University of Queensland Press, 2024. ISBN: 9780702266393. (Age:10+)
The lost history: Talismans of fateoffers high interest level to Middle School fantasy readers. It is the sequel to the multi-award-winning The Wintrish girl which represented the best of fantasy adventure writing. The lost history: Talismans of fateis more of a convoluted story which juggles many elements which could be confusing for the reader. Australian author La’Brooy takes the reader again into a fantasy world of mysterious talismans and strange realms in the Empire of Arylia. A map is conveniently supplied in the front pages!
In addition to the magical strangeness of the characters, settings and events is an obvious joy in the use of language. La’Brooy's writing plays out, in its energy and vitality, as a celebration of things that count for something - like libraries, clever kids, sharp thinking, courage in the face of fear, precision in the use of language and a celebration of history. Clever word play dances through much of the action and dialogue. As in The Wintrish girl, “Malevolence” and “Malevolents” and “Marvelance” and “Marvellous” play out. There is much wisdom scattered throughout that could well be quoted more widely e.g. Thaddeus states, (p.42)..."Unlimited, unfiltered information without proper context or the means to understand it can be a very dangerous thing."
The core message of the book may be found in chapter twenty where Penn meets her mysterious aunt at her spinning wheel in a hidden place somewhere off "Betwixt and Between" which is reminiscent of princesses in towers and magic spinning wheels. Penn is allowed twenty questions. Wise words guide her including "...lifting a curse will not eradicate the hatred that brought it into being in the first place" and "...the Arylians cling to their power in the present because doing so enables them to rewrite the past. The past, the present and the future are merely one continuous thread jumbled together..." The focus of the book is on reading history correctly, finding reliable sources and reading the footnotes in order to understand the past and thereby tackle the future.
Evil has to be overcome. Our heroes: Penn, Seraphine, Juniper and Arthur (thoroughly likeable and courageous heroes) form a tight friendship group as they overcome danger and discover their separate abilities. The settings and action sequences, being cinematic and imaginative, would be a screen-writer's paradise.
The lost history: Talismans of fateis a complicated read. Multiple strands of settings, characters, storylines, and magical aspects have to be held simultaneously by the reader. Because of its complications, the book has to be read carefully and in close sittings. Therefore it is recommended for young people who are both adept readers and lovers of the fantasy genre. Whilst the energy and authorial voice is the same and the theme is very important, The lost history: Talismans of fateis not as readable as The Wintrish girl. Many overlays are threaded into the story with possible resultant confusion for the reader which reduces the flow of the story and reading pleasure.
The lost history: Talismans of fate ends abruptly with another book to follow. There is so much silliness and seriousness and so much happening in The lost history: Talismans of fate that one hopes that further adventures of Penn and her friends could be toned down to support readers. The action sequences and creative settings definitely lend themselves to a screen version of the story which could work better than the written version.
There is much that is very, very good offered by The lost history:Talismans of fate but it is not a book for those who do not enjoy juggling multiple elements.
A beginner's guide to choosing the perfect pet by Ali Rutstein. Illus. by Tommy Doyle
Allen & Unwin, 2024. ISBN: 9781761180903. (Age:3+) Highly recommended.
Laugh out loud, full of humour not to be taken too seriously, the family in searching for the perfect pet, is presented with an array of totally inappropriate pets as well as dismissing some equally sound ones, those the reading audience will recognise with tenderness.
The young polka dotted girl shows us a number of totally unsuitable pets; rabbits for example only want world domination, guinea pigs harbour dark thoughts, puppies keep following you, budgies keep their beady eyes on you, while kittens won’t let you alone with your knitting.
On the other hand, a crocodile is a most excellent pet, quiet and peaceful with a happy go lucky demeanour, and Tigers are wonderfully cuddly and fun loving, and just what you need when playing hide and seek. Now a rhino is a fabulous pet, earthy, and sweet, with a horn just right for hanging your handbag on and a python is the best for the family, as it has impeccable manners, is loyal and elegant.
