The Quiet and the Loud by Helena Fox

05 Jun 2025 Leave a comment

by Amy in 3 Stars, Audiobook, Aussie YA Challenge, LGBTQIA, Young Adult Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Published: 28 March 2023 (print)/28 March 2023 (audio) Goodreads badge
Publisher: Dial Books/Macmillan Australia Audio
Pages: 384/10 hrs and 35 mins
Narrator: Kaiya Jones
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
★   ★   ★ – 3 Stars

George’s life is loud. On the water, though, with everything hushed above and below, she is steady, silent. Then her estranged dad says he needs to talk, and George’s past begins to wake up, looping around her ankles, trying to drag her under.

But there’s no time to sink. George’s best friend, Tess, is about to become, officially, a teen mom, her friend Laz is in despair about the climate crisis, her gramps would literally misplace his teeth if not for her, and her moms fill the house with fuss and chatter. Before long, heat and smoke join the noise as dis­tant wildfires begin to burn.

George tries to stay steady. When her father tells her his news and the memo­ries roar back to life, George turns to Calliope, the girl who has just cartwheeled into her world and shot it through with colors. And it’s here George would stay—quiet and safe—if she could. But then Tess has her baby, and the earth burns hotter, and the past just will not stay put.

A novel about the contours of friendship, family, forgiveness, trauma, and love, and about our hopeless, hopeful world.

Having read an amazing award winner recently, it was clearly an exception to my usual experience of award winners being long and boring because this one fell right back into the long and bit boring track. This book is clearly an award winner, there’s big ideas, poetic words, long drawn out emotional explorations. Which is fine. That’s why these books win awards. But it’s something you have to remember going in. I haven’t done a literary award winner in a while and I had to get used to it again.

The plot was interesting but the slowness takes away from your full enjoyment. Needing to move the plot along faster became my main wish and while I enjoyed the characters and their lives, it was drawn out. I had my audiobook on 1.75x speed and it still seemed to take forever. I thought it was almost over and I still had four hours left.

I enjoyed the environment Georgia explores. Living on the water, going out in the kayak and feeling peace in solitude. Those are wonderful moments of peace and reflection, which Fox does well. The emotional release of art as well as being on the water was a great new approach than what usually happens in books. I love Australian YA because we have these amazing stories that are outside of school settings that are about people’s fascinating and complicated lives outside of school drama.

There are a lot of characters in play which breaks up the long emotional and introspective thoughts and contemplations. Her mum and stepmother Mel are the parents, there’s grandad and his eccentricities, as well as the friendships between Tess, Lars, and Georgia. Not to mention a potential new friend in Calliope.

There are emotional moments and a lot of big issues that come into play. Alcoholism, abandonment, pregnancy and complications, as well as a variety of mental illnesses. It’s a complicated and messy life with complicated and messy characters. Lars is annoying, Tess is annoying, but I kind of enjoyed that in it showed imperfect people and how you can still be friends with them. Not to mention the bonds of childhood friendships and the obligations that entails. It’s also a good example of how as people grow up they change and as their lives go in different directions it’s a big thing for friendship groups.

There is actually a lot of things happening but the focus remains on Georgia so we only get bits and pieces as she interacts with it and the action around it is few and far between. The snippets we learn about of her father, the mystery of her flashbacks and various memories, as well as the drama of Tess’ intentional teen pregnancy added some flare.

The mention of the Black Summer fires hits a bit too close to home, as did the Covid mention. The reminder is always so depressing about that fire season and the anxiety rises to the surface as you relive it. It’s good that it isn’t being forgotten though and it plays into the story well. On the flipside, things are still long and overdone and they counteract good plot by distracting from it and making it feel weighed down.

It’s a good coming of age story that deals with changing relationships, discovering who you are, and how trauma shapes your life whether you realise it or not. I’m glad I read it but I also think it could have worked if it was less literary. But that isn’t how profound internal discovery and life changes happens. It was probably the best format to explore these ideas, it certainly makes them more impactful despite the pacing issue.

