Angel Fish

Angel Fish by Lili Wilkinson

A Journey To Find The Holy Land,

A Journey To Find Yourself!

From the first moment Gabriel laid eyes upon Stephan he knew Stephan was different; special. Gabriel had never been special, had never felt he belonged, and he could never understand the people around him. But when Stephan talks, Gabriel understands. As special as Stephan is in Gabriel's eyes, Gabriel is just as special; he is the alpha fish.

Stephan leads Gabriel across the country, and from every town and village they pass through their numbers swell as hundreds, thousands, join the Children's Army led by Stephan, as they march to the Holy Land. Only the pure and innocent children are able to free the Holy Land from the evils of the Saracen.

As the Children's Army marches they are led by a Holy man, a mad man, who is no man at all but merely a boy. There are many difficulties; the harsh conditions claim many of them, shaken beliefs send many to turn away for home, and deceit will see the remaining betrayed. As beliefs are shaken to their core, Gabriel starts to question, and where once he had thought Stephan an Angel, it is Stephan who now sees Gabriel as an Angel; his Angel Fish.

Angel Fish is a story of hope. This book demonstrates a strength and courage in acting on what you believe, even if it is not what everyone else believes, even if it takes you far from family and home. However, the innocent and naive must beware in blindly following others, for there is also danger, deceit and despair lurking in the depths of this story. Ultimately it is about belief. Find a belief in yourself, and others will believe in you.

 

Lili Wilkinson Webpage

Lili Wilkinson @ Black Dog Books Walker Books

On sale: 01 September 2009
Price (AU): $18.99
ISBN: 9781742030463
Recommended age: 13+
In a word: Angel-Fish
Re-read it: possibly
Recommend: yes
Star rating: four out of five
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Scatterheart

Scatterheart by Lili Wilkinson

Appearances Can Be Deceiving!

Hannah Cheshire is a young lady of Quality living in London, and the daughter of a Gentleman. Arthur Cheshire is an important businessman, and wants only the best for his daughter. Hannah is used to having the best, fine dresses and jewellery, food and servants. Hannah has grown up with no mother and, apart from her father, has no one else in her life besides her tutor.

Thomas Behr has filled Hannah's head with history, poetry, and mathematics as well as languages, animals and stories; much to Arthur Cheshire's dismay. It was not necessary nor desirable for a young lady of Quality to know such things, Hannah's father would say. But still Thomas Behr loved to tell his story and Hannah loved to hear them. Her favourite story was that of Scatterheart.

One day Hannah finds her life turned upside down, and all her troubles seem to start with the dismissal of Thomas Behr as her tutor. Quickly afterwards things seem to turn from bad to worse, and Hannah finds herself imprisoned. "A series of misfortunes and calamities...", as Hannah puts it, has brought her to trial and despite her insistence of innocence; she is sentenced to "Parts Beyond the Seas", other wise known as New South Wales.

It is upon the seas and beyond that Hannah holds dear to her the stories told by Thomas Behr; she is haunted by the story of Scatterheart and the white bear. Along with the stories is the memory of the man she has become so fond of. Once she had considered him well beneath her, a servant, a commoner. Now she thinks of him more and more. But will she ever see him again?

Scatterheart is a fickle and selfish girl who accepts the offer of marriage from a white bear, not because she loves him but because he can offer her a castle to live in and beautiful dresses to wear. Hannah begins to wonders if she is not so different, willing to consider marriage to a man she detests for the chance to have a grand house with carriages, and fifty servants, and jewels and beautiful dresses.

Like Scatterheart, Hannah must endure a long and dangerous journey, to discover what is truly worth having, finding growth and learning and love; all the while searching for her own Mr Bear, 'East O' The Sun, West O' The Moon'.

Scatterheart is a wonderful story that mixes reality with fantasy, and truth with illusion. It's a story that portrays the ignorance and selfishness of the wealthy and the harsh reality of life for the poor living in London and Australia in 1814. Scatterheart is a fairytale that's actual and realistic.

 

Lili Wilkinson Webpage

Lili Wilkinson @ Black Dog Books Walker Books

On sale: 01 August 2007
Price (AU): $19.99
ISBN: 9781921167850
Recommended age: 13+
In a word: Journey
Re-read it: probably
Recommend: yes
Star rating: four out of five
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PiNK

PiNK by Lili Wilkinson

'PiNK Is For Girls'

Ava is a teenager trying to please everyone, by the grades she gets, the clothes she wears, even the food she eats. But is this really what she wants? Or who she is?

Ava isn't so sure, at least not anymore. She isn't sure about a lot of things in her life, but one thing she is sure about is that it's time for a change; new friends, new experiences, a new school, and maybe even a new Ava. But will she be able to hold on to her old life while creating a new one?

Confused and on a mission to find herself, to find who she really is, Ava strives to reinvent herself. All she wanted was to be normal, be like everyone else and to fit in, to belong. But was this too much to ask; was she so different that she couldn't fit in anywhere? and has she reinvented herself so much that instead of finding herself, she has lost who she is in a web of new clothes and lies? Or is it possible that through all the secrets shared and mistakes made that Ava is able to learn about life, love and herself.

This book is a great read for any teenager girl. It is both clever and humorous, and at times embarrassingly honest. It deals with the question of identity and show its alright to be unsure; that life is never simple and neat, but messy and screwed up. It is not afraid to show the important issues faced by teens; that of family, friendships, relationships, sexuality, peer pressure, drugs and the need for acceptance.

 

Lili Wilkinson Webpage
Lili Wilkinson @ Allen & Unwin

 

On sale: 01 August 2009
Price (AU): $17.99
ISBN: 9781741758344
Recommended age: 14-18
In a word: Pink
Re-read it: possibly
Recommend: to teenage girls
Star rating: three out of five
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