JESS JUST READS

A BOOK REVIEW BLOG

I Am Change by Suzy Zail

They told her that her body belonged to men and her mind didn’t matter. They were wrong.

“What if I don’t want to marry?” Lillian held her breath. She had never said the words out loud. “Not want to marry?” Her aunt frowned. “What else would you do?” Set in an Ugandan village, Lilian has learned to shrink herself to fit other people’s ideas of what a girl is. In her village a girl is not meant to be smarter than her brother. A girl is not meant to go to school or enjoy her body or decide who to marry. Especially if she is poor. Inspired by and written in consultation with young Ugandan women, I Am Change is the tragic but empowering story of how a young girl finds her voice and the strength to fight for change.

I Am Change is an extraordinary novel from Suzy Zail, about dreams, destiny, expectations, and one young girl’s determination to follow her passion and reject the future that is expected of her.

Suzy Zail’s book is fictional, but it is based on countless research and interviews with young Ugandan women. Lilian’s story in the book was inspired by 30 different Ugandan women, and all of the experiences that Lilian had in the book, are based on real life events that happened to at least one Ugandan woman.

At times, it was incredibly distressing because Ugandan women are often subjected to horrible customs and treatment from others. I Am Change explores traumatic topics such as genital mutilation, rape, forced child marriage, infant death, and poverty.

In developing countries around the world, over 200,000 million girls don’t have the opportunity to go to school or develop an education. In I Am Change, Lilian is determined to finish her schooling and go to university. She doesn’t want to be forced into a marriage, and she doesn’t want to follow the path that her mother expects of her purely because she’s a girl.

“The final bell rang and the class spilled from the room. Masani had followed one of the older boys to the back of the sports shed. Lilian snuck after them to watch. She wanted to look away, wanted to feel angry with Masani, but she couldn’t muster disgust, or even disappointment, just guilt that the watching warmed her body.”

Lilian wants to be a teacher, but no one believes it’s possible, or that she’s able to achieve that. She must get married and have babies — that is her role. That is the role of every woman in Uganda. Lilian’s father and aunt are the only two people who believe in her, and combined, they help her throughout the novel. But I imagine in the real world, many girls do not have support from their parents or extended family.

I Am Change is essential reading for adults and young readers — most readers in Australia probably have no idea what it’s like to live the kind of disadvantaged life that Lilian and her friends go through. And it’s horrifying to think that there are hundreds of thousands of women who have lived or are living these kinds of experiences around the world.

Not only is the story beautiful and the characters inviting, but the writing is fantastic. Suzy Zail crafts sentences that flow incredibly well, the dialogue is realistic to the age of the characters, and the story itself is engaging.

“Dimple didn’t return to school at the end of the wet season and with Trinah gone and Nasreen about to be married, Lilian’s only female company was Masani, who spent her lunchtimes emptying boys’ pockets of coins. Thomas still tried to buy Lilian with pencil sharpeners and cold drinks but his greasy smirk made her skin crawl.”

I Am Change is about awareness and education, and the importance of women receiving the same opportunities as men in developing countries. I anticipate many people will read this book and be moved by the characters, the circumstances, and Lilian’s courageous actions to break the cycle of poverty and disadvantage in her family. Highly recommended.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I Am Change
Suzy Zail
August 2019
Walker Books Australia

Rogue (Vault #2) by A.J. Betts

There was no going back; there was no choice, anymore. I’d chosen out and this was it: hot-cold, dry-wet, bright-dark and lonely.

Hayley has gone rogue.

She’s left everything she’s ever known – her friends, her bees, her whole world – because her curiosity was too big to fit within the walls of her underwater home.

But what is this new world she’s come to? Has Hayley finally found somewhere she can belong? Or will she have to keep running?

Rogue is the second and final book in the Vault series by Australian author A.J. Betts. Vault is a dystopian YA series about a young girl — Hayley — who lives in an enclosed vault with a large community and her curiosity leads her to the discovery that they’re in fact living underwater.