Each set of pets will bring gales of laughter from the audience as they spot just what these animals presents in the family pet stakes. Children will yell out giving reasons for some to be struck off the list of possible pets, and others included. How would their family cope with a jellyfish or python, and what could be better than a budgie or rescue dog.
Obviously this family does need some help in choosing just the right pet and going to the animal rescue shelter, they find their own misunderstood creature to take home. I wonder what it will be. Excitement mounts as the last page is turned, landing on the animal the polka dotted girl takes home, finding that her new pet has appetites of his own and leaves only her polka dotted hair bow on the floor of his new house.
A very funny book that will entertain as well as encouraging readers to think about the suitability of some animals in their home environment.
Kids will certainly debate which animal is best and laugh at the choices given in the book. Bold, vivid illustrations cover each page as each animal is shown with some of its traits exposed. The looks on the faces of the animals are priceless, adding another level of humour to the story as some of the animals, unbeknownst to the child, have more than being a pet on their minds.
The disembodied prologue makes a compelling teaser for the sequel to “Hearts that Bind”. We plunge into danger, rapidy rewarded by recognition of the horrific crime against a schoolgirl but not the circumstances.
“‘Hush now,’ he crooned. His hand fisted in the back of her shirt, rooting her in place. The girl could just make out the outline of his face: his brow knit in concentration, his eyes twinkling a bright silver. It’s over now,’ he said – then came an aching, world-shattering SNAP!”
The backstory begins with Chapter 1, invoking the controlling idea behind the first book, which was set in Alante where the Ora sisters, descendants of the Greek Fates, weild separate powers to weave, draw or cut the threads of love and life that bind people together.
The Wastelands we see are still suffering from The Great Tide, soaking the earth and daily driving humans above the tideline. Our protagonist, Io -youngest of the sisters and a 'cutter' is once again on a quest, leaping over the rising ooze between towns, doing odd jobs to survive, ‘cutting’ threads for money when desperate; yet all while looking for clues to curtail a trail of deadly mischief left by the gods. Somewhere out there, is her soul mate with whom she shares a fraying fate-thread – Edei. Tantalizingly, her quilt of threads shows she is closing the gap to their reunion.
Thankfully for readers, Io now has a permanent side-kick, the ever resourceful Bianca – the furyborn mob queen of Alante. Their relationship is nearly as strained as that of Io and her two sisters, but despite the tension and pranks, Bianca and Io keep showing up for each other through non-stop death-defying escapes as they avoid the authorities to follow the powerful conspirators who are abducting and maiming siblings in every town from Alante to the Golden City. Arriving at golden Nanzy, the danger escalates to match Io’s realization that the fate of the world really does depend on her.
Kika Hatzopoulou is at her dangerous and descriptive best in terms of fast-paced action that verges on horror. YA will be submersed by assassin-style events above The Great Tide through the singular skill of this author. Highly recommended.
Mooki vs the big scary by Scotty James with Steve Worland and Dave Atze
Penguin, 2024. ISBN: 9781761347405. (Age:6-8)
Mooki is a cute little alien that lives on the moon and visits Earth to go on adventures with his human friend Cindy and her dog Ralph. Mooki likes to dream big and the adventure that Mooki suggests to his friends in this story is to climb a very tall mountain. It takes him a while to convince his friends that they will be able to accomplish this seemingly impossible task. Cindy has heard that on this mountain there is a BIG SCARY and so, as they meet all kinds of enormous and interesting creatures and obstacles along the way, they wonder if any of them are indeed the big scary they have heard so much about. The story moves along at a fast pace with pages filled with cartoon style, black and red illustrations and very little text. David Atze artworks are bold and provide visual clues that will engage younger readers. There is a child-like quirky silliness through the text that will resonate with this age group. The themes of teamwork, friendship, resilience, facing your fears and embracing challenges are presented here in a way that is easy for children to understand and may teach them how to overcome obstacles and help to build self-confidence.
