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A review by karlamcclatchey
Petrichor by Melanie Rees
4.0
Warning: May contain spoilers
"Some things cannot be mended with baling twine"
A land scorched bare by the Red King and dying from drought as the rain spirits are held hostage. A family ravaged by grief following the death of Clayton's older brother Davo. As Clayton mends a broken fence, he is visited by a fox spirit named Waringa, who tells him he must defeat The Red King in order to release the rain spirits and recover the land. In doing so, it will unearth buried feelings of grief and guilt and force open the wounds his family Bury deep concerning Davo.
The novel provides a beautifully stark image of life in the Australian outback, the problems of a harsh climate that can result in financial desolation and hunger as dust affects crops and animals. The darkness that pervades the land, also pervades the family. The story is narrated from the point of view of young Clayton. His sense of loss, confusion, but ultimately his hope to overcome the pain is raw, palpable and relatable. The fantasy elements are engaging and for me reminiscent of ancient indigenous Australian deities and spirits. For Clayton they are "a dream from one of his fantasy books".
Overall, this is a wonderful YA quasi fantasy, capturing themes of family grief, loss through suicide and the difficult path to healing amidst climate struggles and the resultant difficulties in the desolate outback. The magical elements provide some light relief to the heaviness of the themes. It did however seem like an insurmountable challenge for a young boy to take on the weight of saving the land from drought, as well as carrying the burden of witnessing his brother's suicide and feelings of fault and guilt, all alone. The author, Melanie Rees, has kindly pleged to donate a percentage of the profits from this book to charities helping with mental health and drought in Australia. With thanks to the author, and Henry Roi and Hague Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
"Some things cannot be mended with baling twine"
A land scorched bare by the Red King and dying from drought as the rain spirits are held hostage. A family ravaged by grief following the death of Clayton's older brother Davo. As Clayton mends a broken fence, he is visited by a fox spirit named Waringa, who tells him he must defeat The Red King in order to release the rain spirits and recover the land. In doing so, it will unearth buried feelings of grief and guilt and force open the wounds his family Bury deep concerning Davo.
The novel provides a beautifully stark image of life in the Australian outback, the problems of a harsh climate that can result in financial desolation and hunger as dust affects crops and animals. The darkness that pervades the land, also pervades the family. The story is narrated from the point of view of young Clayton. His sense of loss, confusion, but ultimately his hope to overcome the pain is raw, palpable and relatable. The fantasy elements are engaging and for me reminiscent of ancient indigenous Australian deities and spirits. For Clayton they are "a dream from one of his fantasy books".
Overall, this is a wonderful YA quasi fantasy, capturing themes of family grief, loss through suicide and the difficult path to healing amidst climate struggles and the resultant difficulties in the desolate outback. The magical elements provide some light relief to the heaviness of the themes. It did however seem like an insurmountable challenge for a young boy to take on the weight of saving the land from drought, as well as carrying the burden of witnessing his brother's suicide and feelings of fault and guilt, all alone. The author, Melanie Rees, has kindly pleged to donate a percentage of the profits from this book to charities helping with mental health and drought in Australia. With thanks to the author, and Henry Roi and Hague Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.