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jmay89's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
kaila_robertson's review against another edition
5.0
There were so many times I wanted to cry reading this. It's written with so much aroha and I wish I'd had it when I was younger because it's an easy (if heartwrenching) way into exploring the plight of tāngata whenua. It's hard to envision how to teach heavy topics like this to bored teenagers and tweens but THE PŌRANGI BOY offers insight into protests like Bastion Point and the perspective of Māori without overwhelming you with an info dump. Rather, it tackles the topic with poignancy and emotional depth.
erebus53's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
cw: bullying, urination, death, Colonization,
I managed to read this with my eyeballs. That's pretty tough, but my options were limited a this is a locally produced book and there is no Audiobook version as yet. My daughter put me onto this title as it's one that she is being read in class (yr 6 - she is currently 11).
I think that this book is probably a little incomprehensible to non-New Zealanders. As far as accessibility that's a bit of an issue, but as far as the target audience is concerned that is important. A lot of the story is told in dialogue or conversation; kōrero. Reo Māori (indigenous New Zealand language) features prominently, but most of the terms are those that people on the street really ought to know. The historic significance of this is of te reo (the language) being taken back into public usage after years of oppression, violence, colonization, and the eroding of the status of the language (much as what happened to the Irish, Scots and Welsh languages due to .. England).
The main story is that of a lad called Niko, who has a close relationship with his koro (grandfather). His grandfather is a man who feels strongly about his values and doesn't mind not blending in. He is mocked by his community for being pōrangi (crazy) especially in his insistence of the existence of the local taniwha (water dragon / guardian spirit), a creature called Taukere, who he often wants to tell people about. He is also strange to many of the local Pākeha (White folks), who see him as a weird old dude covered in tribal tattoos.
The story is told in interspersed chapters that are set in two separate timelines, the Before and After. It's a coming of age story that shows what it's like when one has to take the mantle when an elder passes on, and inheritance skips a generation.
When local land is slated to be used as the site of a new prison, the Pōrangi Boy is the only one who is prepared to stand up against it, and bring local Tangata Whenua together to protect their land, their tapu places, and their mana.
I managed to read this with my eyeballs. That's pretty tough, but my options were limited a this is a locally produced book and there is no Audiobook version as yet. My daughter put me onto this title as it's one that she is being read in class (yr 6 - she is currently 11).
I think that this book is probably a little incomprehensible to non-New Zealanders. As far as accessibility that's a bit of an issue, but as far as the target audience is concerned that is important. A lot of the story is told in dialogue or conversation; kōrero. Reo Māori (indigenous New Zealand language) features prominently, but most of the terms are those that people on the street really ought to know. The historic significance of this is of te reo (the language) being taken back into public usage after years of oppression, violence, colonization, and the eroding of the status of the language (much as what happened to the Irish, Scots and Welsh languages due to .. England).
The main story is that of a lad called Niko, who has a close relationship with his koro (grandfather). His grandfather is a man who feels strongly about his values and doesn't mind not blending in. He is mocked by his community for being pōrangi (crazy) especially in his insistence of the existence of the local taniwha (water dragon / guardian spirit), a creature called Taukere, who he often wants to tell people about. He is also strange to many of the local Pākeha (White folks), who see him as a weird old dude covered in tribal tattoos.
The story is told in interspersed chapters that are set in two separate timelines, the Before and After. It's a coming of age story that shows what it's like when one has to take the mantle when an elder passes on, and inheritance skips a generation.
When local land is slated to be used as the site of a new prison, the Pōrangi Boy is the only one who is prepared to stand up against it, and bring local Tangata Whenua together to protect their land, their tapu places, and their mana.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Racism, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Bullying, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Ableism, Alcohol, and Blood
Minor: Body shaming, Drug use, and Drug abuse
emily_mh's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
At its core this story is about Nikora, about him connecting with his community, finding his place, standing up for himself, and figuring out what he values. This is a character-driven story, and the character development is superb. The dual-timeline worked well for me, as I think it was important to see Nikora’s “backstory” in detail, as this brought another layer of significance to both his character and the present narrative.
I loved the theme of community present in this book, how it stressed the power of solidarity and support. I liked how Nikora was depicted figuring out how to be involved in his community, how to organise for a cause and enact collective action. It was excellent seeing him become empowered in this way.
