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A review by vivienh
Between Us by Clare Atkins
5.0
I read this all in one day! The start of the story quickly places the reader in the middle of events, and it's really fast and easy to get into.
I liked reading from Ana's POV the best, she was sensitive, caring and her story was really upsetting. Her experience in Iran, from the free underground to the violence, was quite eye opening. And, her life in Wickham Point, and also comparing it with Nauru and Christmas Island... I felt like Jono, learning it all for the first time.
Jono was a little dense about the detention centre, but this also probably made it accessible for younger readers to understand the asylum seekers' stories. His Vietnamese background was really interesting, especially since it was drawn from the author's own experiences. Jono was a little stupid at times, and was really rude to his father, but at his core he was a good kid.
Kenny seemed a little distant, and his voice a little too immature, sounded like a younger adult rather than a father. But you can tell that he tries.
The mixture of prose and verse, during harder or more difficult times, was a really interesting choice. It drew the line of symmetry between Jono at the start of the novel, compared with Ana at the end of the novel.
Realistically, their relationship wouldn't have worked out, but Jono not being able to apologise, and Ana having to carry that betrayal with her. The ending was sad.
I hope that some day in the future, Jono visits his mum and Laura in Sydney. And they can talk. And they Jono and Ana can bump into each other, now on different footing. And just talk.
I liked reading from Ana's POV the best, she was sensitive, caring and her story was really upsetting. Her experience in Iran, from the free underground to the violence, was quite eye opening. And, her life in Wickham Point, and also comparing it with Nauru and Christmas Island... I felt like Jono, learning it all for the first time.
Jono was a little dense about the detention centre, but this also probably made it accessible for younger readers to understand the asylum seekers' stories. His Vietnamese background was really interesting, especially since it was drawn from the author's own experiences. Jono was a little stupid at times, and was really rude to his father, but at his core he was a good kid.
Kenny seemed a little distant, and his voice a little too immature, sounded like a younger adult rather than a father. But you can tell that he tries.
The mixture of prose and verse, during harder or more difficult times, was a really interesting choice. It drew the line of symmetry between Jono at the start of the novel, compared with Ana at the end of the novel.
Realistically, their relationship wouldn't have worked out, but Jono not being able to apologise, and Ana having to carry that betrayal with her. The ending was sad.
I hope that some day in the future, Jono visits his mum and Laura in Sydney. And they can talk. And they Jono and Ana can bump into each other, now on different footing. And just talk.