but the execution could've been better. The plot is strange and challenging to wrap my head around, because Faris landed on Australia, but something is off about it based on the description, which describes a house next to the beach with some native animals. I think Refuge tried to combine fantasy and realism but it didn't work out that well. The supporting characters are only diverse to tick boxes and not do anything meaningful, and there were too many (removing some could improve the reading experience.) Could the author at least name the country Faris came from and not leave it up to interpretation?
The worst flaw of Refuge is the cultural appropriation since the author doesn't match the characters' attributes. An author more similar to the characters would've written a more enjoyable story. I'm so underwhelmed. At least the conclusion is a high note where Faris escapes the realm and arrives at the genuine Australia....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Black and Native American characters Trigger warnings: Near-death experience, death and murder, dead bodies, physical**spoiler alert** Representation: Black and Native American characters Trigger warnings: Near-death experience, death and murder, dead bodies, physical assault and injury, sword violence, disappearance of a father Score: Seven out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
I haven't heard of Compass South, a historical novel composed of illustrations until a few days ago when I picked it up at a public library while I tried to search for other books that sadly I missed and and now weren't available. The blurb made it seem intriguing and when I closed the final page, the novel was enjoyable.
It starts with a prologue set in 1848 spanning a few pages before cutting to 1860 where the central story begins with Alex and Cleo who join a gang to try to find their father who disappeared, but that doesn't go to plan. Alex has to work on a ship while Cleo goes on another ship to look for him, all while a pair of twin brothers have gone missing but are still alive somewhere. Compass South shines in its action scenes and fast pacing, but sometimes the plot can get disjointed and do too much with the multiple POVs. Prose novels handle multiple POVs better than illustrated ones most of the time so that could've been a better choice and the characters are likable and ones I could root for but they're not the most relatable. Other characters were in the background, but I'd loved to have seen more of them like the other pair and that one Native American character or that Black captain (who only got a brief appearance.)
I thought Compass South ended too quickly since it was barely over 200 pages, but at least there's a sequel but it's unclear if any library has it yet. Compass South has a theme of questionable moral choices, especially the ones Alex and Cleo make, implying that morals can go out the window when times get desperate. The conclusion can work fine by itself as all the characters achieve their goals as Alex and Cleo reunite and the other pair aren't missing anymore, but I question why the series needs a second instalment....more
Representation: Black and biracial (half Black and half white) characters Trigger warnings: Assault mentioned, racism, sexism, racist and sexist slurs,Representation: Black and biracial (half Black and half white) characters Trigger warnings: Assault mentioned, racism, sexism, racist and sexist slurs, gun and knife violence, animal death Score: Two points out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
I didn't enjoy To Kill a Mockingbird at any point in the book. I saw this one circling my recommendations, making me want to read it. When I discovered my library had this, I immediately wanted to pick it up. Soon enough, it was time to read it, and I initially thought it would be enjoyable, but it wasn't.
Spoilers ahead. I've warned you.
(view spoiler)[It starts with the first people I see, Scout and Jem Finch, recounting their lives in a small town named Maycomb. Nothing much happens in the opening pages (actually the first 150 pages,) until a court case occurs involving a Black person being accused of assaulting a white person. To say To Kill a Mockingbird was disappointing only scratches the surface of how abhorrent it is. To Kill a Mockingbird portrays a white saviour narrative as the white lawyer, Atticus Finch, swoops in and solves racism for the Black character, Tom. That has to be one of the most unrealistic rendering of racism I've seen.
To Kill a Mockingbird ignores the fact that Black people and other POC stood up for themselves to stop injustice and instead sends a message that only white people can stop racism for them. I would've liked the characters if they didn't play the white saviour. All I see is racism from the white perspective, and never hear from any of the Black characters. The last 100 pages weren't much better as all the characters in this fictional composition reflect on what happened, but not before one of them delivers a speech on colourblindness and how race doesn't matter and they are all only people.
