Thursday, November 11, 2010

LEANNE HALL; This is Shyness

11:00 11/11/2010 Remembrance Day

Author: Leanne Hall
Novel: This is Shyness
Release date: 2010
Genre: Young adult, Australian fiction, The Text Prize
Publisher: The Text Publishing Company

Blurb: A guy who howls. A girl on a mission to forget.

In the suburb of Shyness, where the sun doesn’t rise and the border crackles with a strange energy, Wolfboy meets a stranger at the Diabetic Hotel. She tells him her name is Wildgirl, and she dares him to be her guide through the endless night.

But then they are mugged by the sugar-crazed Kidds. And what plays out is moving, reckless…dangerous. There are things that can only be said in the dark. And one long night is time enough to change your life.

Review: This book proves that Australian young adult is alive and thriving!

Its been a long time since I read a book like this one. This is Shyness gives the reader a glimpse into the lives of Wildgirl and Wolfboy for one night only. In this way, the book feels like the first chapter of the rest of their lives, but in a way that leaves you feeling contented, as if you know that they will, one day, work out their problems.

The characters are by no means perfect, they both have their faults, more so than any other characters I have read about recently. This was a refreshing change, they didn't just make mistakes, they made BIG mistakes. Their lives are full of sadness and disappointment but also light. Wildgirl and Wolfboy are both just trying to deal with each days as it comes and cope (sometimes fail to) with their problems. They also compliment each other really well, Wildgirl is lively and outgoing whereas Wolfboy is not, and they end up bringing out the best in each other.

I'm recommend this book to any avid young adult reader, you don't have to be Australian to appreciate this book

Favorite quote: "They envy your youth. You two are like exotic creatures from the land of the young.’

I’ve never understood all that these-are-the-best-years-of-your-life crap. If this is as good as it gets then I might as well quit now. Let me get to the shimmery oasis of adulthood."

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