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Sunday, March 31, 2013

The Mimosa Tree by Antonella Preto

Title: The Mimosa Tree
Author: Antonella Preto

Release Date: 1st April 2013

My Rating: 4/5

Blurb:
It’s the summer of 1987 and Mira is beginning her first year at uni. She’s got a radical new haircut, and an all-black wardrobe — she should be having the time of her life.

But it’s hard to get excited about anything when you’re being smothered by your crazy Italian family, enrolled in a course you’re not interested in, and expecting nuclear warfare at any moment.

Even a new best friend and the magnetic boy from art class can’t wipe away the image of a looming mushroom cloud. And Mira’s right. Her world is about to explode, but it’s not the skies she should be checking.

In A Nutshell:
The Mimosa Tree is a story about grief, growing up and the importance of family. Cancer is a strong element of the novel but the story connects because it is surrounded by the everyday happenings of life. The novel will have you laughing, crying and seething in frustration but as you will see, it is how people react and cope in difficult situations that define who they are and who they will become.

My Review:
The Mimosa Tree is a snapshot of the life of seventeen year-old Mira who is an only child growing up in a traditional Italian family in Australia. It’s 1987 and Mira has finally left high school behind. Entering university, she hopes for bigger and better things, for real friends with the same passions and interests as her. But it’s hard to make friends when she dismisses those who don’t appear to be like her and with a stifling and bossy extended family who have an opinion on every facet of her life.

Adjusting to the university workload and an irritating but persistent new friend helps keep Mira somewhat sane from her meddling aunt Via. But, when her mother’s cancer returns, Mira’s life is turned further upside down. With the illness kept a secret from those not in the family, Mira takes her grief and frustrations out on unsuspecting people, such as her new friend Felicia. Mira keeps everything bottled up, becoming isolated because she only really has her exasperating aunts to talk to, which is not ideal.

Mira’s aunt Via angered me so much that I almost put the book down a few times. She was just so incredibly frustrating and pushy and I would go mad if someone like her was always meddling in my life. But, I do understand why she is the way she is and that it is just her way of showing she cares.

I loved Mira. I don’t think a lot of people would probably feel the same way. She’s negative, grumpy and judges people too quickly, but it’s all about protecting herself from getting hurt. It’s a coping mechanism and since she has never had any real friends, it’s hard for her to accept people, particularly when she has a particular image in her head of what new friends might be like. She is an honest character and I love Antonella Preto for writing her.

Mira really frustrated me at times because she doesn’t do anything around the house to help her mother out. This really bugged me because I viewed her as a selfish, spoilt child and couldn’t understand why she didn’t help out more. Then I realised that that isn’t the way the Italian home works. That is the wife’s job, to take care of everything around the house. At least, this is my impression of how it was 25 years ago.

People deal with grief in their own ways and existing relationships are often altered, some for better, some for worse. What Mira discovers is that while family is incredibly important, they are not always enough and sometimes you need the support of people outside the situation to help you cope.

The Mimosa Tree is a story about grief, growing up and the importance of family. Cancer is a strong element of the novel but the story connects because it is surrounded by the everyday happenings of life. For Mira, the difficult transition from high school to university, becoming an adult and learning how to cope with a very sick mother is different to the way in which her father and aunts react. The novel will have you laughing, crying and seething in frustration but as you will see, it is how people react and cope in difficult situations that define who they are and who they will become.

Friday, March 29, 2013

Aussie Author Month Giveaway: Friday Brown by Vikki Wakefield

 The final give-away I have up for grabs for Aussie Author Month is the amazing Friday Brown by Vikki Wakefield. And, like the others, it is signed!

 
‘They call me Friday. It has been foretold that on a Saturday I will drown…’

Seventeen-year-old Friday Brown is on the run, trying to escape memories of her mother and the family curse. She befriends Silence, a strange boy with a troubled past. But it is the charismatic Arden who will challenge Friday in more ways than she’d like. In Murungal Creek, a ghost town in the outback, Friday must face her own past. She learns that family, like fate, is more than what you’re born with—and that love is always worth fighting for.
 
What I said:
Friday Brown is "an exceptional Australian novel".
 