To summarise, this piece of fiction from the author initially seemed promising, but when I closed its final page, I felt disgusted. You can read other books concerning discrimination like The Hate U Give instead of this. (hide spoiler)]...more
Representation: Asian characters Trigger warnings: Near-death experience, implied mass death and physical injury, fire, earthquake, displacement, racisRepresentation: Asian characters Trigger warnings: Near-death experience, implied mass death and physical injury, fire, earthquake, displacement, racism Score: Six points out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
**spoiler alert** Representation: Black character Trigger warnings: Fire, World War Two, military violence and war themes, racism, antisemitism, physic**spoiler alert** Representation: Black character Trigger warnings: Fire, World War Two, military violence and war themes, racism, antisemitism, physical illness, death of a husband Score: Seven points out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
I saw Irmina as a new library arrival so I immediately wanted to read it. I glanced at the blurb which made me think it would be a heavy yet intriguing read. Afterward, I checked the high ratings and reviews so I headed in with high expectations. I soon read it, and when I finished it, I found it an enjoyable read.
It starts with the titular character, Irmina, moving to England from Germany where she comes across another person named Howard Green, one of the first Black students at the University of Oxford. It only took around 800 years. However, Howard's experience in England felt inauthentic as the author is dissimilar to him. They start a platonic relationship which lasts the opening pages when Irmina had to return to Germany since her funds stopped transferring. Back in Germany, I saw the chilling rise of fascism as Irmina had to start a deep relationship with another character, George. The narrative quickens its pace from here as Irmina has her first child. Here's the thing: how could Irmina be so defiant in England by starting a relationship with another person not of her race but blend in and do nothing rebellious in Germany? That is a question with no answer yet. The author sets part three of the story in Barbados, forty years from part two as Irmina meets Howard again, concluding it on a high note....more
Representation: Minor Black characters Trigger warnings: Racism, racist slur, physical assault mentioned and implied injury, death of a mother in the pRepresentation: Minor Black characters Trigger warnings: Racism, racist slur, physical assault mentioned and implied injury, death of a mother in the past Score: Six points out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
I saw this book hiding on the library shelves, so I wanted to read it and pick it up. When I finished (and mostly enjoyed) another one, it was time to read Glory Be by Augusta Scattergood, so I read it. When I closed the final page, it was okay. I expected more but should've lowered my expectations after seeing the mixed ratings and reviews.
The library thought the protagonist was Black. If she were, it would've been cultural appropriation, as the author is white. Fortunately, that wasn't true, as the leading (white) character matches the author's attributes. Glory Be (not the prayer) starts with the first person I see, Gloriana June Hemphill, enjoying herself during the summer of 1964 using the 'community' pool until only a few pages in it closes indefinitely. A new character from the north whose name I forgot came to Mississippi and drank from the 'coloured' fountain, much to Glory's dismay. The pool is closed not because of repairs but to stop POC from using it. However, Glory initially only cares more about wanting the pool open than desegregation (she must be oblivious.)
Toward the latter half, Glory recognises the privileges she has that others don't and sides with the civil rights movement. Glory Be shines in its engaging pacing with quick chapters and minimalistic prose, but its most prominent flaws lie in the diction and characters. Glory is not a person I could connect or relate to, as sometimes her dialogue puts me off. Some parts of the text weren't enjoyable either. Glory Be has an aversion to two words--Black and racism, because it can say coloured and a racial slur beginning with n but not Black. Why did the author choose the words hatred, prejudice and bigotry but not racism? The author must acknowledge that racism doesn't only affect Black people; it also affects other races. By the way, Glory Be reminds me of another narrative concerning racism in pools.
So this is what racism looks like from a white POV. I've read stories like this that are better and have perspectives that aren't from white people. To summarise, Glory Be initially sounded promising, but even though it was enjoyable, it is not without flaws the author could've improved upon....more
Representation: N/A Trigger warnings: Bullying Score: Seven points out of ten. I own this book. This review can also be found on The StoryGraph.
Someone IRepresentation: N/A Trigger warnings: Bullying Score: Seven points out of ten. I own this book. This review can also be found on The StoryGraph.
