The Book of Whispers

The Book of Whispers by Kimberley Starr (Text Publishing)

PB RRP $19.99   ISBN 9 781925 3555 12

Reviewed by Wendy Fitzgerald

Australian author, Kimberley Starr has an MA in medieval literature and teaches English in Melbourne. Her latest book, The Book of Whispers won the 2015 Text Prize for best manuscript written for young adults and children. It was published in October 2016.

The Book of Whispers is a captivating medieval adventure story set back in the 11^th century at the time of the first crusade. It starts in the Falconi estate in San Gimignano, Tuscany back in the Year 1096AD.  We follow young Luca on his quest from Italy, through Turkey and Syria to Jerusalem to help free Jerusalem from the Saracens.

Luca can see evil demons but he must hide this gift. On the way Luca meets Suzan and they form a special bond. It is Suzan who helps Luca unravel the mysteries of the ancient ‘Book of Whispers.’

With the rest of the army, Luca and Suzan face bloody battles, starvation, thirst and sickness. They must defeat the demons, Luca’s step brother and the evil priest, Ramberti in order to save Jerusalem. 

I quote- ‘I wanted to tell a story that made history as interesting as I’ve always found it by telling it in a way that had characters kids could relate to with a compelling narrative that made them keep asking what happens next.’ (Kimberley Starr)

I really like the combination of brilliantly researched history, fantasy (the demons and the magic book), action, suspense and romance. I connected strongly with the characters and I like the use of duel narrative where Starr moves cleverly from Luca to Suzan.

‘My story came from my interest in travel and fascination with how historical events connect to modern life,’ Starr said.

Kimberley has definitely achieved this by addressing contemporary issues such as faith, racism, war, displacement and colonisation. 

I loved this book and highly recommend The Book of Whispers to readers from 14 years old and older.

The House of Puzzles

The House of Puzzles by Richard Newsome (Text Publishing)
PB RRP   $16.99
ISBN   9781922147301
Reviewed by Wendy Fitzgerald www.wendyfitzgerald.com.au

What would you do if your great aunt suddenly died in London and left her 30 billion dollars to you? Just imagine – it all was to go to you. Surely that much money would shield you from any world problems: right? Wrong.  

But this is exactly what happened to Newsome’s main character, twelve year old Gerald Wilkins in The Billionaire’s Curse. Gerald should not have had any worries for the rest of his life.  However there is a catch- Gerald’s Aunt Gertrude also left a secret letter that instructed Gerald to find her killer and see to it they were punished. One other problem- whoever killed Aunt Gertrude is now chasing Gerald.

The Billionaire’s Curse is the first book in Newsome’s Billionaire Series. It won the inaugural Text Prize for YA and children’s writing in 2008. I very much enjoyed the quirky characters and the action-packed plot.  

 In August 2014 The House of Puzzles was launched. This is the fifth book in Newsome’s very popular Billionaire series. Once again I was swept up in the twists and turns of this fast mystery thriller.  

In The House of Puzzles we are led from the Louvre in Paris to a school camp in the frosty Scottish Highlands and finally on to the Billionaire’s Club ‘House of Puzzles’ in New York. At the school camp in Scotland we reunite with Gerald and his friends Ruby Valentine, Sam Valentine and Felicity Upham.  Straight away they are thrown into an intriguing string of dangerous situations and mysterious puzzles. 

Will these four friends be able to complete the challenges of the Triple Crown? Can Alex Baranov charm Ruby? Will Sam crack the bizarre code of the Voynich manuscript? Who can save Professor McElderry from the evil Sir Mason Green? Will Gerald and Alex survive a night together inside the Billionaire’s Club House of Puzzles in New York? Will anyone find the infamous perpetual motion machine? Why do so many people want it? And exactly what does the stolen painting- Eugène Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People have to do with any of this? These are some of the questions that kept me reading this book to the end.

I recommend The House of Puzzles to kids 10+ who like thrilling fast-paced plot-driven stories packed with adventure, intrigue and mystery. The other books in this series are The Billionaire’s Curse, The Emerald Casket, The Mask of Destiny and the Crystal Code.   

Zac and Mia

Zac and Mia by A.J. Betts (Text Publishing)
PB RRP $19.99
ISBN  9781922147257
Reviewed by Wendy Fitzgerald

Zac and Mia is the third Young Adult novel by Perth author, A.J. Betts and also the 2012 winner of the Text Prize for Young Adult and Children’s writing. It is suitable for readers 15 years and older.

Zac Meier, a 17 year old boy, is trapped in a hospital room recovering from a bone marrow transplant- a very invasive procedure used to treat leukaemia. The patient’s bone marrow is sucked out and a donor’s marrow is pumped back in. You might think this does not sound like a very exciting plot... but I urge you to keep reading.

After the bone marrow transplant Zac has to stay in isolation to give the cells the best chance to settle into his body. Hence he is trapped in this small hospital room for a total of 47 days- 33 of those days he has the annoying company of his anxious mother. In the room next door to Zac another patient is being admitted. We hear her before we see her. This young girl is angry. She shouts at her mother and insists on playing jarring loud music that beats rudely through the wall. However, an intriguing friendship develops between kind, gentle Zac and wild, enraged Mia. A timid knock on the wall leads to a note, messages on Facebook and a sharing of feelings much deeper than usually experienced.

Zac and Mia don’t meet properly until they leave hospital. Both kids have difficulty finding where they fit back in the ‘normal’ world. Not only do they have to deal with their own medical problems but it’s also hard to juggle the concerns, fears and reactions of their friends and families. Zac and Mia’s unique bond helps them to put many of these things into perspective.

