Brontide

Brontide
Written by Sue McPherson
Contemporary, Indigenous, #LoveOzYA
132 Pages
Published June 2018
Thank you to Magabala Books
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★★★★
Brontide is a coming of age story about four boys and their lot in life. Recounted through storytelling sessions at their school over a period of five days, these boys chronicle their lives.

They are at times demanding, occasionally rude, always funny and unexpectedly profound. The boys like to challenge themselves and the rules, and soon realise that not everything goes to plan...
In the small town of Taralune on the Sunshine Coast, four adolescent young men reluctantly commence their stories. Acclaimed author Sue McPherson was invited to Taralune Secondary College and St Nicholas Lutheran College to participate in a storytelling workshop with adolescents. Emerging were four young men, interrelated narratives sharing their ambition, unease and lives within the small coastal town.

Taralune is atmospheric and wonderfully illustrated through the perspective of each young man. The Bower brothers are characters of contrasts. A sensitive and compassionate young man, respected by adults and peers while the other is perceived as ignorant, intimidating  the young men of Taralune and promoting toxic masculinity.

The thunder you hear miles away, that's the brontide. 

Seventeen year old Jack Trainer is a interesting young man in particular, his narrative captivating and characteristic of the wonderful diversity of Taralune. Unable to care for her biological son, Jack was adopted by a wonderful Indigenous extended family. I enjoyed the discussion of societal influences, Black Lives Matter and racial stereotypes.

The narrative structure is captivating, guided with gentle questioning and allowing each young man to determine the boundaries within their discussion without coercion. A confrontational, authentic  and mesmeric narrative.

Magabala books is a non for profit arts organisation and independent Aboriginal Corporation with the objective of restoring, preserving and maintaining Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and the rights of traditional storytellers and artists. To read more about Magabala Books and to donate, visit their website.

16 comments

  1. I'm intrigued to see how the story flows through the different boys sessions. I'm expecting it to be like reading a series of interviews, from which the reader gauges a bigger picture.

    I've ordered a copy from Booktopia and expect it'll be waiting for me in my PO Box on Monday. I wish i'd hung off until i'd read your review and I could have purchased it from Magabala books. They've got some other tiles in their shop i want but, so all good.

    Thanks for the review <3 :-)

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    1. It's a difficult book to review without giving away too much of the narrative but I found myself caring deeply for these young men and how different their lives had become. The discussions were cathartic for the reader as well.

      I'm actually reading Grace Beside Me at the moment and have fallen in love by the first chapter, what a remarkable storyteller Sue McPherson is.

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  2. I hadn't heard of this one, but it sounds fascinating. I'm glad to hear that you found this one really interesting and compelling. I do like books that focus on adolescent males because I feel like typically they aren't as open or honest about their lives and feelings so I like getting inside their head a bit, you know?

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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    1. It's something that is most definitely lacking for adolescent males in young adult. Of course we love books that are gender neutral for all readers but it's so important to have male narratives to encourage young men to read. This is one of those books that has the potential to read new audiences that will relate to the boys and their environment. Such a brilliant read Lauren.

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  3. This doesn't seem like something I'd normally pick up on my own, but since I do have an adolescent brother whose actions I don't always understand, it'd be a nice narrative to read. I'm especially curious about this Jack guy! Lovely review as always, Kelly. ♥

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    1. Jack's narrative is the one that was incredibly prominent for me, he was abandoned as an infant and adopted by a wonderful Indigenous family. He's socially aware and also understands how fortunate his life is. I really enjoyed his interactions in particular.

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  4. You always have the most interesting Aussie books Kelly! I'm glad you enjoyed it, wonderful review :)

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    1. I'm so lucky to have the opportunity to reach such rich, culturally diverse Australian young adult titles, you should check out the Magabala Books website, it's a wonderful celebration of Indigenous authors.

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  5. Aww, sounds like an interesting coming of age book Kelly. Haven't read one lately so reading this review makes me want to read one now. And Jack sounds like an interesting character indeed

    xx
    Vanessa
    Blushing Geek

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    1. It's wonderful Vanessa, although fictional, it really pushes the boundaries of authentic voices in young adult, something that is often desperately lacking in Australian young adult literature. Really enjoyed it.

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  6. This sounds wonderful. You're always bring interesting books to my attention!

    Karen @ For What It's Worth

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    1. It's an amazing read Karen, really unique formatting and such a wonderful narrative.

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  7. Ohhh, where do you find all these books? You're a book wizard! Seriously, my TBR thanks you! You shine a light on books that are meaningful and have the potential to leave a lasting impact. I've added this one already and cannot wait to read it for myself. <3

    L @ Do You Dog-ear?

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    1. I'm incredibly privileged to have Bern able yo review Brontide on behalf of Magabala books in this case, but typically I find my international reads through bloggers I admire such as yourself and Australian titles through either publishers or the team at #LoveOzYA. For so few words, this one will have a lasting impact. I'm still thinking about the boys of Taralune.

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  8. You always find these books that sound so good. I'm jealous of your Aussie authors!

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    1. They're amazing aren't they, so diverse and accomplished. Really enjoyed this one.

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