Kathryn's Inbox

Real life is never scripted and that is something of a problem for Amelia, the protagonist of this well meaning but poorly executed YA novel. Amelia wishes that everything could be safe, comfortable and perfect. However, when her beloved older brother starts taking illicit drugs as a coping mechanism for a severe and initially undiagnosed mental illness she is forced to realise that life is not always safe and is rarely perfect, and she has to accept things as they are. I did not enjoy this novel. I should have known something was up when I found my copy--a pristine hardcover--going for fifty cents at a council library book sale. Despite the fact that it was published eight years ago, and probably landed on the library shelves soon afterward, it does not look as though any reader before me has ever read past about page thirty. Even the librarian gave me a look of surprise when I purchased it. Anyway, despite the deceptively pretty cover (just like a movie, I guess,) this one is surpris...

Trigger Warnings: Discussions of domestic violence, homophobia and bullying. Special request: This memoir is incredibly raw and candid. As such, I ask that no one tags the author in the review on social media or anywhere else online. (I'm not trying to start anything here, I just don't want someone to feel forced to see or read what is, essentially, an unsolicited review of a deeply personal work.)  Darren Hayes memoir may be called Unloveable  (the title is taken from one of his most powerful songs) but at its heart is a testimony to the beauty and the power of the love of his mother, Judy, to whom the book is dedicated. Growing up in the rough outer suburbs of Brisbane, Darren Hayes was a kid with a big imagination who was deeply loved by his mum and his older sister, Tracey. He dreamed of being a pop star, worked at the coolest indie record store in town and eventually went on to sell something along the lines of thirty million albums as the front man of Savage Garden--an...

Enid Blyton once famously said that she was not interested in the opinions of any critic over the age of twelve. Blyton's books were written to entertain, not to be picked apart by grown ups. I know this. I have known this for a long time. And, yet, somehow, I find myself at my desk preparing to write a review of a graphic novel adaption of one of her books that is almost wholly negative.  The Famous Five--siblings Julian, Dick and Anne Barnard, their tomboy cousin George (never Georgina) Kirrin and Timmy the dog, are on another adventure. It's the school holidays, so even though they've all been in boarding school for months, instead of spending time with their parents, they're off on a trip to stay with a friend who has never been mentioned in the series before. And then, it seems that something is off at Smugglers Top. Maybe it is the strange storms. Maybe it is the fact that Timmy isn't welcome. Maybe it is the secret passages. Or more likely it has something to...

What does happily ever after look like? That's the question at the heart of this sweet YA graphic novel by Hari Conner. Set in England toward the end of the Regency era, it tells the story of Eleanor, her friend George (never Georgiana) and Eleanor's cousin Charlotte. Each of the three women are of a marriageable age, but there is a twist. George has no desire to marry, feels more comfortable in men's clothing and has also inherited a large fortune meaning that they don't have to marry if they do not wish. Charlotte is in love with a man who has little income. And Eleanor, well, she doesn't want to marry anyone and she is finding herself more and more confused about her feelings for George ... In many ways, I Shall Never Fall in Love feels like a mash up of Heartstopper (unsurprisingly, there's a quote from Alice Oseman on the front cover) and Jane Austen. And within that second part lies my biggest issue with the novel. Parts of it feel very much like a LGBT...

Sleepovers, friendship and loyalty are at the heart of the ninth Baby-Sitters Little Sister novel. Written in 1990, the novel still stands up well today thanks to the simple but empathetic way that the author handles the plot. This time around, Karen Brewer is gigundo excited because her dad, Watson and stepmother, Elizabeth have given her permission to have a sleepover at the big house. Karen has invited all of the girls in her class at Stoneybrook Academy. But excitement soon gives way to hurt feelings when Karen's best friend Nancy does not receive her official invitation in the post. The two handle it as a pair of seven year olds would--through hurt feelings and wounding one another more. Then a new girl joins Karen's class. There is something about Pamela that makes her seem very glamourous. All of the girls want to be her friend, including Karen who invites her to the sleepover. And then ... Well it turns out that Pamela isn't nearly as much fun to hang out with at a ...