 To enter:
- Fill out the form below
- You must be a follower of this blog
- The give-away is international
- Entires close 30th April 2013
- Extra entires available for those who share the give-away on their blog, facebook and/or twitter


Thursday, March 28, 2013

Author Interview: Jaclyn Moriarty

Jaclyn Moriarty wrote the popular Ashbury/ Brookfield High School series; Feeling Sorry for Celia, Finding Cassie Crazy, The Betrayal of Bindy Mackenzie and Dreaming of Amelia.

Her most recent novel, A Corner of White, was released in October 2012 and is the first in the Colours of Madeleine Trilogy.
 

Feeling Sorry for Celia has been a favourite of mine since I first read it in 2000.

Please welcome Jaclyn Moriarty to The Tales Compendium!

I was the kind of kid who... got lost, tripped over, fell over, spilled paint on my clothes, got my arms stuck between fence posts, and was often essentially blind because my hat kept slipping forward over my face.

My mother always told me... that I had to learn to look after myself (emphasis in the original).

The biggest lesson I learnt at school was... to avoid eye contact with the Wells’ twins.

My first big crush was... on a leg. Someone came to school with a photo from a party, and you could see a boy’s leg in the corner: the lower part of his left leg (he must have been wearing shorts) and his foot. His calf muscles were beautifully toned (his left calf muscles, anyway); he had nice, fine, manly leg hair (again, going by the left leg); and his foot had a solid, good-natured, humorous, grounded look. I developed an instant crush. Nobody knew who owned the leg. A lot of people got involved in trying to find out for me, and at one point someone thought his name could be Peter. But that has never confirmed.

I earnt my first pay cheque... when I was seven and my dad paid me $1.50 to write a novel. After that I made a modest fortune polishing chandeliers for the lady who lived down the street. She had arthritis in her fingers, she said, and metal screws in all the joints, so she couldn’t do it herself.

I really hate it when... I get parking tickets, late fees, penalty notices, reprimands from the body corporate for hanging my laundry on the balcony, etc, etc. I’m a Good Girl but often absent-minded and I can’t stand getting into trouble.

I’m very good at... gazing out the window.

The hardest thing I’ve ever done is... read Cases and Materials on Administrative Law. Having a baby was not exactly a walk in the park either, but lord, those cases were boring.

I’m frightened of... snakes. I have a lot of nightmares about snakes.

When I’m in the shower I sing... No I don’t. When I’m driving, I sing.

My road to publication... probably had just the right number of rejection letters although it didn’t seem like it at the time.

The last book I read was... Sam the Sudden by P.G. Wodehouse.

I would love to meet... Thor, the god of thunder.

When I get the munchies I eat... chocolate.

I’m currently working on... the third book in my trilogy about the Kingdom of Cello. The first, A Corner of White, has just been released, and I just finished writing the second, Cracks in the Kingdom.

I hope I never... have to become an administrative lawyer.

Life is... not remotely like a box of chocolates, but is often blindingly brilliant anyway. 

Thankyou for being part of Aussie Author Month, Jaclyn!

Jaclyn on Goodreads
Jaclyn's website

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Aussie Author Month Giveaway: Guitar Highway Rose by Brigid Lowry

As part of my Aussie Author Month, I have some signed books to give away! 
Up for grabs today is Guitar Highway Rose by Brigid Lowry!


Rosie is restless. She wants a nose-ring, and more... she wants to do something. Asher is the new boy in her class. He has dreadlocks, a guitar and a bad case of the gypsy blues. And he just wants to get away.

Sometimes we know we shouldn't and that's exactly why we do.
 
What I Said:
 A favourite of mine since 1999, "Guitar Highway Rose is a novel about growing up. It’s about the family dynamic, in a variety of forms such as mothers and daughters, husbands and wives. It’s about teenage acts of rebellion and the restlessness felt at being in that limbo age of adolescents. And it’s about hope."

To enter:
- Fill out the form below
- You must be a follower of this blog
- The giveaway is international
- Entires close 30th April 2013
- Extra entires available for those who share the giveaway on their blog, facebook and/or twitter

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Author Interview: Margaret Clark


Margaret Clark is Aussie YA royalty and she has prolifically written stories for children and young adults for over 25 years. As one of the trailblazers of YA Aussie fiction, she wrote novels such as Care Factor Zero, Living With Leanne, Fat Chance, Famous for Five Minutes, and Back On Track - Diary of a Street Kid.

