Randa Abdel Fattah

Marion Lloyd Books

0439950589

May 2006

‘It’s been the ‘wogs’, the ‘nappy heads’, the ‘foreigners’ the ‘persons of Middle Eastern appearance’, the Asians, the ‘oppressed’ women, the Greek Orthodox pensioner chain-smoker, the ‘salami eaters’, the ‘ethnics’, the narrow-minded and the educated, the fair-dinkum wannabes, the principal with hairy ears who showed me that I am a colourful adjective. It’s their stories and confrontations and pains and joys which have empowered me to know myself, challenged me to embrace my identity as a young Australian-Palestinian-Muslim girl.’

At the start of the novel Amal Mohsamed Nasrullal Abdel-Hakim is beginning a new year at school. She makes the decision to wear the hajib (veil), a choice which shocks the staunchly traditional McCleans Grammar School ‘ with ‘more than one hundred years of proud history’ ‘, shakes her friends and concerns her parents.
An interesting balance between being assimilated into Australian society and retaining one’s religious and cultural convictions is found by Amal. Enviably, this breaks down some of the stereotypical views of Islam that have been promulgated in the wake of terror’ It also provides a fresh outlook on what in essence are fairly mainstream topics in teenage literature.
Amal finds romantic interest in studious, sensitive Adam, this is tempered towards close friendship, conflicts arise resulting from parental influence and there are preoccupations with image and weight. As a construct, the hajib is a particularly pertinent one in this respect, the intentions of adorning it are to help focus on internal beauty rather than its external manifestations ‘ in a world where the media have constantly manipulated acceptable body imagery this comes as a refreshing change.
It is the courage of her convictions that make Amal such a strong and endearing protagonist and it is through her discussions with teachers, friends and family that she is able to arrive at and embrace her ‘identity’, however, wide or narrow that might be perceived as being by her compatriots.

Pete Johnson

Puffin Books

0141319836

Jul 2006

‘You’re here because you can’t believe how miserable you feel. In fact, right now it’s crushing you. And you don’t know how you’re going to get through it.’

Split between two narrative voices, those of Bella and Danny, ‘The Ex-Files’ uncovers the feelings of rejection and loss following the end of a relationship and brilliantly charts the onset of changed behaviour and attitude that often follow. Balance is achieved between normalising these feelings ‘ depicting the way people tend to be afflicted ‘ whilst sensitively maintaining the individuality of both cases.
‘The Ex-Files’ themselves are a secret organisation led by the enigmatic Rupert and Juliette from the seemingly unlikely though remarkably homely environs of ‘The Copper Kettle’, a local tea-room serving fresh-baked scones. Keenly aware of the mentality of the ‘dumpee’ and of the power wielded over them by the ‘dumper’, Rupert and Juliette have established a professionally run organisation offering advice and a twenty-four-hour listening service.
The novel succeeds admirably in taking seriously and not devaluing the emotional-base of teenage relationships and therefore not downplaying the impacts of their demise. Readers become more and more involved in the stories of Bella whose seemingly sensitive and philosophical boyfriend Luc has fallen for Bella’s best-friend Andrea and Danny whose infatuation with Nicole has led to his being over-possessive thereby eventually losing her’ As the stories unfold both guidance and reassurance are imparted through the maxims of the society: ‘As Rupert says, ‘Don’t let life happen to you ‘ stay in control.”
It is no surprise that when first relationships draw to a close, recipients within them can feel their world is eroding away. Having little experience to draw upon and to contextualise the depressing sense of loss can weigh especially heavy and appear unending. Through fiction Pete Johnson here deftly provides perspective. Not only should ‘The Ex-Files’ be essential post-relationship reading, it is fundamental for all adults who have forgotten just how serious first relationships truly do feel’

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

Bloomsbury

074757720X

June 2006

I’ve always secretly believed that my pets could understand everything I said, and that it was my own ignorance of their language which made meaningful communication a problem. It seems Gabrielle Zevin has a similar inkling, since her latest book (just published in paperback) opens with a moving account of a dog’s reaction to her teenage owner’s death, and its frustration at not being understood by the remaining members of the family. My heart was immediately won over by this touching prologue, which sets the tone for what becomes a magical, philosophical and tender interpretation of the Afterlife.
Following the post-death journey of a teenage girl, Liz, who is killed in a hit-and-run accident, Elsewhere’s title refers to a kind of alternative heaven in which people age backwards and eventually start all over again, coming back to Earth as babies. On arriving in Elsewhere, Liz goes through the inevitable stages of denial, bitterness and desperation before coming to accept her new (non)life. She finds her niche as a dog warden (people in Elsewhere have ‘Avocations’ rather than jobs) and discovers she has a natural gift for speaking canine.
A far cry from other prescriptive and clich’d (and often religiously weighted) metaphorical novels on death, Zevin has created an inspiring fantasy that encourages light-hearted contemplation on what would normally be a gloomy subject. Her airy, fluent prose conjures a dream-like, expectant atmosphere, and her engaging characters literally bring death to life. Elsewhere has all the ingredients of a classic teenage rites-of-passage, but with an elegant, original twist that sets it apart from the rest.