The Constant Rabbit by Jasper Fforde

18 Dec 2025 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, Audiobook, Fantasy Tags: , , , ,

Published: 2 July 2020 (print)/2 July 2020 (audio) Goodreads badge
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton /Hodder & Stoughton
Pages: 307/12 hrs and 27 mins
Narrator: Andrew Wincott
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Fantasy
★   ★   ★   ★ – 4.5 Stars

Peter Knox lives quietly in one of those small country villages that’s up for the Village Garden of the Year award. Until Doc and Constance Rabbit move in next door, upsetting the locals (many of them members of governing political party United Kingdom Against Rabbit Population), complicating Peter’s job as a Rabbit Spotter, and forcing him to take a stand, moving from unconscious leporiphobe to active supporter of the UK’s amiable and peaceful population of anthropomorphised rabbits.

 

Jasper Fforde has a fantastic way of creating alternate timelines/universes where it feels so real yet there’s always something slightly off. In Thursday Next it was the Crimean war and airships, and technology to bring back extinct creatures, in The Constant Rabbit there is the unexplained event that anthropomorphised rabbits and a few other creatures. But it happened so long ago, and has been so ingrained in society it’s its now normal.

Having an older narrator was great because being old enough to know about the before times, while having life experience behind him with the new world order worked to give a well-rounded story. There are people who know no different, and those who remember before. And the snippets of information about the years before add another element of this creative world Fforde has built.

Peter was a great character, he was perfectly suited because he was very middle of the road and accepting, but at the same time had a few opinions but still needed to be pushed into a cause. Being surrounded by such a variety of other types of people (and rabbits) was a great way to see that a regular person can make a difference without being presented to us from the beginning as The Hero.

I loved the subtle yet not subtle dig at UKIP and the characters based on certain UK politicians with their xenophobic and racists views. It felt real within the universe Fforde has created, yet mimicked their real world idiotic views. Fforde keeps it in world beautifully but still manages to pointedly state despite their loudness, they are wrong and in the minority.

One thing I adore about Fford’e writing is he’s great at giving you glimpses of future events in the story without telling you any spoilers. They are intriguing enough that you know something happens but not when why or how, and often not even if it will happen in the current book or is just there for story context. But this time we know it’s going to happen in story and it’s those little clues at future events actually makes the waiting more enjoyable because with a type story like this, anything is possible and could happen at any time.

One key highlight was the narrator was fantastic! Wincott had an absolute perfect style of reading this book that I adored from the second I started. I loved the tone used to tell the story, I can’t think how to describe it but it was perfect for this type of narrative. I don’t think it’s entirely down to the writing either (heaven knows I’ve heard some rubbish audio from brilliant texts) because while the tone and writing style of the story was fabulous, it matched perfectly with Wincott’s voice.

The mystical concept of anthropomorphised rabbits and the way society has adapted in such a short period of time was fascinating. There is so little else that is different from our world that having them coexist and the societal rules around that in terms of legislation and polite society was fascinating to read. Fforde always comes up with clever concepts but the execution and the well thought out world building and ground work he lays to have it all make sense is astounding.

There is personal drama, animal politics, and the magical realism we love from these kinds of novels. The tiny details are as important as the bigger ideas and as per usual they are interwoven and threaded together, circled back to and have more impact than you think in pure Fforde creativity.

Honestly, I have to say it again, if you can get this as an audio please do, Wincott smashed it out of the park and I enjoyed the brilliant style in which he read it as much as the story itself.

You can purchase The Constant Rabbit via the following

QBD |  Dymocks | Booktopia

Wordery |  Blackwell’s | Angus & Robertson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible

Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales

10 Dec 2025 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, Audiobook, Aussie YA Challenge, Australian Women Writers, LGBTQIA, Young Adult Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Published: 9 March 2021 (print)/11 March 2021 (audio) Goodreads badge
Publisher: Wednesday Books/Hodder Children’s Books
Pages: 352/8 hrs and 58 mins
Narrator: Barrie Kreinik
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Contemporary Young Adult
★   ★   ★   ★ – 4 Stars

Her advice, spot on. Her love life, way off.

Darcy Phillips:
• Can give you the solution to any of your relationship woes—for a fee.
• Uses her power for good. Most of the time.
• Really cannot stand Alexander Brougham.
• Has maybe not the best judgement when it comes to her best friend, Brooke…who is in love with someone else.
• Does not appreciate being blackmailed.

However, when Brougham catches her in the act of collecting letters from locker 89—out of which she’s been running her questionably legal, anonymous relationship advice service—that’s exactly what happens. In exchange for keeping her secret, Darcy begrudgingly agrees to become his personal dating coach—at a generous hourly rate, at least. The goal? To help him win his ex-girlfriend back.

Darcy has a good reason to keep her identity secret. If word gets out that she’s behind the locker, some things she’s not proud of will come to light, and there’s a good chance Brooke will never speak to her again.

Okay, so all she has to do is help an entitled, bratty, (annoyingly hot) guy win over a girl who’s already fallen for him once? What could go wrong?