Her novels delve into all realms of teenage life including friendships, high-school, family life, self esteem and body image concerns, as well as teenage drug and alcohol issues which are based on her experiences when she worked in an alcohol and drug centre. These were the novels that really got me into reading in my early teenage years (roughly 15 years ago, gosh that makes me sound old!) and many of them still have pride of place on my bookshelves. It is an honour to feature Margaret on The Tales Compendium as part of Aussie Author Month.

Please welcome Margaret Clark!

I was the kind of kid who…was always reading books under the desk, in the playground, up a tree, under the house, in the chook shed. I didn't like sports, I loved reading. Due to this I had to get glasses in Grade 6 so I looked a complete nerd and boys called me Four Eyes and Teacher's Pet. My Nana said that 'Sticks and stones will break your bones but names will never hurt you' so I just told them 'Get a life' and kept reading.

My mother always told me… to stop reading or my eyes would fall out. She lied, I still have two eyes.

The biggest lesson I learnt at school was… that I was hopeless at maths and good at, no make that very good, at story writing which was called Composition. I was also very good at reading, spelling, art, history and geography. I learned that true friends never let you down. I dropped balls, I was awful at running, I seldom got sick at school and if I talked too much I got whacked with the blackboard ruler or a strap. That was a shame because I loved talking! I also learned that no one could ever bully me unless I let them, so I didn't. I just yelled loudly, 'You stink of cats wee' or 'You have holes in your knickers' or 'You have head lice' and they ran away. (That was the teachers, the kids were okay)

My first big crush was… Eric. I met him again two years ago and he is bald and has a fat tummy and bad breath so I now DON'T have a crush on him.

I earnt my first pay cheque… at age 16 working in a milk bar and it was one pound two shillings and six pence.

I really hate it when… people are cruel to animals and kids, when people don't stand up in buses and trains for old ladies (me), when the TV stations change the programs and my fav is gone. When people ring the doorbell and try to sell me electricity, when the cats scratch my furniture. When I buy a meat pie and it's cold in the middle, when people don't listen about the ozone layer, when people light fires on fireban days, when people indicate they are going to turn left in their cars then turn right, when the dentist says I have to have seven fillings ...

I’m very good at… griping about …people who are cruel to animals and kids, people who don't stand up in buses and trains for old ladies (me), TV stations changing the programs and my fav is gone. When people ring the bell and try to sell me electricity, when the cats scratch my furniture. etc same old, same old. I am also very good with dogs, the garden, and people older than me, and little kids and teenager/young adults. I am NOT good at being patient!

The hardest thing I’ve ever done… is have a baby, all that pushing and yelling but worth it in the end

I’m frightened of… having another baby but that's unlikely as I am age 60 plus plus plus.

When I’m in the shower I sing… 'I'm Singing in the Shower, I'm singing in the shower, what a glorious feeling I'm happy just right now,'

My road to publication was… bumpy cos I was on a bus talking to a lady and when I found out she was a publisher at Penguin books I said I wanted to write a book so she groaned then said, 'Send me the manuscript when you're done'. So I did and she published my first book 'Pugwall.'

The last book I read was…'Peeking Duck' by Krista Bell and Sally Rippin. I read it last night to my four year old grand daughter Bonnie.

I would love to meet…Steven Spielberg because he makes fantastic movies.

When I get the munchies I eat… everything except tripe, liver, chillis, hot spices and worms. I love chocolate, cashew nuts, cheese, jelly babies and teeth and milkbottle lollies, popcorn and grapes.

I’m currently working on… a book for adults because they need to laugh.

I hope I never… die

Life is… exciting if you look for interesting stuff and also give thanks for five things everyday, as simple as,'Thanks for not letting me run out of toilet paper' or 'Thanks for the sunrise today' and 'Thanks for my new rose' and 'Thanks for my computer working when it didn't yesterday.' and 'Thanks for me being healthy.' and 'Thanks for Jessica asking me to answer these questions.'


Thankyou for being part of Aussie Author Month, Margaret!


