September book reviews

Two welcome additions to library stock this month are 'Picture me gone' by Meg Rosoff and 'Shine' by Candy Gourlay, both previous visitors to our 'Becoming a writer' programme. Both books are beautifully written - see my reviews here.

PICTURE ME GONE by MEG ROSOFF

 

Picture Me Gone is tells the story of 12 year old Mila, who sets of on a trip to America with her father Gil to visit his old friend Matthew. Shortly before they set off, they find out that Matthew has gone missing, but decide to go anyway and try and find him. After meeting Matthew’s family, Gil and Mila embark on a road trip to Matthew’s cabin to see if he has gone there.
Picture Me Gone is a beautiful book. I fell in love with Mila straight away. Her observations of the adults around her are delightful. She fancies herself as a bit of a detective and notices things that others miss. The book is written in the present tense first person and has the effect of making Mila very present, it is almost like a stream of consciousness, aided by the fact that there are no speech marks in the book. The relationships of the adults are beautifully observed and whilst observing others Mila also unravels her own complex relationship with her best friend. 
Picture Me Gone is tells the story of 12 year old Mila, who sets of on a trip to America with her father Gil to visit his old friend Matthew. Shortly before they set off, they find out that Matthew has gone missing, but decide to go anyway and try and find him. After meeting Matthew’s family, Gil and Mila embark on a road trip to Matthew’s cabin to see if he has gone there.

Picture Me Gone is a beautiful book. I fell in love with Mila straight away. Her observations of the adults around her are delightful. She fancies herself as a bit of a detective and notices things that others miss. The book is written in the present tense first person and has the effect of making Mila very present, it is almost like a stream of consciousness, aided by the fact that there are no speech marks in the book. The relationships of the adults are beautifully observed and whilst observing others Mila also unravels her own complex relationship with her best friend. 

SHINE by CANDY GOURLAY

Thirteen year old Rosa has something to hide and is forced to hide away on the island of Mirasol. When she encounters a friend online and makes arrangements to meet him, she uncovers some complicated truths about her family. Myths and ghosts are interwoven into the story, and Rosa discovers the truth about what really happened to her mother.
Shine is a delight to read. Rosa is a feisty character who is forced to live her life hidden away, with limited contact with the outside world. I loved the many tales from different cultures which are woven into the story, and the ghosts both real and imagined which haunt the edges of Rosa’s life. Told alongside the story of twins Kara and Kat, this is a thought provoking book about relationships and growing up.

Becoming a writer - Candy Gourlay

At the end of the summer we welcomed Candy Gourlay as the second author in our ‘Becoming a writer' programme. Candy is the author of ‘Tall Story’ and her new book, ‘Shine’ is published in September 2013. Candy’s took the students through the ‘Hero’s journey’, which works through the narrative structure of a novel. She interspersed this with her own journey to becoming a novelist, as well as her experiences of being a newspaper correspondent in the Philippines. Her workshop was very engaging with lots of humour and was also enjoyed by Mr Hughes and Mr McIntyre.
The series returns in October with award winning author Anne Cassidy.