THE AMBIDEXTROUS LIBRARIAN

Jasper Jones (Craig Silvey) I first came across Jasper Jones as a prescribed text at the school in which I worked.  Half the kids complained about it (but hey, any text prescribed for English is bound to get a few complaints) but those who were brave enough to actually confess they enjoyed it, said it was "pretty good" (from a teenager, this translates to a glowing and hearty recommendation).  If you believe the publishers spin on the cover, it's billed as an Australian "To Kill a Mockingbird", and I guess once you get reading you can see the strong parallels.  Aside from the fact that Atticus Finch is mentioned numerous times. Jasper Jones is the outcast of the small (fictional) mining town of Corrigan, the teenage scapegoat who is seen as the source and instigator of anything that remotely resembles "trouble".  He is also the son of a drunk, and half aboriginal, so he is basically a happy blend of many of society's prejudices.  So when Jasp...

We Were Liars (E. Lockhart) Welcome to the beautiful Sinclair Family. No one is a criminal. No one is an addict. No one is a failure. Narrated by Cadence, the first born grandchild of the wealthy Sinclair family, We Were Liars is a tale told across the summers of Beechworth Island; the private oasis of the Sinclair family. Life is perfect when on the island, and Cadence describes each summer through the experiences of “The Liars” a band of three cousins, Cadence, Mirren and Johnny, and one outsider, Gat, who is Johnny’s not-quite stepbrother. As the summers pass, Cadence knows that all is not well in the family; but like a good Sinclair she dutifully maintains the required image of perfection. But this thin veneer is shattered when Cadence wakes to find herself in hospital after suffering a serious accident during “Summer Fifteen”, which has left her with debilitating migraines and no memory of the event. Following her accident, Cadence begins her slow rebellion away from ...

Watermark (Penelope Todd) A short but memorable novel about the effects that choice and fate can have over a very short period of time, Watermark is set in the beautiful but isolated backdrop of the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. Zillah is a "normal" teenager who is the recipient of a mysterious letter written by an unknown acquaintance.  The letter invites her to visit Roimata, ask no questions, and bring very little.  Knowing that her predictable mother would strictly forbid accepting such a strange offer, Zillah makes her plans in secret, and in so doing makes her first "choice", and starts along her fateful journey. Faced with all manner of strange scenarios and people, Zillah learns how to trust herself and her instincts, but also learns how sometimes it doesn't matter whether something is a choice or fate, either can still have unpredictable outcomes and consequences.  In the end, Zillah learns that it is how prepared you are for lif...