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jessiquie's review
5.0
I loved this. Fantastic debut by an Aussie author.
Ryders Ridge is the debut novel of Charlotte Nash, an Australian author who I’m sure we are sure to see a lot from in the future.
Ryders Ridge is a contemporary take on Rural Fiction with a unique twist. Like Loretta Hill who took the established genre of rural fiction, and tweaked it by setting her story in the Pilbara rather than an on a farm, Charlotte Nash has taken the genre of rural fiction and given it a new direction and voice. Rather then repeat some of the many story lines and tropes that are cropping up now a days in rural fiction and Chook lit alike, Nash has kept the rural setting, but added a secondary genre and spun a tale centred around the problematic issues of rural medicine.
The twist on the modern stable is not only refreshing, but also invigorating for the reader and really throws Nash as a debut author into the spotlight. Her writing is clear and crisp, her settings vivid and her characters strong and loveable. What’s more the situations her characters get themselves into are endless and you can never really tell where the story is going to go exactly.
With a team of vibrant and cheeky secondary characters, Nash’s cast of characters really come to life and spring off the pages.
Lively supporting cast of characters that range from the adorable dinosaur obsessed Jamie to Dave, to the snarky and downright controlling Stephanie and Maria Morgan who view Ryders Ridge as their own personal stomping ground, and Mark Webber as their property alone.
With family dramas and personal issues as far as the eye can see, the narrative is compelling and quickly draws the reader in from the very first page. To Nash’s credit, the narrative and her writing is neither angst-y or over the top, rather the characters and setting blend nicely together creating a coherent and inspiring story that is sure to pull at the readers heart strings.
I could go on and on about this book, and while I feel as though I’ve gushed a fair bit already, I don’t want to give too much of the story away. I urge you to pick up this brilliantly crafted, inspiring and compelling story for you will not be disappointed. By creating such a strong debut, Nash has not only proven her talents as a writer but also firmly presented herself as a must watch (and read) author who I am sure we will hear a lot from (and about) in the future.
Ryders Ridge is ideal for readers of rural fiction/Chook lit, but also readers of more medical type narratives. Full of small town politics, big city ideas, human spirit and love, Charlotte Nash’s debut Ryders Ridge is a novel not to be missed; I very much look forward to reading this authors work in the future.
This novel was read as part of my Australian Women Writer's Challenge 2013 and was posted on my blog on the 19th April and can be found here: http://theneverendingbookshelf.blog.com/2013/04/19/ryders-ridge-by-charlotte-nash/
Ryders Ridge is the debut novel of Charlotte Nash, an Australian author who I’m sure we are sure to see a lot from in the future.
Ryders Ridge is a contemporary take on Rural Fiction with a unique twist. Like Loretta Hill who took the established genre of rural fiction, and tweaked it by setting her story in the Pilbara rather than an on a farm, Charlotte Nash has taken the genre of rural fiction and given it a new direction and voice. Rather then repeat some of the many story lines and tropes that are cropping up now a days in rural fiction and Chook lit alike, Nash has kept the rural setting, but added a secondary genre and spun a tale centred around the problematic issues of rural medicine.
The twist on the modern stable is not only refreshing, but also invigorating for the reader and really throws Nash as a debut author into the spotlight. Her writing is clear and crisp, her settings vivid and her characters strong and loveable. What’s more the situations her characters get themselves into are endless and you can never really tell where the story is going to go exactly.
With a team of vibrant and cheeky secondary characters, Nash’s cast of characters really come to life and spring off the pages.
Lively supporting cast of characters that range from the adorable dinosaur obsessed Jamie to Dave, to the snarky and downright controlling Stephanie and Maria Morgan who view Ryders Ridge as their own personal stomping ground, and Mark Webber as their property alone.
With family dramas and personal issues as far as the eye can see, the narrative is compelling and quickly draws the reader in from the very first page. To Nash’s credit, the narrative and her writing is neither angst-y or over the top, rather the characters and setting blend nicely together creating a coherent and inspiring story that is sure to pull at the readers heart strings.
I could go on and on about this book, and while I feel as though I’ve gushed a fair bit already, I don’t want to give too much of the story away. I urge you to pick up this brilliantly crafted, inspiring and compelling story for you will not be disappointed. By creating such a strong debut, Nash has not only proven her talents as a writer but also firmly presented herself as a must watch (and read) author who I am sure we will hear a lot from (and about) in the future.
Ryders Ridge is ideal for readers of rural fiction/Chook lit, but also readers of more medical type narratives. Full of small town politics, big city ideas, human spirit and love, Charlotte Nash’s debut Ryders Ridge is a novel not to be missed; I very much look forward to reading this authors work in the future.
This novel was read as part of my Australian Women Writer's Challenge 2013 and was posted on my blog on the 19th April and can be found here: http://theneverendingbookshelf.blog.com/2013/04/19/ryders-ridge-by-charlotte-nash/
biblio_becca085's review
4.0
I loved this book. The setting in outback Queensland was brilliant - having lived in Brisbane my entire life, I'm a city girl through and through, but I still find the concept of outback Australia romantic and beautiful. The romance was sweet, understated, and really well done - Mark was completely lovely, and I'm not sure they actually make them like that anywhere. The plot was interesting, and the characters were all really well developed - however, Stephanie really was quite the evil bitch. I'd love to read more from this author!
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