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claudiaslibrarycard's review
4.0
A really moving novel in verse about a young indigenous girl's experience during bush fires in Australia.
cec_loves_to_read_books's review against another edition
4.0
Bindi is a beautiful book by Kirli Saunders (gorgeously illustrated by Dub Leffler). A verse novel for mid/upper primary school children that explores complex themes in accessible and touching ways.
lawbooks600's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
3.0
Representation: First Australian main character
Score: Six points out of ten.
Note that the novel is authentic since the author's attributes matches the characters'.
I searched up this book a few days ago and discovered one of the two libraries I visit have this but only in e-book form so I got my hands on it and finally read it. When I finished it, I discovered it was another book all in poetry so I can confirm that this novel is the last one of its kind that library has to offer. For now. Unfortunately, this one isn't as outstanding as others I've read due to its flaws and sometimes I couldn't understand it since part of it is in another language I don't even speak. It starts with the main and titular character Bindi whose last name I don't know living her life which seems typical at first. Nothing much happens for the first few pages until an event arises but here's where the flaws surface. The writing style is mostly okay but nothing imaginative save for one page that looks like a game of Australian football. I couldn't connect to any of the characters either but the most significant flaw is the word choice, because sometimes the story substitutes one word for another in a different language which I couldn't understand. It's all up to me to interpret which dampened the reading experience. At least there's a glossary at the end but it would be better if it was at the beginning. Toward the latter half a bushfire occurs forcing Bindi to evacuate and when she returns there is nothing but destruction but the people rebuild concluding the narrative on a bittersweet note.
Score: Six points out of ten.
Note that the novel is authentic since the author's attributes matches the characters'.
I searched up this book a few days ago and discovered one of the two libraries I visit have this but only in e-book form so I got my hands on it and finally read it. When I finished it, I discovered it was another book all in poetry so I can confirm that this novel is the last one of its kind that library has to offer. For now. Unfortunately, this one isn't as outstanding as others I've read due to its flaws and sometimes I couldn't understand it since part of it is in another language I don't even speak. It starts with the main and titular character Bindi whose last name I don't know living her life which seems typical at first. Nothing much happens for the first few pages until an event arises but here's where the flaws surface. The writing style is mostly okay but nothing imaginative save for one page that looks like a game of Australian football. I couldn't connect to any of the characters either but the most significant flaw is the word choice, because sometimes the story substitutes one word for another in a different language which I couldn't understand. It's all up to me to interpret which dampened the reading experience. At least there's a glossary at the end but it would be better if it was at the beginning. Toward the latter half a bushfire occurs forcing Bindi to evacuate and when she returns there is nothing but destruction but the people rebuild concluding the narrative on a bittersweet note.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Injury/Injury detail
Full trigger warnings: Bushfire, near-death experience, physical injury, hospitalisationsillykitty's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.75
ellenchapman's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
suspiciouspinecone's review against another edition
3.0
Pretty good, I really liked the narrative voice, and the art was beautiful. I was a bit confused for a while, but that's poetry for you.
CW: fires
CW: fires
littleelfman's review against another edition
5.0
A fantastic middle grade verse novel about surviving bush fires and returning to the traditional care for country of the First Nations peoples.