You can purchase The Quiet and the Loud via the following

QBD |  Dymocks | Booktopia

Blackwell’s | Angus & Robertson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible

Long Lost Review: Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

08 May 2025 Leave a comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, LGBTQIA, Long Lost Reviews, Young Adult Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Long Lost Reviews is a monthly meme created by Ally over at Ally’s Appraisals which is posted on the second Thursday of every month. The aim is to start tackling your review backlog. Whether it’s an in-depth analysis of how it affected your life, one sentence stating that you only remember the ending, or that you have no recollection of reading the book at all. 

Published: 2 May 2023Goodreads badge
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Pages: 416
Format: Paperback
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance
★   ★   ★  ★  ★ – 5 Stars

With humor and insight, #1 New York Times bestseller Becky Albertalli explores the nuances of sexuality, identity, and friendship in this timely new novel.

Imogen Scott may be hopelessly heterosexual, but she’s got the World’s Greatest Ally title locked down.

She’s never missed a Pride Alliance meeting. She knows more about queer media discourse than her very queer little sister. She even has two queer best friends. There’s Gretchen, a fellow high school senior, who helps keep Imogen’s biases in check. And then there’s Lili—newly out and newly thriving with a cool new squad of queer college friends.

Imogen’s thrilled for Lili. Any ally would be. And now that she’s finally visiting Lili on campus, she’s bringing her ally A game. Any support Lili needs, Imogen’s all in.

Even if that means bending the truth, just a little.

Like when Lili drops a tiny queer bombshell: she’s told all her college friends that Imogen and Lili used to date. And none of them know that Imogen is a raging hetero—not even Lili’s best friend, Tessa.

Of course, the more time Imogen spends with chaotic, freckle-faced Tessa, the more she starts to wonder if her truth was ever all that straight to begin with. . .

Sometimes you read too many books too fast and then suddenly what you think you read only last year turns out to have been read in 2023. Where does the time go? But this is a good Long Lost Review because my notes on it are few, the vibes are good, and I think it works based on what I remember about the story. The worst part is, this was in my Top Five of 2023 and it still didn’t get a real review so it’s a shame really to be reduced to a LLR but here we are.

This is a great exploration of identity and is a fantastic story about how being a passionate advocate for queer lives can also be damaging and toxic. Albertalli demonstrates with remarkable skill and grace, even a bit of compassion, that there still exists toxicity in queer spaces and there is always a chance of going too far.

Imogen’s journey of self-discovery is a wonderful reminder that there is no age limit on finding out who you are. Her inner monologue shows how unsettled she feels in herself, while also feeling so sure of who she is at the same time. As this becomes upended as the story goes along we follow this path as Imogen navigates her feelings, her friendships, and the lives of those around her to work out who she really is.

The cast of characters in this book are well rounded and complex. Even with so many characters in play they each get attention and are fully developed. It is easy to fall into their banter and support, as well as experience their ups and downs with them.

Gretchen is a great character in that she is a terrible but she is a perfect representation of what it means to police other people and to try and gate keep and control how other people experience their own lives. The challenge of having a friend like her, while also trying to be supportive and guided by their experiences and not your own, means Imogen tries her best to be an ally but at the same time deals with the problems Gretchen creates.

Being an older YA makes this story sit right at the cusp of leaving school/entering uni which is wonderful representation for anyone feeling like they need to have themselves worked out by the time they are 16 or before, like many queer YA books demonstrate. I enjoyed how it showed there is no time limit on discovering yourself and what makes you happy.

Full of realism and representation, Imogen, Obviously is a sweet and romantic story that deals with current and evergreen issues in the queer community from both inside and out. It’s light-hearted but not without conflict, and highlights the importance of friendship and being true to yourself.