Rogue picks up exactly where Hive left off — Hayley travels up in the pod and arrives on land. She has no idea where she is, or even what this place is. Over the course of the novel, you find out why Hayley’s community was living underwater and what happened to those people who were left on land and where they are now.

“Time behaved differently in this world. I didn’t know what I was supposed to do with it. There were no coloured grow lights to signal when to eat, work, rest or sleep. There were no morning meetings to allocate jobs. No bath-time rituals. No prayers, and though I still felt the impulse, I wasn’t sure what to pray for here.”

There were so many possibilities for where this book could go, but I just feel like nothing much happened. This is a really short book and I stand by my original thought that Hive and Rogue should just be one book, but with two parts.

Hayley travels a lot in the book, and it’s kind of boring. Sure, she meets people and they build a family together and there are hurdles she has to overcome and danger she must avoid, and information about the land and the people that she has to learn really quickly. But ultimately, I finished this book quite disappointed at the lack of plot. The final 50 pages has a lot going on but by then, it felt too late. I think this book is let down by its structure and its plot, which is a shame because A.J Betts is a really talented writer and I freaking loved Hive.

“I tried to recall what Will had said about the first generation, and why they went down. They had a problem, you understand? Was it a famine that had caused our ancestors to flee the terrestrial world?”

Rogue explores many themes, including climate change and asylum seeking. The book is mainly set in Tasmania, which is now called Terrafirma. Terrafirma is essentially a prison for drifters — this setting feels really relevant in 2019 and there is a terrifyingly strong connection between Terrafirma in Rogue, and Manus and Nauru in Australia.

Hayley’s characterisation is a strength in the book — she’s thrust into a new world that she has no knowledge of and she’s forced to adapt to her surroundings. She’s resilient and she trusts her instincts, and she is incredibly courageous.

“I’d once resented Will for his freedom. I’d envied his privilege, as the son, to wander unquestioned through the houses, and I often imagined the things I would do, if I were him. I would go to the kitchen for no reason but to smell the nutmeg and touch the polished copper pots.”

The Vault series is recommended for young adult readers, aged 12+

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rogue (Vault #2)
A.J. Betts
July 2019
Pan Macmillan Publishers

We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal

Zafira is the Hunter, disguising herself as a man to brave the cursed forest of the Arz to feed her people.

Nasir is the Prince of Death, assassinating those foolish enough to defy his autocratic father, the king.

If Zafira was exposed as a girl, her achievements would be rejected; if Nasir displayed compassion, his father would brutally punish him. War is brewing in Arawiya, and when Zafira embarks on a quest to uncover an artifact that can restore magic and stop the Arz, Nasir is sent by the king on a similar mission: retrieve the artifact and kill the Hunter. But an ancient evil stirs-and the prize they seek poses a threat greater than either can imagine.

We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal is the first book in a new fantasy series set in the fictional, once-magical country called Arawiya — inspired by the Middle East and ancient Arabia. The book is about conquering fear and taking identity into your own hands.

Zafira is a hunter who disguises herself as a man every time she enters the Arz — a dark, dangerous and cursed forest where people have gone missing or deranged. Everyone else avoids the forest, but Zafira hunts inside it to provide for her family, friends and village, and to support herself.

Nasir is a Prince and an assassin, and he’s very good. He’s the son of the cruel and horrid Sultan and Nasir does his father’s bidding without ever questioning his actions or his father’s motives. In a way, he seems to have been brainwashed by his father.

“Nasir took the weapons on his person, along with a rucksack containing a few provisions and a change of clothes. He expected this journey to be quick, no longer than a few weeks. Head straight through the Arz, sail to Sharr, follow the Hunter, and bring back the lost Jawarat.”

I had such high hopes for this book, and I’ve been looking forward to it for months. And whilst the premise is intriguing enough and the characters readable, the pacing is a huge letdown. Zafira and Nasir are given a task right at the beginning of a book — they must hunt down a lost artefact that will restore magic to the land, rid the world of evil, and destroy the cursed Arz forest — but then not much happens for the first half of the book. There’s so much dialogue and so much banter, but not a lot of action or plot.

