Monday, February 12, 2007

Three awesome authors from Australia


I have recently been very impressed by the creativity and insights of three Australian authors.

1.) In Barry Jonsberg's recent book Am I Right or Am I Right? its protagonist, Calma, refers to her mother as "The Fridge" because the two of them communicate primarily through notes left on the refrigerator door. Early on in the book, Calma warns the reader about “unreliable narrators,” and makes no promise to be completely objective herself. This book made me laugh in the same way as Susan Juby’s Alice, I Think.

2.) All three of Jacyln Moriarty's books are innovative in format. In her first book, Saving Celia, the narrator receives imaginary letters from different associations, commenting on her progress on running, romance and living up to the teenage prototype.

Her second book, Year of Secret Assignments, is shared through emails, diary entries and letters back and forth between the students of two rival schools. The Murder of Bindy MacKenzie, third in the series, juggles a variety of formats, diary entries, personal memos and emails, to name a few.

3.) Melina Marchetta’s second book, Saving Francesca, also caught my eye. The characterization is spot-on, the pop culture references are hilarious and the voice of the protagonist, despite her attempts to fade into the background, is undeniably strong.

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