Margaret on Goodreads
Margaret's website

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Guitar Highway Rose by Brigid Lowry

Title: Guitar Highway Rose
Author: Brigid Lowry

Release Date: September 1997.
Reprinted 2004, 2006

My Rating: 5/5

Blurb:
Rosie is restless. She wants a nose-ring, and more... she wants to do something. Asher is the new boy in her class. He has dreadlocks, a guitar and a bad case of the gypsy blues. And he just wants to get away.

Sometimes we know we shouldn't and that's exactly why we do.

In A Nutshell:
Guitar Highway Rose is a novel about growing up. It’s about the family dynamic, in a variety of forms such as mothers and daughters, husbands and wives. It’s about teenage acts of rebellion and the restlessness felt at being in that limbo age of adolescents. And it’s about hope.

My Review:
I thought I would finally attempt to review one of my all-time favourite novels, Guitar Highway Rose. Even though I have re-read it countless times, I’ve never written a review for it, preferring to take comfort in an old favourite and forget trying to put my feelings into words, something I often find harder to do with favourites.

So, how to sum up a book that pretty much made me the reader I am today? Without the likes of this, and Margaret Clark, John Marsden, Jaclyn Moriarty’s Feeling Sorry for Celia, and Glyn Parry’s Scooterboy, I don’t know where my reading abilities or habits would be.

Guitar Highway Rose is set in Western Australia (where I live), and more specifically, the beach suburb Swanbourne, and carefree, hippy Fremantle. And because this is also somewhat of a road trip book, some of the coastal towns north of Perth such as Kalbarri and Geraldton also feature.

Rosie is fifteen. She wants a nose-ring and dreadlocks and is somewhat of a hippy. She’s always fighting with her mum and feels stuck in her life, like she is just drifting through it. Asher has just moved to Perth and he couldn’t be feeling more stifled and annoyed if he tried. He misses Byron Bay (that’s near Sydney for those of you who don’t know – Perth is on the opposite side of Australia) and his friends. And his dad. After pairing up for a poetry assignment, in which Asher suggests studying Jim Morrison, the two find they are somewhat kindred spirits.

While Rosie and Asher are our main characters, the people they are closest to are also key players in telling the story. We get a complete picture of what is going on in everyone’s lives, and how they influence the decisions that Rosie and Asher make. It is uncommon to show multiple, unequal perspectives but Lowry manages to avoid confusing the reader. This is done by the whole story being told in pieces, with little subtitles so you know where and what everyone is thinking or doing when an event affects them, giving the reader a complete insight. Rosie and Asher’s families, Rosie’s best friend Pip, and their English teacher Mr E, help in representing the scattered lives of the everyday family. It also interestingly swaps between first person and third person narrative. Also, when Asher is thinking, the text is without any punctuation which represents the frantic, restlessness that he feels since his life got turned upside down.

Guitar Highway Rose (1997) Pg.20

There are favourite quotes and songs and little anecdotes included throughout the story to put the events in context and give insight into the personalities of each character.

Guitar Highway Rose (1997) Pg.41
Guitar Highway Rose (1997) Pg.24

Seeing as the novel was written 15 years ago, it’s fair to say there are some cultural references that might not be recognised by today’s readers. For instance, Rosie and Asher often refer to their ‘key cards’. This is what a debit card used to be called. There are cassette tapes rather than CDs and their music idols are Bob Marley, The Doors, and The Smashing Pumpkins. If you don’t know who any of them are, then I fear for the musical livelihood of future generations!

In short, Guitar Highway Rose is a novel about growing up. It’s about the family dynamic, in a variety of forms such as mothers and daughters, husbands and wives. It’s about teenage acts of rebellion and the restlessness felt at being in that limbo age of adolescents. And it’s about hope.

Every couple of years I re-read Guitar Highway Rose. I have a first edition copy (1997) that I bought, when I was 12 (1999) AND it is personally signed to me by Brigid Lowry herself. The cover has changed three times with new reprints and I have to say that even though I love the original cover, I really like the new covers too, and this is rare.


Saturday, March 23, 2013

Author Interview: AJ Betts

Originally from Queensland, Aussie YA author Amanda (AJ) Betts has lived in Perth for the last eight years and is avid cyclist. She has written two novels which means I frequently bump into her at writers events around Perth. ShutterSpeed (2008), and Wavelength (2010), which was shortlisted for the West Australian Premier's Prize in 2011, are both published by Fremantle Press. Amanda won the Text Prize in 2012 for her new novel, Zac and Mia, which will be published August 2013.

