Category: - Raroa Library

Sea - The Huntress #1

9/6/2017

The first in the fantasy trilogy The Huntress by Sarah Driver, Sea is a swashbuckling fantasy adventure that is gritty and dark and not one for the landlubber.
Mouse, about to turn 13 sails on The Huntress with her Grandma captain and helps look after her little brother Sparrow. As well as being recklessly brave Mouse is able to understand the beast chatter that all animals communicate with. The first creatures we meet are attacking terrodyls, intent on sinking their ship and letting the sharks eat their remains - huge, flying, vicious monsters that sound horrifying "killdeathdiepaindrownstrikedeathscuttlekill". (Reminded me of Patrick Ness's croc's noise "flesh...feast...tooth" in The Knife of Never Letting Go).
Mouse and Sparrow's dad has gone missing but has left some mysterious clues for Mouse to follow - herein begins a dangerous quest with battles and intrigue, a nasty traitor and more monsters, a wise cracking crow and two more books in the trilogy after this one.
Recommended, especially for lovers of His Dark Materials, The Chronicles of Darkness and The Lie Tree.
Thank you to Hardie Grant for this review copy.

Winter by Marissa Meyer

13/12/2015

I don't often get to read whole series of books - too many books, too little time - and the need as a school librarian to have a wide knowledge of a range of genres and many authors. So when I do want to read a series from beginning to end it's because I just can't help myself - it's too good not to, even though I feel a little guilty for spending the time.
The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer is one of those compulsive series. All the books focus on a clever retelling of a classic fairy tale; Cinder (Cinderella), Scarlet (Red Riding Hood), Cress (Rapunzel) and finally Winter (Snow White) but are also a continuation of the same wonderful fast paced, futuristic fantasy adventure. There are some really nasty villains and extremely lovable heroes, both female and male - as all good fairy tales should have, all set in a strangely familiar but weird Earth and Moon world.
I now have post 'end of series' despair - that odd phenomena you get when you can't stop reading because you have to know how it all ends, and then it ends (no spoilers, not telling you anything) and you want to be back in that world, living it still. Sigh!
My other favourite series are Chaos Walking, The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness, Travis Delaney Investigates and of course, Harry Potter.

Raroa Book Club review

29/10/2015

Girl Online by Zoe Sugg

31/8/2015

This book has had a lot of dirt slung at it, for all sorts of reasons; suggestions that blogger Zoe Sugg had help writing the book, and then derision that it had the highest first week sales for a debut author, despite not being anything akin to good literature. Ultimately, I'm sure none of that will matter to it's target audience - teenage girls, especially the one's at Raroa who have been pestering me to buy this book ever since it came out.
And there's much to like about Girl Online, even from a not teenage girl perspective. It's main character 16 year old Penny Porter is interesting and not afraid to be herself. She has a normal amount of teenage self doubt but not the inclination to wallow in it, which makes her very likeable. Her family are fun, functional and loving and her best friend in the world is the stylish boy next door who is gay. She falls in love when on a trip with her family to New York and her blogging life online causes complications.
This is a sweet story, which is great for Intermediate - enough romance and drama to entertain and some modern lessons to be learned about how we behave online.

The Apple Tart of Hope by Sarah Moore Fitzgerald

28/9/2014

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. I loved this lyrically written story - from beginning to end. Emotional and uplifting in the best possible way, this is one of those books that makes it hard to read another because you don't want to leave it behind and move on.
'Oscar, where have you GONE?' I shouted. 'Oscar, where are you NOW?' I begged. 'Why did you go without saying goodbye?' I pleaded. 'Oscar come back,' I whispered. A story of friendship and loyalty, magic and faith, apple tarts and love - I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Please read it.

State of Grace by Hilary Badger

24/9/2014

In a new twist on the popular dystopian genre, State of Grace begins with a group of teenagers living in a utopian world, a world they were created in one year ago. Like being in paradise they have no worries, play and relax all day long, worshiping one god known as Dot. Everything is 'dotly'. Almost everything - until Wren starts remembering things she could not possibly know and strange things start to happen in their garden wonderland.
This is a clever and creepy story, an interesting look at faith and free will, with some great character development and an exciting conclusion. To say more would be to give too much away - well worth reading to find out for yourself.
Thank you to publisher Hardie Grant Egmont for the advanced copy.

Tessa Masterson Will Go To Prom

12/12/2013

This is a story ultimately about friendship and loyalty, but also about prejudice and intolerance. And how hard it can be to be different from the majority. Tessa and Lucas have been best friends forever and when Lucas decides he's going to ask the person he cares most about in the world to their prom he is shocked and hurt by Tessa's response. What follows is a roller coaster ride, a story with plenty of humour and heart. I loved this book - thank you Zoe for recommending it and making sure we now have it in our library.

Speed Freak by Fleur Beale

24/9/2013

If you liked Slide the Corner (and have used it to hook in some of those boys who are convinced that reading really is boring and not something they would really want to do) then you'll be pleased that Fleur Beale has produced another classic NZ winner.
Archie is 15 and a really good kart driver - good enough to maybe win the chance to race in Europe. But things are not always that easy - there's the competition, some who have seemingly limitless funds to buy all the right gear and mechanical help, as well as having to deal with his dad's new girlfriend and her son. She hates karting. Not to mention schoolwork, keeping fit, getting sponsorship, staying in touch with his own girlfriend . . . .
A highly recommended read for Intermediate students - boys and girls. Plenty of action, well constructed believable characters and a really Kiwi story.

Guest Blog - Shine by Kate Maryon

18/9/2013

Tiffs sparkling world comes crashing down when her mum commits a crime and is sent to jail.

She has to be sent to live with her family who lives in the dullest place on earth and without her mum everything starts to loses it shine. But once she makes new friends her shine starts to came back.

“This is a story if you like reading about losing
family then building it back again.’ - Luci, aged 11

Click on the book cover to watch the author read from her book.

Guest Blog - Drift House

17/9/2013

Hey there people,
I'm reading this amazing book called Drift House and wanted to announce to you all why it’s an amazing book. Drift House is about three children who are brothers and sister named Charles, Murray and Susan. They go to live with their uncle Farley, on drift house and are in need of some mermaid help to get away from the great drain. But anyway that’s enough about the story line - you'll just have to read it your self.
Drift House is the first book of two and is amazing - it has the future, the past and the present in it. I enjoyed reading it so much, I think you should all to. Plus it's around about 500 pages long so if you hate finishing books this is a great read. But if you hate reading then this book is still a good one because although it's a bit slow at the start it’s so good it won't take you long at all to finish it. So thank you for listening to my long boring speech thing and READ! Clare Tebbs