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Monthly Archives: February 2022
The Imaginary Lives of James Pōneke – Book Review
“You only have one life in your possession, James. Why not make it of your most magnificent imagining?“ How do you go on when you’ve got no family member left and don’t know where you even belong? When you desperately … Continue reading
Posted in Indigenous Literature from New Zealand
Tagged Aotearoa New Zealand, Book Review, historical fiction, Indigenous Literature, London, Maori Literature
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Book Review: The Imaginary Lives of James Pōneke by Tina Makereti
The Imaginary Lives of James Pōneke by Tina Makereti tells the story of a young Māori orphan boy, James Pōneke, who has a great desire for education and to see the world. James, who is partially raised by missionaries, meets … Continue reading
Nghi Vo’s “The Chosen and the Beautiful” – a YA rewrite of the Great Gatsby?
by Friederike Jahn Over the past few years, screenwriters, authors, and directors have been increasingly interested in adapting literary classics, whether it be on screen or paper. The emerging trend to revisit classic literary pieces and even rewriting them, has … Continue reading
The Grief Hole – A Book-Review
CONTAINS SPOILERS There are many grief holes. There’s the grief hole you fall into when a loved one dies. There’s another grief hole in all of us; small or large, it determines how much we want to live. And there … Continue reading
Movie Review: “Picnic at Hanging Rock”
by Leonora Rexhi The Australian movie, ”Picnic at Hanging Rock”, is based on the novel under the same name, which was written by Joan Lindsay. The film was released in 1975. 1900, Appleyard College, Victoria, Australia. On Valentine’s Day, the … Continue reading
Posted in Gothic & Horror
Tagged Gothic & Horror, Joan Lindsay, movie review, Peter Weir, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Speculative Australia
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Review: Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar
by Alice Kronenberg “Friends can talk about things. They can figure things out. Get past things. Dou you want a friend in your life who you can never disagree with? A friend who you can’t grow with?” Hani and Ishu’s … Continue reading
Posted in Doubly Marginalised - Queer and Transcultural Young Adult Literature
Tagged Adiba Jaigirdar, Bengali identity, bisexuality, Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating, queer Muslim identity, YA literature
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The Black Flamingo is threatened by extinction in these “modern” Times !
A review of Dean Atta’s Young Adult Novel The Black Flamingo and its connection to the modern portrayal of self-identity. by Jessica Klostermayer I Want to Be a Pink Flamingo Pink. Definitely pink.I want my feathers to matchthe hue you … Continue reading
Posted in Doubly Marginalised - Queer and Transcultural Young Adult Literature
Tagged Dean Atta, gender-non-conforming men, Queerness, The Black Flamingo
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Not even death will tear them apart – Review of Afterlove by Tanya Byrne
Tanya Byrne’s Young Adult novel Afterlove follows Guyanese-British teenager Ashana Persaud, also known as Ash. The blurb of the book tells us that Ash is going to die during the novel, and in fact, the first chapter already introduces us … Continue reading
The challenging of typical gender tropes in Lian Hearn’s “Across the Nightingale Floor”
Across the Nightingale Floor by Gillian Rubinstein is about the story of teenagers Takeo and Kaede, set in a fictional medieval Japan-based world. Takeo, born as Tomasu, one of The Hidden, a religion based strongly on the Kakure Kirishitan, the … Continue reading
Posted in Fantasy
Tagged Across The Nightingale Floor, Australian Speculative Fiction, Gender tropes, Gillian Rubinstein, Speculative Australia
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Book Review: “The Dreaming” by Queenie Chan
By Theodora Charalambous A Hong Kong-born, Australian-raised writer and illustrator, the Australian bush, Aboriginal mythology and Japanese mangas. An unusual combination that surprisingly works great. The Dreaming is a 3-book, manga (Japanese comics) inspired, supernatural mystery series written and illustrated … Continue reading
Posted in Fantasy
Tagged Australian Speculative Fiction, disappearances in the bush, Gothic & Horror, Graphic Novel, Manga, Queenie Chan, Speculative Australia
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