Please welcome Amanda (AJ) Betts!

I was the kind of kid who... would spend hours in the garden looking for insects.
 
My mother always told me... to wear undies.

The biggest lesson I learnt at school was... don't try to please everyone (actually, I'm still learning that one...)

My first big crush was... shame, I can't say! He was sweet and brought me unexpected gifts.
 
I earnt my first pay cheque... waitressing at my parents' cafe on school holidays.

I really hate it when... a driver abuses while I'm cycling.

I’m very good at… coming up with excuses.
 
I’m frightened of… regret.

When I’m in the shower I sing… loudly! And brilliantly. Apologies to the neighbours.
 
My road to publication was… scenic and winding, with lots of interesting foliage. I enjoyed the ride.

The last book I read was… 'The Big Picture' by David Suzuki.

I would love to meet… someone from the future.
 
When I get the munchies I eat… anything that makes a satisfying crunch sound.

I’m currently working on… a speculative fiction set 300 years in the future off the coast of Tasmania.

I hope I never… give up.

Life is… a comedy. A surprise. A joy. 


Thanks for being a part of Aussie Author Month, Amanda!

Amanda on Goodreads
Amanda's website
My review of ShutterSpeed
My review of Wavelength

Friday, March 22, 2013

Friday Brown by Vikki Wakefield

Title: Friday Brown
Author: Vikki Wakefield

Release Date: 22nd August 2012

My Rating: 5/5

Blurb:
‘They call me Friday. It has been foretold that on a Saturday I will drown…’

Seventeen-year-old Friday Brown is on the run, trying to escape memories of her mother and the family curse. She befriends Silence, a strange boy with a troubled past. But it is the charismatic Arden who will challenge Friday in more ways than she’d like. In Murungal Creek, a ghost town in the outback, Friday must face her own past. She learns that family, like fate, is more than what you’re born with—and that love is always worth fighting for.

In A Nutshell:
An exceptional Australian novel. Read the whole review.

My Review:
Where to start with a book like this? I know I said in my review of Vikki’s first book, All I Ever Wanted, that I didn’t quite ‘get’ what everyone was going crazy about. Well, I’m a little bit late to the party but oh my god, Friday Brown blew my mind!

The opening chapter was haunting and heartfelt and I was just as mesmerised by Vikki’s writing as Friday was by the campfire, as her mother told her about the curse that affects the women in their family.

The novel is honest and gritty, and completely captivating as you are reeled into Friday’s life as she fights to stay above water and find her way after the death of her mother.

While sitting at a train station trying to figure out what to do next, Friday meets Silence, a boy with a tragic past. They feel an instant connection and with nowhere else to go, Friday follows Silence back to the building in which he and other homeless kids squat. It is here she meets Arden, the ‘mother hen’ figure, although without the niceties that the description usually conjures.

Arden is charismatic, but toxic, a somewhat destructive psychopathic mix to encounter. She has the ability to draw someone in and put them in a position that even though they might want to leave, they just can’t bring themselves to do so. She reminds me of the character of Alice from Rebecca James’s novel, Beautiful Malice.

Friday carries so much around with her, as do the other teenagers she meets. They are kids looking for a family, somewhere to belong and feel safe. They are raw, with a loneliness about them that could break your heart but they continue to be hopeful, despite the pain and desperation they have, and sometimes still suffer. The friendship between Friday and Silence is one of hand signals and intuition as Silence cannot speak. It is a strong friendship, the kind that comes around once in a lifetime, something no one else in the house understands, or in the case of Arden, likes. When Arden becomes overly controlling and goes too far, it’s up to Friday to decide whether she will “run like hell, or dive in”.

Set in both the city and the bush of Australia, the events in Friday Brown are a stark contrast to the majority of novels out there for young adults. From homeless teenagers living in squats to outback flash flooding, Friday’s life is different to most of ours. But we are similar in the ways we fight for our futures, how we seek our own identities, how we want to belong and how deep our friendships can run.

