THE SKY SO HEAVY

by Claire Zorn

[Blurb:  For Fin, it's just like any other day - racing for the school bus, bluffing his way through class, and trying to remain cool in front of the most sophisticated girl in his universe, Lucy. Only it's not like any other day because, on the other side of the world, nuclear missiles are being detonated. From an exciting new voice in Australian YA literature, Claire Zorn, comes a haunting novel, The Sky So Heavy - a mesmerising story inspired by the continued debate over Australia's treatment of asylum-seekers and how a line through a map can determine your fate.]

This was a great little YA fiction that had me thinking. Set in Australia, with the threat of nuclear testing going on in Asia,  most people go about their life without any thought of the impending disaster, but when the missiles testing goes wrong, Australia is suddenly thrown into an fight for survival. The sky does dark, snow is suddenly falling (which could be radioactive) as the temperature drops to freezing, families are separated and supplies are running out. Where is the army to help with food and reassurance?... there's none... and it's every man for themselves. As people start to get sick and die, Fin and his friends must try to head for the city to where his mother is more than likely heading up the Australian response team, but will they make it through without being killed and will she be able to provide them with the safety they need? It's go, go, go in this story and made me think how far I would go if my life and my family was in danger.

THE ROSIE BLACK CHRONICLES: BK 3 DARK STAR

by Lara Morgan   (Australian author)

[Blurb: Five hundred years into the future, the world is a different place. The Melt has sunk most of the coastal cities and Newperth is divided into the haves, the 'Centrals'; the have-nots, the 'Bankers'; and the fringe dwellers, the 'Ferals'. Rosie thought exposing the evil Helios corporation would be the end of all her problems. But it was just the beginning.
Bent on revenge, Rosie is still working in sceret to try to take down Helios. but her dad is locked away, Pip has abandoned her, and Riley isn't telling her the full story. Where can she turn for help? And how many more sacrifices is she prepared to make to destroy Helios?]

This was the third book in the series and as usual it was very fast paced, right to the end, I couldn't put it down. Rosie is caught, escapes, gets caught again and so the drama continues. Although this wasn't quite as exciting as the first book I still loved this series and would recommend it to everyone.

THE INK BRIDGE

by Neil Grant

This book really does convey the spirit of Afghanistan and allows you to experience just a glimpse of the realities of living in this war torn country, the heart of the people, the daily struggle and the life of a refugee.

Young Omed will be killed by the Taliban if he stays, they've already cut out his tongue, he can no longer provide for his family and must flee. He is forced to team up with Snake, a very undesirable character, if he is to escape to Australia especially now he can't communicate with anyone.

When he meets Hector in a candle factory in Melbourne they become silent friends. Hector has his own story and since his mother's death hasn't spoken a word. The two 'silent' boys form an unlikely relationship that will last for many years.

This story is beautifully told and the descriptive writing is exceptional. I really enjoyed this story and although fiction it could be based on many refugee experiences.

WHEN GOD WAS A RABBIT

by Sarah Winman

What a strange book indeed. I had mixed feelings about it really. There were times when it kept me engrossed and times when I lost interest a bit and skimmed. The title was what intrigued me but I didn't purchase it until it was on our book club list of reads so I gave it a go. The story is written in two parts, the first growing up and childhood experiences, the second about their adulthood which seemed doom and gloom for the most part. It's about friendships, relationships, tragedy, dreams, sexuality, love and of course starting over.


Elly loves her brother Joe dearly and this story tells their journey through life and bond that was so deep and so full of secrets that only the two of them knew. He was her protector and confidante. Her strange but best friend Jenny Penny was a sad case which I really felt for and wanted to pull her out of her troubled life, living with her mum and accompanying boyfriends. From Elly's aunt who is an actress and gay, her brother who is in love with his best friend, also gay, to eccentric elderly people coming in and out of her life, there really was too much happening and often seemed confusing.


