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monicatdwyer's review against another edition
3.0
I wish I read this during high school, Josie is a related protagonist and I'm glad I have finally read this, I think I prefer the movie a bit (because in the funeral scene where they play the U2 song and it is just so beautiful)
lostcanticles's review against another edition
3.0
“Be thankful that you’ve found your place, but be patient with me for still looking for mine.”
lavaplant's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I should clarify - 3.75 on the Melina scale, which is different from regular books. This is still a full star rating better than most YA contemporaries could offer
You can tell this was her debut because the story would get better over time but that sharp characterization and humanity is right there - each “antagonist” could be the protagonist of another novel with Josie as an annoying secondary character. They all have humanity
You can tell this was her debut because the story would get better over time but that sharp characterization and humanity is right there - each “antagonist” could be the protagonist of another novel with Josie as an annoying secondary character. They all have humanity
annahcarol's review against another edition
5.0
This book is so incredibly rich and resonant- written by a narrator so familiar and compelling you'll hear her words on paper mimic your own voice... a true YA MUST read.
freesien's review
4.0
Melina Marchetta ist wie immer sehr überzeugend. Hat wieder ein tolles Buch geschrieben. Josie fand ich sehr witzig. Anfangs war sie noch egoistisch und etwas kindisch, aber sie ist ja dann im Verlauf des Buchs erwachsen geworden und es hat sich gebessert.
freesien's review against another edition
5.0
Melina Marchetta. What else is there to say? Of course it was wonderful.
kricketa's review against another edition
4.0
josephine alibrandi, age 17, is about to meet her father for the first time, and she doesn't give a rat's ass. she's too busy getting her nonna katia off her back, competing with the school captain, poison ivy, and trying to decide who she likes better: sweet upper-class john, or exciting but dangerous jacob. josie also struggles with being an "ethnic" (her grandparents came from italy) among native australians.
when a school mishap obliges josie to ask her father for help, they tentatively enter each other's lives and begin to get to know one another. meanwhile, nonna accidentally reveals a big family secret to josie, leaving her to question who she is and where she belongs. i enjoyed the sweet but turbulent romance aspect of the book.
this is marchetta's first work, and i might have loved it even more if i hadn't already read "saving francesca" & "jellicoe road"- knowing the heights she can soar to. in comparison (i know that isn't fair) "looking for alibrandi" is a bit overly dramatic and slightly dated. "slightly" is actually impressive here due to the fact that it was published in 1992. highly recommended if you've got it around.
when a school mishap obliges josie to ask her father for help, they tentatively enter each other's lives and begin to get to know one another. meanwhile, nonna accidentally reveals a big family secret to josie, leaving her to question who she is and where she belongs. i enjoyed the sweet but turbulent romance aspect of the book.
this is marchetta's first work, and i might have loved it even more if i hadn't already read "saving francesca" & "jellicoe road"- knowing the heights she can soar to. in comparison (i know that isn't fair) "looking for alibrandi" is a bit overly dramatic and slightly dated. "slightly" is actually impressive here due to the fact that it was published in 1992. highly recommended if you've got it around.
sarahjanemurray's review against another edition
5.0
I can’t begin to explain the feelings this book has given me. I feel as if I’ve needed this novel for years, needed it when I was going through my own identity issues and coming of age dramas, and most importantly when I have been living through my own wog experiences like Josie in Sydney, with Sicilian family dramas and secrets that would mess with Josie even a bit more than her own.
The characters in this novel were written so true to the experiences of Italian, more importantly Sicilian, migrants in Sydney. Down to the thorough explanation of ‘talk’ between the community and the stories of proxy brides and working on sugar cane farms, but most importantly about how ‘talk’ controls, shapes, and messes with the lives of families in the Italian diaspora. This novel has given me a greater understanding of my own Nonna and mother and the challenges they’ve been through from my own Josie perspective. I think this story is essential for any Italian Australian to read while they are growing up, even though it was set in the 90s and the communities as they were have changed and evolved with the times, the relevance still has weight and speaks not only to the Italians but also to other migrant communities who have shared similar trials and experiences of culture and identity living in Australia.
The characters in this novel were written so true to the experiences of Italian, more importantly Sicilian, migrants in Sydney. Down to the thorough explanation of ‘talk’ between the community and the stories of proxy brides and working on sugar cane farms, but most importantly about how ‘talk’ controls, shapes, and messes with the lives of families in the Italian diaspora. This novel has given me a greater understanding of my own Nonna and mother and the challenges they’ve been through from my own Josie perspective. I think this story is essential for any Italian Australian to read while they are growing up, even though it was set in the 90s and the communities as they were have changed and evolved with the times, the relevance still has weight and speaks not only to the Italians but also to other migrant communities who have shared similar trials and experiences of culture and identity living in Australia.
minxy's review against another edition
5.0
Absolute favourite during my teenage years. Reread it so often the book looks tattered.