Bonnie
Book #1 is by far my favourite. This one is still very entertaining and made me laugh a lot, but it lacks the connection to land and community that the first one was saturated in. Blue is growing up and seems to have lost some of her sense of adventure and become preoccupied with being a bossy editor of a newspaper that has a life of its own. Did Katrina secretly observe my childhood and decide to write about me??? Hmmm....
Definitely a gem of a series that I am loaning to any friend who shows an interest!
I love this series. The warmth, humour, sense of community and so many quirky characters, it's got everything! The protagonist is a little too obsessed with certain things but even that I can relate to. All the unspoken fears. There's so much happening that no one takes the time to actually listen to Blue.
I really enjoyed the first half of the book. The depictions of the artist society were delightful and I wish they still existed as they did then. The sights, sounds, smells, would have been a feast for the senses and the imagination. I feel like we rarely seek public critique or encouragement any more. Generally art we put online is to gain approval, not improvement. I really appreciate a book that has a writer and writing at the forefront.
The second half of the book lost me completely. It irritates me that a simple google search shows that The Bronx wasn't even named until several years after the book setting (in 1898). The language and behaviour of the characters is not historically accurate and made me cringe.
If you have not yet read ‘Silver' by Chris Hammer, only proceed if you are okay with spoilers.
Where do I begin? I have so many thoughts about this book. I can see how much work went into Silver, and it has all the ingredients for a masterpiece. My feedback is meant with the utmost respect for his craft. I will definitely be reading other work by Chris and I would be intrigued to know if there will be a third Martin Scarsden story.
What I liked about Silver:
The setting. Port Silver is a fictional town somewhere between Kempsey and Byron Bay, which immediately makes it interesting and relatable because I live not far away. Rural towns, beaches and forests are all dear to my heart.
The pace: nothing slow about this book! I finished it in two days, not an easy feat when it is nearly 600 pages!
The way Martin dealt with his traumatic past through flashbacks, conversations, and ‘wake up!' moments. I thought this was well done and probably the best storyline in the book.
Characters like Vern and Josie. Flawed but extremely generous and kind, the type of foster parent I hope to be one day.
The interactions between baby Liam and Martin. Awkward but cute. I don't think I've ever read such sweet moments between a stepson and a father before. A really a nice touch in an otherwise frantic timeline.
The Malcom Naden-esque fugitive. Chris has done his homework. (Although I really wanted this sub plot to be more than it was).What I did not like:This book could have been more succinct with an intensive edit. Martin is obsessed with detail, every crack in a concrete path, every pothole, every time his car muffler makes a noise, every time he looks left or right when describing a breathtaking vista, every tired, sagging face he sees. I am a visual person and I was overwhelmed, sometimes having to skip paragraphs to stay focused. There are also numerous token characters and rambling side plots.The relationship between Mandy and Martin is almost non-existent. They barely communicate and there does not seem to be a reason for them to stay together. Martin is obsessed with exonerating Mandy, but this is the only indication he gives that he cares about her. (I will admit I have not yet read Scrublands). Criminality: Aside from the murders, there is: drug running, regular drink spiking and sexual assault, visa-for-sex racket, grifting, endangered wildlife poaching, manslaughter, police corruption. All casually introduced and left hanging. A sleepy beachside town my ass.The ending: Martin saves the day. The baddies turn out to be background characters. Anticlimax. Although I was disappointed, I do have to give props to Chris for demonstrating how a media storm can be created and dissipated in a short time. We create the drama in our own minds, when the truth is often much less exciting, although no less devastating for those involved.
Quite fascinating and well-researched. The amount of material included is staggering, but with all the letters, books and published material available, not to mention personal connection, it is not so surprising. I found the biography has rather put me off reading some of the sisters' published work, but I have recently started reading one of Nancy's books, after some encouragement, as I thought I should give it a go rather than dismiss them completely.
It is not an unbiased biography, but if you can look past this it is a remarkable account. It took me over a year to finish it!
An interesting liberal feminist social commentary which I personally think made some excellent points about grief, but lacked depth in its response to male violence. It is a character-driven story, and while I didn't particularly like any of the characters, it is well written and engaging. It demonstrates very clearly how as a society we love to romanticise and exploit for our own gain the brutal, public murders; while women are killed every week by someone they know and those ones barely get a mention. In the time since the book was written, there have been hundreds of women and children and men killed by someone known to them in Australia, but most people only remember those who died randomly, forever etched in our minds by the media and social discourse as being the real victims here.
I feel like this could have been lovely, but I got so confused with all the sub plots and it dragged on and on, so it's a no from me. I like books that have a literary protagonist or theme and I was hoping this would focus more on that, but no...
Not entirely sure how this book makes me feel. Disturbed, but intruiged by the tension and unspoken pain felt by all, is probably the best way I can describe it. I was unsettled to discover I could relate to more than one character, and I loved the way the female bond of friendship or sisterhood is the centre of this whole tome.
I love art so I enjoyed all the references to the painting process and the contentiousness of introducing new styles into the art world. Even though the story begins in 1930 Melbourne, there are virtually no references to that time period in Australia, other than the art. The language and mannerisms of the characters appear more like it could have been the 1970s. It is as though all the characters are in a bubble of both their own making and the author's. There is a lot conveyed without words or actions here. Masterful and brilliant.
I'm a big fan of Jane's writing, and I'll keep reading her books for sure, but I can't say I really enjoyed this book. Honest review ahead.
I have been hiking many times and a tour company sending inexperienced people out with minimal supplies or guidance, is well known as a recipe for disaster, which is exactly what happens, no surprise. No EPIRB, no phones, no idea how they even got insurance for the trip!
The relationship between Alice and Lauren was quite interesting and the only convincing one.
The main sub plot didn't get discussed by anyone except the police, it felt like an excuse for them to be involved, nothing more, and financial division police wouldn't be on a missing person case, tramping the bush. Jane captures the isolation and eeriness of the bush well, I'll give her that. It can be a frightening place when things get tough.
A wonderful introduction to the Gabriel Allon character series. Looking forward to reading more of them! I enjoyed the detail and the characters. It felt a little too drawn out at times with not much depth, but overall an enjoyable read
There's a lot of heart and character here. The POV's grapple with God was striking. Pardon the pun. Definitely worth a read.
I admire Heather's work to capture the lived experience of survivors. The relatively privileged role of the Tätowierer is one I have not read about before, outside of the extensive hype around this book. For me the best parts were Lale's interactions with a certain Dr, his guardian B, and characters like Nadya. The writing leaves a lot to be desired. I think it's worth reading, with an open mind.
It's a dramatic bio, with so many bizarre but certainly true events, bundled into a shallow dive into a person's character. I imagine the trauma prevented a deeper dive, which brings me to my next point.
Clunky random references to an oedipal complex and an obsession with women left a sour taste in my mouth. The author even thanks her 18yr daughter for letting 90 year old Lale flirt with her during the interview process. Weird.