The prose is a bit up and down — sometimes it’s wonderful, lyrical, beautiful. Other times it’s jilted and awkward, and a little too forced. I think perhaps the story was overwritten and needed a good stripping back in the editing stage.

Additionally, the book is told with dual perspectives and most chapters are really short. There’ll be a tense moment in Zafira’s perspective, and then when we get to a heightened moment, the chapter ends and the POV switches to Nasir. It’s a bit jolting and uncomfortable for the reader, and I think the structure could’ve been improved for a better reading experience.

“Her pulse quickened. Against reason, she wanted to go on the quest. To claim this victory for herself. At the very least, she wanted answers. Could a book really bring back magic? Was the caliph involved? He wasn’t bad. If, somehow, he found out she was a woman, she would find her way around. He wouldn’t chop off her head.”

Grief is a strong theme in the book. Zafira’s father went crazy in the Arz and it led to his death, and she’s still very much traumatised by his passing. And Nasir’s mother recently died, and he’s been left alone to deal with his cruel and evil father. It’s a strong theme that runs throughout the book, and I’m sure many readers will be able to relate to Zafira and Nasir’s grief over the death of their beloved parents.

“For once, she appreciated the fearsome, incalculable strangeness of the Arz that made the men disappear. The two Sarasins could be leagues away, and neither she nor they would ever know it. Such was the Arz. This was why so many people who entered never returned — they couldn’t find their way back.”

This book will appeal to fantasy readers, but seasoned readers. This is not the kind of book to give a reluctant reader, and this is not the kind of book that will keep the attention of someone who doesn’t read often. The pacing is too slow and the characters a little too one-dimensional.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

We Hunt the Flame
Hafsah Faizal
May 2019
Pan Macmillan Publishers

How it Feels to Float by Helena Fox

Biz knows how to float. She has her people, posse, her mum and the twins. She has Grace. And she has her dad, who tells her about the little kid she was, and who shouldn’t be here but is. So Biz doesn’t tell anyone anything. Not about her dark, runaway thoughts, not about kissing Grace or noticing Jasper, the new boy. And she doesn’t tell anyone about her dad. Because her dad died when she was seven. And Biz knows how to float, right there on the surface – normal okay regular fine.

How it Feels to Float by Helena Fox is a captivating debut novel about a young teenager who is struggling to cope with the death of her father. The book explores mental illness, grief, family, relationships, and sexual identity.

Biz’s father died 10 years earlier, but she sees him all the time. At school, at home, in her bedroom. He speaks to her and they spend time together, and she blames herself for his death. Both of them share a history of mental health — her father was ill for a long time, and was often absent. Biz is very much like her father, struggling to cope with her undiagnosed mental illness. She often feels like she’s floating, and like she can’t control her life or her decisions.

17-year-old Biz is both strong and fragile. Her mental illness and depression manifests itself in the form of hallucinations, panic attacks and disassociations. She’s an unreliable narrator, because others remember conversations differently to how she told us the conversations went. She suffers from memory loss, or perhaps she’s blocking out her memories because it’s too painful to process what’s happening to her.

“The new guy’s name is Jasper Alessio. He is tall and narrow. He has a strange gait, a limp, like his right leg is too slow to keep up — a stubborn dog not done with its walk. He has longish hair like everyone else. It goes over his eyes.”

Biz is on a journey to better understand herself, but she’s also on a journey to better understand her father. Along with Jasper, her new friend from school, the two pair up to discover — both metaphorically and literally — more about Biz’s dad and where he came from.

The biggest strength of the book is the writing. It’s exquisite — gorgeous sentences crafted to perfection. You can’t help but sit and finish the book, devouring each chapter and paragraph. There’s a poetic rhythm to Helena’s words. They flow so easily, and the writing is so lyrical and beautiful.

“The twins pull on their uniforms and complain about their socks (too tight! too itchy!). Mum assembles a limp salad for lunch and tries to find her car keys. Sylvia calls – I haven’t spoken to her since class ended. She’s rung me and I haven’t replied, but today I see her name on my screen and in a rush of birthday goodwill, finally answer.”

