Written by Ellie Marney
Contemporary, #LoveOzYA
384 Pages
Published March 1st 2018
Thank you to Allen & Unwin Australia
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★★★★★
Bo Mitchell has little on his mind except school, footy and friends. Rory Wild has grown up on a nearby commune and is attending a normal high school for the first time. Bo is determined to find out everything about her, even her secrets...
In Bo Mitchell's country town, a White Night light show event has the potential to raise vital funds to save the skate park. And out of town, a girl from a secretive off the grid community called Garden of Eden has the potential to change the way Bo sees the world. But are there too many secrets in Eden?
As Bo is drawn away from his friends and towards Rory, he gradually comes to believe that Eden may not be utopia after all, and that their group leader's goal to go off the grid may be more permanent and more dangerous than anyone could have predicted.
A wonderfully compelling novel from the acclaimed author of the Every series.
G'day and welcome to the town of Lamistead Victoria, where everyone knows your business and doesn't mind a gander in your windows. There's not much to do in Lamistead for sixteen year old knockabout kid Bo, footy, school, hanging round the soon to be demolished skate park. And no cooking. Definitely no cooking. Bo just wants to make his old man proud, a hard ask with all those bloody rules, the tough old bastard.
Just outside of town, the locals will have a yarn, there's a place where all the tree huggers live called Eden. No one knows what's going on in Eden but most will tell you there's a roo loose in the top paddock. Including that tough old bastard. So when Rory Wild rocks up at school one day with her hairy pits and getaway sticks, she's a punching bag for the halfwits of Lamistead.
Naturally Bo has got the hots for Rory and not just for her hairy pins. If that was the case I'd have to beat them off with a stick. This chick is smart and doesn't think Bo's a dickhead. Bonus. Starting out as mates, I loved those kiddos. Rory gave Bo the guts to want more than bring a local frothy drinking footy player and even though his dad'll be devo, he wants a cook tucker. Rory learns what a wasteful pack of mongrels Lamistead is until Bo adopts the recycling lifestyle, even giving his mates a serve for being wasteful.
Eden isn't the great unwashed that the pricks of Lamistead want you to think, it's a whole village of veggoes growing their own carrots and saving the planet. Probably should have called it Flatulence Town just quietly. The message at the heart of Eden is getting your hand off it and taking care of your own back paddock. Grown your own tucker and reuse shit you have laying round the house. We might not all want to be Greenies, live in a commune and meditate but we need to pitch in before this world goes down the gurgler. Whip up an Eden in your own back paddock and teach your ankle biters the value of reusing and recycling.
I'm always banging on about Aussie authors because let's face it, they're grouse and Ellie Marney is the top chick of Aussie authors. Let me tell you a bit about my mate Marno, she's a fair dinkum Aussie legend, she's a hard working mum living out in the sticks and raising a group of ankle biters. She knows her shit. She writes no bullshit books with heart and White Night is a bloody ripper. She's a beaut mate.
Eden isn't the great unwashed that the pricks of Lamistead want you to think, it's a whole village of veggoes growing their own carrots and saving the planet. Probably should have called it Flatulence Town just quietly. The message at the heart of Eden is getting your hand off it and taking care of your own back paddock. Grown your own tucker and reuse shit you have laying round the house. We might not all want to be Greenies, live in a commune and meditate but we need to pitch in before this world goes down the gurgler. Whip up an Eden in your own back paddock and teach your ankle biters the value of reusing and recycling.
I'm always banging on about Aussie authors because let's face it, they're grouse and Ellie Marney is the top chick of Aussie authors. Let me tell you a bit about my mate Marno, she's a fair dinkum Aussie legend, she's a hard working mum living out in the sticks and raising a group of ankle biters. She knows her shit. She writes no bullshit books with heart and White Night is a bloody ripper. She's a beaut mate.
Gahh! I'm trying to get my sister to send me a copy of this, but she's taking forever! You know I love all things Ellie Marney, so I know I will love this too. It sounds very different, but still as heart-wrenching!
ReplyDeleteGreat review!
It's absolutely brilliant, that ending though. You'll absolutely love this one, I can guarantee it.
Deleteyour review is a ripper too. struck gold in this one
ReplyDeleteThanks Ailyn, it's a bloody awesome read.
Delete*dies laughing* Flatulence Town. Oh man, Kelly, thank goodness you brought these bogan reviews back. More, I demand more!
ReplyDeleteIt's Ellie Marney I tell you, she brings out the bogan in me. You can't help it. they're all bloody fantastic Aussie reads.
