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4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really wanted to like this book more but I do think it was far too short and lacked proper character and relationship development. Still, this was a sweet, heartfelt book that I enjoyed reading.
And we won’t talk about the fact that it reminded me of the worst movie I’ve ever seen in my entire life. But this book was better than that so I guess that’s a bonus.
And we won’t talk about the fact that it reminded me of the worst movie I’ve ever seen in my entire life. But this book was better than that so I guess that’s a bonus.
This book gave me a glimpse into a culture that I hadn’t seen portrayed in literature before, that of queer aboriginal people. And that alone made it a good read. Add to that that the relationship between the two leads felt naturally developed and wasn’t rushed and well, this was a real surprise for me. And I loved that they both got a happy ending. Really glad I found out about this book.
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
An enjoyable book, I like the focus on culture, family, relationships and art. It does deal with heavier topics too, such as the intersectionality between race and sexuality. Jackson is targeted by people outside the mish because of his race, but also fears the repercussions from those inside his community if his sexuality gets exposed.
I really liked the book, the family aspect was great to read about and the Australian backdrop was something I haven't experienced often in books.
I really liked the book, the family aspect was great to read about and the Australian backdrop was something I haven't experienced often in books.
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It’s just.. amazing, it’s so good, I cannot put into words how important this book genuinely is to me as a queer aboriginal person. Not only are the characters loveable and joyful, but the plot pulls me in and keeps me hooked. I am such a slow reader but I finished this book in 3 days (it usually takes me up to a month)
This is so long but I just cannot figure out how to describe how much I recommend this book
This is so long but I just cannot figure out how to describe how much I recommend this book
Content Warnings
Minor: Racial slurs, Racism
Loved this one. Very honest and raw. I felt like I could see these people in the real world.
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
"I want to hold your hand and walk along the beach with you. I want to buy you presents and take you for a picnic on Valentine's Day. I want to be your boyfriend."
representation: Aboriginal MC & cast of characters (own voices), gay MC & love interest (own voices).
[trigger warnings are listed at the bottom of this review and may contain spoilers]
★★★★★
Wowowowowowow. What a debut! And a much needed voice in the YA world.
This book is all about our main character Jackson who is Aboriginal and grew up on the Mish with his family. Every Christmas, his Aunty and cousins come to stay but this time, his Aunty brings along Tomas, another Aboriginal kid who's just come out of Juvie and is put with his Aunty to keep him on the straight and narrow. But through sharing a room and showing Tomas all of the beautiful beaches, lakes and forests around their town, their bond grows until Jackson can't deny his feelings any longer but he believes no one will love and accept him for who he really is if they find out.
I loved the exploration of Jackson's culture and spirituality. As a non-Indigenous person, I found it really fascinating and beautiful. Tomas is also experiencing a lot of these ceremonies and rituals for the first time as well, and it was so nice to see him take it all in and find his place within it all.
Being Aboriginal is a huge part of the story, as we see the characters deal with racism not only from white members of their town, but also from members of authority like the police. This also ties into my next point, that Tomas is such a sweet cinnamon roll of a boy, and yet he's been in trouble for most of his teenage life and just come out of juvie. It's clear through the storytelling that the only reason for Tomas to have ended up there is purely because of the effects of systemic racism in our country. It's so sad. He's working on a graphic novel and Jackson tells him how amazing it is and I damn near cried when Tomas said something along the lines of, "Nobody has ever told me I'm good at anything before". MY HEART.
Jackson has such an authentic and relatable teenage voice. He'd get annoyed at silly little things and while reading the book, I kept remembering how I would get grumpy and annoyed at the slightest things when I was a teenager. I love how Lonesborough didn't shy away from showing what it's REALLY like being a teenager, mood swings and all. AND THE ROMANCE. It truly encompasses the emotions and everything that comes with experiencing your first love!! And they were both so understanding with each other when one said they're not ready for people to know etc. they just took it in stride and were always on each others side no matter what and it was just so WHOLESOME.
I'm so glad this book exists and I loved it so much. I would definitely recommend checking out some own voices reviews though because obviously I can't speak for the Indigenous community, but let's get more Queer, Indigenous stories out there because they deserve to be told!
trigger warnings: racism and racial discrimination by police, separated parents, medical emergency (snake bite), homophobia, incarceration of loved ones, alcohol and drug use, spiders, brief mention of past domestic abuse, violence, vomit, forced outing.
Thank you so much to Allen and Unwin for the review copy!
representation: Aboriginal MC & cast of characters (own voices), gay MC & love interest (own voices).
[trigger warnings are listed at the bottom of this review and may contain spoilers]
★★★★★
Wowowowowowow. What a debut! And a much needed voice in the YA world.
This book is all about our main character Jackson who is Aboriginal and grew up on the Mish with his family. Every Christmas, his Aunty and cousins come to stay but this time, his Aunty brings along Tomas, another Aboriginal kid who's just come out of Juvie and is put with his Aunty to keep him on the straight and narrow. But through sharing a room and showing Tomas all of the beautiful beaches, lakes and forests around their town, their bond grows until Jackson can't deny his feelings any longer but he believes no one will love and accept him for who he really is if they find out.
I loved the exploration of Jackson's culture and spirituality. As a non-Indigenous person, I found it really fascinating and beautiful. Tomas is also experiencing a lot of these ceremonies and rituals for the first time as well, and it was so nice to see him take it all in and find his place within it all.
Being Aboriginal is a huge part of the story, as we see the characters deal with racism not only from white members of their town, but also from members of authority like the police. This also ties into my next point, that Tomas is such a sweet cinnamon roll of a boy, and yet he's been in trouble for most of his teenage life and just come out of juvie. It's clear through the storytelling that the only reason for Tomas to have ended up there is purely because of the effects of systemic racism in our country. It's so sad. He's working on a graphic novel and Jackson tells him how amazing it is and I damn near cried when Tomas said something along the lines of, "Nobody has ever told me I'm good at anything before". MY HEART.
Jackson has such an authentic and relatable teenage voice. He'd get annoyed at silly little things and while reading the book, I kept remembering how I would get grumpy and annoyed at the slightest things when I was a teenager. I love how Lonesborough didn't shy away from showing what it's REALLY like being a teenager, mood swings and all. AND THE ROMANCE. It truly encompasses the emotions and everything that comes with experiencing your first love!! And they were both so understanding with each other when one said they're not ready for people to know etc. they just took it in stride and were always on each others side no matter what and it was just so WHOLESOME.
I'm so glad this book exists and I loved it so much. I would definitely recommend checking out some own voices reviews though because obviously I can't speak for the Indigenous community, but let's get more Queer, Indigenous stories out there because they deserve to be told!
trigger warnings: racism and racial discrimination by police, separated parents, medical emergency (snake bite), homophobia, incarceration of loved ones, alcohol and drug use, spiders, brief mention of past domestic abuse, violence, vomit, forced outing.
Thank you so much to Allen and Unwin for the review copy!
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes