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dimmie_d's review against another edition
5.0
I wish I had words that did justice to Anna's work but I'll muddle along.
I love how this story gives a point of view of family violence that we don't normally see, and most of the terror you feel for the kids isn't because Anna spells out the violence in a graphic voyeuristic way, but in a more subtle realistic way that I'm sure rings true for other readers as it does for me. With every choice Skye makes, you feel so proud of her as if she were a real person, a real teenager that you really are cheering for.
The Australian setting is realistic and comforting for me, a tidbit that I adore in books by Australian authors. I could go on and on about this book, and Anna, and The Paper House, but honestly just read it. It's good.
I love how this story gives a point of view of family violence that we don't normally see, and most of the terror you feel for the kids isn't because Anna spells out the violence in a graphic voyeuristic way, but in a more subtle realistic way that I'm sure rings true for other readers as it does for me. With every choice Skye makes, you feel so proud of her as if she were a real person, a real teenager that you really are cheering for.
The Australian setting is realistic and comforting for me, a tidbit that I adore in books by Australian authors. I could go on and on about this book, and Anna, and The Paper House, but honestly just read it. It's good.
cj_read's review against another edition
4.0
Anna Spargo-Ryan has a voice that captures the dry, the wet, the parched and the quenched landscape and people of this country we call home. Instantly whole characters, with a depth to them that is both unrecognisable and recognisable at the same time. She’s an enviable talent and I’ll be lining up to read her third.
starness's review against another edition
4.0
The Gulf was so Australian and I loved it for capturing such a beautiful slice of it, the story follows siblings Skye and Ben in the midst of moving from Adelaide to a remote location on the Spencer Gulf. The sibling relationship is the main focus of this story and it really tugs at the heart strings. The tight family structure starts to fracture with the introduction of their Mothers new loser boyfriend, it doesn’t take long before Skye is taking on the responsibility and care of her little brother and shielding him from the horrible reality of their new lives. It’s a bittersweet story told wonderfully with lots of heart and tenderness, it’s all the little moments that make all the difference in this book, it’s got so much heart and I was a little taken by surprise by how much I ended up enjoying this book even though it made me sad for the majority of it.
sarjakuvalehti's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
thisgirl_writes's review against another edition
5.0
Like in The Paper House, Anna Spargo-Ryan has created a beautiful novel with poetic prose and very real, relatable characters. Ben, with his youth and inexhaustible facts, was the perfect contrast to Skye, weighed down by her mother's decisions and desperate to protect herself and her brother. I loved this!
bek_p87's review against another edition
5.0
Heart-wrenching. Vivid characters and an all-too-familiar story of children abandoned. I enjoyed this novel immensely.
rumore's review against another edition
4.0
I’m not sure why I was anticipating that I might not like this book. I might have seen a negative review, but I grew to love the protagonist in this story. There are many stories like her’s but Anna S-R somehow manages to make you care more. It is perfectly paced and moves seamlessly between current events and past traumas. I was so pleasantly surprised and heart-warmed by the heroine’s arc and the effective balance of vulnerability and strength she was created with.
albionloveden's review against another edition
4.0
Well crafted and vivid; with an at times suffocating narrative. The peak confrontation provides a sweet, much-needed relief.
ourlovelylittlelibrary's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book even though it was a pretty depressing story: Set in South Australia, the protagonist is a 16 year old girl and her and her little brother try to escape their dire living situation.
kaydee's review against another edition
5.0
Voice and character. Anna Spargo-Ryan just gets it. The Gulf is a tender, heartbreaking and sometimes scary story of siblings navigating their way through their mother's poor decisions. Skye is everything I remember about 16 and Ben is the epitome of a 10 year old boy (and I know, I have one).
Despite an emotive and distressing subject matter, the writing is just perfect, never veering into melodrama or sentimentality.
Don't ever stop writing Anna.
Despite an emotive and distressing subject matter, the writing is just perfect, never veering into melodrama or sentimentality.
Don't ever stop writing Anna.