I really enjoyed The Mother Fault, as much for the journey as the dystopian setting of a near-future Australia. Fast-paced and easy to read, I chewed through this story in two sittings. Mildenhall manages to weave everyday parenting challenges – loss of identity, nostalgia for pre-natal careers, maintaining a marital relationship in the face of […]
australian fiction
Review: Dyschronia by Jennifer Mills
Exquisite writing and a devastating take on chronic illness, Mills’ depiction of the climate disaster that awaits Australia is a very dark read. This is a slow-paced and unrelentingly heartbreaking story. It’s not one you can skim your way through late at night. You will need to focus to have any hope of following the […]
Review: Peta Lyre’s Rating Normal, by Anna Whateley
I loved this story so much. We’re all conditioned to believe that if we follow ‘the rules’ we’ll be safer and our lives will be happier. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s literally the fabric that glues society together. Of course, the problem is, it’s seldom true. Bad things do happen to good people. […]
Review: The Choke, by Sofie Laguna
I’m working my way through my lovely box of library books while in Melbourne lockdown and finally got around to reading this much-raved-about book. I couldn’t put The Choke down, even though the subject matter is devastating and confronting. Sofie Laguna’s simple writing style evokes simple, yet complex, lives and beautiful Australian landscapes. The theme […]
Review: A Lifetime of Impossible Days, by Tabitha Bird
“Wow. Just wow.” These were my first thoughts on reading the final page of Tabitha Bird’s incredible novel. A Lifetime of Impossible Days is, at its core, a heartbreaking love letter to therapy after childhood trauma. I adored the writing, I miss the characters already and I wholeheartedly endorse the argument that you can’t change […]
Review: Blackbirds Sing, by Aiki Flinthart
In an effort to distract myself from the anxiety-inducing news cycle, I’ve decided to catch up on my book reviews instead. I’m starting with Blackbirds Sing, by Aiki Flinthart, because it’s a 5-star read that’s immersive, fascinating and ultimately hopeful. Blackbirds Sing is the story of the attempted assassination of King Henry VII of England. […]