Someone I know had this novel, but she passed it to another person, who then passed it to me. I put it off for a while until I ran out of reading material, so I finally picked it up and read it. When I finished it, I didn't realise it was part of a series until I checked the facts. Unfortunately, this instalment is the only one I have, and no one else has any other ones. It starts with the first character I see, Elizabeth Allen, or Elizabeth for short, returning to school after some time. Initially, during her first year, Elizabeth had a distaste for school after some events branded her as the naughtiest girl, but she hopes to change that. Elizabeth arrives at school for what I assume is her second year at an institution called Whyteleafe. Everything looks typical at first, until an incident occurs involving some of the students, and that calls for the student council. I don't see many schools having councils with that much power like that, since they can decide sentences like a court; usually the principal or teacher does that. But not here. I don't think Whyteleafe, run by students, would be orderly for long. Here's where the flaws surface: Though I liked the characters, I couldn't relate to them, which might be either a one-off problem or a recurring issue in this series, but I'll know when I read the rest of it. I also liked the mood; it never got too dark or emotional, and the conclusion hit the nail on the head. I hope the first part of the series will be as good if not better than this one....more
Representation: Jewish characters Trigger warnings: Military violence and war themes, death of a person, grief and loss depiction, amputation, explosioRepresentation: Jewish characters Trigger warnings: Military violence and war themes, death of a person, grief and loss depiction, amputation, explosions Score: Six points out of ten. I own this book.
This novel was hiding on my shelves but I put it off for a while but when I ran out of reading material I got from the two libraries I visited, I didn't have many options left, so I finally picked it up and read it. When I finished it, I thought it was only okay, but it does have its strengths, and it aged well considering the circumstances.
It starts with the first character I see, Lesley, whose last name I forgot, living in 20th century Canada and everything looks typical at first until only a few pages in, her family announces that they will travel to Israel to stay there for a few days, much to Lesley's annoyance. Despite Lesley pleading to stay in Canada, her efforts fell on deaf ears and she goes to Israel anyway. Lesley arrives at a place called a kibbutz (after some research, I discovered that it's like a community everyone contributes to) which takes up the middle pages of the narrative. Here's where both its strengths and flaws surface: Lesley is a realistic character because she wasn't likable at first but eventually, through her development, she grew on me. However, the other people in the story didn't have as great of an execution than Lesley and the author missed an opportunity to write those characters well also. Soon enough, the Six Day War starts, and afterwards, Israel won, and Lesley has a realisation that war is not as great as it seems. The ending is a low note. It's also unclear if Lesley returned to Canada (or I forgot that.) ...more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Black, Asian and Latino/a characters Trigger warnings: Death of a mother from a car accident and a father, physical i**spoiler alert** Representation: Black, Asian and Latino/a characters Trigger warnings: Death of a mother from a car accident and a father, physical injury, grief and loss depiction, sexism Score: Nine and a half points out of ten. This review can also be found on The StoryGraph.
