Opening Sentence: ‘…On Taris, we shave our heads …’

Juno is a young girl who is living in an isolated island society of 500 people that fled the chaos of the 21st century. A group of pioneer scientists volunteered to start the new civilisation on an island “somewhere in the southern ocean,” there they developed an enclosed dome where the atmosphere; water; rain and temperatures are all regulated by computers and it is designed to survive even if the rest of humanity perished. Not long after the colony is set up they lose contact with “the Outside”.

JUNO OF TARIS commences when Juno is 12, and she has already started to openly question the rules of Taris. Questions such as why must they all shave their heads every week? Why must they all wear the same clothes and why are her grandparents teaching her to read and not allow her to tell anyone – even her parents? To publicly question the established way brings about the punishment of withdrawing, where everyone has to turn their back on you as you walk by – a very isolating and distressing experience!!! Gradually Juno learns that she is not alone in wanting questions answered, and as it becomes obvious that someone is willing to kill Juno to stop her perceived rebellion she finds she has a loyal band of friends who stand with her and seek the hidden truths as the dome’s technology starts to fail.

The plot the story is built on is powerful and looks at societies, those who control societies, and how they are able to do so. Author Fleur Beale wrote this book with tremendous detail, yet the scientific component was written simply. As a whole JUNO OF TARIS was a pleasure to read and a great story.

All of the characters, both good and bad, were very realistic. The plot was easy to follow and I really liked how each of the chapters ended with three or four snippets from conversations regarding island gossip. It helped expand on information already gained, and set up what was going to happen next; giving the reader an insight into the networking and information sharing of the community.

JUNO OF TARIS won the Esther Glen Award in New Zealand in 2009 – the award is presented to the author whose work is considered a distinguished contribution to fiction for children. Well deserved in my opinion.

brilliant well worth reading, the reviews express the book well. ( )

Opening Sentence: ‘…On Taris, we shave our heads …’

Juno is a young girl who is living in an isolated island society of 500 people that fled the chaos of the 21st century. A group of pioneer scientists volunteered to start the new civilisation on an island “somewhere in the southern ocean,” there they developed an enclosed dome where the atmosphere; water; rain and temperatures are all regulated by computers and it is designed to survive even if the rest of humanity perished. Not long after the colony is set up they lose contact with “the Outside”.

JUNO OF TARIS commences when Juno is 12, and she has already started to openly question the rules of Taris. Questions such as why must they all shave their heads every week? Why must they all wear the same clothes and why are her grandparents teaching her to read and not allow her to tell anyone – even her parents? To publicly question the established way brings about the punishment of withdrawing, where everyone has to turn their back on you as you walk by – a very isolating and distressing experience!!! Gradually Juno learns that she is not alone in wanting questions answered, and as it becomes obvious that someone is willing to kill Juno to stop her perceived rebellion she finds she has a loyal band of friends who stand with her and seek the hidden truths as the dome’s technology starts to fail.

The plot the story is built on is powerful and looks at societies, those who control societies, and how they are able to do so. Author Fleur Beale wrote this book with tremendous detail, yet the scientific component was written simply. As a whole JUNO OF TARIS was a pleasure to read and a great story.

All of the characters, both good and bad, were very realistic. The plot was easy to follow and I really liked how each of the chapters ended with three or four snippets from conversations regarding island gossip. It helped expand on information already gained, and set up what was going to happen next; giving the reader an insight into the networking and information sharing of the community.

JUNO OF TARIS won the Esther Glen Award in New Zealand in 2009 – the award is presented to the author whose work is considered a distinguished contribution to fiction for children. Well deserved in my opinion. ( )

Fleur Beale is a superb writer, and this is no exception. Juno lives in a closed community, set up on a remote island in the Southern Ocean as civilization crumbled. To maintain the community's standards and to promote unity, everyone has their hair shaved off weekly, wears plain clothing, and accepts the decisions of the Governance Companions. Juno, at 11, is chafing under the strictures placed upon her. Why can't she grow her hair? Why can't she dance the way she wants to? Why aren't her parents allowed to have another child? Juno's questioning of authority has far reaching consequences..... ( )