DeleteI absolutely love this review, Kelly! I can definitely relate to the author's "ankle biters," lol! We're also vegan and have a small garden. I feel like this book was made for me to read it, which is why I've already added it on Goodreads, and I'm leaving here to see if my library has a copy. If not, I'll buy it! Thanks so much for sharing this!
ReplyDeleteDo You Dog-ear?
I loved the environmental aspects of the narration, the community of Eden being self sufficient and living from the land. Reducing our waste and footprint is something I'm really interested in and throw in a couple of lovable characters, a touch of love and you've got an incredible read in true Ellie Marney style.
DeleteYou want all Aussie with your review and now I'm trying to figure out what on earth your saying with half of it. Turns out, though, you right a review like this I will picture it being said in Steve Irwin's voice/the dudes in the Fosters advert over here. Weird, but true. Once I'd read it several times and figured out the Aussie to English translation I have to say this book does sound good. Bo and Rory sound cute and it does seem to make some good points about doing your bit and I think that sounds sensible you got to admit Eden sounds slightly sinister but I want to read this it sounds good and I know Ellie Marney is meant to write good books... even if I haven't read any of them yet.
ReplyDeleteOh no, not Fosters. No one here actually drinks that I'm told. Have you ever seen Kath & Kim? Now that's a show that'll tickle your fancy. It's incredible. I also loved the teen activism aspects, kids rallying in a grassroots campaign t save their beloved skate park from becoming a supermarket car park. This is the perfect Ellie Marney book to start with and would love to see what you think of it.
DeleteYESSS A Kelly Bogan Book Review! Awesome. And YESSSSSSSS a new Ellie Marney book!! super awesome. I've ordered a copy and am planning on taking it on holidays :-) :-).
ReplyDeleteMy goodness it's brilliant Sarah, I can't wait to see what you think of it!
DeleteBAHAHAHA THIS WAS TOO FUN TO READ, KELLY BEAR! I remember wayyy back before my very long blogging hiatus that the Oz YA community kept talking about Ellie Marney--I think her book at the time was Every Breath? Or one of the sequels? Gah, I really need to read something by this wonderful lady. xD
ReplyDeleteYes! You really do! She's one of the finest and most remarkable #LoveOzYA authors. All five of her released books have all been five star reads!
DeleteHow do you find all these gorgeous covers???
ReplyDeleteYour home page looks like an art gallery lol
As always, a fun Bogan review.
Karen @ For What It's Worth
It does doesn't it. That's also the magic of diverse reads this year, the covers are beautiful and bright.
DeleteI have heard good things about this author but I've never read her! I loved your review though, and this sounds like a really well done novel. I'm glad you liked the characters too, since you know I love me some good characters. :) And can I just say that I adore this cover? I don't know - it just really sticks out! So pretty!!!
ReplyDelete-Lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.net
I love the significance of the cover too Lauren. A part of the storyline that brings the town together is White Night, which is a grassroots festival organised by the group of friends to save their skate park from demolition. It's a beautiful read with strong environmental messages and a gentle romance. I'd love to see what you think of it!
DeleteSighhhh. You Aussies are so lucky. This book will probably not even see the light of day up in herrre. I need to read her other series. I have that books somewhere. Oh, but this sounds so good. <3
ReplyDeleteAlso... HI!!!!!!! <3
Jooooooooooooooooooy! I've missed you so much my darling.
DeleteI haven't heard about this one being picked up over there yet but most of the #LoveOzYA titles are available on The Book Depository and Amazon. Did you hear about her next book? Circus. There's a circuuuuuuuus. Be still my beating heart.
This is a fun review Kelly. I've been curious on trying some Aussie authors for quite a while now and this review just got me MORE curious!
ReplyDeleteThanks Vanessa, such a wonderful read and a great introduction into Australian young adult as well!
DeleteI don't think I've seen or heard the word 'grouse' in that context for a couple of decades lol (urban dictionary tells me it's a Melbourne thing, so that's probably why!)
ReplyDeleteI like the message behind this one, the little things we change now might save us all one day.
Surely grouse was used around the country, what are you people doing with your lives! It's a top shelf read, shit hot mate.
DeleteHAHAHAH KELLY oh my gosh this was brilliant! I have no idea how you get so many bogan words into one review, that was hella entertaining. And what a perfect book to have one with hahaha
ReplyDeleteJeann @ Happy Indulgence
I find myself speaking like this at home now too, well even more so than before. I'm suffering a severe case of boganitis.
Delete