Kate McCaffreyReseñas

Very good. Max & Sarah should read it when they are older.

Harrowing and insightful, DOUBLE LIVES by Kate McCaffrey is a very topical exploration of issues around gender, identity, acceptance and truth.

Full Review at: https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/double-lives-kate-mccaffrey

High appeal and readability. Female characters. Has won awards.

This was a really good book about an important issue - bullying (online, verbal and physical). My heart bled for Avalon and Mitchell, and the way they were so viciously attacked by their school peers. At times it was a bit preachy and contrived, but overall a real eye-opener for young people and adults alike.

This book explores cyberbullying and the social and peer pressure, issues which are evident in many schools like Avalon's school. It effectively portrays the effect of bullying on Avalon and her friends, which leads up to the suicide of her close friend, Marshall.

Easy and engaging read about Avalon coming from a small country area near Margaret River to Perth for Year 10. She is shown around by the Queen Bee and shows her intelligence, with her easy going nature and attractive features she becomes the target of instant bullying which takes on disaterous effects down the track. initially she finds it impossible not to read the posts and does not report it to her parents or teachers. She teams up with some of the other isolates in the school including a boy who she initially thinks is gay who later becomes a real target for physical violence which leads to his suicide and the tracking down of the bullies although the main instigator is not who Avalon thought it would be.½

"Destroying Avalon" is a dark and absorbing YA novel set in Australia. When the main character, a teen named Avalon, has to move to the big city, she's excited about the new opportunities she'll have with the change in schools. Never one to have trouble making friends, Avalon is certain she'll fit in somewhere. The first day of school, she catches the negative attention of Alice, the leader of the pack of cool girls, and her world quickly comes crashing down.
This book grabbed and held my attention from the moment I picked it up. Avalon and the other characters are realistic, and their conversations and behaviors are in keeping with those of typical teens without being ridiculously stereotypical. McCaffrey seems to have been on a mission in writing this, and her book is like an easy-to-digest and heartbreaking textbook on cyber bullying.
This book won many awards in its native Australia, and I can understand why. I highly recommend it to teens, educators, and parents who are concerned about bullying, or anyone who wants a good (but dark) YA novel to read.

very good book and fun to read

There was a time when all Tess had to worry about was homework and her annoying little brother. But now with her brother gone Tess worries about everything and homework is just one more thing that causes her anxiety; slowly it feels like everything is slipping out of control.

After her brother Tess's life becomes dark, her home silent and happiness something that no longer exists within her family. Her parents are having trouble dealing with the aftermath of the incident, her mother especially is not coping falling into a great depression and Tess is left to try and deal through things on her own. At least she would be alone if it wasn't for Ned.

Ned is the one person Tess can trust, the one person she can talk to and the only one who understands her. Tess knows that Ned loves her and anything he may say is for her best, he wants her to be the best. If she can just control her study, control her eating, then maybe she will become smart enough and thin enough to be good enough to be loved.

beautiful monster is a compelling story with a lead character you really feel for. This is story about a devastating and traumatic event that cripples a family and leaves one girl forever changed. A sensitive and insightful look at how one girl deals with a number of difficult issues namely grief, depression, and eating disorders. Some events not only change your life but leave you forever changed.

Everyone deals with tragedy in their own ways but no one should have to deal alone.

One of my favourite books for its honesty, its feeling and the characters.

I read this in the twilight of the read-a-thon, and it was perfect for that. The chapters alternate point-of-view between the two girls, Sophie and Mia. Sophie is the popular, outgoing one, and Mia just sort of tags along in her shadow. One decision at one party changes all that, as Sophie convinces Mia to try Ecstasy. What follows is a reversal of positions, with some unfortunate consequences. I think this is a good book for young teen girls to read, especially those who are more like Mia. It had some useful lessons about how seemingly small decisions can pile up to become much larger problems, and also about the strength of a good friendship. On an aesthetic note, each girl’s chapters used a different font, which made it easy to keep track of who was speaking.½

It was pretty good. I loved how the author really gets into character. I loved the whole moral to the story. Makes you never want to do ecstasy. Really good book. Everyone should read. Brooke told me to read this book becuase she liked it. The cover art definitely appealed to me. AHS/LV

A good look at how easy it is to get sucked into the ecstacy scene. The story is told by two friends in alternating chapters for each girl's point of view. The characters have enough complexity to make them interesting and the story moves along quickly. Finished it in a day. Not too preachy but gets the point across that ecstacy is a dangerous drug even though it feels so good to be on it.

A fast paced book. Avalon, a country girl moves to a city school where she finds herself at the centre of a brutal cyber-bullying campaign. She feels lonely, miserable & alienated when she is inundated with obscene text messages and web postings. A close friend also faces the same problem & things spiral out of control.½

Avalon moves from rural Western Australia to the city following her mother’s change of jobs. Popular, academically able, captain of the hockey team at her previous school, Avalon becomes the target of vindictive, nasty, lying cyber bullying at her new school much to her bemusement. Despite having supportive parents, Avalon is unable to confess what is happening to her, until the focus shifts to a much more vulnerable friend, Marshall, with tragic consequences when cyber bullying incites physical violence. Avalon’s parents and the school take action to identify the perpetrators, but not before lives have been changed for ever.
Avalon is convinced that Alice, one of the ‘cool girls’ is responsible leading to further misunderstandings and prejudices.
Metallica Man and Dragon Girl are particularly nasty and the effects on Avalon’s self esteem are devastating. The book takes an innovative approach on several fronts: Avalon is not an obvious victim apart from being a new student to the school, the identity of Dragon Girl will surprise as will that of Metallica Man. There is no ready way to identify bullies

Fantastic novel about the dangers of cyber bullying. Avalon is a new girl at a prestigious high school when suddenly her intellect, looks and charm are under attack from a jealous person called Dragon Girl who starts posting terrible lies about her on a web blog. Avalon is convinced it is the leader of the “popular” girls Alice who soon as the whole school convinced that Avalon is a slut, has a child (actually her baby sister) and is full of herself when in reality she is anything but. A tries to ignore the bullying, takes it out on her family and soon it dies off, but then they start attacking her close friend – accusing him of being gay, etc. The bullying escalates to actual terrible attacks on Marshall until he takes his life. A is then determined to expose Dragon Girl once and for all. A harrowing novel about the power the anonymity the Internet, chat rooms and sms can provide to bullies. (Contains swearing, adult concepts & themes)