Betts cleverly uses first person duel narratives to tell this story. She quietly moves from Zac’s perspective to Mia’s allowing us to get inside the mind of each character. A.J. Betts has painted Zac and Mia with strong colours. I was drawn into their lives. I felt their anger, injustice and pain. I empathised with both families. I admired the courage, the honesty and the sense of hope. But I also laughed at the humour and cheered for the successes. These two characters will stay in my heart.

A.J. Betts has written two other YA novels- Shutterspeed and Wavelength.

Fire in the Sea

 Fire in the Sea by Myke Bartlett (Text Publishing)

PB RRP $19.99

ISBN 9781921922749

Reviewed by Nean McKenzie

Fire in the Sea was the 2011 winner of the Text Prize for Young Adult and Children's Writing. Set during a hot Perth Summer, it is the story of Sadie Miller, a teenage girl who wants to be anywhere but where she is. The first chapter begins with menacing shadows in the water, then gets straight into the action as a mystery man is attacked. Sadie and her friend Tom go to the hospital and Sadie finds herself the recipient of a dead man's will. Suddenly, it seems, her life has changed.

Sadie inherits a big old house at 1 Ocean Street. Here she meets Jake, 'the most gorgeous boy she had ever seen'. He says he is the reincarnation of the old man at the beach and an envoy from the gods. Sadie doesn't believe a word of it, but eventually she must as she is drawn into his world of Minotaurs, Drowners and Demons. Since her parents were killed in a car accident, she has had problems facing the idea of death. Now she can no longer escape it as she fights for her own life against creatures she never knew existed.

An ancient box goes missing, which contains a demon. If the demon is released the future of the world is at stake. Sadie, Tom and Jake must find the box and give it to the Drowners under the sea before the whole city of Perth is engulfed by water. But when the box is opened it is up to Sadie to make a choice. Will she make the right one?

Sadie is a strong character, skeptical at first, then courageous. Apart from a couple of sections from Tom's point of view, the majority of the book is from Sadie's perspective, which is more effective.  The story is grounded in Aussie suburbia, a nice contrast to the fantastical events that unfold. This action packed tale is suitable for young adults from early secondary school onwards.

Queen of the Night

Queen of the Night by Leanne Hall (Text Publishing)

ISBN 9781921758645

PB RRP $19.95

Reviewed by Nean McKenzie

The sequel to This is Shyness, winner of the Text young adult prize in 2009, quickly re-introduces the reader to the city where the Darkness has taken over one of its suburbs. Things are not going perfectly with either of the main characters Nia (aka Wild Girl) or Jethro (Wolf Boy). Nia is trying to get on with her life in her normal suburb, where she goes to school, works at a clothing emporium and tries to forget that Wolf Boy hasn’t called. Wolf Boy thinks about Nia as he tries to work out what is happening in Shyness. His friend Paul has joined a sect who wear blue clothes and he suspects Dr Gregory has something to do with it. 

The setting, part recognisable, part fantastical draws the reader in with its strangeness. Words like Tarsiers (furry animals) and Kidds (small vandalistic children who run wild in gangs) are explained for those who didn’t read the first book. There’s a build up to the mysterious Queen of the Night character which is not sustained on meeting her. Even Nia says, ‘She’s not what I expected.’ However the nursery she lives beneath is filled with plants which only live in darkness and have special herbal qualities. This part is beautifully described, suitably dream-like and sets the imagination soaring.

Nia is a feisty girl who doesn’t mind getting into trouble so it makes sense that she would go back to Shyness, pulled back by the excitement and by the unresolved sexual tension between her and Wolf Boy. There’s a mystery to be solved, all in the dark, of what is happening in Shyness. To save Paul one of them needs to enter his dream and Wolf Boy must confront Dr Gregory to find out the truth. Nia and Wolf Boy also need to get together. When they do there is just the line, ‘There is nothing more to say.’ While some may find this slightly disappointing and want more details, it may does make the book more accessible for younger readers.

This is a highly imaginative and evocative story with believable teenage characters and issues the book's readers can relate to, despite inhabiting a such very different world. Suitable for mid secondary school age students, particularly girls. 

The Mask of Destiny

The Mask of Destiny by Richard Newsome (Text Publishing)

PB RRP $19.95

ISBN 9781921758539

Reviewed by Nean McKenzie

The 'Billionaire Trilogy', began with The Billionaire's Curse, which won the Text prize for Young Adult and Children's Writing in 2008. The second book, The Emerald Casket, was published in 2010. This third and final installment in the series, reunites readers with Gerald, Ruby and Sam and follows them on their quest to uncover the mystery of Gerald's inheritance.

The story starts in London, where Gerald soon becomes framed for the murder of his arch-enemy Sir Mason Green. He escapes with Sam and Ruby and, with their help, attempts to clear his name by finding the third casket. The search leads the three children to Mont Sant Michele, Paris, Rome and finally Delphi, all while pursued by the police. Charlotte, Sir Green's evil niece and chemist extraordinaire, is also searching for the casket. Gerald and his friends must find it before she does.

While Gerald and his friends perform amazing feats, like swimming into dark caves with skeletons and escaping police in Paris on hire bicycles, they still squabble over who smells the most after not having a shower. The fact that they behave like normal kids makes them easier to relate to and increases the strength of the whole story.

What most stands out about the story is its rapid pace. The narrative moves along at such a rate that the reader almost becomes breathless trying to keep up. The locations are exotic, further enhancing the fantastical elements of the tale. The twist just before the end keeps the reader guessing right until the dramatic conclusion.

  

The Mask of Destiny should appeal to readers aged ten and upwards.