How it Feels to Float also explores sexual identity. At the beginning of the book, Biz has just kissed her best friend Grace, but the feelings are unrequited. Biz isn’t sure of what (or who) she wants, but this isn’t a central focus of the story. She’s not sure of her sexuality, and that’s okay. It’s not something she needs to figure out right now, but when she’s ready.

“A heart is a mystery and not a mystery. It hides under ribs, pumping blood. You can pull it out, hold it in your hand. Squeeze. It wants what it wants. It can be made of gold, glass, stone. It can stop anytime.”

How it Feels to Float is an honest portrayal of life with mental illness. The book will appeal to all readers, young and old. The writing will lure you in, but the characters will keep you enthralled. It’s a gorgeous book — well worth the read.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

How It Feels To Float
Helena Fox
May 2019
Pan Macmillan Publishers

River Stone by Rachel Hennessy

Pandora, of the River People, wants more than her village can provide. When disaster comes to her people, Pan has the opportunity to become their saviour and escape her inevitable pairing with life-long friend Matthew. She wants to make her own choices. Deep in her soul, she believes there is something more out there, beyond the boundaries, especially since she encountered the hunter of the Mountain People.

A story of confused love, difficult friendships and clumsy attempts at heroism, Pan’s fight for her village will bring her into contact with a whole new world, where the truth about the past will have terrifying reverberations for her people’s future survival.

River Stone is the first book in a new dystopian YA series from Australian author Rachel Hennessy. The story is about survival and bravery, but it’s also about family, legacy and expectation.

At first, I thought The River People were a cult. The village is small, ruled by a male elder, and teenagers are told who they are to be paired with. They don’t get to choose who to have children with, and who or what they want isn’t really taken into consideration.

It all seemed very cultish, and I guess it kind of is, but in a dystopian setting. Most of the world was wiped out after a mysterious virus started infecting people, and The River People are just doing their best to survive and continue procreating so that they don’t die off. In the blurb, it says “when disaster comes to her people”, and I half expected that to be a mass suicide like you see in cults, but I was just overthinking it. Pandora’s people are struck down with the mysterious virus and it’s up to Pandora and her friends to travel into the city and find the cure.

“Caro chews on a large piece of meat. He and Bayat have prepared a piece of the cougar on a long, whittled spear which they’ve placed over there pit, held up by two forked branches driven into the ground. They have turned it sporadically over the course of the afternoon and then carved slices off it.”

Young readers will be drawn to Pandora’s resilience, determination and strength. She’s worried for her parents, but she’s also worried for her village. She doesn’t want to let anyone down and she certainly doesn’t want to fail on this mission.

Pandora has to navigate this new world if she’s going to succeed. But she also has to navigate a love triangle, and the group of friends she’s traveling with. Tensions rise and friendships are damaged.

“At the very least, the training had ensured I could just keep up with Bayat and as we sped along the path to the caves, I realised my muscles were stronger than they’d ever been.”

As an adult, I picked up on a few things about the plot that I thought could’ve used some work. Firstly, there’s a lot of travel involved in this book, which is something most commonly seen in the second book of a series. Travel is very important in fantasy or dystopian fiction, but it can also be a little boring. I certainly felt like the travelling in River Stone could’ve been condensed, or sped up.

Secondly, I found it awfully convenient how easy it was for Pandora and her friends to gain the Mountain People’s trust. Things seemed quite….easy for the team. They’re trained in both information and combat, and they’re given pretty much everything they need to succeed in their mission. It seemed a little unrealistic.

But, I’m an adult. Whilst I certainly think teenagers are at risk of getting bored of the travelling, I don’t think Pandora’s quick connection with the Mountain People will deter young readers.

River Stone entertained and intrigued me enough to want to read the sequel. The premise is refreshingly unique, and whilst the plot is a little slow at times, and the pacing lagging, I think teen readers will be enthralled by the story. I recommend this for readers aged 11-15.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

River Stone
Rachel Hennessy
May 2019
Midnight Sun Publishing

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