New Books in the Library

The cataloguing training may have paid off - as I have finally managed to successfully catalogue some books into our collection!  

We have on offer:

AFL: Amazing Footy Facts - this one has lots of snippets of information and trivia facts such as  - Which team holds the record for the highest score ever recorded in VFL/AFL history?  or Which player holds the record for kicking the most goals?  

Desert Lake: The story of Kati-Thanda - a gorgeous picture book that follows Lake Eyre over a season from dry to what happens when the rains come.  Beautiful illustrations and small amounts of writing.  

Edge of Extinction - "two hundred years ago dinosaurs were brought back from extinction - and they do NOT like to share.  They reclaimed the earth and humans were driven underground.  But ... they are not the most dangerous predators out there, it seems"

In the Realm of Dragons - this is a 'Choose your Own' adventure story, which are quite popular with some of the students.  In this one you find and care for some dragon eggs - but will you gain a powerful magical friend - or be cast into a dangerous world of fire and ice?  Your choice!

Skyfire: Book 1 - Seven young people enter the mysterious DARE awards - and WIN!! However, they are not prepared to be caught up in the events that follow.  Seven weird symbols pit them against a mastermind of terrifying power and they will be racing the clock to save the world.  If you could be a hero - would you DARE??

Have a wonderful weekend!

New Books ready to borrow

We have a few new books in the Library which are now catalogued and ready for loan.  Two of these are Picture Books, which may seem a little strange in a High School, but is often a less intimidating format for kids who are not overly confident in reading. These are viewed along the lines of comics and Graphic novels, which can then lead on to more 'mature' formats of reading. 

One is called 'My Country' and is by Ezekiel Kwaymullina and Sally Morgan and is described as a "vibrant, lyrical celebration of country".

The other is a brand new picture book just published, with the title of  'Chicken Clicking' and written by Jeanne Willis.  This is suggested as a "subtle introduction to responsible internet use." Taken from the blurb on the back; "One night Chick hops onto the farmer's computer and - CLICK - she's soon shopping for the whole farm!! But when she arranges to meet a friend she's made on online, Chick discovers all is not as it seems...."

The last item is a book written by Jack Heath and titled 'The Human Flytrap'  Obviously this fits the Horror Genre, and any doubts are removed by the cover itself with a crime style tape running across the back cover warning you that you are reading this at your risk. According to the blurb - "Josh lives in Axe falls - a town of mysterious disappearances, terrifying visions and unusual events.....What is really going on in Axe Falls? And will anyone survive long enough to find out?"

Come and have a look - and check out what else we have on the shelves while you are here.  Lots of new magazines to read as well, or you could borrow a board game to play, or challenge your mates to a chess game.

Latest Books in the Library

Just a quick post to let you know about two new books in the Library this week, already catalogued and ready for loan. 

The first title is a book that has been donated to the school by our Chief Minister and has been written by two local NT Historians who are based in Darwin.  The book is titled  'Battling: Territorians and their War" 
From the blurb on the back of the book:   This is the story of the Territorians war, of how  they battled for their country and then had to battle for the right to come home and rebuild their lives.  Eventually they triumphed and, out of the ashes of war, they created the modern Northern Territory. This book gives all Australians the chance to know and understand the human consequences of what happened to ordinary people during Australia's sternest test.


The other title is one that was requested by a student, and is actually not yet available in Australia.  Yay us!!  It won't even be released for publication here till the beginning of April.

It is number 5, and is the final one in the Virals series, written by Kathy Reichs and is called 'Terminal'.  It concludes the story of Tory and her Virals pack as they battle against another pack - The Trinity - who appear to be stronger than they are and are intent on handing them over to a mysterious government agency.  One Pack, One Territory! Who will win?

Come in, have a look, borrow one - or a few.  Then maybe write me a review that I can post on here.  Easy as!

New Series on the Shelf

For those who loved the 'Hunger Games' trilogy, we now have the 'Divergent' series on the shelf and ready to be borrowed.  The movie of the first book has just been released to mixed reviews, but as it is going up against the wildly popular 'Hunger Games', that is probably not all that much of a suprise.

