Emily Murphy – Aussie Reviews

The Paradise Trap, by Catherine Jinks

Marcus’s dream holiday involves staying at home and playing his favourite computer game. But when his Mum buys a musty old caravan and drags him off to the beach, Marcus finds himself wandering into OTHER people’s dream holidays – which, in addition to being bizarre, soon turn out to have a dangerous side! Accompanied by his Mum and some new family friends (including a prototype robot), Marcus unwillingly embarks on an adventure that’s more exciting than any computer game.

‘Oh, wow…’ Edison breathed.

Together he and Marcus stepped through the door onto a smooth stretch of green lawn. To their right, an enormous carousel was spinning on its mirrored axis, pumping a cheerful, chiming song. To their left, a row of painted clown heads swung from side to side in front of a wall hung with alluring prizes: plush toys, kewpie dolls, inflatable aliens…

‘Hello, Edison!’ They chorused. ‘Do you want to win a stuffed blue gorilla?’

The Paradise Trap engrosses the reader in a surreal fantasy world that, surprisingly, is almost believable. With vivid imagery and a cast of relatable characters, Catherine Jinks takes the reader on an enjoyable romp through a succession of wacky settings. An exciting read for upper-primary, teenagers, and adults alike.

The Paradise Trap, by Catherine Jinks
Allen & Unwin 2011
ISBN 978174237574

This book can be purchased online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Wavelength, by AJ Betts

‘Imagine’, she says, sliding her engagement ring from her finger. ‘Imagine starting off as a lump of boring black coal and ending up like this. A perfect diamond. All those years of being squashed. That huge weight, pressing and pressing, squeezing you so tight for so long that your very crystal structure changes. Can you imagine?’

Oliver can imagine. He knows it well. It’s like the crushing feeling he gets whenever he thinks of exams and eighty per cent. It’s how he suddenly feels now with the fresh reminder of study – of precious time being wasted.

It’s nearing the end of his final year of school, and Oliver’s life currently revolves around the elusive 80 per cent average he needs to get into uni and begin a cashed-up life of clean-cut uniforms and company tennis courts. But a hectic home-life and a mother who’s always baking muffins push success just out of reach, so Oliver attempts to escape to his dad’s place down south. Instead of a constructive study environment, however, he finds a frustratingly laid-back community of seniors and pool workers who just aren’t on his wavelength. Despite his narrow and stressed-out outlook, Sunny Haven Recreation Centre proves to be calming and eye-opening in ways Oliver never anticipated.

Wavelength is a story about life and our ideas of what is and what isn’t important. Through the snapshots of lives of characters that are as funny as they are real, the events of Wavelength are a learning experience not only for Oliver, but also for the reader – a reminder that the universe is bigger than a good grade or a high-paying job. AJ Bett’s writing is a rich sensory experience, pulling the reader into the settings of the novel and refusing to let go.

A great source of perspective for students, and a fun and enlightening read for any audience.

Wavelength by AJ Betts
Fremantle Press 2010

This book can be purchased online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Time Machines Repaired While-U-Wait, by K. A. Bedford

In 2027, things in Perth, Western Australia, are much the same as they are now, except housing is more expensive and time machines are a common household item. After discovering the body of a young woman inside a broken and rather unconventional time machine, repairman Spider Webb becomes tangled in a battle to save himself, his ex-wife, and indeed the entire universe, guided by a series of bizarre happenings and various future versions of himself, while discovering more about the future than he has ever been comfortable with.

Set in the near future, this intriguing, inventive, and entirely believable story presents a realistically bleak depiction of the near future with a cast of incredibly human characters. A rich web of mystery and complexity, Time Machines Repaired While-u-wait snares the reader with its enthralling plotline while creating a visualization of a future that is surprisingly ordinary, thanks to the down-to-earth perspective of main character Spider, who is faced with his own set of everyday problems and neuroses. Humourous and imaginative, Bedford’s novel consists of a pleasing balance of character, mystery, and action.

A down-to-earth, thought-provoking science fiction novel for people who like a plot filled with intrigue and characters with a bit of substance.

Time Machines Repaired While-u-wait, by K. A. Bedford
Fremantle Press, 2009

The Reformed Vampire Support Group, by Catherine Jinks

In the suburbs of Sydney dwell a host of vampires, posing as regular humans and living right under the rest of the city’s notice. These particular vampires, however, pose no threat – they’re “reformed”, and are as far from the violent, powerful bloodsuckers we know from the movies as possible. And when one of their number is slayed in his sleep, the sickly group must go into hiding while they pursue the culprit to protect their dreary existence. In this book, Catherine Jinks subverts the traditional representations of vampires, instead presenting vampirism as “just another form of humanity” with its own set of hindrances.

With an absorbing plotline and a cast of quirky characters, The Reformed Vampire Support Group is a clever tale of identity and pushing one’s boundaries. As Nina the vampire and rest of the support group rise to the challenges of unexpected adventure, the reader is treated to a fascinating look into the lives of these characters, and Nina learns to accept and admire vampires such as herself.

An enthralling story about making the most of what you’ve got.

The Reformed Vampire Support Group, by Catherine Jinks
Allen & Unwin, 2009

This book can be purchased online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

The Red Dragon, by Andrew Lansdown

This is a gripping fantasy full of excitement, adventure and betrayal…

Colyn slipped his hand inside his shirt to touch the scar below his collarbone. The wound from the dragon’s tusk had healed up well, although it was still slightly tender. But the wound to his mind had not so easily healed…He would wake in a sweat, reaching frantically beneath his pillow for his knife.

Colyn, the Rykonc, bears the Kinrye knife of Klarin – the other-world where dragons are feared and slain. Stuck back in his own world, Colyn, longing for the adventure of Klarin, cuts a window between the worlds with his treasured knife and lures a small dragonette and, even worse, a rare red dragon, through to his world causing trouble in both worlds.

This is a gripping fantasy full of excitement, adventure and betrayal. While older readers might long for more, it is still a satisfying read peppered with lovable characters.

The Red Dragon, by Andrew Lansdown
Scholastic, 2006