Kate Gordon (2)

Girl Running, Boy Falling by Kate Gordon is a contemporary YA novel set in small-town Tasmania. It seems that most of the non-spec fic YA books I read are on the depressing side of things, and this is no exception! It's a quick read, but one that's both thoughtful and a bit heavy. I found it difficult to put down and inhaled it in less than a day.

Girl Running, Boy Falling is written from the point of view of Tiger, who starts off the book going through usual teenage stuff, perhaps slightly show more amplified by her family situation and lower-than-average self-esteem. She doesn't feel like she has her life together, despite presenting as a bit of a workaholic to others, and I found her and her friends to be a mixture of relatable and frustrating.

Gordon does a good job of setting up the background for Tiger and Wally before shattering Tiger's world. While I suspected what was coming, it didn't happen quite when I expected and that increased the impact for me. And increased my sympathy for Tiger and her friends. After that I found myself connecting to Tiger more strongly and found her reactions very believable. As I have already said, I had difficulty putting the book down, all the way through.

It's very tempting to make a comparison of this book with Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta, so I will, briefly. Girl Running, Boy Falling could be the new generation's Looking for Alibrandi, dealing with some similar issue but also updated with issues more relevant to teens of the twenty-teens than the nineteen-nineties when Alibrandi was published. But aside from sharing a theme or two, Girl Running, Boy Falling is it's own book that tells its own story and deals with difficult issues in its own way. It's also about teenagers at an Australian public school, which I've recently come to learn is not all that common in Australian YA, so that may be an additional point of attraction for some readers.

Overall, Girl Running, Boy Falling is excellent and I highly recommend it to fans of contemporary YA and anyone interested in the Australian setting. It's well written and gripping and I will definitely be reading more of Gordon's books at some point in the future.

4.5 / 5 stars

You can read more of my reviews on my blog. show less

When you place a girl, who only days earlier was found wild and battered in the bush, a girl who doesn't even know what waffles are and who is irrationally afraid of the television, amongst a group of spoiled and stuck up daughters of the wealthy in an exclusive all girls boarding school, is it really any wonder that she doesn't quite fit in?

The world has changed, what Tessa remembers does not match what is before her. How is it she is able to remember names and dates from the past but show more nothing from the present? But it is more then just facts she is remembering, it is memories of a life lived long ago. But what has any of that to do with where she came from and how she came to be alone in the bush with such injuries?

Thyla is about a girl desperate to remember who she is, but the more she remembers the harder she is finding it to not believe she is crazy. On the surface this is a mystery filled with lost memories, dark secrets, heartbreak and loss; a tale of Tasmania's unique fauna, Australia's convict history and the supernatural. But at its core this is the story of Tessa, a girl who is discovering her identity, forming friendships and falling in love. Definitely one to read. show less

Marry Me Mischa McPhee by Kate Gordon is a contemporary Christmas romance novella. It's not my usual genre (seeing as I'm not a fan of Christmas nor Romance) but I was drawn in by the promise of a queer romance and not too much Christmas. Also, I enjoyed Girl Running, Boy Falling, so why not.

This was a quirky fun read with a diverse cast and a bisexual protagonist. I admit that part of my amusement when reading this book was at some of the silly things Maddy did or didn't notice other people show more doing. In some books this sort of thing annoys me, but it worked well in this one since it was very clear when and with what Maddy was being distracted.

Although we only see Maddy over a short period, we get enough background context to see how much she's grown as a person over the past few years. Her mix of confidence and insecurity underscores this, also, her general character traits mesh well with the story and its development. And I was amused with how she kept going back and forth on the gender of the mystery person she was trying to track down.

This was a fun read and I recommend it to anyone who likes light and fluffy romance stories with a bit of a Christmas theme. I'm not about to immerse myself in the genre, but I enjoyed reading Marry Me Mischa McPhee and it made me laugh a few times. I will certainly be keeping an eye on Gordon's future output.

4 / 5 stars

You can read more of my reviews on my blog. show less

Xavier knows what he is up against and his struggles are enormous. He also knows how important those “meantimes” are. They are the times to be cherished, when he can breathe normally. Writing helps, poetry helps, so much doesn’t help. He needs help and wants to help others equally afflicted.

I can’t even imagine what it is like living with the Black Dog of depression lurking, panting in the corner. I can’t even imagine, but maybe I can because this books gives you tremendous insight show more into what life can be for a young person living with constant depression, fear and negative self-worth. What a wonder, what an idea, what a brilliant attempt to climb up and out, helping himself and the “others” and enjoy the “meantime”.

Thank you NetGalley and Riveted Press for a copy. show less