Mooki is a childhood nickname given to Australian snowboarding champion, Scotty James and is the inspiration for the main character in his debut book for young readers. It evolved into an alter-ego for James and inspired him to dream big and conquer any challenge he faced through his life and career.
The Brothers Hawthorne is the fourth instalment in Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ bestselling The Inheritance Games series. Fans of the series will be delighted to see it continuing, considering that Barnes wrapped up enough of the story in the third novel to justify leaving it as a trilogy. Most of the main protagonists are back but this time, we view the story through the eyes of Grayson and Jameson Hawthorne, rather than Avery Grambs. While the brothers appear together at both the novel’s beginning and conclusion, most of the book is spent alternating between the two as they carry out very different, and very personal, missions.
Grayson has received word that his half-sisters – who do not know about his existence and have never met him – are in trouble. He initially inserts himself into their world as a stranger, determined to help them while maintaining emotional distance. This soon falls by the wayside however when Grayson begins to both get to know his sisters in real life and realises the imminent danger they may be in.
Meanwhile, Jameson and Avery have travelled to London where they are sent a letter by Jameson’s long-lost father. Rather than the emotional and heartwarming reunion Jameson may have been hoping for, his father offers him an opportunity for intrigue and danger. The goal is to infiltrate London’s most exclusive and secretive member’s club and win back the family estate that has been lost to gambling. Suspicious of his father’s motives but unable to resist the invitation, Jameson and Avery set about ingratiating themselves to the members of the Devil’s Mercy and find themselves drawn into a game that will reveal just how far Jameson is willing to go to win.
The Brothers Hawthorne is a fun and reasonably low stakes romp in the world of The Inheritance Games. It is not until near the end of the novel that Barnes reveals where it sits in the series timeline. We learn that the events of The Brothers Hawthorne take place after the end of the story proper of The Final Gambit, the third instalment in the series, but before the epilogue. The Brothers Hawthorne sits slightly apart from the other books and could easily be read as a stand alone novel, although it does reveal major spoilers for the rest of the series. Although not as critical to the events of the series as its predecessors, The Brothers Hawthorne continues to flesh out the characters of the four Hawthorne brothers and provides several directions in which Barnes could take the story moving forward.
The fifth book in this series about Juno Jones, who used to hate reading until someone gave her just the right book at just the right time and now she is hooked. Written in first person the books take the reader through everything Juno is experiencing at quite a hectic pace. In this story Juno Jones is going on a Book camp and must take a break from saving the world hoping the Alien Lizards (AKA Men in suits) who are working to close her beloved school don't do it while she is gone. Juno has a group of imaginary friends who are helping her to defeat the Lizard men. Tukoshi, a habu, a pika and an Ussuri brown bear are her gang and now she has discovered that her annoying little brother George can see them too and wants to become her faithful sidekick. But Book camp comes first, and she is looking forward to spending quality reading time with her friends and enjoying the book themed meals and activities. Juno and her group of nerdy friends are lucky enough to score the best cabin at camp which annoys Smelly Bella (her sworn enemy) and her crew who must sleep in a much smaller room. Bella takes revenge by airing Juno’s underwear on a flagpole and Bella and Juno are forced to go for a walk in the woods together to sort out their differences which results in a very surprising turn of events.
The use of highlighted text and footnotes is clever and enhances the story as do the well-placed illustrations. I would recommend that readers tackle these books in order as much of the content follows from one book to the next and it could be confusing to pick one up without having read the ones that come before.
Themes Books, Camping, Friendship.
Gabrielle Anderson
Hester Hitchins and the falling stars by Catherine Norton
Hester Hitchins is an unusual girl for her time, she is strong-willed, courageous, resourceful, clever and loves mathematics. She is growing up in 1860’s England where schooling for girls is not always valued. She and her siblings are forced to go and live with her unmarried Uncle when her father goes missing at sea and her mother dies giving birth to twins. Her Uncle Henry sees the children as unpaid labour for his rope making business so takes them all out of school.
