Zombies Vs the Illuminati

Zombies Vs the Illuminati by John Larkin (Ford Street Publishing) RRP $17.99 ISBN 9781925804867

Reviewed by Wendy Haynes

Can Nicholas and his friends save the world from the Zombie Apocalypse? This page turning story first has 12-year-old Nicholas and his nerdy funny friends Josh and Callum holed up in Nicholas’ treehouse hiding from Zombies. The whole country is in lockdown but Nickel-ass as he is also known and his friends have been planning for an event like this.

The usually quiet town of Serenity is under attack and the only weapons they have to fight the Zombies is a lightsabre that doesn’t have any batteries, a sack of doorknobs, and a non-existent Pegasus.

Soon they are joined by Nicholas’ dog Shake who surprises everyone with his knowledge, and a sassy teenage girl Phoebe-Rose who wouldn’t normally be seen dead with nerds.

Before long they must flee the treehouse and are on a quest to save the world. They trek to Canberra to see the Prime Minster and deliver what they believe is an anecdote to save humanity.

The story for 9–12-year-olds is humorous, and the author sometimes jumps into the story to comment. The similes used throughout are unique, fun, and witty, and the play on words and situations will have you laughing in this fast-paced story.

The Pause

The Pause by John Larkin (Random House Australia)

PB RRP $19.99

ISBN 9780857981707

Also available as an ebook

ISBN 9780857981714

Reviewed by Marian McGuinness

Youth suicide -- a hush … hush topic, a brave topic to write about, a necessary topic to write about.

How many of us have been personally touched by suicide? I have, twice, so it was with hesitation that I began to read.

This YA story is Declan’s story. He is 17 and in Year 11 at a selective high school. He is witty, sensitive, a literature wiz and head over heels in love with Lisa. One problem is that Lisa has a Tiger Mother, who Declan nicknames The Kraken. A kraken who beats her daughter when she strays from her mother’s warped ways. A kraken who confiscates her daughter’s phone and sends her away from Declan to live in Hong Kong with her aunt.

Although there is a parallel plot of Declan and Lisa (a bit like Romeo and Juliet), it is primarily Declan’s story as he wonders if his ‘brief flicker of existence might have meant something.’

Something dark happened when Declan was 6, something that has been buried so deep in his psyche that when he needed inner strength, it was too fragile to cope.

The narrative moves back and forth, like a mind in chaos, until we as the reader are standing with Declan, wracked with emotional pain, on the platform as the train approaches. He intends to end the pain.

Graphic descriptions? Yes. But they are in Declan’s mind in those nanoseconds of decision -- the nanosecond of The Pause. That short-long time to decide to live or to die, ‘… crying because I don’t think I’m worth anything …’

With time out in a psychiatric hospital, Declan starts to think about life.  He thinks of the ‘wreckage’ he would have left behind ‘in that moment of pure insanity …’ It is through the kindness and understanding of strangers in his ward, in their own dire personal situations, that Declan begins to heal.

Through Declan’s breakdown, ‘I went nuts. It happens. It happened to me. It can happen to anyone …’ his friends are given quiet permission to be open and frank about themselves.

The positive message is how this experience empowers Declan to own who he is; that he has choices to make and responsibilities to others, but mostly to himself. He learns that life is bittersweet, but you can cope, and that once you open yourself to others and their lives you realise that people are not worth dying for, they’re worth living for.

John Larkin is a brave writer. The Pause is personal. It’s as much Larkin’s story as it is Declan’s story. As you read, you come to understand that the heart and soul of John Larkin becomes the heart and soul of Declan. It is a story of hope and the beauty of relationships … because of one essential concept … pause.

Larkin’s previous novel, The Shadow Girl, won the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Young Adults.

The Pause

The Pause by John Larkin (Random House)

PB RRP $19.99

ISBN 978-0-85798-170-7

Reviewed by Jaquelyn Muller

At the end of the first paragraph in John Larkin’s new YA novel, The Pause, the central character Declan O’Malley declares he is going to kill himself in five hours’ time!  My immediate reaction is to run for the tissues! However, I say this to anyone who finds the subject of suicide confronting, (and let’s face it, who doesn’t?) PLEASE don’t let it scare you off.

What quickly develops is a personally narrated account from a seventeen-year-old boy, who could be anyone we know; complete with a smart mouth, individual styling challenges, raging hormones and an aversion to verbal communication.

The ‘now-that-I-have-your-attention’ introduction gives Declan a platform to weave his story of inner torment, repressed family secrets and the loss of love. Larkin’s clever use of time specific chapters help pace the story that commands your attention to the very end in unexpected ways.

While it is easy to assume this book is one of misery and lost hope, Declan’s seventeen year old voice and sense of irony pepper many funny, light-hearted moments that ultimately illustrate life is worth stuffing up every now and then. In the tradition of It’s a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol, or more recently Sliding Doors, The Pause merely asks you to do just that, stop and consider this world without you, (I know in my case my husband’s sense of humour would be non-existent and quinoa sales would not be what they are). 

Through the humour and warmth developed for the characters over the story’s 20 year span, Larkin makes this otherwise difficult topic consumable for the YA reader and with the added reading group questions at the back of the book, promotes a well overdue dialogue that will hopefully be explored in schools.  The Pause is set to follow on from the success of Larkin’s 2011 novel, The Shadow Girl which won the 2012 Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Writing for Young Adults. 

The Shadow Girl

The Shadow Girl by John Larkin (Random House)

PB RRP $18.95

ISBN 978-1-8647-1875-1

Reviewed by Oliver Phommavanh

The Shadow Girl is a novel for older readers but it’s back story may overshadow the actual book. John Larkin met a homeless girl during a school visit and started a dialogue that became the crux of the story. Shadow girl tells her story of how she became homeless and survived life on the streets. In between chapters are transcripts of recorded conversations with Larkin.

Shadow girl’s anonymity means that this story never holds back. It might echo with some readers when she escapes her abusive uncle and auntie. That fear of home not being safe is powerful. Her first few days on the streets are a real page turner. It’s a mix of tense moments that will stay with the reader. Shadow girl’s determination grows with a handful of allies who help her in key moments. Her fight to stay in school and to keep learning is truly inspiring. Her faith is tested but she finds resolve.

But the gripping fear for Shadow girl and the reader never goes away until the very end. I really enjoyed Larkin’s input in this story, it’s distant enough to let Shadow girl tell her story but he also asks questions that readers would be dying to know about.

The Shadow Girl contains some coarse language and glimpses of violence. It’s a raw and honest story that needed to be told. Larkin captures her essence effortlessly. Readers may not know her name but they’ll know her inside out. Highly recommended for ages 15 and up.