Tying in 9/11 seemed a bit far fetched to me and don't think it was necessary to include this line of story with her brother missing, presumed dead, from the collapse of the twin towers. There was also a lot of language throughout the book which I didn't think really warranted it. At times I had to re-read pages to make sure I had actually read what I thought I had.  Like I said it was a strange book and certainly wasn't uplifting at all

THREE SUMMERS

by Judith Clarke


What a lovely cover that once again made me pick this book up to read.
This story is set mostly in rural Australia and begins in 1959 but follows the life journey of Ruth and her best friend Fee and when I finished the book I felt like I had actually lived along side them.


Ruth had lost her mother in a car accident when she was a baby and she was raised by her father and her grandmother, which she had a strong connection with. The story tells the tale of the girls receiving their results from their final year of school and the direction their lives followed... Fee craving marriage and motherhood and staying in this country town and Ruth winning a scholarship to a Sydney University where her grandmother thinks will save her from being trapped in this town, with all it's quirky characters. She really wants her grand daughter to live life to the fullest and have the opportunities that she was never able to have.

REMARKABLE CREATURES

by Tracy Chevalier


This book is different and had quite a different story line than I expected. It's the story of a wonderful friendship between two remarkable women, Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpot, who were drawn together through their love of collecting fossils. Although the story is fiction is was based on the actual life of these two women,living in Lyme Regis during the 1820's. Mary, who was struck by lightning as a baby, had a real connection with nature and the sea. She would collect curios (fossils) from the beach and sell them in her father's shop to tourists who passed by. 


Mary certainly had an eye for detecting fossils and discovered some of the first pre-dinosaur  fossils in England, including the ichthyosaur and the plesiosaur.  However, this was a man's world and she didn't get any recognition for her discoveries or a scientist until later on in years.


Although 'fossils' to me seems like a slightly boring subject the story was a wonderful blend of scientific fact, myths, customs, romance along with a story of friendship thrown in. It challenged the thinking of the time of evolution and where fossils fit into the scheme of God's creation.


I did enjoy this book as I did with another of Tracy's books I recently read 'The Girl with the Pearl Earring'.

THE LITTLE COFFEE SHOP OF KABUL

THE LITTLE COFFEE SHOP OF KABUL by Deborah Rodriguez

This was a fabulous read. A group of five very different women (Sunny, Yazmina,  Candace, Isabel and Halajan, brought together through different circumstances and become friends, meeting together in a little coffee shop in Afghanistan, one of the most dangerous places on earth.  They form a unique bond and find they have much more in common than they thought, and are much stronger than they think, and through their actions set about changing things in their community in Kabul.

The story is based on the author's experiences and people she met while living in Afghanistan as a hair dresser. It is an eye opener to what women face living in Afghanistan and how terrible they are treated and punished for things that we would consider normal life.

Read more about how she came to write this book and how living in Afghanistan and returning to America has changed her life and much more on her website.

http://www.debbierodriguez.com/kabul.php

WHISPER

WHISPER by Chrissie Keighery   (YA fiction)

 This really is a fantastic book and I glad I took the time to read it. being a teenager is hard enough but being a deaf teenager is so much harder. Demi is in a new world trapped ... trapped by her new deafness, where everything she took for granted is gone. After convincing her mum to send her to a deaf school, Demi tries to make new friends and come to terms with all the changes in her life now that she's 'profoundly deaf'.

Having been involved with deaf people and communicating through signing, I felt this book was a great insight into the life of someone who can't hear and how unknowingly we can restrict knowledge and communication from them and cause embarrassment and isolation to them. This is evident when Demi's hearing friends turn their backs to her when talking and how sometimes she only gets portions of the conversation. How would we feel if the things we take for granted are gone forever?

This book was beautifully written and well researched. At times I felt I was in Demi's world and annoyed at the 'hearies' who, sometimes through lack of knowledge, did things to make it so much harder for Demi. I learnt a lot from reading this book and feel I have a greater insight into her world. Demi struggles with relationships from her world before deafness and her new friends. I was scared with her when she was left alone at home.There is also lots of humour in this book and lots of inspiring moments.

I think this book should be used as a class novel so teenagers can be more knowledgeable about deafness and the challenges it creates. The book also touched on issues about how we rightly or wrongly perceive others.