But Hester is convinced that her father, being only presumed dead, could be found. Her father always told her he only needed a compass, a telescope and knowledge of the movements of the stars to find his way home to them. Having already acquired a simple compass (a lodestone) she decides to sit the test to gain entry into the prestigious Nautical Navigation Academy so she can learn to navigate with the stars. But although she is very successful and gains a scholarship to the Academy she finds herself being employed as a scullery maid at the manor nearby because girls are not welcome at the school. Being a very observant and persistant girl Hester finds a way to get where she wants to be, but she constantly finds that other people’s actions and choices are impacting on her dream and the hopes of other girls around her.
Scientific thinking of this era is woven through the story and makes interesting reading along with the facts about astronomy that refer to the “Falling stars” in the title. The characters are varied and true to the era and enlighten readers to the plight of girls in this period. Some of the characters are based loosely on real people of the time whose stories are outlined at the back of the book in the author notes. This will be an interesting way to bring more interest about early female astronomers and scientists to classrooms.
Themes Stars, Fathers, Missing persons, Navigation, Sex role, London (England) History.
17-year-old Jasper is drifting in a dysfunctional world where portals to hell regularly open up and spew aggressive demons on the despondent population. To safeguard the people, the Vanguard Military Corporation patrols the cities and guards the hell portals, one of which is barricaded off in aisle nine of Jasper’s workplace, the Here For You Mart.
Some years prior, Jasper lost his parents to a hell portal, and he now suffers from amnesia after an accident at the HFY Mart. To compound his anguish, he and Kyle, a Vanguard recruit stationed in the HFY Mart, both have premonitions of a coming apocalypse, and decide they have to try to prevent it, before it occurs during the Black Friday shopping mayhem.
Jasper’s inkling about his previous involvement with Kyle adds emotional interest, and anyone who has worked in retail will appreciate Cho’s take on entitled customers and angry bosses. Aisle Nine is full-on adventure with a fun dig at rampant consumerism and accepting a ‘new-normal’ as the world we know starts to fall apart.
The control that the Vanguard Corp has over the population and the dangers they face every day should make this a dystopian read, but Cho has subverted the genre with satire and absurdity. The growing relationship between Jasper and Kyle, and the incongruity of the demons make the novel more ‘humour’ than ‘horror’. Themes of ‘overcoming personal issues and hopelessness’ and ‘being there for others’ add a human element, and the tongue-in-cheek portrayal of retail employment is fun to read.
Originally published in 2011 this book has been reprinted to allow a new cohort of young readers to enjoy these books as their first steps to reading novels. The pseudonym Mac Park is the author Louise Park, known for her bestselling series fiction for younger readers that includes Zac Power, Boy vs Beast, Harriet Clare, D-Bot Squad, Star Girl and the Grace mysteries. She also writes as H.I. Larry.
This is the third book in the series of stories about Kai and his dogbot battle buddy BC who are Border guards in training to protect the world from the Mega Beasts who are constantly trying to enter the human side of Earth through the border wall. The story has Kai and BC battling a fire-throwing beast using all the gadgets provided to them by the BMC (Bordaria Master Command). The book introduces Kai and his dogbot, describes the world they live in and what their missions entail using simple language, short sentences and large font. The illustrations throughout complement and enhance the text. There is also a section of graphic novel style pages that shows the actual battle with the beast in the story, making it more enjoyable for this young audience.
Themes Computer games, Battles, Beasts.
Gabrielle Anderson
Why I love Christmas by Michael Wagner. Illus. by Tom Jellett
The Aussie Christmas is revealed in all its glory in this funny book by Wagner, and illustrated by Jellett giving his wonderfully warm-hearted, family oriented images of Christmas in the suburbs. From the endpapers showing a myriad of Christmas lights, to kids playing instruments for money from passers by, to the community sharing their displays and a meal, all the tropes of Christmas are presented, both in text and illustrations, making it a wonderful source of inspiration for some and a reminder to others of the fun filled days ahead.