Below is a brief review of the first book:

 In the dystopian Chicago setting of Roth's novel, the population is divided into five factions. Upon declaring allegiance to one of them, 16-year-old Beatrice will decide her future. Beatrice and her brother, Caleb, grew up in helpful, unassuming Abnegation, always putting others first. During her aptitude testing, a simulation probes her suitability for Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Dauntless, and Erudite. Rather than getting a clear reading of her strengths, Beatrice's result is disturbing and dangerous: she is Divergent. At the choosing ceremony, the teenager impulsively joins Dauntless, the tattooed "hellions" whose value is bravery, and who protect the community. Beatrice, now called Tris, finds she feels brilliantly alive in Dauntless, even during the brutal training. She enjoys seeing her muscles harden, testing her courage, protecting the underdog, and working her way up the ranks of recruits. Making both friends and enemies, she moves through simulations tailored to trigger her Fear Landscape. Gradually, her Divergence shows itself, allowing Tris to see that the faction-dominated world isn't as wonderful as she has been told.

The follow on books in the series, 'Insurgent' and 'Allegiant' are also available to borrow as well. 

Book Review

Slice: Juicy Moments from my Impossible Life!
Author: Steven Herrick

Genre:    Humour

My name is Darcy Franz Pele Walker.
Ignore the middle names.
I do.
My Dad is a football nut and he figured if he named me after his two favourite players, I’d turn out just like them. At the age of five, I’d stand in the backyard wearing baggy blue shorts and a Brazilian jersey watching the clouds, the trees, birds tilting overhead on the breeze.
Dad would shout, ‘Ready, Darcy?  and roll the ball temptingly my way.
‘Just kick it with all you’ve got, Son.’
I’d look at the coloured panels on the ball.
‘Just swing your foot, Darcy.’
Arms extended, I’d obediently sway my right leg like a ballerina stretching.
The football experiment stopped at age eleven. Years of frustration got the better of Dad and he belted one, straight at me. Bloodcurdling screams rent the suburb.
Not from me, from Mum.
I lay on my back, a warm ooze of blood trickled down my face.
People say I look better with a broken nose.
It’s a slight lump.
You can hardly notice it.
Dad was distraught. Mum shouted at him for hours, bad language bouncing off the kitchen walls. 
Dad said I’d never have to play football again.
I almost hugged him, but I didn’t want to get blood all over his clean shirt.
Pele is some Brazilian dude, the greatest player of all time. When he retired he became the Minister for Sport in the Brazilian government. Franz is Franz Beckenbauer - the only person to win the world cup as player and a coach. In his heyday, he had a haircut like a laughing clown, curls framing an amiable round chubby face.

Darcy can cope with parents, parties and punch-ups.  He can handle his crush on the beautiful Audrey, spending quality chess-time with his nerdy mate, Noah and even the dramas of kayaking on a school excursion.  After all, he is a teenage boy - he can handle it.

Now, if only he could learn to keep his mouth SHUT!  

New Books

Welcome back to Term 2 - which has been already been as busy as Term 1 was.  Which is a good thing.  Our enrollments are up and we have lots of enthusiastic students and teachers.

Things have been busy in the library as well.  A new selection of fiction books has arrived from Standing Orders and are now ready for loan and most of the new books have arrived for the Lee Cook Collection and are almost ready to be borrowed. 

The Lee Cook Collection came about when one of our staff members died and left the library a legacy in her will.  The decision was made to have a small, separate collection stocked with books covering Lee's interests, which were diverse.   So we have books on cooking, cake decorating, gardening, paper crafts, costume making and so on.  We have just finalised the purchase of these books and they should all be out and ready for loan in the next week or so.

We received a wide selection of books from Standing orders this time - mystery, horror, war, family...... lots to choose from.

Below is a small blurb about a couple of the books.  Come in and have a look, maybe borrow a few.

'Inheritance' by Lisa Forrest:   Genre: Horror

"Will an ancient gift determine her future?"

Tallulah has always known that she was different.  She can communicate without speaking, a secret she shares only with her childhood nanny, Irena - who warns her that gifts like hers are not always welcome.

When Tallulah starts training at the prestigious Cirque d'Avenir school it soon becomes clear that the troup is not at all what it seems to be.  As she is drawn deeper into a world of dark ancient powers and centuries old greed, she must call on all the skills she has been taught - and on the protection of a mysterious bracelet she was given. 

But what is the secret of the power of the bracelet - and why are people prepared to die to keep it?

'Evan's Gallipoli' by Kerry Greenwood:     Genre:  War

" An unlikely friendship and an incredible journey"

Fourteen year old Evan Warrender travels with his father to the Dardenelles, when they intend to provide help and suport to the Allied soldiers.  When they are captured by the Turks, they are launched into an epic journey - living on their wits and the kindness of strangers as they escape through Turkey, back to Greece and finally home to Australia.