Hamlet is Not Ok by R. A. Spratt

01 Apr 2025 Leave a comment

by Amy in 3 Stars, Audiobook, Aussie YA Challenge, Young Adult Tags: , , , , , , ,

Published: 12 March 2024 (print)/4 July 2023 (audio) Goodreads badge
Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia/Penguin Random House Australia Audio
Pages: 240/3 hrs and 19 mins
Narrator: R. A. Spratt
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
★   ★   ★ – 3 Stars

Selby hates homework.
She would rather watch TV – anything to escape the tedium of school, her parents’ bookshop and small-town busybodies.
So Selby didn’t plan to read Hamlet. She certainly never planned to meet him.
This novel transports Selby, and the reader, into the cold and crime-ridden play itself. Here she meets Hamlet: heavy with grief, the young prince is overthinking and over everything. Selby can relate. But unlike Hamlet, Selby isn’t afraid of making decisions. In her world, Selby is used to feeling overlooked. But in the bloody, backstabbing world of Shakespeare, Selby’s good conscience and quiet courage might just save some lives . . . hopefully before Hamlet stabs one of her classmates.

Spratt comes in guns blazing with a lot of yelling and chaos which was great. I liked for once there was a character who wasn’t studious, wasn’t on top of stuff, it’s about time there was a teen who got their own book who skipped out on doing any homework and it’s not entirely their fault. Selby I put up with as she is 15 and her actions are a very 15 year old response. There’s a balance at 15 where you can be a bit more immature than maybe a 16 or 17 year old character can get away with. Though immaturity has no age limit really, but you get more leeway the younger you get.

I didn’t like the note from the author essentially warning readers they will encounter Shakespeare in the book. It was like to let them know not to be scared off and to still give this book a chance. If you are reading a book having a few verbatim Shakespeare quotes in it shouldn’t deter you. I think the kids will survive. Especially given how it’s in a narrative form so it isn’t even the big scary play version they supposedly should detest. What was wonderful about having it put through a narrative lens is it’s a great example of how amazing Shakespeare is to see performed live. How reading a play in a book isn’t the right format. A play is to be performed and experienced. Diving right into the text to see it before you is the next best thing. If you can manage it.

It’s a bit Thursday Next with their ability to enter the world of Shakespeare and see it play out before them. As a lover of Thursday Next and her book jumping world this was super fun. Having a teen Hamlet interact with a modern teen really brings to light his angst and the family drama he has to endure. It’s easy to see how Shakespeare can be modernised because there are a lot of universal things and Selby getting to experience the plot points first hand is a great reminder that people have always been people even if you say it in a poetic form.

Spratt is quite emphatic and enthusiastic in her narration. Not unpleasant but it is funny why there was a need to be so emphatic about everything little thing. Seeing as it’s narrated by author I guess we can’t argue how enthusiastic she wanted to be on the reading. John Marsden’s retelling of Hamlet is one of my favourite retellings, and I love Shakespeare adaptations so while this is a tad enthusiastic (which I think won’t come across as intense in the book versus audio) it is a fun story. I love the mention that the play is four hours and the audiobook took three and a half. A great parallel.

Fast paced and light hearted it’s a quick read and one that might help the Shakespeare wary understand the universality and enduring nature of Shakespeare.

You can purchase Hamlet is Not Ok via the following

QBD |  Dymocks | Booktopia

Wordery |  Blackwell’s | Angus & Robertson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible

The Pause by John Larkin

04 Feb 2025 1 Comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, Aussie YA Challenge, Top Five List, Young Adult Tags: , , , , , ,

Published: 1 April 2015Goodreads badge
Publisher: Random House Australia
Pages: 319
Format: Paperback
Genre: Contemporary Young Adult
★   ★   ★   ★   ★ – 5 Stars

Declan seems to have it all: a family that loves him, friends he’s known for years, a beautiful girlfriend he would go to the ends of the earth for.

But there’s something in Declan’s past that just won’t go away, that pokes and scratches at his thoughts when he’s at his most vulnerable. Declan feels as if nothing will take away that pain that he has buried deep inside for so long. So he makes the only decision he thinks he has left: the decision to end it all.

Or does he? As the train approaches and Declan teeters at the edge of the platform, two versions of his life are revealed. In one, Declan watches as his body is destroyed and the lives of those who loved him unravel. In the other, Declan pauses before he jumps. And this makes all the difference.