Readers will be jumping for joy as the family celebrate Christmas through the eyes of this family. The receiving of the Advent Calendar is the start with the children warned to only open one flap at a time. Then the decorations begin appearing along with Christmas songs sung everywhere. The tree is then put up with the whole family helping with decorating it. Outside, lights festoon the house, and a street party sees all the neighbours coming out to chat and eat together. At night, families walk down local streets to view other people’s light displays. The cousins get together to make a gingerbread house. And this family makes cards and presents for each other, while remembering those who do not get much by putting a present under the Giving Tree. Once the school holidays begin, things start to happen, as the countdown starts. A Father Christmas on the bus gives out candy canes, families go to the park for Christmas Carol singing, and on Christmas Eve, food is put out for Santa while the children struggle to sleep. Christmas Day sees the family rising early and presents unwrapped while everyone gets ready for the traditional Christmas lunch at Nana’s. Crackers are pulled and the lamest of jokes shared, while those no longer there are remembered. A wonderful day is spent by all with family, food and frivolity, and it will all happen again in 12 months.
Jellett’s illustrations always set a family oriented mood to the story and this one is no different: Dad in his thongs dons a Viking helmet, the kids play with each other and their dogs, Mum looks harassed helping to organise them all. I love the look on Mum’s face at the Christmas lunch, cheeks a little red, hair akimbo, looking on as Dad toasts the absent Grandfather. Jellett’s families are wonderful, inclusive, full of life, and fun.
Readers will love the lead up to Christmas reading this family’s journey to Christmas Day. And the readers will recall two other books by the same duo, Why I love footy, and Why I love summer.
Liang has taken a famous legend of one of the four beauties of ancient China and crafted an exquisite love story. It is the story of Xishi, the one who was so beautiful that when fish saw her reflection in the water, they would forget how to swim and sink to the bottom of the lake. Her beauty sees her selected to become a duplicitous peace offering by the King Goujian of Yue to the all-conquering enemy King Fuchai of Wu. She is to be a concubine and a spy, capture Fuchai’s devotion, exploit his weaknesses and pass on logistical secrets to the Yue army led by the indomitable Fanli.
For Xishi the role is an opportunity to avenge her young sister’s death by a Wu soldier, safeguard her parents, and restore the honour and livelihoods of the impoverished survivors of the Wu ferocity. But her heart remains always with the handsome Fanli, whose unyielding determination has seen him survive torture and rise to become an acclaimed military leader. The worst torture of all becomes the delivering of the beautiful Xishi into the hands of the enemy king.
The character of Xishi combines beauty, intelligence and quick thinking. She has to use her wiles to attract and maintain Fuchai’s attention, and outmanoeuvre those plotting against her favour in the court. She has always to hide her true feelings, as must Fanli also, and never acknowledge the emotion between them.
It is not a simple tale of good versus evil. Liang allows Xishi to realise the tender side of Fuchai, a man who can show kindness and gentleness to her, alongside the careless brutality he may show others. And Xishi also learns that in war there are cruelties on both sides. In bringing down the Wu kingdom, she comes to realise that Wu men, women and children will suffer at the hands of her own country’s soldiers.
A song to drown rivers is a heart-wrenching story of denied love, set within the magnificent but dangerous courts of ancient China. Liang’s fantasy debut is a departure from her usual YA contemporary romances (see I hope this doesn’t find you), and shows her versatility and expertise. I would be eager to see her turn her pen to another of the legendary Chinese four beauties.
Themes Chinese legend, Fantasy, Romance, Self-sacrifice, Revenge.
Helen Eddy
Star of Anise by Jane Jolly
National Library of Australia, 2022. ISBN: 9781922507396. (Age:3+) Highly recommended.