Along the way they meet unlikely friends and companions, some of whom have deep secrets - and when Evan's own secret is revealed, we realise just how truly incredible the whole journey has really been.

I have placed this one into War genre - but it could just as easily be put into Diary genre, as it is written in diary format.

New Fiction Books

There has been some new arrivals of Fiction books in the Library in the last week or so, which are all now processed and on the display shelves for loan.

Some of the titles include:

'Vulpi' - Kate Gordon.  

This is the second one in the series and is just as brilliant as the first.  It is all about shapeshifters - Tasmanian tigers and Tasmanian devils along with foxes from England.  Lots of battles, blood and friendships.  Awesome.

'Little Manfred' - Michael Morpurgo

This book tells the story of two prisoners of war and talks about how people could help each other even when they were enemies.  At the end of the story, we move forward in time to 1991 when a dog carved from apple wood was given to the Imperial museum.  This is based on a true story.

Ned Kelly's Secret' - Sophie Masson

Hugo and his father are travelling through Australia, hunting up tales of the gold rush. But when they are ambushed on the road by the notorious outlaw, Harry Power, they decide to chase up stories of bushrangers instead.  
In Benalla, Hugo makes friends with a boy from the bush... a boy who is brave, bold and will do anything for his family... 15 year old Ned Kelly.

Rise of Nine' - Pittacus Lore

When the nine Loriens first arrived on Eaarth, a powerful charm prevented them from being killed out of order by the evil Mogadorians.  However, that all changed once Numbers Four and Six combined forces.  This partnership led to the discovery of more Loriens, Numbers Seven and Nine and in a surprise twist, Number Ten.  The fact that they are working together doesn’t mean that they will survive and it turns out that there is some unfinished business to take care of.

'Inside out and Back again' - Thanhha Lai

Readers should know that this book is written in a series of short verse poems, which are easy to read, fast-paced, descriptive, and poignant. Though it is never preachy or instructional, the short verse poems give much information about life in Vietnam, including the foods, clothing, traditions, the encroaching war, some politics, family structure, and much more. 
Readers will also learn about life as an immigrant as Ha struggles with a new language, eats new foods, meets new kids, deals with attitudes toward Vietnamese immigrants  -- and tries to blend Vietnamese customs with new American customs.

Come and give these a try - or there are plenty more new titles on display.  If there is something in particular that you would like, just ask us and we will do our best to try to find it for you.

Book review: The Sending (Obernewtyn Chronicles Book 7)

“It came to me then, like a chilly draught from an unseen gap, that I had always known in my deepest heart that it would be like this, a slipping away from a life full of people I had come to love, in a place I had helped to shape, in a land I had helped to free.”

The time has come at last for Elspeth Gordie to leave the Land on her quest to find and stop the computermachine Sentinel from unleashing the deadly Balance of Terror arsenal. But before she can embark on her journey, she must find a lost key. And although she has long prepared for this day, nothing is as she anticipated.
Elspeth’s search will take her where she never thought to go, and bestow upon her stranger companions than any she ever imagined. It will lead her far from her destination to those she believed lost forever.
And it will test her, as she has never been tested before . . .

Ohh, this little bit of intro into the next book in the Obernewtyn series by Isobelle Carmody got me excited. I remember the first book in the chronicles (Obernewtyn) coming out when I was still in primary school here in Tennant Creek. I even have a vague recollection of someone coming to my school to do a reading of it (perhaps Isobelle herself). As a young teen I was very excited to pick it up and read it. Stories of people talking to animals and having special mental abilities was something a 12 or 13 year old like me wished I had. Sad to say, I did not like the book!

Like the beginning of many of the books in this series, they start out slow. Developing the characters is very important and at that age, I struggled to understand the benefits of this. It was only in later life (that is to say in my mid 20's) that I tried again to read it and loved it straight away.

In my mind, from the descriptive writing of Isobelle Carmody, The Land is a real place, Obernewtyn is a magnificent big old castle with green farmland behind it where I can see the humans and animals working together for common goals. My imagination travelled with them to the country of Sador, where there are shifting sands and a great earth temple, made of sandstone and perched on top a stony hill. The people there have dark skin and they travel nomadically, from waterhole to waterhole, a little like the indigenous people of the land up here did, hundreds of years ago.

In my minds eye I have watched this world grow and the characters develop, change and sometimes even die.

This new book is taking me to a new place, the mountains behind Obernewtyn. Elspeth is finally on her way to finding Cassandras key, the last clue that she needs to defeat the Sentinal, a machine that is supposed to be able to create an apocalyptic event.