One moment. One pause. One whole new life.

“Don’t abandon the miracle of your own existence because you don’t know how to ask for help.”

I keep being punished for not reading books when they first come out when I want to, only to realise how fantastic they are later when I eventually do. It’s happened four times now and I don’t seem to be learning my lesson.

First things first, this is a book that deals with suicide and a split timeline between following through and not. In a Sliding Doors meets The Lovely Bones style we see both lives of Declan: what happens if he jumps, what happens if he doesn’t. Not to be morbid, but there is an amazing first person perspective scene about jumping in front of a train. In the brief mention it manages to have a great balance between not being overly graphic and also being real about it. It shows the brain mechanics and impulses a person goes through, it shows the detail of what actually happens to your body, it includes the immediate regrets, not to mention the trauma of those who see it. It’s important to note that that part is brief. It’s a fleeting mention but it is well written and one I think is important to include.

There’s also great descriptions of teenage life and their thoughts and decisions. Larkin’s written a great teenage voice and the tunnel vision teenagers have about what is important and earth shattering in their life comes across. It’s great insight which helps you understand their actions and motivations; how they are hormone driven, and how they’re experiencing everything the first time: from friend issues, to family issues, to first love. Larkin comes in strong early on with the big emotions and it hooks you right in without glorifying or making it grotesque.

The best part is Declan isn’t special. He has mates who are typical teenage boys. Annoying sister, parent issues, and family dynamics. It appears to come from nowhere which is why it’s so great. It was a shock. It is unexpected. It’s great to show how something like this can happen to the most normal looking kid ever. The voice is believable and the relationships Declan has with his family is believable, even the different dynamics he has with each member of his family. You do behave differently around different people and his favourite parent is clear while unintentional.

The sliding doors moment and duel existence is perfect and you become captivated by this life now lived and the reminders it couldn’t have happened at all. There is Larkin’s voice on high with reminders that things will get better and setbacks aren’t the end of the world even if that thing was what was getting you through.

You’re also drawn along by What Happened to Aunt Mary? The mystery is woven throughout and as Larkin drip feeds us information before dumping the entire bucket on us all I can say it was amazing, especially given the emotional ride we’ve gone through with Declan so far.

There are so many things I would love to talk about and how wonderful and mind blowing they are but alas, spoilers. Even the smallest possibly vaguest things I don’t want to risk and ruin the revelations and joys I had reading this book.

When I finished this I basically went and gushed about it for ten minutes. It was amazing. I loved every part of it. It is sad and profound, it has so many lessons about life and humanity and hope. It is incredible how Larkin managed to weave in these important things that need to be hammered into every single person who ever thinks they are the alone or are the only one who feels a certain way. It’s natural but you can tell where The Lesson is but I don’t care. It also comes across through the voice of a boy who has been told this in a professional setting and is remembering it. He is using these lessons to live his life. The life he almost didn’t have.

Again, I kick myself for not picking this book up when I wanted to in 2016. I saw it for months on the shelf and I was drawn to it. But I never dove in. I’m glad I finally did because I loved it. It is only fictional but it’s also the story of so many people, not just teenagers. It’s obviously not perfect, it still has a few slightly non PC approaches to things but that’s really not important. The content is important. It’s about life getting better. About not giving into the impulses. How mental illness sneaks up on you and it’s ok to get help. Which for a 2015 book feels amazing.

Honestly it is a brutal book. It deals with big issues, it describes big issues with quite a lot of detail, and the consequences of both sides smack you in the face with the truth and reality. And that is why it is phenomenal. It never strays from being a YA voice, which is more important because it knows its audience. Larkin knows who is reading this, knows the message needs to get out that your teenage years are not forever. But also lets kids know that people of all ages go through things. You are not alone. I am trying hard not to write an entire essay about this book (and failing I know), but I cannot stress enough how amazing it is. If you can handle the brutality of it all – not only the few descriptions, but the emotional brutality, and the reality of life – please read it.

You can purchase The Pause via the following

QBD |  Dymocks | Booktopia

 Angus & Robertson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust

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