The first men from Afghanistan and Pakistan who arrived in Australia during the nineteenth century, worked the camels needed for exploration and carrying goods to outback settlements. Some of these became hawkers, but most hawkers were from the Sikh communities of northern India. Women were not allowed to accompany the men to Australia, so these men traveled alone in their wagons, taking goods to places beyond any shop. The excitement of a hawker’s wagon arriving at their isolated homestead had Annie and Arthur speeding down the dusty road to meet Bhagwan. He invites them into his wagon to select the goods their family might buy and to seek out something for themselves.
Annie is looking at the beautiful hair combs Bhagwan promised to bring last time he was here, while Arthur’s eyes went to the dagger, but his mother had told him these were only worn by the Sikh men. After looking at the exotic array of goods from far away, the children see Bhagwan put out his mat and begins to get ready for the night. He takes off his turban and unwinds his long black hair, combing it up again and putting on a new clean turban. The children take his dirty one back home to be washed. He cooks a meal which smells of home and he shows Annie the star anise which gives it its flavour. The smell of this herb reminds him of the Punjab and those he has left behind.
He gives several of them to Annie and she places these on her dressing table, allowing the aroma to fill the room. She too, dreams of exotic places beyond her walls. Next day as Bhagwan packs up to leave, Annie gives him a sprig of gum nuts, letting him draw in the aroma of this Australian tree.
A charming story of a little known part of Australia’s history, this book will open children’s eyes to the life led by people their age more than a century ago, when visitors were rare and goods from overseas even rarer. The excitement of the travelling hawker is convincingly revealed as Annie and Arthur run to meet the turbaned man and his wagon.
The story of these men and the work they did is offered in the last four pages of the book, with photos of the times to intrigue the readers. This gentle tale embraces the diversity of people who came to Australia a century or more ago, noting their traditions and customs readily accepted by those they came in touch with. This book underscores the multicultural aspects of Australian life, not only in the twenty first century, but from the beginnings.
Supported by lovely illustrations, the whole talks of loneliness, of excitement when the hawker comes by, of his reminiscences of home, of the children’s increased knowledge of places far away, of the panorama of the Australian environment, of the work done by early migrants to this country speaking a different language and with different customs, who helped open the outback for exploration, trade and settlement. Illustrator Di Wu captures Bhagwan’s differences expertly, showing the importance of his hair, the dagger, and the things he brings in his wagon, how the star anise recalls memories of his home, and promotes thoughts in Anna of places beyond her world.
Themes Sikhs, Hawkers, Australian history, Remoteness, Star anise.
After enjoying The Thursday murder clubseries I was thrilled to pick up the first in a new series, We solve murders. I was not disappointed. Osman packs a punch with wonderful characters, sparkling humour and exciting action. Steve Wheeler is enjoying his life. He has retired from the Police Force, and while grieving for his wife Debbie, he likes his friends, the pub quiz and his cat Trouble. He also enjoys chatting to his daughter-in-law, Amy, who has an adrenal filled life as a bodyguard for the rich and famous. When it looks as if Amy is being framed for murder, she calls on Steve for help and together they race around the world accompanied by bestselling author Rosie D’Antonio, trying to follow clues to the identity of the mysterious François Loubet, the money launderer behind the death of influencers who have been carrying money in leather bags through customs.
In a whirlwind trip from South Carolina to England to St. Lucia to Ireland and Dubai, the reader is carried along to exotic places, often in Rosie’s private jet. The reader is brought into the world of money smugglers, influencers, private security and high finance. There are many twists and turns in the plot and I was kept guessing which of the many well developed secondary characters hid the identity of the mysterious Francois Loubet. The pursuit of Amy and the threat to an influencer, a young mother of two, also had me holding my breath as the suspense was ramped up.
I loved the main characters in We solve murders. Osman has the happy knack of making the reader feel as if they know them. Steve is a very relatable character – taken out of his comfortable small world he rises to the occasion and uses his intellect to work out many of the complexities of the murders. Amy is a feisty young woman who prefers real life fighting to boxing in a gym and the duo work well together. Rosie D’Antonio’s antics and snarky dialogue will keep readers laughing aloud.
