Holm has intertwined a delightful narrative within a story. On the one hand the reader spends the summer and autumn with Penny Falucci and her loving and fun loving extended family. Penny’s maternal relatives are home, Mom and apple pie American with Penny, Me-Me, Pop-Pop and Mom. While Penny’s Falucci relatives encompass many uncles, aunts, cousin and Nonny-Grandma is the pillar of the family.
Tag: young adult
A review of Biblical by Christopher Galt
I would categorise Biblical as historical surrealistic science fiction—or better yet, philosophical science fiction. However, it crosses almost every genre. Galt (the pseudonym of a mysterious best-selling crime fiction author) is clearly a master storyteller. He hasn’t simply grabbed an idea and run with it. The amount of research that has gone into the book is mind-numbing—and it’s detailed: Viking history, the holocaust and the complexities of quantum physics just to name a few.
A review of Cry Blue Murder by Kim Kane and Marion Roberts
Unique in its telling, the story unfolds as a series of legal documents, police interviews and statements, pathology reports and the e-mail correspondence between the two Year 9 private school students. From within these Police investigation reports and statements, clues are unlocked and our suspicions focus upon a particular suspect who is a member of the school community.
A review of The Girl in the Basement by Dianne Bates
I read a lot of books and the downside of this is that it’s rare to find one that hooks me so completely that I feel I’m living it. This is one such story. Not since, Stephen King’s, Misery, have I cared so much about the fate of a character. Part of the reason is that this story isn’t entirely fiction. It’s on our television screens and in our newspapers.
A review of Gamers’ Rebellion by George Ivanoff
The Gamers trilogy will appeal particularly to fans of, Tron, Doctor Who and Pullman’s The Golden Compass (Northern Lights). It really does have everything: mind-bendingly awesome gadgets, characters you can’t help but care about and even a side-order of romance. But more than that this story, while deceptively simple on the surface, challenges readers to consider the big questions regarding our existence.
A review of The Songcatcher and Me by Ruth Latta
The term “songcatcher” is a beautiful word to describe the passion for archiving the old folk tunes that accompanied people as they came to settle in North America. The fascinating subtle differences of the different regions come to life.
A review of Code Crimson: Arkie Sparkle Treasure Hunter by Petra James
Arkie is a deeply developed character with a realistic personality that is unique and bouncy. She is a brave, daring tween who doesn’t give up easily and other kids the same age as Arkie will relate to her and imagine themselves in her adventure.
A review of In the Beech Forest by Gary Crew and Den Scheer
In the Beech Forest is pure magic. Crew’s language is delightfully poetic; read aloud, his words slip off the tongue. With a master’s hand reminiscent of the great Edgar Allan Poe, Crew builds tension line by line.
A review of A Boy Called Dickens by Deborah Hopkinson
A Boy Called Dickens is a great primer to get children interested in what did happen to this little boy, and to read the works of the famed Charles Dickens, who proved that anything is possible through hard work and never giving up on your dream.
A review of Inheritance (Inheritance Cycle, Book 4) by Christopher Paolini
This notion of self-awareness is one that is handled delicately and with it, Paolini creates a book that is far more powerful than simply a fast-paced plot driven fantasy about a war between good and evil. Eragon’s growth is one that takes him beyond the moment of his conflict to a connectiveness with the world he lives in and beyond, through the older dragons he encounters.