Nance Donkin

I first read Johnny Neptune as a child, and with it falling into obscurity since, I thought I would never be able to read it again. But thanks to the blessing of an interlibrary loan, I have at last been able to revisit this story after all these years.
I gave Johnny Neptune three stars when I first marked it as read on Goodreads, based on my scarce recollections from my childhood. So it’s interesting to see that after 30 years, my tastes haven’t changed significantly. Nance Donkin’s show more writing shines in the area of historical detail. She has brought to life a very important part of Australia’s history, carefully weaving together her fictional and real life characters, and presenting them in the muck and mire of early Sydney, without including details unsuitable for children. In this she deserves a five star rating. Unfortunately she is let down by her story, which I must confess is rather dull despite the setting, and by her somewhat unrealistic characters. Johnny Neptune, the hero of the story, doesn’t seem to put a foot wrong, despite the environment he has been raised in. And some of the other characters lacked authenticity in their choices and actions.
I can’t honestly remember what impact these issues had on me when I read this as a ten or eleven year old. For this reason I would still recommend Johnny Neptune to any young reader who is interested in the history of Colonial Australia. Thirty years ago I was fascinated by stories about Colonial Australia, and I’m sure Johnny Neptune was very influential on how I pictured life at that time. It would be nice to think that other interested children might have the opportunity to experience early Australia the same way I did. show less