The idea that we are getting to the end of her adventure is both exciting and sad. At the beginning of this book she finally ends up with the kind of relationship with Rushton that all followers of the books were looking for. Almost after this happens though, she is pulled away from everyone and everything that she knows and loves and is told that things for her will never be like they were before. The journey into the mountains begins.

Now I know that I cannot give you any spoiler because I myself have not finished reading this book yet. There are a few things that I really am looking forward to though. When will Elspeth meet up with my favourite character Dameon? The blind empath has been missing for the most part in the last few books and I really have been missing him. He has a calming effect on Elspeth and I feel as though her whole world, although not falling apart, is a little off kilter and Dameon is the only one that can fix it.

The second thing that intrigues me is where the hell is Dragon? That beautiful young wild girl with the flame red hair? We know now that she is the Red Queens daughter and her destiny calls her eventually across the seas so that she can take her place on the throne in the Red Land; a place off the coast of The Land.

And last but not least, when is the leader of the gypsies going to re-enter the story to help Elspeth? Swallow is another of my favourite characters, his no nonsense approach to things (which no one understands of course) is a refreshing change to the turmoil that sometimes filters its way into the book. Oh and did I mention that Swallow is a direct descendant of Cassandra? The person who originally made the key that Elspeth needs to find? Very excited to see him again.

The reason why at the beginning of the post I talk about the fact that I could not read these books at a younger age is because I struggled through a big chunk of this new book. The beginning of the book is fantastic, Elspeth and Rushtons' relationship blossoms and we know that Dameon is finally coming home. Her whole world is stripped from her when she leaves with her animal companions: Maruman the cat, Darga the dog and Galtha the big black stallion. After that they head for, and through the mountains. Then they are heading through the mountains, and again, heading through the mountains.

I believe that I have just finished that part, wolves have approached her and Elspeth is at a point where she needs to convince the wolf pack to help her find Cassandras key. I know with past experiences that these books always finish on a mini cliff hanger and I wonder where Elspeth is going to end up.

I am starting that end of a series thinking and I have some hopes and dreams for Elspeth. I want her happy and amongst loved ones at the end. She and Rushton need to be together. Dameon needs to retake his place as leader of the Empath guild. And I hope that Matthew sees Dragons beauty and they end up together in the red land, ruling together.

All in all the series is a fantastic one by an award winning author. The complete set is available in the library and I promise that I will bring back The Sending as soon as I finish it! If you would like to borrow these books or any other books in the library, please come and see either myself or Shelagh. The fact that we would love to have a bit of a chat about our favourite authors in my mind is a bonus as well. Remember that this year is the National Year of Reading. Why not come and see what is in the library? It won't kill you and you may even learn something. Isobelle Carmody, I salute you. What an amazing and talented author.

Book Review: Shift

Author:  Em Bailey

Shift is a psychological thriller that shifts between two possible worlds. 

It is about a teenage girl named Olive who has just turned her life around; she ditched her old friends and her old life. Now she goes to school, goes to work and hangs out with her best friend Ami like a good girl - but when a new girl, Miranda, comes to her town, she threatens to turn her life back around again.  

 I loved this book even though it’s really high on the creepiness factor.

Reviewed by Emma Vipond

Year 8

Book Review: The Virals

In this story, we meet Tori, Temperance Brennan’s great-niece who has just moved to an isolated island of the coast of South Carolina.  The island only houses about 10 other families who all work on nearby Loggerhead Island.

The friends she makes here are all smart kids who love science and adventure but often are not part of the popular crowd.  Together they find themselves on the adventure of their lives!  It all starts with an old, illegible dog tag they find while exploring Loggerhead which leads them to dead bodies, a kidnapped wolfdog with a deadly virus, breaking and entering and running from people with guns that are out to kill them.

As if that isn’t enough, they all catch the virus from the wolfdog, and it is not just a simple flu.  The virus changes them – alters their DNA – forever.

Some parts of the story are a little bit of a stretch, but if you just let that go, you are in for an absolute roller-coaster ride of a story.  Tori is the star of the story, but the others – Hi, Ben and Shelton are well developed characters and each has their own personalities that contribute to the plot.  And if you like dogs at all, Coop will just steal your heart. He is adorable.

The Virals, as they call themselves, have a battle in front of them although they have some unexpected secret weapons.  The twists and turns keep you on your toes and you are never sure just what is coming next.

This book crosses a lot of genres – science-fiction, adventure, suspense and fantasy – but manages to cover them all extremely well.