Vikki Wakefield’s writing has a uniquely Australian feel to it, the kind that takes me back to the first YA books I read almost 15 years ago. I tried to put my finger on it when I reviewed Phillip Gwynne’s novel Swerve, but I was never able to quite explain it. I wrote,
“Reading this book took me back to the YA books I used to read almost 10 years ago, from the fantastic work of Margaret Clark, Glyn Parry's Scooter Boy, Jaclyn Moriarty's Feeling Sorry For Celia and Guitar Highway Rose by Brigid Lowry and the books by John Marsden. These were the books that first got me interested in reading when I was 12 or 13 and they still remain some of my favourite books to this day. Swerve took me back to this style of writing and everyday teens living in Australia with their own issues and insecurities. I can't quite explain what made them so special, but they are.”

I feel Friday Brown fits into this category perfectly. 

Friday Brown is an exceptional Australian novel.


Second Opinions
Inkcrush
The Incredible Rambling Elimy

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Author Interview: Jessica Davidson

Today on The Tales Compendium I have YA author Jessica Davidson stopping by for a chat as part of my Aussie Author Month. Jessica is the author of What Does Blue Feel Like, which led her to win the Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Australian Novelist Award in 2008. Last year her second novel, Everything Left Unsaid, was published and turned out to be one of my favourite books from 2012. 

"Everything Left Unsaid beautifully shows the pain and confusion two people can feel when faced with losing the other through no fault of their own. This is an exceptional read that I highly recommend, although make sure you have a box of tissues within reach."
(From my review)


Here is your chance to get to know Jessica Davidson!

I was the kind of kid who… could be found curled up under the blankets with a book and a torch, long after I was supposed to be asleep.

My mother always told me… that I wasn't allowed to leave the house until I had eaten breakfast. (I'm not a morning person!).

The biggest lesson I learnt at school was… that people are just people. They shouldn't make you nervous.

My first big crush was… a boy in my class at primary school. It passed.

I earnt my first pay cheque… waitressing at a Chinese restaurant for $10 an hour.

I really hate it when… I really hate being late! To the point that I'll arrive ridiculously early to important appointments, and then have to sit around waiting.

I’m very good at… cooking. The last birthday cake I made required a glue gun. Yes. A glue gun. (It was a castle cake and the turrets and towers had to be glued together in order to be transported).

The hardest thing I’ve ever done… well, one of the hardest things I've ever done was getting Everything Left Unsaid finished, and the final edits done- I was pregnant with my third child and very, very sick with hyperemesis (morning sickness so severe I couldn't keep anything down), while parenting my two other small children. There was a period of time just after my third child was born where I was drinking energy drinks at 10pm to try and stay awake.

I’m frightened of… the possibility that the piece of seaweed touching my leg in the ocean is actually a shark. And crows, although I'm not exactly sure why. 

When I’m in the shower I sing… whatever happens to be in my mind at the time! 

My road to publication was… when I was at university, I'd procrastinate from writing my assignments by writing what ended up being my first book, What Does Blue Feel Like. I was very lucky- six weeks after I'd submitted it to PanMacmillan, I was offered a publishing contract. I started writing Everything Left Unsaid in 2007- but it took a little longer to finish than expected.

The last book I read was… actually a re-read, for me- it was Carrie, by Stephen King. I'm also flicking through a very large book of Vintage Grimm fairy tales at the moment.

I would love to meet… David Levithan, I think he's an amazing author. 

When I get the munchies I eat… it really depends on my mood! Mushrooms on toast are always a favourite standby- though there seems to be a large number of chocolate-chip pancakes made in this house.

I’m currently working on… a rough draft that is so terrible it's only seen the inside of my computer! I currently want to delete the lot, but I can't bring myself to, so I suppose I'll have to keep at it.

I hope I never… stop asking questions, and noticing things. Writing the kind of stories that feel real, even though you know they're not. 

Life is… imperfect, and temporary. You are a perishable item- so it's important to live accordingly, being kinder than necessary. 

Thankyou so much for participating in Aussie Author Month, Jessica! 

Jessica on Twitter: @JessicaDavidsn
Everything Left Unsaid on Goodreads
What Does Blue Feel Like? on Goodreads

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Aussie Author Month Giveaway: Creepy and Maud by Dianne Touchell

As part of my Aussie Author Month, I have some signed books to give away! 
 
Up for grabs today is Creepy and Maud by Dianne Touchell!
 
