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New Titles - books at the library

Reviews 4UbyU

All our reviews are now in the Your Reviews section.

Many thanks to all the publishers who are supplying review copies.

Brother sister soldier cousin by Phyllis Johnston

Reviewed by Susan

Helen, nicknamed Lenny by her family, is a farm girl and this is the story of a year in her life. She turns 14 during the story. When her brother returns from the war in Egypt, he lets out a family secret which turns Helen’s world upside-down and makes her rethink her place in the family. The meaning of the title of the book becomes apparent as this story unfolds.

This book gives a clear picture of what country living was like in the late 1940s in New Zealand: the harshness of farm life, walking, or riding a horse, miles to school, the delivery of books in the “Country Library Basket” and the effect the 2nd world war had on a small community.

A number of unexpected twists and turns leave the reader wondering right up to the last pages what the outcome will be. While getting off to a slow start as it set the scene, I enjoyed this book and found it an interesting and compelling read.

July 2009

About Griffen's HeartAbout Griffen's Heart by Tina Shaw

Reviewed by Bronwyn

I have to fess up first off that I mainly chose this book to read because the cover has heart-shaped lollies on the front.  It came as a bit of surprise, then, to discover that it wasn’t at all to do with sweeties, but was instead a book about nerdy Vespa-riding James and his struggle with a heart condition, his younger bad-boy brother Ryan, and hot-but-dangerous chick Roxy, and is based on a true story. 

Set here in Christchurch, About Griffen’s Heart turned out to be a surprisingly good read, sweet and funny in an understated way, but with a big plot twist and a not too cheesy ending. 

The characters are well-drawn, if a smidgen clichéd, and there are as many shades of ambiguous grey in their actions as there are blacks and whites.  I particularly liked James’ quirky (and mildly worrying) obsession with the smell of girls’ hair, and the way that not everything is neatly tied up in the end (just like life!).

This would be a great read for a rainy weekend, or you could even (gasp!) use it for that nasty NCEA stuff.

March 2009