Claire Zorn

I read the first half of this novel thinking "Could this novel get any bleaker?" But I was compelled to read to the end and I was actually surprised at how much I wanted to finish it. I found that I was engaged, but the whole resolution was twee and unbelievable. Please can we have a novel where the vulnerable, emotionally-compromised female is not "saved" by the witty, gorgeous guy?

Thank you to the University of Queensland Press for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence my review in any way.

Hannah’s family is broken. Her mum is depressed, her dad injured and her sister? Her sister Katie was killed in the same accident that split the family in little broken parts. Since the accident, once the well-wishers were gone, Hannah has been ignored by everyone, even those who tormented her for years before Katie’s death. The relief at show more finally being left alone is eating at Hannah as she struggles to remember what happened during the accident. She is struggling by herself, until Josh comes along. Josh sees her as more than just the dead girl’s sister that everyone else tiptoes around. For the first time in years, Hannah may actually have a friend, if only she is willing to open herself up.

After I finished reading this, I took the afternoon to think it over before I even attempted to write this review. It was a fairly quick read for me, taking not even a day, but it filled me with emotion. When I connect with characters, I feel what they feel. So I felt hurt when Hannah was being bullied, I felt her relief at being left alone, her budding happiness at her friendship with Josh. I felt sad, I felt the guilt, and at the end of the book I felt hopeful. I wanted Hannah to in some way be able to deal with this horrible tragedy that happened to her family, and to remember what it felt like to be happy.

The writing itself was beautiful and the story was well paced and well constructed. Zorn creates memorable scenes of the Blue Mountains where Hannah and her family live, of the high school experience that can be both awful and amazing, of a family dealing with grief. It all feels very real, like they could be the family living down the street. Or maybe even your own. Hannah and Katie don’t get on well, and this lurks on Hannah’s memory because she will never have a chance to have a meaningful relationship with her sister. This book conveys to the reader Hannah’s fears and doubts without so many words. As the book progresses we understand more of their relationship through a then and now perspective, discovering the causes of Hannah’s guilt, relief and why she didn’t always like her sister. You can’t choose your family.

But you can choose your friends. Sometimes they choose you. Josh is not so important as a romantic interest, although it felt like a natural progression, but he is so important as a friend. He gives Hannah the confidence to restart her life, as opposed to just going through the motions. He shows her how important a good friend is, in a situation like Hannah’s. He doesn’t let her shake him off, but just gently encourages the friendship and doesn’t let her shy away from him. He makes her confront the things that scare her and their progressing friendship is uplifting and it just made me smile. I could feel that something was changing in Hannah and I was glad she finally had someone who was there for her. Not because they were paid, or because they had to look after her, but because they cared about her. It was important to Hannah’s development past the accident and so wonderful to read.

Such a beautifully written story will find its way into reader’s hearts. There is no reason it should get any less than five stars. show less

Thank you to University of Queensland Press for providing a copy of this book. This did not influence my review in any way.

Claire Zorn has just become a must-buy author for me. First The Protected, and now The Sky So Heavy, colour me impressed! The Sky So Heavy is an apocalyptic novel set in the Blue Mountains. Our hero is Fin – seventeen years old, just your average teenage guy, bluffing his way through class and through interactions with Lucy, who leaves him weak at the knees. There is show more talk of nuclear testing that day when he’s at school, but he never expects to find himself in the middle of a nuclear winter. Suddenly, there’s no power, no water and only limited supplies of food. With his dad unable to get home and his mum unreachable at her Government job in the city, it’s up to Fin to look out for younger brother Max and try to find a way to get them through this, together with Lucy and the unpopular Arnold Wong who Fin had never spoken to other than in jeers before now. Four kids, alone, and just trying to survive.

Reminiscent of Tomorrow, When The War Began (which I also loved), The Sky So Heavy was an instant hit for me. I read it in a day and was utterly consumed by it. A couple of chapters in and I started to wonder how much canned food we had at home. Half the book in and I was developing my survival plan. Then, too wrapped up in Fin’s world, I couldn’t think of anything else. I think what made it so compelling was the fact that it feels like it could happen tomorrow. Overnight. Just like that.

The characters were well developed and while not always likeable, both they and their actions were realistic. Fin is forced to doubt his life and his choices, Lucy was intelligent and a bit of a badass especially with a cricket bat, Max was maturing and slowly growing up while a part of him still wants to be a kid, and Noll was trying to hold on to his faith. I loved the relationship between Fin and Max, and the way Fin took over a parent role for Max - he really stepped up even when it was difficult. Fin and Lucy's developing relationship was sweet and kind of sad too, considering all that was happening, and regarding that I especially loved this line: "I know you don't need me to, but I will protect you" and the fact that he recognises she can stand on her own two feet. I love that she confronts him when she thinks he's leaving her out of dangerous trips because she's girl or that she can't hold her own. And he apologises and then changes his attitude. It's so great to read and so rare!

As I closed the book, I wondered to myself, does this need a sequel? And while I would love to know what happened to the characters, I think this works perfectly well as a standalone. I didn't want to give them up just yet, but at the same time I was kind of glad to finish because I was on edge the whole time I was reading. But it was a bloody good read that I really enjoyed and I'm looking forward to what comes next from Claire Zorn! show less

The one thing that annoys me about this book is that there is no way that whatever I read next can possibly be as good. My one word review would be: amazing.

It's like the author was challenging herself to make the reader teary at least every second chapter or so. I wouldn't recommend reading this in the train or in public like I did (unless you have sunglasses, it's ok with sunglasses).

Can not wait to see what Claire Zorn does next. Very quickly climbing my list of favourite authors. show more Highly recommend this for anyone. show less