After reading and not enjoying Our Missing Hearts which sounded so promising but ultimately did not deliver, I was hoping this one would be better and when I discovered it hiding on the shelves of one of the two libraries I go to, I immediately picked it up and read it. When I finished it, it was so enjoyable that it made an outstanding impression on the author, and made me want to read more of her works. It starts with the main and titular character Carrie Soto, or Carrie for short, living with her father after her mother passed and from there she trained playing tennis with him (which is the point of the entire narrative.) Here's where the narrative shines: I rooted for Carrie as a character and I appreciate how well she's written given that she's so complex and even has development from being an unlikable character to a more humble one which I enjoyed reading. Is it me or does this story feel well executed since it has so many events and actions going on yet it never feels disjoined or forcibly crammed and manages a fast pace? I've heard there are some references to the author's other pieces of literature and I can't wait to read those (they sound promising.) Only a few pages in Carrie is at the top when she retires and stops playing for a few years until I get to the 1990s where she discovers another (British Asian) tennis player, Nicki Chan, is catching up to Carrie's prestige, because Carrie earned 20 awards but soon enough Nicki meets and overtakes that, so now it is Carrie's goal to return for one last time to attempt to beat Nicki at tennis which takes up the second half. The action was swift and snappy throughout but sometimes it can slow down (which is mostly great but that all depends on circumstances) to explore character dynamics and other issues like sexism. It all comes to a bittersweet head as Carrie does so well ever after her retirement but she accepts that her time is over (she even befriends Nicki) making a satisfying conclusion. Now that's the level I want to see for future reads. I know not all of them can reach that but I hope I will find some outstanding ones....more
Representation: N/A? Trigger warnings: Death of a person by suicide, war themes, World War II, physical injury, hospitalisation, attempted murder of a Representation: N/A? Trigger warnings: Death of a person by suicide, war themes, World War II, physical injury, hospitalisation, attempted murder of a person in the past Score: Four points out of ten. This review can also be found on The StoryGraph.
Man. This book wasn't it. I hoped that I would enjoy this historical novel but after seeing the low ratings I lowered my expectations but still it didn't enthral me at any point (except the beginning when it looked promising, but soon after that it all went downhill from there. I won't reread this story.) It starts with the main character Megan whose last name I forgot living in Britain a few years after World War II when her father returns from Germany. But here's the catch: Megan is the first person in her family to have an opportunity to either go to grammar school or move with the rest of them to Newcastle. Megan doesn't want any of those choices at first and she spends her time trying to convince everyone that she can decide on something else but that made me not want to read Megan as a character so I had to push myself to finish this book off otherwise I would've given it a DNF. I also couldn't relate to any other character in the narrative either considering one of them is an actual Communist (which I didn't like) nor did I like all the triggering content (Trust me. There is a lot.) The only reason why Megan didn't like grammar school at first is because she said the students are too posh and there are too many rules and she explained that she shouldn't go to Newcastle with her family because she'll miss her old home or something along those lines. At least the narrative ended swiftly. Ah well. On to the next one I suppose....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: First Australian characters Trigger warnings: Physical assault and injury, blood, grief and loss depiction, death of **spoiler alert** Representation: First Australian characters Trigger warnings: Physical assault and injury, blood, grief and loss depiction, death of a father in the past and others Score: Five out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
The First Voyage by Allan Baillie saw this book hiding in the historical shelves and hoped it would be better. Thus, I picked it up and finally read it. It was, but not by much. The narrative has so many flaws outweighing the positive aspects.
It starts with the Bent Beak who has no surname living in what is now Timor-Leste, Timor in this book.
I couldn't relate to any of the characters in the novel considering it kills off characters left, right and centre. I guess it's an effort to reduce character soup as there were many characters. It could've been longer since it's less than 200 pages. A book can be under 200 pages and still be outstanding but not every book can pull that off. The one I read failed because it left me wanting more. The First Voyage would be better if a First Australian author wrote it and not a white one. The fact the afterword used the term Aborigine unsettled me.
The writing style was enough to keep the storyline going. The pacing is slow in the first half but speeds up when Bent Beak and other characters move from Timor-Leste to Australia. The conclusion was okay but not enough to save The First Voyage....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: First Australian characters Trigger warnings: Displacement, death of a child and friend from an illness, blood, grief**spoiler alert** Representation: First Australian characters Trigger warnings: Displacement, death of a child and friend from an illness, blood, grief and loss depiction, physical assault and injury, child abuse, hospitalisation, racism, bullying Score: Seven points out of ten. Note that the novel is authentic since the author's attributes matches the characters'. This review can also be found on The StoryGraph.
