Rainbow High

Rainbow High

By Alex Sanchez

An interesting and enjoyable book, I loved the characters and the way Sanchez is able to give them voices that ring true.

It is, of course, very American-flavoured for this Aussie reader, which adds another dimension to the read – understanding American high schools, and the college selection process.

But it is the characters who drive this story. Nelson, who is waiting for the results of his HIV test, is dating Jeremy, who is HIV positive. Jason has to determine what effect it would have on his basketball career if he should come out, when so much depends on his scholarship for college. His boyfriend Kyle must decide whether to accept his offer from Princeton, when it would mean being so far away from Jason.

Sanchez writes with such clarity and confidence about such issues as coming out, safe sex and homophobia, and he mixes it in with universal issues such as first love, and the doubts, conflicts and sheer joy of falling in love. The balance seems just right, resulting in a well-crafted story.

Thoroughly caught up in these boys lives, I’ll be looking for the other titles in this series.

Song of the sparrow

Song of the sparrow

By Lisa Ann Sandell

Absolutely lovely retelling of the legend of Elaine of Ascolot - the Lady of Shalott.

As Arthur leads his soldiers into battle after battle, Elaine learns the price of war and works with her small skills to bring healing to the wounded. She escapes into dreams of Lancelot, hoping he will return her love. But when Gwynivere arrives, she sees her hope end. Kidnapped and threatened with death and worse, Elaine must fight for her own life, and that of the lady Gwynivere. A powerful story of a strong, complex young woman finding her own place in a wartorn story, finding her own identity in a world dominated by men, and finding the strength to love after bitter betrayal.

The language of this story is beautifully lyrical, the free verse style adding to the epic feel of the story. An excellent addition to Arthurian canon.

Keturah and Lord Death

Keturah and Lord Death

Author: Martine Leavitt

This dark fairytale is nicely crafted, and is filled with interesting characters.

Keturah follows a hart into the dark forest. After spending several days lost and at the mercy of the elements, she meets up with Lord Death, who is about to claim her. Using her exceptional storytelling skills, Keturah offers Lord Death a story to gain a reprieve.

There’s such an old-fashioned feel to this tale – the haunting atmosphere, the lovely language, and the story structure, all work well together to create the feeling of a traditional high romance.

I did have difficulty falling into the story, and had several false starts, but once in, I read straight through to the end - just had to know how Keturah fairs in her challenge to Lord Death’s claim.

An insightful and thought-provoking exploration of the themes of love and death.

What I Was

What I Was

Author: Meg Rosoff

A strange story, one that still leaves me uncomfortable, as though I missed something important and so didn’t quite ‘get’ what it was all about.

A first person narrative guides us through attendance at a gloomy, miserable boarding school, where regimented passivity and bullying are the main challenges to the day. The only escape is to a run-down cottage where a boy, living outside of society, enjoys a solitary life in the wild.

As with Rosoff’s first novel, How I Live Now, this is an intimate and poignant glimpse at one teenager’s awkward and turbulent coming of age. There’s something a little bit Catcher in the Rye here - likely it’s the dry dark humour bringing this to mind. The theme of love, of passion and yearning, is nicely tangled with confusion over identity and gender.

But in the end, there seemed little point to the Big Reveal – I was so sure the story was going somewhere very different, that I almost felt cheated with where it did go. There seemed to be little learned, and few consequences, and no exploration of the impact such a Reveal had on the main character – and I was left feeling I’d read something interesting, but with an unsatisfying resolution.

The ghost's child

The ghost's child

Author: Sonya Hartnett

Oh, this is a special treat – a fairytale feel, with a darkness that is awash in sorrow and longing. There’s a nice sense of unease right from the start of the story, and it is sustained all the way to the final chapters.

Matilda is an elderly lady who is visited by a strange young boy. While we are wondering if he is the ‘ghost’ of the book’s title, Matilda tells her life story – of her search for beauty, for love, for belonging, and for her own sense of self. The theme of journeying is reflected in all parts of the story, as Matilda journeys through her life, as well as across the world. Love in all its many forms is another strong theme of the story – Matilda’s love for her father, for her husband, for her ‘fey’, and for herself.

The language of this story is just lovely – though lyrical and full of gorgeous metaphors, it is not a burden to read; it’s a pleasure to be lost in the fable-like elements and the fantastical sea voyage.

Such a beautiful story! I got to the end and marvelled at Sonya’s storytelling craft, and at the beauty of her writing.