It’s about a boy, Todd Hewitt, who is the last boy in Prentisstown, a town with no women. (shock, horror!)he will be a man in 31 days but Prentisstown is dying, all because of the Spackle.
This book is a work of art. It’s one of the best books i’ve ever read and i encourage everyone else to read it. I lives up to the first line more than i can imagine.
Gilla
A novel of the “sword and sandals” genre, “Centurion” follows the trials and tribulations of two Roman generals, Cato and Macro, who are dispatched to the kingdom of Palmyra to quell revolt and deliver the city from Parthian invasion. A rather gratuitously gruesome, gritty and predictable tale unfolds with the outnumbered Romans triumphing against overwhelming odds. If you enjoy reading very detailed accounts of Roman battles or simply love all things ancient and Roman there will surely be something in “Centurion” to please.
Parallel narratives follow clues extracted from the pages of an ancient Jewish text illustrated in the manner of Christian prayer book and rescued twice by Muslim librarians in Kosovo. The book’s story, from its creation to concealment, from Spain to Venice during the Inquisition, to war torn Sarajevo in the 1940’s via syphilis-ridden Vienna in the 19th century, presents a creatively mapped exploration of religious intolerance that continues to shake our world today. It seems more hastily crafted than some of her other work and a few may find it a bit didactic at times.
SENIOR FICTION ONLY
This is Winton’s first novel in 7 years and it won the Age “Fiction of the Year” Award. It is the story of one boy’s discovery of surfing and the friendships he makes while finding the courage to surf some seriously big waves. Even if you don’t surf, Winton makes you feel like you’re there. It’s the closest you can get to surfing 20 foot waves without getting wet.
Ms Ophelia Hopkins
NEW YORK TIMES BEST-SELLER
If you like a good mystery or ghost stories then this is the book for you. This is a dark, somewhat Dickensian tale, full of eccentric characters. Set in the bleak English countryside, a writer tries to piece together the mystery of Vida Winter and the ruin of Angelfield, an old house with many secrets. The story does take a while to warm-up but once you are hooked, it’s hard to put down.
Ms Ophelia Hopkins
Short-listed for the Children’s Book Council Awards, this short, well-written novel tells the story of Brian. He is chronically shy, 17 and struggling to deal with his mentally ill Mother, a new job and falling in love. Well worth a read.
Ms Ophelia Hopkins
For those budding Scotch Scribes looking for a role model, here’s an interesting list of authors who were published whilst still under the age of 20 (or who wrote their books that young but were published later).
Teen/Child published authors
* Nancy Yi Fan: Swordbird (published at 12 yrs)
* Zlata Filipovic: Zlata’s diary (written 11-13 years; publ. 13))
* Flavia Bujor: The prophecy of the stones (14)
* Atwater-Jones, Amelia: In the forests of the night (14)
* Alexandra Adornetto: The Shadow thief (14)
* Sonya Hartnett: Trouble all the way (15)
* Catherine Webb: Mirror dreams (16)
* Francoise Sagan: Bonjour Tristesse (16)
* Robert Louis Stevenson: The Pentland Rising (16)
* SE Hinton: The Outsiders (17)
* Christopher Paolini: Eragon (18)
* Simon French: Hey, phantom singlet (18)
* Mary Shelley: Frankenstein (19)
* Helen Oyeyemi: The Icarus girl (19)
* Jack Heath: The Lab (19)
* Scott Monk: Boyz are us (19)
Published as adults
* Daisy Ashford: The Young visiters (sic) (written at 9; publ. 38)
* Anne Frank: Diary of a young girl (written at 13-15 years; publ.
posthumously)
* Isobelle Carmody: Obernewtyn (begun when the author was 15; publ.
29)
* Louisa May Allcott: Flower fables (written at 16; publ. 22) & The
Inheritance (written at 17, publ. posthumously)
Close, but no cigar
* Matthew Riley (20)
* Catherine Jinks (26)
Thanks to Craig Edgman, Teacher-librarian, for compiling this list.
Mrs Sweeney
The author of the Devil Wears Prada has come up with a trio of new characters, all living in Manhattan and trying to juggle careers, family and relationships. Leigh is a book editor for a prestigious publishing house, Emmy is in the restaurant business and Adriana has never worked in her life, living off her wealthy parents and her looks. Having worked and played hard throughout their twenties, the prospect of turning 30 awakens them to the fact that maybe their lives aren’t so perfect after all. A pact is made and they have exactly twelve months to face their biggest challenges and drastically turn their lives around. A great read for fans of, dare I say it, “chick-lit”.
Ms Morris
WWII is a busy time for the sardonic narrator of this highly original Australian novel. His job is to collect the souls of the dead, so it’s not surprising that his voice is a little detached and tinged with irony. He tells the story of a resilient young girl, Liesel, and her wartime experiences in a small German village. Liesel’s father teaches her to read in the inky nightmare hours, and her subsequent hunger for words emboldens her to become a serial book thief. Liesel’s accomplice is her cheeky and ardent admirer Rudy, with whom she raids orchards and fights bullies.
When Liesel’s parents agree to harbour a young Jewish man in their basement, she forges a strong friendship with him through their shared love of words and loss of dear ones. This bond forms the basis for a complex and involving tale which reveals the profound effects of war on a young girl and those around her. Despite harrowing scenes, it manages to celebrate great love, self sacrifice and the endurance of hope. An inspiring read!
Mrs Sweeney
Native American Indian Sherman Alexie, presents a troubled hero who has been in and out of foster homes all his life. He is about to commit a terrible act of violence when at the crucial moment he is shot back through time. The speed with which this unusual story unfolds is breath-taking as ‘zits’ is transported to the Battle of Little Bighorn, the Civil Rights marches and other critical times in history. Right at the moment of terrible violence being committed he is moved to another scenario. These journeys seem to be saving ‘zits’ from himself. This is a superb book, both funny and dark and is one of the best books I have read this year.
Ms Boyd
