Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief

Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief by Katrina Nannestad, illustrated by Martina Heiduczek (ABC Books) HB RRP $19.99 ISBN: 9780733341465

Reviewed by Dannielle Viera

Ten-year-old Sasha sits up in a German hospital bed, looking at things he has stolen. He knows that each item has a special meaning, but he can’t remember what it is. When Doctor Orlova brings him a bouquet, the ‘blue, blue cornflowers’ trigger the first of many memories for Sasha. He begins to tell his story to a rapt audience of staff and patients. As each swiped item slips into place like a puzzle piece, Sasha relives his escape from German soldiers in Russia, his adoption by a company of Red Army soldiers, his anointment as the Angel of Stalingrad, and a Berlin bomb that shatters his chance at happiness. Or does it?

Katrina Nannestad paints with poignancy, each textual stroke adding a new layer of intensity and intrigue. Powerful imagery entices the senses and weaves a three-dimensional world where the stark line between good and bad, love and hate, right and wrong, soon becomes blurred. Katrina’s use of present tense immerses middle-grade readers in a flood of emotion and action, propelling them page-by-page to the bittersweet conclusion.

Martina Heiduczek’s atmospheric black-and-white illustrations are the perfect way to set the scene for each of Sasha’s story sessions. But even before the book is opened, the boy’s eyes peer earnestly from Martina’s glorious cover image, compelling youngsters to join him on a memorable journey. The warmth of the sun’s rays and the colourful blooms in his hand reassure readers that the protagonist finds joy among the ruins of his life.

Played out against the brutal backdrop of World War II, Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief is a heart-rending tale of loss, survival, resilience, and love. Battered by the waves of fate, Sasha refuses to go under – his determination and devotion eventually deliver him to the shores of hope.

Defy the Stars

Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray (Allen and Unwin)  PB RRP $19.99

ISBN 9781471406362

Reviewed by Daniela Andrews

‘She’s learned how to fight. Next she has to learn how to die.’

Noemi, a seventeen-year-old soldier from the planet Genesis, has three weeks to live. Her assignment to strike and destabilise the gateway to her planet will buy her people time in the war against Earth … at the cost of her own life. When Noemi veers off-course during a sudden attack from Earth, she discovers an abandoned ship with somebody onboard: Abel. A robot.

Abel is the long-lost creation of Burton Mansfield, an Earth-residing scientist whom some believe is a genius, others evil. The only ‘A’ model mech he’s ever created, Abel’s skill and cognitive reasoning is outstanding but his 30 years of isolation have produced a flaw in his programming. He has developed an ability to feel. When Abel reveals he knows how to destroy the Genesis Gate, Noemi orders him to help her secure the required items before she sends him to his death at the gate. (He is only a mech, after all.) But as they traverse the universe, and form a loyal alliance, Noemi feels uneasy about destroying him. Plus, the more she learns about the other planets the less she agrees with her home planet’s choices.

This is a fast-paced, gripping read by bestselling YA author, Claudia Gray. Noemi and Abel’s stories are told in alternating chapters in third-person perspective, and the progression of their relationship is fascinating. Abel’s near-human conscience constantly grapples with Noemi’s orders and his loyalty to Mansfield, providing much suspense in the story as to how he will act. Abel undergoes quite an existential battle as he tries to understand the motives behind Noemi and Mansfield’s opposing requests and behaviours. When caught in a terrorist attack, he:

‘… finds it hard to comprehend that humans don’t share the same directives he does. That their innermost beings don’t demand that they help protect one another’s lives. Shouldn’t that matter to a human even more than it does to a mech?’

The book is suitable for science fiction fans aged 12–18 years, but I believe it will appeal to a wider and older audience also. Outside of its planetary attacks, galactic descriptions and battleship commands is an enthralling relationship between two engaging characters … and a heartrending moral reflection on human nature.