Carmel Reilly

In her first full length novel for adults, educational and children's writer Carmel Reilly has delivered a crime fiction book that tackles sibling relationships and family secrets full on.

Set in two main timelines, in 2016 Lori receives a visit from a policeman to tell her that her estranged brother Scott is in hospital, seriously injured in a hit and run accident. Back in 1993 we meet Lori and Scott as teenagers, and discover the secrets that tore the family apart. Is it this that triggered show more the hit and run, or was it simply an accident?

Given that this is a crime fiction debut for Carmel Reilly, the writing and plotting of LIFE BEFORE is assured and extremely readable. It's also another one of these frequently occurring cross-over's between mystery and suspense set within a big family saga novel - these definitely do seem to have become the flavour of the month at the moment.

Dripping with tension and suspense, the multiple timeline works well, with the pacing of the release of past information nicely balanced against current events. The switching backwards and forwards is elegantly presented, not confusing or jolting the reader from the main storyline at all. There's the added bonus of 1990s small town Australia in the earlier timeline that will undoubtedly ring very true for many readers.

Peopled by really good characters, what made this novel stand out amongst what has become a rather crowded sub-genre was the sense of reality to the plot. It's all to easy to imagine going about your daily, mundane sort of life, after teenager events that rocked your world but seem to be safely tucked in the past, only to have everything explode in your face when you least expect it. How somebody would handle that, how you would make sense of it, and how you face up to the consequences, is really at the core of LIFE BEFORE.

https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/life-carmel-reilly show less

(8.5)I found this a gripping read. I related to the anxiety experienced by parents of teenagers when they are out in cars at night. I felt a real sense of foreboding and yes it disturbed my sleep. The revelations continue to the last page. Well worth reading but not if you are feeling anxious.

This book is filled with stories of how people's lives changed dramatically in a single moment. Some were due to what I call mundane miracles - a birth, a death - others were due to more catastrophic events - fires, bankruptcy and so on. However, I was struck by the number of times the turning point was due to a casual comment or a passing kindness by strangers. Perhaps this should be a wake up call for all of us about the impact we have on the lives of others.

Reilly, Carmel, and Craig Longmuir. The Far Side of the World. South Yarra, Vic.: Macmillan Education, 2005. Print.

“The Far Side of the World” is appropriate for the ages of about 10 to 12. It's set in the early 1800s, with the beginning of the novel taking place in London, England. However most of the rest of the story is set in New South Wales, Australia. “The Far Side of the World” is about a teenager named Joe, whom at the beginning of the story is caught helping his brother pick show more pocket from a rich man. As a result of this, Joe is sentenced for 7 years and sent to the colony of New South Wales, Sydney. The remainder of the novel describes Joe's life in Australia. “The Far Side of the World” is well written and I believe is consistent with what occurred in history during the era in which it's set. I think social issues in the novel are portrayed honestly overall, as there's a part in which a man named Arthur Billings tries to shot a group of aborigines that appear on the farm where he works. This was known to be a common occurrence during those times. Hence Carmel Rielly's storyline is definitely credible.

I think the characters also accurately reflect the values of the late 1700s, in “The Far Side of the World”. For example life was a lot more harsh back then, and therefore it wasn't anything out of the ordinary for people to steal in London, so they could get food and/or warm clothing. People did what they had to do in order to survive. As well as this I believe Rielly has generally remained true to the times, as far as the language of the characters is concerned. For example the term “peeler” is used to describe a policeman (Reilly 12). Thus according to Dictionary.com this is a colloquial British term, which originated sometime between 1810 and 1820.

I believe “The Far Side of the World” would keep readers interested, as I found the whole plot with Joe being sent as a convict to Australia quite fascinating. Hence it really made me want to continue reading the story, in order to find out how Joe ends up. I also feel that most readers will be able to relate to its themes of survival, family, friendship and hope.

I must admit that I'm not very fond of Craig Longmuir's simple, black and white illustrations in “The Far Side of the World”, as I would have preferred more detail. However generally their consistent concerning the era in which the story is set. Therefore I think readers would get a bit more of an idea of how places, people, etcetera looked during the early 1800s, in London and New South Wales. show less