The book also explores how white supremacy uses mental illness to undermine and discount people of the global majority, in this case Nikora and his koro who are simply trying to protect their own land and the taniwha Taukere, who is their guardian.
Furthermore, the story presents a collection of other ways in which colonisation impacts Māori. The main focus is on infringement of land rights, but it also looks at poverty, poorer health outcomes, addiction, loss of language, micro- and macro-aggressions, and overrepresentation in prisons.
Rep: Māori MC + SCs
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Racism, and Colonisation
Moderate: Animal death and Animal cruelty
Minor: Death, Forced institutionalization, Classism, Addiction, Excrement, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Blood, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Homophobia, Drug use, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Fatphobia, Body shaming, Cancer, and Fire/Fire injury
Major: loss of loved one Moderate: death of pet Minor: loss of a loved one, imprisonment, gambling, misinformation on OCDmerchant_of_mishaps's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
tense
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? Yes
4.0
watenelysh's review against another edition
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
ingingenous's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
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? No
5.0
Ka rawe!! One of the best books I’ve read so far! I hope the author keeps writing because we need more books like this especially for our rangatahi to read! It covers Niko, a young Māori boy from a rural Māori community in the north while he grieves his koro’s death and protests a prison being built on his whenua.
It’s a good mixture of funny and serious, taking on issues like poverty, incarceration, Māori politics and colonisation in a light hearted way. The dialogue is so natural, mixing te reo Māori and English like many of us do!
I highly recommend this book everyone!
It’s a good mixture of funny and serious, taking on issues like poverty, incarceration, Māori politics and colonisation in a light hearted way. The dialogue is so natural, mixing te reo Māori and English like many of us do!
I highly recommend this book everyone!
queen_of_the_rats's review against another edition
hopeful
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
3.0
treereader's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. Reeeeeally good writing. The dialogue, especially, was so perfectly Māori-English that I could hear the accents vividly.
NZ needs more books like this. And this book needs to be in all our kids' schools.
NZ needs more books like this. And this book needs to be in all our kids' schools.
fyorarules's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
I read this for a class, and wrote a review for it, so here's that review:
Nikora Te Kainga-mataa, known as Niko, is the grandson of an infamous elder and protestor in his community. Niko’s grandfather’s activism inspires him to learn about and fight for their Māori community’s rights to their land and sovereignty, even when the rest of the community, including their own family, calls Niko’s grandfather pōrangi, meaning crazy. The community sees Niko going down the same punishing road of activism and calls Niko pōrangi boy, which he struggles against every day. The forces of familial love, thirst for justice, and bonds of friendship drive the story forward. Niko dives into the folktales passed down through his family about their heritage and learns how his own beliefs and life tie into the story of the land itself. Kino peppers the text with phrases in Te Reo and writes out the conversational dialogue the way it would sound in the New Zealand accent. This writing style submerges the reader into the world of this Māori community, or “Mowree,” as the pakeha folks in the story pronounce it. By seeing how Niko and his grandfather’s histories are inextricably bound to the land, readers will be immersed in one story of the battle for rights, power, and culture that has gone on in Aotearoa for hundreds of years.
Nikora Te Kainga-mataa, known as Niko, is the grandson of an infamous elder and protestor in his community. Niko’s grandfather’s activism inspires him to learn about and fight for their Māori community’s rights to their land and sovereignty, even when the rest of the community, including their own family, calls Niko’s grandfather pōrangi, meaning crazy. The community sees Niko going down the same punishing road of activism and calls Niko pōrangi boy, which he struggles against every day. The forces of familial love, thirst for justice, and bonds of friendship drive the story forward. Niko dives into the folktales passed down through his family about their heritage and learns how his own beliefs and life tie into the story of the land itself. Kino peppers the text with phrases in Te Reo and writes out the conversational dialogue the way it would sound in the New Zealand accent. This writing style submerges the reader into the world of this Māori community, or “Mowree,” as the pakeha folks in the story pronounce it. By seeing how Niko and his grandfather’s histories are inextricably bound to the land, readers will be immersed in one story of the battle for rights, power, and culture that has gone on in Aotearoa for hundreds of years.