Well. I remember searching this up and then seeing it in one of the two libraries I go to and after seeing positive ratings and reviews I finally picked it up and read it. When I finished it, the only way I could describe my experience reading this story was that I was gutted. It was an informative but heartbreaking read from start to finish complemented by the uncommon writing style. Now then. It starts with the main character who initially doesn't have a first or last name (it's not clear how old she is either) living her life somewhere in Australia until someone displaced her and took her somewhere else in an event now called the Stolen Generations. Did I mention this novel is all written in poetry but the execution is better than some other poetry novels I've read, and it deals with the topic better than another story I saw previously called Our Race for Reconciliation by Anita Heiss? The unnamed girl then goes to a school whose name I forgot with a teacher that called her Anne (hey that name sounds familiar) where she stays for the rest of the narrative.
Not long after Anne as I'll call her from now on (that name will change soon enough) is introduced to some new characters (some of them I liked, like Janey. Some I did not.) I'm not sure why when the teacher tried to teach Anne English she didn't like it only because she said it tried to erase her culture or something along those lines (hasn't she heard of bilingualism? She could use that.) I had a hunch that something heartrending would happen. The last few pages were the saddest as the government abused Anne, Janey was hospitalised for an illness (the book said it was influenza) and later died while Anne, now called Annie hopes that she would be free one day ending the book on a devastating note. It's an imperative read, sure. But it's heavy. I don't know why the library I got this book from placed it in nonfiction. Not realistic. Not historical. Nonfiction....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: First Australian character Trigger warnings: War themes, World War Two, blood, grief and loss depiction, racism, sexi**spoiler alert** Representation: First Australian character Trigger warnings: War themes, World War Two, blood, grief and loss depiction, racism, sexism, racist slur, white supremacy, amputation, near-death experience, hospitalisation, PTSD, fire, death of a soldier, death of a child in the ocean, murder, deaths from falling, lethal injection, train and car crashes, workplace accidents, physical injuries and asphyxia Score: Six out of ten. Find this review on The StoryGraph.
I'm disappointed.
Move the Mountains by Emily Conolan is the third part of the series. I've read two: Break Your Chains and Touch the Sun. I found both depressing and went in with low expectations. It too was disheartening.
It starts with a girl, whose name will be Amara, living in Lenola in 1943. Move the Mountains is in the 2nd POV. Most are in 1st or 3rd POV. The book warned me that Amara would die. It pulled no punches. There was a scene in one of the choices I'd see in a young adult book. Move the Mountains is not YA.
Later, there are two choices I must make for Amara. One option killed her, and the other made her immigrate to Australia by ship in 1951. Some choices left her in one piece. Different endings made her die tragically. If Amara arrived, there's a lot she needs to do. Amara overcomes the racism and sexism. After escaping all the antagonists, she gets a job out of gender equality.
A workplace accident killed someone and made Amara lose an arm. That event tried but failed to make me relate to Amara. In the final ending, Amara gets past the accident, gets a job at the Snowy Mountains Hydroelectricity Project and reunites with her family. The fact files and author's notes were a nice touch....more
**spoiler alert** Representation: Asian and Latina characters Trigger warnings: Animal death, physical injury, abuse, bruises, war themes, Vietnam War **spoiler alert** Representation: Asian and Latina characters Trigger warnings: Animal death, physical injury, abuse, bruises, war themes, Vietnam War mentioned Score: Seven points out of ten.
I only just heard of this book not so long ago and I was excited to read this and even though I enjoyed this I just wanted a little more from it and this definitely was kind of a step down from Inside Out and Back Again made by the same author; this was a nice read nonetheless, where do I even begin.
It starts off again with the main character Hà who is now twelve since this was set only two years after she fled Vietnam during the Vietnam War and now she and her family are living in Alabama. This is all going to change however as Hà's mother discovered that Texas would leave them better off so they packed their bags and moved there much to her dismay. I feel like after this major event the author just doesn't know what to do after this so the story turned into a long drawn out account of the main character's new life in Texas which stretched across most of the book. Hà soon adjusts to living in this new place and makes a new friend in the process called Diggy though I was kind of sad that I wouldn't be seeing Pam again, then again I could only connect to Hà and not the rest of the characters so there's that. I still liked the writing style though; only few books I know have done this and on a positive note, the author successfully pulled that off....more