This was a thoroughly enjoyable novel. I love stories about Greek Gods and heroes and it wonderful to look at these through a different lens. The storThis was a thoroughly enjoyable novel. I love stories about Greek Gods and heroes and it wonderful to look at these through a different lens. The story telling was masterful and I was fully engaged at every point as we were drawn into Circe's world. I can't think of a better way to explain it but it was like I was in a softly flowing river. Drifting through the events in the life of a remarkable goddess. Watching her powers grow, falling in and out of love, and seeking to protect those dear to her. Just fabulous!
CW: (view spoiler)[Violence, gore, murder, torture, suicidal thoughts, bloody and violent childbirth scenes, animal sacrifice, death of loved ones, much loved animal dies, rape, adultery (hide spoiler)]...more
I went into this hoping for a tense and emotional conflict between black men who dare to have self-determination on their minds and those who4.5 Stars
I went into this hoping for a tense and emotional conflict between black men who dare to have self-determination on their minds and those who need to bend others to their will and uphold the values of a conservative Southern community. I was rewarded with all of this and more. Love marred by obsession and cruelty, the desperate plight to carve a meaningful existence in the post war construction era, and loneliness born from lack of connection to name a few. So many feelings. I'm emotionally exhausted.
Prentiss and Landry are finally free men after the surrender of the Confederacy that ended the American Civil War. The bond between them was so well written and this drew me into the story. The evolution of George and Isabelle over the course of the story was devastatingly beautiful and I loved how this unfolded so gently.
This is not without its flaws but what an amazing debut. This incredibly well written novel is a slow burn and that may not suit some people as it could feel long. I had nowhere to be in a hurry so I enjoyed the drawn out character studies and the multi POV narration.
The harsh but beautiful Alaskan wilderness was the perfect backdrop to this powerful tale of survival.
Cora and Leni were characters that I wi4.5 Stars
The harsh but beautiful Alaskan wilderness was the perfect backdrop to this powerful tale of survival.
Cora and Leni were characters that I will remember for their loyalty, love, and gritty determination to survive Ernt and his PTSD driven paranoia and rage. The writing was lush and it blew my mind that, in what was essentially a slow burn, I could be on the edge of my seat for so much of it. I loved how Kristin perfectly described the realities of surviving in such an unpredictable and volatile environment and that she mirrored this with the realities of surviving in the Allbright family. The supporting cast were phenomenal too and I felt a deep affection for the Alaskan 'found family' members. A wonderful story that I thoroughly recommend.
CW: (view spoiler)[domestic violence, domestic rape, gun violence, descriptions of bloody injuries in people and animals, PTSD after war, hunting and killing animals, drowning (hide spoiler)]...more
I could literally feel myself being drawn slowly into to this story as the three wonderful main characters sleuthed their way into my heart. It actually took until about the 30 percent mark until I felt that the triplets separated out enough into three distinct voices for me. The writing was absolutely brilliant and the relationships between the different characters in the town so vividly captured that I honestly felt like I really understood the dynamics in this suffering community. I thoroughly recommend this novel in which three teens and their mother take on 'big money' in the pursuit of justice....more
CW: Horrific period shaming (view spoiler)[sexual content, slut shaming, threats of rape, sexualisation of periods, cyber bullying (hide spo4.5 Stars
CW: Horrific period shaming (view spoiler)[sexual content, slut shaming, threats of rape, sexualisation of periods, cyber bullying (hide spoiler)]
Well I feel like I have just read something incredibly important.
This verse novel looks at changing the narrative around women, periods and sex. Lucy explores period shaming, slut shaming and toxicity between women on social media in this engaging story. It is very intense at times and I felt ill at the threatening nature of the online bullying that Frankie faced after a meme about her went viral. I honestly could not put this down as I felt connected to this story and invested in the characters. Absolutely fantastic!...more
CW: (view spoiler)[severe bullying, coarse language, drug use, injections described, dog is injected with steroids, lots of t3.5 Stars rounded up to 4
CW: (view spoiler)[severe bullying, coarse language, drug use, injections described, dog is injected with steroids, lots of talk about how steroids affect male genitalia...like lots, sexual references, incidents of 'roid rage', death of a loved one through steroid abuse, dealing with grief (hide spoiler)]
Well that was an intense 'journey' book that, whilst heavy on the education side, was still incredibly engaging.
Novels that explore body and muscle dysmorphia in males are quite rare so I think that makes this book important. According to the author's note there is an increase in men suffering mental health issues stemming from body image. David was a solid main character that felt quite authentic in terms of his decision making and thought processes as he sought to shake off the bullies by bulking up. It is so refreshing and wonderful to see a story exposing men's vulnerabilities and I think Fred did a great job of this. Don't get me wrong, there was plenty of toxic masculinity in there, but it was portrayed as part of the expected behaviour of the body builders in this story. I don't have any knowledge of the accuracy of the steroid use etc but according to the author this is an ownvoice story. I may or may not have had a few tears towards the end...
I am really pleased we have a copy of this in the library but I will be sure to discuss the content warnings with anyone borrowing the book....more
Huia Short Stories is a must buy in our school library. This edition has some interesting stories in it with some in Te Reo Māori (I only have beginneHuia Short Stories is a must buy in our school library. This edition has some interesting stories in it with some in Te Reo Māori (I only have beginner level proficiency so was unable to read these ones). Gotta say though I found a couple of the stories to be quite unsettling. Also, there are some stories with profanity and sexual content. Some of these stories will be excellent preparation for the NZQA Unfamiliar Text assessment. ...more
Connections are at the heart of this story. The relationships are filled with hurt, betrayal, trauma, forgiveness, loyalty Well that was captivating.
Connections are at the heart of this story. The relationships are filled with hurt, betrayal, trauma, forgiveness, loyalty and love. It's a weird thing to be charmed by a story that has some quite dark and sinister content, but such is the effect of Eli and August on the Reader's experience of this book. I came to rely on August because (view spoiler)[he told us repeatedly that 'it gets good after this', as at times I was fearful that the ending I needed wouldn't eventuate. (hide spoiler)] Eli loved so fiercely that it was impossible not to feel emotionally invested in his journey and I loved the bonds he had with the men in his life. It was wonderful to see hardened criminals that society can make a lot of negative assumptions about, opening up and showing so much vulnerability, gratitude and love. I thoroughly enjoyed this slightly magical and wonderfully written novel. ...more
Another book with the amazing world building that CW: (view spoiler)[Suicide off page of someone who could no longer compete in sports (hide spoiler)]
Another book with the amazing world building that I have come to expect from this author. I loved the idea of mixed martial arts in a zero gravity cube. There were a lot of detailed descriptions of zeroboxing matches and I had to work hard to visualise what was happening in the fights. The book deals with some quite topical contemporary issues but in a futuristic sci-fi environment. The most notable are: genetic modification to enhance performance, appearance and health (today's drug use in sport); inequality in terms of access to these potentially life saving/altering procedures; and racism (between people from Mars and Earth). An enjoyable sporty book....more
This was narrated from multiple points of view which suited this plot quite well. Shari did a great job of weaving lots of threads together and the result was a story filled with tension. I would have liked a bit more variety in the pacing and telling of the story as we didn't have enough time to sit and ponder new pieces of information before we were hurried on to the next bombshell. Overall an enjoyable read. ...more
**spoiler alert** CW: PTSD during war and post war, violent and gruesome attack on soldier Trigger warning: Suicide after not coping with war time viol**spoiler alert** CW: PTSD during war and post war, violent and gruesome attack on soldier Trigger warning: Suicide after not coping with war time violence/actions....more
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