Terry Whitebeach

Trigger warnings: Animal death, fire

6/10, I was hoping that I would enjoy this novel much like I enjoyed Green Rising by Lauren James which is a flawed but overall enjoyable story however I did not enjoy this one since there was only a single shred of hope at the end and most of the book was a depressing slog which was difficult to read. It begins with Tyenna living in Tasmania with her two mothers and a few pages into the action starts when she hears about the bushfires developing on the news, it steadily grows more suspenseful and harrowing as they get closer however I couldn't care for her or Bailey when he was introduced as they weren't well written and didn't develop their character in any way. As the bushfires intensify Tyenna and Bailey are left stuck in the town as almost everything burns to the ground and some animals are killed yet somehow they survive all of it and are left mostly unscathed as the fire planes extinguish the flames of what appears to be the most devastating bushfire in Tasmania's history. I'm glad it's all fictional otherwise it would've been a reminder of climate change that'd hit too close to home. In the end, there was a bit of hope as the book shows the town recovering from the fires and the trees resiliently growing back. That wasn't enough to stop this book from becoming disheartening and sometimes I enjoy sad novels but only when there's something to balance it however this is not the case here. If you like stories about environmental disasters pick this but other better ones are out there that you can try.… (más)

Obelujo is studying at a boarding school in Sudan when the Rebels come in the night and wreck his town. He flees, knowing that they will turn him into a hated boy soldier if he does not. Eventually he finds himself captured and then escapes into a refugee camp. But the Rebels know what he looks like and at night they infiltrate the camp. Where can he flee to? What has become of his family, his friends and the life he has always known. O's name means "Trouble tomorrow" and is based on one of the author's experiences growing up in war-torn Sudan. Passage where O flees in the night ( around p. 16) is good to read aloud. An interesting book in that O is forced by his circumstances to become a thief and a bully and he feels he is betraying his father's memories. I liked too how the authors observations of tribal infighting within the camps themselves shows how torn and broken the country was - He is Madi, he is whatever tribe....until they get over that, the country will always be in turmoil.… (más)