Home Truths
CHARITY NORMAN
It is August 2019. Scott and Livia and their children, Heidi and Noah, are the epitome of a happy family. But the unexpected death of Scott’s brother sets off a ticking time bomb. Scott blames himself for the tragedy, and online conspiracies and their communities become a seductive outlet for his grief and feelings of responsibility. By January 2020, his new and paranoid beliefs have impacted on his work and friendships, and soon his relationships with Livia and their children are on a knife’s edge.
Livia has to believe that soon things will return to normal, that Scott will turn away from his conspiracies and the fractures in their family can be healed. She just has to keep everything going until then. But something is looming with the potential to pull Scott further down the rabbit hole and lead the whole family towards catastrophe. Can Livia find who is behind the conspiracies pulling Scott under before he destroys their family?
Set from 2019 to 2022, Home Truths captures a time of massive upheaval and dissects how the online world has the potential to cause harm. The story is tight and intimate, showing the impact this had on ordinary individuals during an extraordinary time. As always, a gripping page-turner from Charity Norman.
Allen & Unwin. RRP $36.
The Mess of Our Lives
MARY-ANNE SCOTT
Mary-anne Scott’s new young adult novel packs a keen punch. This time she deals with the sensitive, complex issue of hoarding.
The story concentrates on the experiences of seventeen-year-old Jordan and his little sister, Tabitha. Jordan’s the one holding it all together as their mother, Susan, gradually barricades herself inside the house. It’s dangerous in there, rodent infested and unstable, with teetering piles of stuff, a barely functioning shower and no food in the kitchen. When Tabitha finds herself in grave danger, Jordan, a musician with huge potential, has to make choices no child should have to make.
The story exposes the specific kind of neglect that occurs when parental attention and funds are diverted to feed an illness that can’t easily be cured. It’s also a story of community and how a crisis can be the catalyst for hope.
Huia. RRP $25.00
The Fantabulous Animal Orchestra
DONOVAN BIXLEY
The animal orchestra is tuning up and there’s a cacophony of sounds, described in wondrous words: weaving and thrumming, jingle and ping, zither and zing.
The illustrations are a riot of colour, action, sound and movement spilling from the pages as lions, tigers, birds of all feathers, crabs and toads work together harmoniously. The orchestra is thrumming along but gradually, quietly, sections slip away until the conductor, oblivious as the creatures gradually disappear, is alone.
The adults in the room will spot the allegory: a leader so intent on exploiting and mining for fabulous things that he doesn’t notice the devastation. The little ones will thrill to the rollicking rhythm and wild adventure and pore over the end pages for extra information about the animals.
Donovan Bixley plays wild and fast with fantabulous language, rumpetus trumpets and spectacular rhyming text in this absorbing picture book.
Walker Books. RRP $27.99