One thing I’ve discovered is I enjoy books set in US high schools if they are written by an Australian. I picked this up for my #AussieYAChallenge but was incredibly confused with the American narrator. But it ended up ok because it’s a good story and does have decent Australian representation in it.

The US school system is a baffling thing anyway but I liked that it didn’t feel so engrained in the school. We get story outside of school a lot which helped balance it. I also enjoyed how even though it followed the US style YA story of having these school wide social media/student organised systems in the form of Darcy’s advice business, it wasn’t weird and unsettling. It was something I had seen with One of Us is Lying, and a few others – a public forum, app, or secrets blog that ruled the school, caused drama, or blackmailed people. This is more like Dear Wendy which technically was university and more public, but the premise was the same: a write in advice service.

The secret locker business was interesting, and the way Darcy explains it was set up is reasonable, as is the eventually outcome of the whole endeavour. Darcy has an interest in helping people and makes sure she does her research and isn’t doing it for gossip or nefarious purposes. But like all things, it’s the invested interest and biases than can get you into trouble.

The hired for advice thing was well played out, and I liked how the relationship between Brougham and Darcy evolved. The blurb is slightly misleading, but from Darcy’s perspective it is not entirely untrue. While there is drama I enjoyed the personal nature of it and it never felt unrealistic. The often overdone, overreaction unreality was missing and it was refreshing to see.

I enjoyed the queer aspect where the bisexual representation was handled well, as well as the exploration of other issues in the school club discussions. It isn’t a side plot per se, Gonzales interweaves everything to be connected somehow, but it’s another aspect of Darcy’s character and it’s a great way to show her growth as well as tie it into the conflicts of the story.

Even with the US setting Gonzales brought the Aussie writing style that made it feel natural. With this also came the benefit of having an Australian character that didn’t sound like a painful stereotype or an American in disguise. Brougham got to actually be a full character and not a background voice of cliché phrases. Gonzales does sneak in a few slang words and some unspoken things which any good Aussie could pick up on, and while it felt a little like a nod to the Aussie reader or a brief education, it still felt ok and within the narrative. I never felt like we stopped the story to have a wedged in “Australian moment”, instead it was a fun meeting of cultures.

Kreinik is a good narrator and the voice of Darcy suited her well. There was no bad Aussie accent either which was so good and a nice change. Overall I was pleasantly surprised considering I was a little reluctant going in.

You can purchase Perfect on Paper via the following

QBD |  Dymocks | Booktopia

Wordery |  Blackwell’s | Angus & Robertson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible

Room for More by Michelle Kadarusman

14 Nov 2025 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, Australian Women Writers, The Picture Book Corner Tags: , , , , , ,

Published: 14 June 2022Goodreads badge
Publisher: Pajama Press
Illustrator: Maggie Zeng
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book
★   ★   ★   ★  – 4 Stars

Two wombats, two wallabies, a koala, and a tiger snake humorously squeeze into one burrow—and reveal important truths about environmental disasters and the importance of welcoming refugees. 

When afire sweeps through the Australian bush, wombats Dig and Scratch are glad to have a cool, damp burrow to keep them safe. But Dig notices that other animals are not so lucky. When Dig invites a wallaby mother and her joey to shelter with them, Scratch grumbles. When Dig beckons to a koala, Scratch complains. And when Dig welcomes in a tiger snake, Scratch is fit to be tied—but Dig is sure there’s always room for more. And when the rains come to douse the fire and bring a new threat of flooding, a crowd of creatures may turn out to be just what the wombats need.

Inspired by stories of animals sheltering in wombat burrows when her homeland of Australia experienced devastating fires, award-winning author Michelle Kadarusman gets young readers up close and personal with Australian wildlife. Illustrator Maggie Zeng brings the creatures to life with a generous dose of personality as they squeeze together in the burrow and work together aboveground. Extensive back matter includes information about wildfires, a glossary of animals, and age-appropriate context about environmental disasters and the work that is being done—including a renewal of Indigenous land practices—to prevent them.

Unlike the other book which covered this topic, which was sweet but fell a smidge short because it came from a USA perspective, this one is more natural and keeps the animals in their native environments. It also comes from someone who knows what this country goes through with bushfires.

I liked that Scratch and Dig covered two perspectives: one to help, and one to be wary of room and danger. It doesn’t idolise the risks involved but it also helps show that while these are factors, it is still the right thing to do.

The illustrations are gorgeous. The subdued but earthy and natural tones really make this story feel like it’s set in the bushland, especially with the red orange glow of the impending bushfire. Zeng’s art style is full of emotion but still keeps the animals animals. The details on the landscape is subtle but beautifully detailed too. The natural setting really helps bring home what these fires were like and how it impacted on the environment.

The story is one of the many that came out of the Black Summer bushfires and it’s still really hard to read about all these years later. But stories like this give a little light in the tragedy that the previous actions of some animals could help save lives. The authors note acknowledges these burrows may not have been active at the time, but it’s a little light of joy to think there was a wombat or two who tolerated sharing their space.

