KERRYS REVIEW - Its finally happened. A board book for the littlies in Noongar first words. A marvelous idea that has turned into reality by local author Jayden Boundary and illustrated by the talented Tyrown Waigana. Learning our aboriginal heritage in a fun and inventive way. Published by Fremantle Press
OFFICIAL BLURB - Wandjoo Noongar boodja – welcome to Noongar Country! Noongar Boodja Waangkan: Noongar First Words is an illustrated book of first Noongar words. Noongar is the language of the Noongar nation and is spoken by 14 different groups across the south-west corner of Western Australia. Written in Noongar and English, this fully illustrated collection of first Noongar words includes family, plants, animals, emotions, colours, numbers and more. BUY HERE FOR Wandjoo Noongar boodja
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DAMES REVIEW: 3 years ago, Holden Sheppard released Invisible Boys - a powerful young adult novel about 3 very different young men growing up gay in Geraldton. It was a book that was incredibly difficult read for all the right reasons, and to finish it was a cathartic boost of life. It’s gone on to be one of my personal all-time favourites, and for very good reason. So, after leaving us waiting for all this time, how does Holden top that? Well… The Brink is about 3 high schooler’s Lenardo, Mason and Kaiya on leavers week, where they all end up on a secluded island just off the coast of Western Australia. And the shit just hits the fan! I fucking loved it. This was another single-sitting read for me. I was given a advance copy months ago, and from that I was promoting it as ‘Invisible Boys ran, so that The Brink could absolutely fucking sprint!’ I absolutely stand by that. And I am so proud to support this book, and so pleased I was able to get my paws on this early. I’m also glad I recently listened to the audio production of Invisible Boys. So that I could compare the two works. Invisible Boys remains my favourite. There was never going to be a chance of this beating that for me on a personal level. Personal feelings aside, this is a better book on every level. The emotional roller coaster this book takes us on is so well done. It goes from nerve-wracking, to fun, to fear, to chaos, unpredictably and frightfully. I couldn’t have guessed where this plot was going! Character-wise, my favourites were Leonardo and a certain redhead side-character called Brayden. You’ll see why. Leonard was m the character I related with the most. His journey to find himself and move past his fears resonated with me. It’s spoilers to say what, but as someone who’s been through part of the journey that Leonardo find himself on by the end of the book, holy fuck did Sheppard nail that! Although the story is told from 3 view points, I felt that he’s the main character. Themes that stood out for me in this book are friendships, new starts, stereotypes, loneliness, classism, bullying, and above all, healthy vs unhealthy masculinity. Yeah! A lot happens in this book. OFFICIAL BLURB: A group of school-leavers- free at last, ready to party, expectations high. And even though a remote island on the Western Australian coast wasn't exactly the plan, they're not going to let that hold them back. Leonardo, geeky, asthmatic, shy and prone to anxiety, has landed with them. He's terrified-he's definitely not part of this cool gang. Super high-achiever Kaiya is trying to forget her frustration with her drug-addicted sister as well as dealing with pressure from the popular girls to lose her virginity. Mason, footy jock with the physique to match, is coming to terms with his secret desire for his best mate, Jared. And Jared wants a week off from his relationship with Val so he can have sex with as many girls as possible. But the party takes a dangerous turn when Val is drugged and a man is found dead on the beach. Blame, fear, mistrust, coverups, power plays and dark secrets tear the group apart and expose the deadly tensions beneath the surface. And each teen is forced to confront demons that will lead them either to devastating tragedy or transformative triumph. Whoever survives the week will never be the same again. CLICK HERE TO BUY THE BRINK $24.99 What an amazing debut novel by Shelley Burr. Im always a little bit cautious when it comes to Australia being portrayed in books and movies, as it can be over the top stereotype 70/80s cringe. Wake has proven me wrong. Fantastic crime read and a perfect descriptive of outback Australia today. Loved the two main characters and all their flaws. Privacy vs public interest in a cold case of a family member who disappeared. Four out of five stars.
Official Blurb - WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO YOUNG EVIE McCREERY? A searing debut crime novel where the grief and guilt surrounding an unsolved disappearance still haunt a small farming community . . . and will ultimately lead to a reckoning. The small town of Nannine lies in the harsh red interior of New South Wales. Once a thriving outback centre of stockyards and sheep stations, years of punishing drought have petrified the land. Now nearly a ghost town, Nannine has been whittled down to no more than a stoplight, a couple of pubs and a police station. But it has another, more sinister claim to fame: the still-unsolved disappearance of young Evelyn McCreery nineteen years ago from the bedroom she shared with her twin sister. The details seem impossible - the intruder left no evidence. No forced entry. No fingerprints. No footprints. No tyre tracks. Evelyn simply vanished. Mina McCreery's life has been defined by the intense public interest in her sister's case, which is still a hot topic on social media and in true-crime chat rooms. Now an anxious and reclusive adult, Mina lives alone on her family's sunbaked destocked sheep farm. Enter Lane Holland, a private investigator who dropped out of the police academy to earn a living cracking cold cases. Before she died, Mina's mother funded a million-dollar reward for anyone who could explain how Evelyn disappeared from her bed in the family's farmhouse. The lure of cash increased the public obsession with Evelyn and Mina, yet has never led to an answer. Lane needs money to pay for his little sister's university education, and he wins Mina's trust when some of his more unconventional methods show promise. But Lane also has darker motivations for wanting to solve the case, and his obsession with the search will ultimately risk both their lives - and yield shocking results. Compulsively readable, with an unforgettable setting and cast of characters, WAKE is a powerful, unsparing story of how trauma ripples outward when people's private tragedies become public property, and how it's never too late for the truth to set things right. CLICK HERE TO BUY WAKE |
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