The second one in the series is due to be released at the beginning of November– and I can thoroughly recommend this book to anyone – teen or adult – who likes a great mystery or action story.  The sci-fi and the fantasy are just a bonus as far as I am concerned.

Shelagh Walsh

Library Technician

Barkly College

Book Review: All I Ever Wanted

Author: Vikki Wakefield

'Rule Number One:

I will not turn out like my mother.

Mim wants to be anywhere but home- in a dead suburb and with a mother who won't get off the couch.

She's set herself rules to live by, but she's starting to break them.

In nine days she'll turn seventeen. What she doesn't know is that her life is about to change forever. and when it does, the same things will look entirely different.'

This book is so descriptively written that the author literally takes you into the life of 16 year old Mim who struggles with her 'depressive surroundings' and her turbulent relationship with her mother.

Follow her journey as she sets out on a quest to better her life with surprising outcomes. A must read for teenagers. I can thoroughly recommend this book.

Helen Majewski

Support Staff

Book Review: In the sea there are crocodiles

Author: Fabio Geda

This is the true story of Enaiatollah Akbari, a boy who was forced to leave his home and family behind in Afghanistan at age ten. It follows his remarkable journey from Afghanistan to Italy with many hardships, and even life threatening challenges as he tries to find a safe place to live and belong while running from the Taliban.

I couldn’t imagine at age 10, being left alone in a new country or a new city with no family or friends, not even any food or a place to sleep. This is exactly what he is faced with in one day after fleeing his small town of Nava in Afghanistan. His mother feels the only way for Enaiatollah to be safe is to give him a new start away from the Pashtun, a group who wish to take him, and will surely end up killing him just like his father. I think she would prefer to know he has a chance at surviving, rather than surrender him to a fate with the Pashtun.

I am amazed Enaiatollah is still alive after reading this story. He moves to find a better life, a safer life but to do this he has to get trafficked from country to country in horrible conditions, with no idea if he will make it to the next place. He is forced to hang off and hide in a lorry, walk for weeks through mountains and cross the ocean in a rubber dinghy. Then after all this, there is no guarantee that once he undertakes the dangerous journey and risks his life, the police won’t just catch him and throw him back over the border to where he started. It shocks me what he can endure at such a young age. It is only when he finds a safe place, one where he belongs and can’t be sent back to the horrible places he has been, will he be able to stop.

Fabio Geda tells the story for Enaiatollah as he recounts the journey to him. He describes the sights, smells and each place with detail. I found it easy to imagine what these places might be like in my own head with never having been there.

This book would be ideal for middle to senior school students because it is a true story of a boy at the same age, and enables them to see how different his life is, compared to their own.

Review written by Clare McDonald

Support Staff

Barkly College Secondary Campus

Thyla

I’ll be honest – horror is not my usual choice of reading matter but the idea of Tasmanian Tiger shapeshifters caught my attention enough to pick it up – and once past the first chapter I was hooked.  No way was I planning to go to bed until I knew how this ended – and what frustration when I realised that this was the first in a series!

Tessa is found wandering with no memory about her past.  All she knows is her name and that she is strong and brave and does not cry.  Everything else is a blank canvas to be filled in as best she can.

The police officer who finds Tessa takes her under her care.  Connolly has also lost her daughter, Cat, near where Tessa was found and Connolly hopes that maybe once Tessa has her memory back, they will know what happened to Cat.

She places her in the boarding school where Cat had been and Tessa begins to realise that she is in the middle of something huge – something that she is obviously a part of even though she has no memory of it.   Something that has been happening here for at least 160 years.  The long slashes, like stripes, that appear across her back make that very clear. 

And what are the Sarcos and the Diemens?  Where do they fit into this? And who can she trust?  She is in the middle of a shapeshifters war - and it is like walking on quicksand with no real idea of where to turn.

I love the way Tessa starts out as a blank canvas that slowly becomes painted in as we learn more about her, and her history.  This is a story of a girl who is finding out who she is, making friends and maybe even falling in love a little. It is a horror/mystery about Tasmania’s unique animals, as well as the supernatural and convict history, all wrapped up in one book.

As the blurb on the back cover says:   “Thyla is a story of Tasmania, of darkness, of convicts, of devils and tigers and of promises that stay true through the centuries”

It is the story of what happened to Cat – and what Tessa really is”

The Hunger Games

         

The Hunger Games, written by Suzanne Collins, is a fiction book aimed for the young adult genre, which I found myself unable to put down. Its combination of nerve-racking tension, thrilling action, and engaging love story kept me up at all hours of the night, wondering what will happen next. I was surprised at how completely fascinating the plot was.

