Small Things

Small Things written and illustrated by Mel Tregonning (Allen & Unwin)

HC RRP $29.99

ISBN: 9781742379791

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

This wordless graphic novel for all ages is one of the most emotional books I’ve ever read. Because the story depends on examining the illustrations/artwork carefully, the messages it carries are accentuated many times over.

The themes that make up the book are connected to loneliness: depression, loss, helplessness, anxiety, aloneness and fear. These collective feelings begin as small things that gradually evolve into a voracious appetite that consumes the sufferer.

The boy is sad. He feels like an outsider, and no-one includes him in their circle because he is quiet and withdrawn. An insidious darkness has crept over him. It is absorbed by his skin therefore he carries it with him everywhere. Others can’t see it. That makes it worse.

This darkness assumes many identities: exclusion, inferiority, sadness, fear, and heartache. These are bricks in a wall that builds around him. He feels parts of him are breaking away as he becomes more isolated and increasingly hopeless.

He has stopped thinking clearly. All he can hear is his emptiness so he prefers silence. An effort made to reach the boy can’t get past the darkness which is now a relentless force.

The boy feels like a failure. He has retreated from the world. His body is there but it’s just a shell. He feels cracked all over, feels he is falling apart, and tries to keep himself together.

He is approached by a family member who persists. She knows how the boy is feeling. She exposes her damaged self to the child – the cracks, the pieces missing. That is when he realizes he is not alone in the way he feels. Other family members assure him that it’s common for people to feel anxious, have imperfections and fears. He begins to recognize something of what he feels in almost everyone around him and feels comfort in the sameness. He finds the courage to reach out to others.

In 2008, Mel Tregonning began illustrating this graphic novel. In 2014, she took her own life. ‘Illustrator Shaun Tan completed the final three illustrations in Mel’s book in 2016’. My wish is that this review pays homage to Mel’s work.

Light

Light by Michael Grant (Egmont)

ISBN 9781405257589

PB  RRP $22.95

Reviewed by Nean McKenzie

Light is the sixth and final book in the YA series about the FAYZ (Fallout Alley Youth Zone) — an isolating dome in California, under which no one is more than fifteen years old. The many characters, each with a unique mutation, follow on from the previous books: Gone, Hunger, Lies, Plague and Fear. Under the FAYZ, kids continue to struggle for survival against starvation, each other and the evil presence of the Gaiphage, now in the human form of a scary girl called Gaia. The big difference in Light is the dome is clear, enabling adults from the outside world to look in. And they're horrified.  

With the dome clear, there are new problems under the FAYZ. Kids who can see their parents, stop working to produce food. Sam (the main character) and his friends are not confident they will make it out of the dome, even though the end is in sight. It is more likely they'll starve or be killed by Gaia who is growing in strength. She now possesses all the powers of each kid, including Sam's laser-shooting hands and Lana's healing powers. But they must unite and fight against her.

This story is about redemption and facing consequences. In the back of each kid's mind is the same question: what happens if they do get out? They know the adults will not understand the sometimes terrible things they have done. But first there is the difficulty of surviving. In the end a key character must be sacrificed to save not only those inside the FAYZ, but also the world outside. The 'end game' comes quickly.

Light is a long book, at 434 pages. (The whole series is around 3000!) The story is not for the squeamish with decapitation, severed limbs and cannibalism. There are some violent fighting scenes as well. There is a  recommended age of 13+ but it will depend on the teenager. Light is fast paced and jumps between the many characters skillfully.

After the conclusion there are four end chapters called 'aftermath,' which describe how the survivors of the FAYZ fare in the real world. This ties up loose ends and enables readers, who have stuck with these characters for the whole series, to finally say goodbye.  

Show No Fear and Go Bzrk: Michael Grant

Buzz Words is thrilled to be part of Michael Grant's Show No Fear and Go Bzrk blog tour of Australia and New Zealand. We put five quick questions to Michael about Fear and going Berserk:

BW: What is guaranteed to send you Berserk?

MG: Needles. Hate them.

BW: What is your deepest Fear?

MG: Poverty and not being able to care for my kids.  Also a long, slow, lingering death.  Oh, and of course like anyone I fear there may be another Chipmunk movie.  That keeps me up at night.

BW: How would you describe yourself in 3 words?

MG: Impatient, hard-working, imaginative.

BW: If you could meet anyone in the world dead or alive who would it be and what would say to them?