I look forward to more in this series and hope that Osman returns to The Thursday Murder Club series as well.
Themes Murder, Influencers, Thriller, Humour.
Pat Pledger
Evenfall: The golden linnet by Alexander Armstrong
The quote on the back of the book, from Richard Osman, long-time colleague of the author, accurately expresses that the book is “A Da Vinci Code for kids”. It will appeal to fans of other fantasy offerings such as Phillip Pullman’s Dark materials, Percy Jackson and Harry Potter fans. It is a debut novel for children from Alexander Armstrong who is better known for his hosting of the UK TV series "Pointless".
The story centres around Sam, an ordinary 13-year-old boy caring for his ailing father after his mother was killed in a tragic motor accident some years ago. He is gifted a strange necklace and a Golden seal on his thirteenth birthday which seem to give him strange and wonderful powers. Unbeknownst to Sam he was born to be the Tempest, a leader to save an ancient secret order of storytellers who once protected the world. The Order of the Evening have all but been wiped out by evil forces hoping to find their hidden palace Belassis which is the source of some very powerful magic. In the wrong hands it could destroy the world, and an old enemy is getting closer to finding it. Sam and his unlikely friends Ish and Goz, must uncover family secrets, take terrifying journeys and face the cruellest of enemies to learn to unlock his true destiny and fulfill his heritage.
The book is fast-paced and takes the reader through some complex scenarios which may be better understood by more advanced readers. Relationships are not always as they first seem, and Sam must work out who he can trust and who is working to destroy him. Sam’s friendship with Ish and the ways in which Ish’s family provide support to Sam is heart-warming and their developing friendship with the very independent Goz adds to this incredible adventure. A perfect read aloud for classrooms or bedtime.
Text Publishing, 2024. ISBN: 9781922790880. (Age:9+) Highly Recommended.
Luna is a witch-in-training at Grim’s School for the Education of Young Witches in Paris. Her magic skills can be hit and miss, probably due to the fact she doesn’t yet have a familiar. Luna’s adoptive aunts, shopkeepers in the witches quarter, believe in her – if only she believed in herself? The story begins with another broken down broom forcing Luna to take the train home, after exchanging her moon ring for a small boobook owl at the market in the Lost Forest.
Could the boobook she named Silver, for the colour of its feathers, be her familiar? The bird seller advised her to keep the owl hidden but assured her that it belonged to her. The familiar must choose the witch and she must accept that. In an effort to set Silver free to determine if they are a match, she is set upon by Goblins seeking the reward for the Owlet.
A terrible series of events unfold and she is suspected of stealing Madame Valadons’ familiar, although The Best Witch in Paris already has a fearsome familiar. Shunned by The Magic Council of Witches she is expelled from school and her family are threatened in various ways until she returns the boobook, which she refuses to do.
Never fear, the school library holds the answers to much more than her curse assignment. The school librarian, Marielle the library monitor and even the library ghosts rally around Luna when her three aunts disappear. Saffie and Marielle are eager to help her solve the mystery once they are taken into Luna’s confidence. If a familiar can only ever belong to one witch, she needs more than a new broom to uncover how baby Luna was found by her aunts and raised as a witch.
The twists and turns of this adventure drives the reader on. Crucial to Luna’s journey of self-discovery is her quest to save the boobook owl and perhaps even the whole community of witches. We confirm that access to information isn’t inherently good or bad whether it’s dark magic, family history or owl husbandry.
Themes range from never making assumptions about others to self-belief and belongingness but are nuanced in the absorbing and fast paced narrative arc. Lauren Crosier won the 2023 Text Prize using all the delightful tropes of witches. Yet she has somehow brought the story into the 21st century in Melbourne using female commaradarie to solve complex mysteries rather than man-made Google.
