The previous novel, Juno of Taris, ended with the arrival of outsiders and the small community realising that domed island of Taris was in big trouble due to cracks appearing in the protective cover that makes their island airtight, and the support systems failing one by one. Initially leaving was going to be an option with the inhabitants able to choose to either leave the island or stay, now the leaving option has escalated to leave now or die. A huge storm is scheduled to hit the island in a few hours and their rescuers think the whole dome will break. This proves true, and as they travel through the fierce September storm on a ship the 500 Taris inhabitants watch the dome disintegrate and carry away all the buildings on the island.

On arrival in Wellington the people of Taris discover that the world is very different from when their elders were first sealed away. The world’s population has been reduced to around a million by a series of pandemics that have ravaged the world; global warming has left whole cities empty. A bomb attack welcomes the Tarians, and when they are housed in a refugee centre they realise they need to quickly familiarise themselves with the new society they are to be a part of, the money, food, technologies, clothes and work.

Willem is the person who rescued the Tarians and soon it is apparent that there is a subversive element within New Zealand that is conducting a hate campaign via the internet, against Willem and as a flow on, the Tarians. Shortly after their arrival a new pandemic breaks out and the Tarians are accused of bringing it to New Zealand. Who hates the Tarians so much that they want to destroy them?

In Juno of Taris, each chapter is ended with a few sentences of different gossipy information recording the Tarians passing information on to each other. FIERCE SEPTEMBER does the same but with an added bonus at the end of each chapter there is the web address of a blog posting which actually exists. If they have access to the internet, readers can access and read the two opposing blog postings. One is someone from the boat who is for the group and the other blog is one of the subversive agitators who are whipping up anti-refugee hysteria, along with comments to both blogs. Such a clever idea – but nothing is revealed that is not in the book, so people without internet access won’t miss out on crucial information.

It doesn’t take Juno and her friends long to realise that things will not be the same outside and if they can stop the pandemic and clear their names then they will leave their temporary refuge and be absorbed into the New Zealand community as individual and small family groups.

I really enjoyed this second book in the trilogy, was well written and narrated from the point of view of Juno. I cannot wait for the final book to come out, but that is not looking like it will happen before 2012 ( )

Juno and the Taris inhabitants must leave their dying island. The young people look forward to a wider life Outside, but Outside too has its problems. It is two-year-old Hera, with her uncanny ability to foresee events, who saves the Taris people from the injury and death prepared for them by an underground group of protestors.
The people of Taris, though, have no choice but to try to live in this seemingly hostile place. The young people are entranced despite the hate campaign against them: there are the fashions, the technologies and best of all for Juno, the freedom from extreme control. Only days after the group arrives, a pandemic hits the country - this has drastic consequences for Juno and her people.
Once the pandemic is over, life settles down and the question now for Juno is to find her way among the choices open to her, some of which cause her parents to fear she is abandoning the values they hold so dear.
Juno was relieved to put Taris behind her. But Taris doesn't give up its hold so easily - she is shocked to find the island held more secrets than any of them knew. She wants to bury her head, ignore what she's discovered and forge ahead to find her own place in this new world. She falls for Ivan, a young man who seems to understand her, but love is a fey thing. What will become of her? i now know that the 3rd book Heart of Danger is here, yes it will be read ( )

Opening Sentence: “…’if there is a choice, Juno, you must know – we are going to stay,’ my father said…”

The previous novel, Juno of Taris, ended with the arrival of outsiders and the small community realising that domed island of Taris was in big trouble due to cracks appearing in the protective cover that makes their island airtight, and the support systems failing one by one. Initially leaving was going to be an option with the inhabitants able to choose to either leave the island or stay, now the leaving option has escalated to leave now or die. A huge storm is scheduled to hit the island in a few hours and their rescuers think the whole dome will break. This proves true, and as they travel through the fierce September storm on a ship the 500 Taris inhabitants watch the dome disintegrate and carry away all the buildings on the island.

On arrival in Wellington the people of Taris discover that the world is very different from when their elders were first sealed away. The world’s population has been reduced to around a million by a series of pandemics that have ravaged the world; global warming has left whole cities empty. A bomb attack welcomes the Tarians, and when they are housed in a refugee centre they realise they need to quickly familiarise themselves with the new society they are to be a part of, the money, food, technologies, clothes and work.

Willem is the person who rescued the Tarians and soon it is apparent that there is a subversive element within New Zealand that is conducting a hate campaign via the internet, against Willem and as a flow on, the Tarians. Shortly after their arrival a new pandemic breaks out and the Tarians are accused of bringing it to New Zealand. Who hates the Tarians so much that they want to destroy them?

In Juno of Taris, each chapter is ended with a few sentences of different gossipy information recording the Tarians passing information on to each other. FIERCE SEPTEMBER does the same but with an added bonus at the end of each chapter there is the web address of a blog posting which actually exists. If they have access to the internet, readers can access and read the two opposing blog postings. One is someone from the boat who is for the group and the other blog is one of the subversive agitators who are whipping up anti-refugee hysteria, along with comments to both blogs. Such a clever idea – but nothing is revealed that is not in the book, so people without internet access won’t miss out on crucial information.

It doesn’t take Juno and her friends long to realise that things will not be the same outside and if they can stop the pandemic and clear their names then they will leave their temporary refuge and be absorbed into the New Zealand community as individual and small family groups.

I really enjoyed this second book in the trilogy, was well written and narrated from the point of view of Juno. I cannot wait for the final book to come out, but that is not looking like it will happen before 2012 ( )

This is a sequel to the 2008 novel, 'Juno of Taris', a New Zealand Post Award finalist. The community of Taris have had to be evacuated from their isolated island when the protective dome which protects it begins to disintegrate. When they finally reach Wellington, they find that they are not welcomed by some New Zealanders. Shortly after their arrival, disease breaks out and the new arrivals are blamed for this. Taris Islanders also have to deal with getting used to new customs, dress codes, technology and the break up and dispersal of their tight knit community. A dramatic and hard hitting story that refers to the way new arrivals to a country. A story aimed at teens. ( )