Pip HarryRezensionen

7/10, this was another good novel, at least it was better than Ask Me How I Got Here, by Christine Heppermann, that was terrible, and I'm glad I read this book. The three main characters, Lottie, Jack, and Noah, were interesting in their own ways, and overcame their personal struggles, which I liked. The story was disconnected at first, but it got pieced together in the end, when some of the main characters wrote letters to one another, as part of a school assignment or something. The end of the book was satisfying, since the three main characters all went to Manly beach, this was the first time for one character, and I got to see all three characters meet each other in person. If you like a feel-good verse novel with character development, this is the book for you.

Lovely well-written story of Bridget (Bee) who has just started high school and must confront all the changes happening in her life - not only with her body but also with her friendships especially with the Year 8 boy Leon she has grown up with. Bee must do all this without the help of her mother who has disappeared overseas to a Buddhist retreat and keeps promising to return to Australia to see her but never does, AND fitting in with her new step-brother and her Dad's new partner Kath who is trying to help her. As well as all this, Bee is in the swimming squad and notices something disturbing happening to her nemesis and she doesn't know how to help.
The book gets its jumping point from the 1980s Judy Blume bestseller "Are you there God, its me Margaret", is set in short prose style and is interspersed with lots of quotes from Buddha that apply to what is happening in Bee's life at the time.
I read this book in two hours, so students should also find it a quick read and hopefully they can relate to Bee's struggles with all the changes in her body, her life, school and how she copes with them.

Two converging worlds. Tiny is a homeless 18 year old who has been protected from the worst of "street life" through her friendship with ex-lecturer Zak. Nola is a senior student who is forced to volunteer at the same shelter where Tiny is residing - girl of privilege and little understanding of the plight of the homeless. Together, their love of story, writing , poetry etc draws them into friendship spurned on by the amazing staff at Hope Lane particularly the young chef Eddie who has past demons to bury. Very authentic depictions of life in homeless shelters and the personalities of the homeless versus the "do gooders" who try to assist and what their motives are. Found the story of Tiny and her teenage preganacy post-partum depression and escape rang very true and her reconciliation with her mother also very authentic - not the disney Happy family's version but a real life "see how it goes" version. Older students due to drug and self-harm references.

Actually 3.5 stars.

This review originally appeared at http://mycupandchaucer.com/ill-tell-you-mine-by-pip-harry/.

I never went to boarding school, and my perceptions of it are (like many things in my life) only based on what I have read in books. There seem to be two distinct types of boarding school books–those that either a) make you want to be a part of it or b) make you glad you aren’t. I’ll Tell You Mine falls into the former category. Through Kate Elliot and her family, Harry has created a picture of familiarity and realism for readers that perfectly encapsulates strained family ties. At its core, I’ll Tell You Mine is a believable and authentic tale about the perils of adolescence and the strength required to overcome past mistakes.

Kate Elliot has a secret. It’s a secret so horrible that her parents have decided it’s best if she becomes a boarding student at her high school to give the family some space. Kate is different–she is a goth and is as introverted as they come when she’s at school. She hasn’t made friends at her school, and chooses to hang out with two other alternative kids after school hours. Although Kate shows some remorse for her actions, she is petrified of the strict boarding house rules. Far from the comforts of home, Kate will now be sharing a room with three other girls, her daily routine is set out for her, the internet is monitored and boarders can’t use laptops outside of study times. For Kate, it sounds like hell. Heck, to me it sounds like hell!

Kate doesn’t make life easy for herself. She refuses to participate and keeps to herself. Her room mates Harriet (the popular overachiever), Jess (the sexually-confused swim star) and Maddy (branded a slut but has a heart of gold) aren’t particularly impressed, but slowly Maddy softens and begins to form a friendship with Kate. It turns out that the two girls have more in common than they first realised, and a strong bond is established between them. Maddy is dealing with mother issues of her own–her mother recently passed away and her coping mechanism requires the attention and affection of young men. Lots of them. As Maddy opens up to Kate, Kate feels more comfortable and reveals her own secret. Unlike her family, Maddy doesn’t reject Kate and when a family visit turns sour, Kate runs away to spend time on Maddy’s farm. In the space of a few short days, Kate notices some changes within herself, and the promise of romance lifts her spirits even higher.

Unfortunately, secrets have a sneaky way of not staying secrets for too long. When Kate’s secret is revealed, her world comes crashing down. But has she grown strong enough to make it through?

I loved this book. I wasn’t a goth or much of a trouble maker growing up, but I found myself directly relating to many of Kate’s emotions and frustrations, despite being a decade or so older than Kate (gross). Kate’s mother is a federal politician and spends more time away from her family than at home, and her attitude stands in stark contrast to Kate’s happy-go-lucky father. Harry has captured the tenuous family dynamic perfectly and as Kate’s parents fight more and more, Kate distances herself further away from her family and into her own world. What terrifies Kate to begin with ultimately saves her–the boarding school structure and the relationships she forms with Maddy and Louise (another outsider) become the pillars of strength that she was lacking at home. When Kate’s secret is revealed, the reader will not be surprised. But Kate’s growth throughout the course of the novel is endearing and heart-warming and serves as a gentle reminder that even when you think you are at rock bottom, there is always a path back up to solid ground.

Books like this from Australian YA authors make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. There is a future for Australian fiction, and with authors like Harry just getting started, the future is very bright indeed.

I thought this book was great. The author did a fantastic job of describing a goth which can not be the easiest thing. I really enjoyed the sadness of parts of the text however the plot was slightly predictable.