When the story begins, North America as we know it has been destroyed and is divided into 12 districts, ruled by a cruel government located at the Capitol. Every year, the Capitol selects one boy and one girl from each district to compete in the terrifying Hunger Games. The Games forces children from ages 12 to 18 against each other in a fight to the death in a giant, hazardous arena. Everything is televised all over the country.

Katniss Everdeen, a 16-year-old girl from District 12, takes her younger sister’s place as one of 24“tributes”.

Katniss must not only survive the Games, but deal with a romance between her and another tribute Peeta Mellark from District 12, knowing how heartbroken her best friend Gale is, seeing her every move with Peeta. While finding the strength to kill strangers her own age for her survival and to impress the government is a lot of pressure on Katniss.

The further I got through the book, the more interesting it got. Suzanne Collins described the locations in perfect detail and made me feel like I was in the arena, witnessing everything that Katniss experienced. When it came to the romance of Katniss and Peeta, it was impossible to put the book down. Knowing that the only way to keep your other tribute alive is to show affection and knowing that it killed Gale to see this made Katniss even more desperate to survive.

I absolutely loved this book from start to finish; it left me itching to find out what happens next. If I had to rate it out of ten, I would give it an eleven!

 

by Tori Reid

Year 11 Student

Barkly College Secondary Campus

Tomorrow When the War Began

The movie has been out for a while, and before I watched it, I re-read the book. The Tomorrow Series by John Marsden has always fascinated me. I first read Tomorrow when the War Began in year ten as a class text. My teacher at the time had planned for the assignment after to be about writing the first chapter of the second book, I quite proudly raised my hand and stated that I had already finished the second book and I would be finished the third in a couple of days. I was suprised by this as I have tried to read other books by John Marsden and haven't liked them at all. As always the book is better that the movie and although the movie followed the book very closely, the descriptive writing in the book made the images in my head easy to come by. I love the fact that the eight teenagers in the story have no idea what they are doing and even though there are no soldier skills to speak of in the group, they do massive damage to the enemy. The story isn't so much about a war, but how the teenagers cope with a war in their very own backyard. The nationality of the enemy is not known, which makes them all the more frightening. The fact that they speak another language and they don't understand English very well, adds to this fear. The main character Ellie is probably my favourite; the group votes her in the be the person who writes down their journal as to what is happening to all of them. The description of what is happening is so vivid, you can close your eyes and envisage yourself right there with them. Ellie is the first of the group to kill one of the enemies and she has to deal with all of the emotions that happen after - she does get a little nasty too. The one thing that I was dissapointed about in the movie was that they decided to leave out the story that is told about the hermit that lived in the same place that the teenagers are living in now. A place called Hell. All in all, this book is the complete package - action packed and with a little bit of mystery and love mixed in. The book first book makes you want to read the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh. If you do happen to make your way through all of these books, after then come the Ellie Chronicles. The Ellie Chronicles basically is the story of what happens, post war. There are some really bloody moments through all of the books so anyone who loves a bit of gore should definately give these books a go! As I said, the first of these book is Tomorrow when the War Began - and it is at the secondary school library now! Happy reading! Carrie

Tyranny: I Keep You Thin

Author: Lesley Fairfield

I would firstly like to say that I am not a fan of graphic novels. The thought of reading one immediately makes me think of a long sleep, where I can dream of the words in the book and put my own imaginative images to it.

Tyranny is something else though. The pictures support the words well. There were times where I felt so sorry for the main character, Anna, and I wanted to cry when she went back into her old ways, time and time again. Her alter-ego Tyranny, who encourages Anna to starve herself (Anorexia) or throw up her food after a binge eating session (Bulimia) keeps coming back throughout the story, and Anna must battle with the thoughts that Tyranny puts into her head, as well as her condition.

There are some very sad parts - just after getting rid of her evil self, one of Anna's fellow patients die, and Tyranny comes back with a vengeance. Anna desperately tries to ignore the things that Tyranny has to say, and deal with the grief that she is experiencing as well.

I won't tell you what happens at the end of the story; that would be mean of me. The book is set out in a way that makes it easy to follow. The content is very confronting but the amount of text isn't.

This book is for senior students, possibly some sensible year nine students. It is a really gutsy read and I recommend it to any one who would enjoy following a character on some very intense highs and lows.

This book is available for borrowing at the library now!

Happy reading,

Carrie