Book Review: Tiger Daughter

Author: Rebecca LimGenre: Contemporary fiction (for a middle grade readership)Publisher: Allen and Unwin (2021) Content warnings: mentions of depression, suicide Image source “Wen Zhou is the daughter and only child of Chinese immigrants whose move to the lucky country has proven to be not so lucky. Wen and her friend, Henry Xiao - whose mum…

Book Review: Through the Wall

Author: Anna BlighPublisher: Harper Collins (2015)Genre: Autobiography Image sourceID: A white woman with short brown hair smiling at the camera. She is wearing a white shirt and seems relaxed. “Anna Bligh knows something about hard knocks and high walls. She was raised by a single mother in the working class Gold Coast, a young girl…

Mini Book Reviews: March 2021

Welcome to the third month of the year! And to another round of mini reviews! Two out of the three books I chose to review this month were written by Australian authors. I enjoyed all three books for different reasons. First up - Impossible Music Author: Sean WilliamsNarrator: David LinskiPublisher: Blackstone Publishing (2019)Genre: Contemporary fiction…

Book Review: The Three Rules of Everyday Magic

Author: Amanda Rawson-HillPublisher: (2018)Genre: Contemporary fiction (for a middle grade readership) “Kate has trouble believing in magic, especially since the people she loves keep leaving her. But when Grammy tells her the three rules of everyday magic–believe, give, and trust–Kate can’t resist believing, at least a little. Following Grammy’s advice, she tries to bring her…

Book Review: Girl of the Southern Sea

Author: Michelle KadarusmanPublisher: UQP (2021)Genre: Contemporary fiction (for a middle-grade readership) Image description: The background is a setting sky. The clouds are pink and the sun is visible in front of them. There is the silhouette of a girl with her arms held jubilantly above her head. “A gifted student, Nia longs to attend high…

Book Review: Sure Signs of Crazy

I wrote this review a couple of years ago, before I understood the full impact of the use of slurs such as cr*zy, and I wish to apologise to anyone for whom it is distressing. Full spoilers ahead. CONTENT WARNING: Mentions of suicide, alcoholism, murder and attempted murder. Image sourceImage description: bright orange background. Yellow,…

Book Review – How to Grow a Family Tree

Author: Eliza Henry-Jones Genre: Contemporary fiction (for a YA readership) Publisher: Harper Collins (March 2020) “Stella may only be seventeen, but having read every self-help book she can find means she knows a thing or two about helping people. She sure wasn’t expecting to be the one in need of help, though. Thanks to her…

Book Review – Lay It On My Heart

Author: Angela Pneuman Genre: Bildungsroman (for a young adult readership) Publisher: Mariner Books (2014) “It’s late summer in Kentucky, the low ceiling of August, pressing down on Charmaine Peake and the town of East Winder. Charmaine and her mother get along better with a room between them, but they’ve been forced by circumstances to relocate…

Book Review – Lily and Dunkin

Author: Donna Gephart Publisher: Delacorte Press (2016) Genre: Contemporary fiction (for a middle grade readership) “Lily Jo McGrother, born Timothy McGrother, is a girl. But being a girl is not so easy when you were born in a boy’s body. Especially when you’re the eighth grade. Dunkin Dorfman, birth name Norbert Dorfman, is dealing with…

Book Review – The Year We Fell From Space

Author: Amy Sarig (A.S.) King Genre: Contemporary fiction (for a middle grade readership) Publisher: Text (2019) “Liberty Johnson is going to change the way we look at the night sky. Most people see the old constellations, the things they’ve been told to see. But Liberty sees new patterns, pictures and possibilities. She’s an exception. Some…