You can purchase Room for More via the following

QBD |  Dymocks | Blackwell’s

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust

A is for… A Rabbit’s Tale by Jackie Hosking

17 Oct 2025 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, Australian Women Writers, The Picture Book Corner Tags: , , , , , ,

Published: 2nd July 2025
Publisher: Walker Books Australia
Illustrator: Lucinda Gifford
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book
★   ★   ★   ★  – 4.5 Stars

A quirky, funny and clever alphabet book with a twist – with bright and colourful illustrations by much loved illustrator Lucinda Gifford

A is for A rabbit.
B is for Buy this book!

A hilarious alphabet story – for anyone who ever wanted a pet … and for everyone who loves a wonderful tail, um, tale with a twist!

I love this book. It’s such a clever play on the A is for… structure. Everything in this book is connected to rabbits and there is no narrative outside of the ABC format, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a fun story.

As we go through the alphabet we see our character connect to rabbits in a fun way, A is for A rabbit, B is for Buy a rabbit and so on. The best thing is R is not for Rabbit (though Hosking does point out in a small note that R is also for Rabbit). But my favourite one is ‘U is for Understandably, you want your own rabbit’.

Cleverly through this alphabet non story there is a story about sharing, about jealousy, and above all loving your new awesome rabbit. There is a fabulous twist at the end and it was surprising how a simple format with very few words could be so delightful and funny. I love Hosking’s approach to this and Gifford’s illustrations add context and humour and aide the unspoken narrative remarkably well.

You can purchase A is for a Rabbit’s Tale via the following

  Dymocks | Booktopia | Wordery

  Fishpond | Amazon Aust

Find Layla by Meg Elison

14 Oct 2025 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, Audiobook, Young Adult Tags: , , , ,

Published: 01 September 2020 (print)/01 September 2020 (audio) Goodreads badge
Publisher: Skyscape/Brilliance Audio
Pages: 188/6 hrs and 32 mins
Narrator: Jesse Vilinsky
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Contemporary
★   ★   ★   ★ – 4 Stars

A neglected girl’s chaotic coming-of-age becomes a trending new hashtag in a novel about growing up and getting away by an award-winning author.

Underprivileged and keenly self-aware, SoCal fourteen-year-old Layla Bailey isn’t used to being noticed. Except by mean girls who tweet about her ragged appearance. All she wants to do is indulge in her love of science, protect her vulnerable younger brother, and steer clear of her unstable mother.

Then a school competition calls for a biome. Layla chooses her own home, a hostile ecosystem of indoor fungi and secret shame. With a borrowed video camera, she captures it all. The mushrooms growing in her brother’s dresser. The black mold blooming up the apartment walls. The unmentionable things living in the dead fridge. All the inevitable exotic toxins that are Layla’s life. Then the video goes viral.

When Child Protective Services comes to call, Layla loses her family and her home. Defiant, she must face her bullies and friends alike, on her own. Unafraid at last of being seen, Layla accepts the mortifying reality of visibility. Now she has to figure out how to stay whole and stand behind the truth she has shown the world.

One thing I adored about this book was how imperfect it was. Being only fourteen is a prime age for Elison to work with. Layla is grown up enough and seen enough that she knows how the system works, knows how to care for herself and her brother, while still having the inability to act too grown up or understand everything completely. She is strong but is lacking a lot of critical thinking, impulse control, and her development has been shaped by her mother’s actions.

I was impressed at the topic being addressed. Neglect is important and having it so boldly portrayed in this story was fantastic. Showing how easily it goes unnoticed, especially how Layla could cover some of it up but not all of it due to her age and maturity, despite her intellect, felt real. It was a great decision not to have Layla be a slightly older competent teen, someone who could navigate their situation better, but also not have her be a self-assured competent twelve or thirteen year old either. Not that there couldn’t be a capable twelve year old who can care for herself and her brother, but I think having Layla struggle but also succeed as best she did is important. This is the balance of not being able to clean the house for fear or wrath and not having the skills to try, especially with events too big like water damage.

I enjoyed and was intrigued by a lot of the book but I really started to love it more towards the end. This was no doubt because of the work put in at the start. The slow build up and establishment of Layla and her brother is ideal given the wrap up and rollercoaster at the end.

Something I find interesting is how misleading the blurb is. It’s not that that doesn’t happen, but it isn’t exactly right in how it plays out in the book and is certainly not the main focus of the book.

I’m not going to say I could write a better one, given it does actually describe events in the novel, but the lead up to these events are important and it implies Layla is passive and a victim in the outcome when her resourcefulness and her determination make things happen. She is a driver of her situation, however misguided, and that strength form someone in her situation was amazing to read about.

Vilinsky was a great narrator and brought Layla to life. Each character felt unique and I felt emotionally connected the Layla, her whole self and emotional journey coming through remarkably well.

The bittersweet ending is amazing and I’m surprised such a choice was made but I love that it doesn’t shy away from realities and that there can sometimes be no perfect endings, just different. It was the best ending for the story we’d experienced and it made the book even better for it.

You can purchase Find Layla via the following

QBD |  Dymocks | Booktopia

 Blackwell’s | Angus & Robertson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible

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