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Taking Tom Murray Home
Told through the eyes of a thirteen-year-old twin named Jack this book has an amazing setting. Both Jack and his twin sister Jenny have Dorotea’s Analgesia, a rare genetic mutation that makes you feel no pain and not be able to cry. Their father has just died as he was burning down the house on their dairy farm, 350 km’s from Melbourne, before the bank repossessed it.
Dawn, their Mum, is an amazingly strong woman who decides to protest against the banks and the supermarkets with their $1.00 milk policy, and the government by holding a 10-day funeral procession for their Dad. The procession is going all the way to Melbourne - with their Dad’s coffin atop an open flatbed trailer towed by a horse.
The procession builds both in number and media attention with Jenny starting up an online fundraising page that receives $170,000 in donations. This, combined with copycat fires around the country, and rebellious quotes from Henry Lawson and Ned Kelly, makes this motley group huge news.
At its core Taking Tom Murray Home is a story of grief and protest that shouldn't be funny or uplifting, and yet it is. It is rousing, hopeful and deeply down to earth - much like the Australian characters that it so sensitively portrays.
Set to become an Australian classic, it will be loved by teenagers aged 15+, all the way through to much older readers
Everywhere, Everything, Everyone
The government keeps getting stricter - with new rules to protect the good people from one side of town from the threat of those that live on the other. The problem is Santee missed her curfew…
Her new friend Z’s car wouldn't start and now she is left stranded on the wrong side of the “safety barrier” - a sort of Berlin Wall like structure that has popped up around her section of the town.
Santee is taken in by Z’s wonderful, if somewhat rebellious family, but when his father is taken away for his subversive behaviour and they lose their lovely apartment to a good family, their world gets a whole lot tougher. Will Santee ever see her family again?
This is a strong anti-establishment novel about standing up for what is right in any small way you can.
It is partly romantic, as her tumultuous relationship with Z develops. Filled with YA themes of being true to yourself, hope, family, and resilience, this is a terrific novel suitable for all teenagers.
It sounded better in my head
Natalie just got her ATAR and is waiting for her uni placement when her world turns. Mum and Dad are separating - a fact they have hidden from her for ten months, all in the name of successful studying.
Natalie is an adorable and angsty teenager. Having suffered from severe acne since puberty, she hates her body, her scars and stretch marks, and generally being seen.
She has two best friends, Zach and Lucy, but this is now sometimes awkward since they became an item. And then Natalie and Zach’s older brother start having a thing. But what is this thing as Natalie has never had any sort of romantic relationship before?
Beautifully written, with real and utterly believable characters, I found this book so easy to get into. It handles first love and the insecurities of growing up today with humour and compassion.
With themes of crashing into adulthood, first love, real life family issues and complex friendships, this book will be cherished by readers aged 15+.