MG: Hitler.  And I'd say, "Dude, if I buy some of your lousy paintings do you think you could stick to art and avoid the whole mass-murder thing?"

BW: How easy/hard was it to switch to beginning work writing your BZRK trilogy when you’d be so engrossed by the GONE world over the last few years?

MG: Surprisingly easy.  Imagine you have two wives. . . Okay, no, forget that.  Imagine you have two kids.  In fact, I have two kids.  I can spend time with them each, and appreciate them each.  Same thing with GONE and BZRK.  It never feels like either/or.  I like them both.



You can read the Buzz Words Books reviews of Fear, the fifth instalment of the Gone series; Plague  (the fourth instalment); and Lies (the third instalment). Jump on over to Michael Grant Downunder and check out all the other posts by Michael and the great book review blogs he visits.

Fear

Fear by Michael Grant (Hardie Grant)

PB RRP $22.95

ISBN 978-1-4052-5762-6

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

The children of the FAYZ have survived loss, hunger, lies, and plague, all of which were accompanied by fear. Now the word fear takes on a new meaning when Darkness slowly swallows Perido Bay. All the former trials have returned in full force and cruelty and the search for control is transformed into something more horrible than ever. Everything that they had gained and learnt, is now lost within the lack of light.

On the other side of the barrier, Sam and Caine’s mother, Connie, has learnt that the barrier is to be blown up using nuclear weapons, which may kill the children on the other side. Betrayal and lies follow her discovery, but the children’s lives are at stake and she will do anything to prevent the blowing up of the barrier.

The gaiaphage has ordered the invincible Drake/Brittany to find a body for it to be reborn. With Astrid’s brother Pete no longer an obtainable vessel for rebirth, the focus has turned to Diana whose accelerated pregnancy speaks volumes. Her fear becomes terror when Drake comes and drags her back to the gaiaphage’s cave to give birth to her mutant child, which then is transformed into the new gaiaphage, aptly named Gaia.

Caine has paid the price for allowing Penny too much freedom. Her perverse and revengeful nature has turned on him and given him a taste of his own medicine. The rule of King Caine is toppled when the children see he has hands of cement and feet of clay.

Death again comes to the teenage population. It is a constant and accepted horror amidst a life of continuing horrors. Amidst these debilitating and confronting losses, Sam and Astrid at last consummate their relationship, the one beautiful thing amidst all the terror, death, hunger, lies, loss and fear.

Unfortunately, it is too little within the ugliness that results from the clearing of the Darkness. Although the parents cannot hear their children, they can now see them through the barrier. They witness the brutality of their offspring without having any understanding of its role in their survival. None of the children are the same as they were before the barrier went up. They are strangers to their families. On one side is shock and disbelief at the horror they see. On the other side it’s a fact of life. It’s about survival and justice.

This is the fifth book in the riveting and highly successful Gone series. The story concludes with Light, due in 2013. This series comes with a written warning that it ‘contains cruelty and some violence’.

Fear

Fear edited by R.L Stine (Random House)

PB RRP $18.95

ISBN 978-1-7427-5046-0

Reviewed by Oliver Phommavanh

Fear is a collection of suspense and horror stories for older readers. It’s headed by a legend of the genre, R.L Stine. It’s not all vampires and angels. Some of the stories are planted in the real world, offering tense situations that reveal dastardly secrets. Jennifer Allison’s 'The Perfects' story begins in normal suburbia but ends up with a ‘delicious’ ending.

Every story is tight and concise. There’s no waffling here, just genuine scares. The authors’ distinct styles mean that no two stories feel the same, even though some scenarios overlap. But hey, babysitting kids is plain scary by itself. 

The better stories have a killer twist. A favourite of mine is 'Suckers' by Suzanne Weyn which has an ending that you won’t see coming and will force you to revisit earlier scenes. There are stories that warrant its own novel, such as Heather Brewer’s 'Shadow Children', who paints a fascinating world of deadly shadows in a few pages. 'Dragonfly Eyes' by Alane Ferguson is going to be expanded into its own book. When you read this short story of a girl who has crossed over into the afterlife, you’ll be begging for more. Ferguson’s imagery and description is simply mesmerising.R.L Stine shines with his contribution, 'Welcome to the Club'. It’s a simple story, spun around with his trademark wry humour and twists.

Readers will have their favourites but they will enjoy every story in this Fear anthology. It’s perfect for anyone who likes their scares in short bursts. It’s recommended for ages 15 and up.