 
I am in love with the girl next door. Our windows are almost opposite each other's, over the side fence.

I call her Maud. That's not her real name but that's what I call her. She's sort of shortish and curvy. Titian hair. No freckles. A dark, smudgy birthmark on the back of her left calf. A nose piercing her dad knows about and a bellybutton piercing I assume he doesn't. All right, so I have spent a bit of time looking in there.

Am I sounding creepy? Love is sort of creepy. When you fall in love, you presuppose all sorts of things about the person. You superimpose all kinds of ideals and fantasies on them. You create all manner of unrealistic, untenable, unsatisfiable criteria for that person, automatically guaranteeing their failure and your heartbreak. And what do we call it? Romance. Now, that's creepy.
 
 What I Said:
"Creepy and Maud is an off-beat novel with peculiar characters who view the world from a distance. The story is told in first person, swapping between the two title characters, although not evenly. The text is often blunt, but lyrically interesting, and matches the quiry and slightly odd characters who are just trying to make a connection with someone who understands them."
 
Click here to read the full review.

To enter:
- Fill out the form below
- You must be a follower of this blog
- The giveaway is international
- Entires close 30th April 2013
- Extra entires available for those who share the giveaway on their blog, facebook and/or twitter



Sunday, March 17, 2013

ShutterSpeed by AJ Betts

Title: ShutterSpeed
Author: A.J. Betts

Release Date: 1st July 2008

My Rating: 4/5

Blurb:
Living alone with his silent father and the shadow cast by his long-dead mother, Dustin waits, wanting only to slip under the radar and survive what’s left of high school and through his work at the photo lab. Then one Sunday, a single photo gets stuck in the processor and it changes everything: the bike in the picture is decent—a Ducati Monster 620, cherry red—and the woman, Terri Pavish, beside it is striking too. What begins then as an innocent curiosity in her photography, her freedom, her speed, becomes something else and the past swings full-circle to haunt him.

In A Nutshell:
ShutterSpeed is the story of a teenage boy looking for answers but who gets caught up in a frantic obsession that forces him to take a step back and pay attention to the realities of his life. Personal boundaries, mental health and adolescent friendships are highlighted in this psychological teenage drama set in Western Australia.

My Review:
At its core, ShutterSpeed is a novel about a boy who is haunted by the death of his mother, and who is trying to escape reality but instead really needs to take a closer look at what is going on around him. Instead of getting caught up in fantasies in his head, he needs to look at what makes life worth living.

When Dustin becomes captivated by a woman in a photograph, he becomes unpredictable, to the point of developing stalker-ish tendencies. He feeds on the adrenalin that spikes when he catches a glimpse of her and he eventually becomes frantic when his private world becomes entwined with his public persona.

Realistic teenage situations are put to the test as Dustin struggles with the direction his friendship group is taking and the complicated times when boy/girl friendships are threatened by enhanced feelings. The relationship between Dustin and his father is also an interesting study of two broken men who don’t know how to communicate properly. Personal boundaries and mental health issues are also highlighted in this psychological teenage drama.

The preface of ShutterSpeed was perhaps one of my favourite passages from this debut novel by AJ Betts. In those first two pages, it took me right back to my high school days in the photography lab, developing film, worrying that I had done the chemical measurements incorrectly and that it would ruin the precious images I had captured. It reminded me of the thrill of unwinding the developed film and looking over the negative strip. It led me to question whether I made the right decision not to accept an offer to study photography after year 12.

I think that is the power of a well-written novel, to resonate with its reader so much so, that the said reader questions a decision they made eight years ago. The other joy for me was the setting. ShutterSpeed is set in Western Australia (where I live) and more specifically the Fremantle and Cottesloe areas. I could actually picture the direct routes that Dustin takes on his way home on his bike, the movie theatre he goes to, the beach where he and Jasmine take photos and the parrots that make a racket (I swear you cannot hear yourself speak if you turn up at Cottesloe beach at 5:30pm due to those bloody parrots!). I could even identify the news reports that Dustin and his father watch on TV using the throwaway comments from the chapter. It is so nice to read stories set in familiar locations. 


When you start seeing the world through a viewfinder you realise everything is made up of parts. Surprising parts. The little things matter, Dustin. Don’t forget the little things.
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