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mandi_m's review against another edition
5.0
Book Club for our 13+ Group.
This one has been our favourite so far this year. It was a dark, gritty read following the families living on Hope Street. There was violence and racism, but also people who pulled together to save others and I think we may have all cried at least once!
We scored it:
8.75, 10, 9, 8.5, 8, 9.75, 10, 8.5, 9, 10
This one has been our favourite so far this year. It was a dark, gritty read following the families living on Hope Street. There was violence and racism, but also people who pulled together to save others and I think we may have all cried at least once!
We scored it:
8.75, 10, 9, 8.5, 8, 9.75, 10, 8.5, 9, 10
virgoreads_'s review against another edition
5.0
This book encompassed so many elements of today's society such as multiculturalism, refugee experience, white privilege and domestic and familial hardships in a way that is unforgettable. The story is told from multiple characters points of view and whilst it is a shorter book, the large number of characters didn't bother me. Each character came from a different age, cultural and linguistic background and really painted the picture of suburban Australia and how different cultures live together on this Hope Street and the difficulties but also triumphs that can arise from this. It really is a wholesome book and one that brings awareness to other people's experience and how we must acknowledge that.
missusb21's review against another edition
4.0
Wow. Powerful, gritty and heart-wrenching.
Real compassion.
Real compassion.
amrap's review against another edition
5.0
Living on Hope Street is a beautiful novel that shows the true beating heart of Australia. It is the representation of the Australia I grew up in and live in with real Australians-refugees, those in inter-racial relationships, cultures that represent all the different waves of migration in Australia.
Demet has created such distinct voices for each of her characters, from seven-year-old Sam who is terrorised by his home-life to 70 year-old Mr Bailey who is a Vietnam vet and struggling with the changing face of Australia, and these are the people I known on my street. I fell in love with the characters and couldn't wait to read about their journey. I loved this book and the voices of its characters won't leave me any time soon.
So proud of friend for this beautiful offering to the world. We need more books like this for young readers to recognise themselves in and for those who don't live on a street like Hope Street to understand its residents.
Demet has created such distinct voices for each of her characters, from seven-year-old Sam who is terrorised by his home-life to 70 year-old Mr Bailey who is a Vietnam vet and struggling with the changing face of Australia, and these are the people I known on my street. I fell in love with the characters and couldn't wait to read about their journey. I loved this book and the voices of its characters won't leave me any time soon.
So proud of friend for this beautiful offering to the world. We need more books like this for young readers to recognise themselves in and for those who don't live on a street like Hope Street to understand its residents.
glaiza_echo's review against another edition
4.0
A gritty realistic read with hope built through diverse friendships and familial ties. TW Note: It explores domestic violence, post-traumatic stress disorder and racism.
ireadbooksnotminds's review against another edition
3.0
A gritty story about working-class marginalised people in the western suburbs of Melbourne. I had a soft spot in my heart for this book because I myself am an immigrant who lives in the western suburbs but have been privileged enough to be middle class, not be a refugee, attend a private school, and not live in an abusive household.
However, the story just never came together that well for me. It focused too much on some characters and not enough on others. Despite having an overall diverse set of characters--a Turkish Muslim woman (who arrived in Australia as a refugee) and her granddaughter, and a family of newly arrived refugees from Africa (the specific country was never disclosed)--the book still started, mostly focused on, and ended with the non-immigrant white characters. I would've liked for there to have been more of a balance. At times, I felt Kane and Sam's story dragged on a bit too much, which could have been pagetime for characters such as Gugu's family.
I also had a hard time figuring out exactly how old Sam was. Sometimes he would talk like he was 8 years old, sometimes like he was 5, and it was a bit confusing.
However, the story just never came together that well for me. It focused too much on some characters and not enough on others. Despite having an overall diverse set of characters--a Turkish Muslim woman (who arrived in Australia as a refugee) and her granddaughter, and a family of newly arrived refugees from Africa (the specific country was never disclosed)--the book still started, mostly focused on, and ended with the non-immigrant white characters. I would've liked for there to have been more of a balance. At times, I felt Kane and Sam's story dragged on a bit too much, which could have been pagetime for characters such as Gugu's family.
I also had a hard time figuring out exactly how old Sam was. Sometimes he would talk like he was 8 years old, sometimes like he was 5, and it was a bit confusing.
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