Annie —
A Little Trickerie by Rosanna Pike
Tibb Ingleby is one of the most memorable characters I’ve encountered for years – her voice is irreverent and her spirit is irrepressible. Born a vagrant in 16th century England, a series of terrible events befall Tibb at the beginning of this book and she is left on her own at fourteen. She meets all manner of people on her journeys across the country, trying to make her way with new friends and protect herself from those that mean her harm.
In her quest to improve her own life and those of the people she loves, Tibb embarks on the biggest ‘trickerie’ yet — but could this latest scheme be the downfall of them all? Fresh, funny and gripping, I absolutely adored this examination of the early Tudor period, as Pike skewers morality, religion, duty and class on her spiny prose.
A Language of Dragons by S F Williamson
My first read of the year was the debut young adult book from S F Williamson, in which she inserts dragons into the class politics of the British interwar period.
Vivien Featherswallow has been working hard her whole life and is about to start at university, studying translation. She will do anything she can to stop her younger sister and herself from being demoted from Second to Third Class, in a world that enforces a strict hierarchy. When her parents and cousin are arrested for treasonous behaviour, Viv acts rashly and sparks a war between humans and dragons, who have been living in a tenuous peace since the Great War.
To save her own skin, and that of her family, Viv accepts a place as a codebreaker at the secretive Bletchley Park, attempting to discover the telepathic language that dragons use to communicate with each other. But is she using her skills for the right cause, and should she question the motives of those in power? This is a great read for those 14+ who want a richly imagined world, genuine character development and a cracking plot that features elements of fantasy, spy thrillers and ethical dilemmas. I loved the way Williamson uses this adventure story to interrogate the moral implications of translation, language and control and the characters’ shift from embracing government propaganda to reading between the lines and becoming radicalised by the misuse of power.
Rachel —
We are the Stars by Gina Chick
If you watched Alone on SBS last year, you would be familiar with Gina Chick who was last person to survive alone in the Tasmanian winter wilderness out of ten contestants. I didn’t watch it but I became aware of Chick because of my long-time fascination with her grandmother Charmian Clift, one of Australia’s great literary luminaries.
We are the Stars is a memoir about Chick’s unconventional life. Chick survives serious illness, drug addiction and heart-breaking loss through a unique world view that is as enthralling as it is enviable. Her survival instincts are primeval; she taps into the natural world and listens to it, thus learning (and teaching us) about some of life’s biggest questions. Chick is not just quirky and unpredictable. Hers is a powerful voice that reminds us all about the power of connection: to nature, to the planet and especially to each other. I cried, I laughed and I was profoundly moved by this book.
Chick’s modesty rivals her genius. She intersperses phrases of lyrical beauty with self-deprecating humour like the reference on her website to Hugh Jackman’s rave review: “Thanks Hughby ya big dag. You made me snort tea out my nose.” This memoir is a great story, beautifully written, an ode to all of the people Chick has loved and especially to those she has lost. What is so astonishing about this book is Chick’s ability to demonstrate the power of hope, compassion and forgiveness in a world where these qualities are often lacking.