Aotea College

21,630 pages read and 1,256 team points

Team members

Mferris

8,989 pts

(5,753 pages read)

The Paradise Generation

By Sanna Thompson

4 stars

I loved the Wellington setting for this YA dystopian novel. I think it is a good introduction for young people about government propaganda.
Catch a falling star

By Eileen Merriman

4 stars

The main character, a teenage boy, progresses from mania to psychosis and is diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I think this book will broaden teens understanding of mental health conditions.
Katabasis

By R. F. Kuang

4 stars

The characters journey to hell and need to figure out how to navigate across it. That part of the story dragged for me a little. I enjoyed the book more when the perspective shifted to another POV and more internal lives of the characters were revealed. I think people who have done PhDs would appreciate the nuanced discussion of what it's like but did not immerse me fully. I enjoyed the discussion of feminism and the author's perspective.
Earth

By John Boyne

4 stars

I think it was really well written with fully described characters and motivation. The book is centered around a trial where you as the reader are left in the dark and wondering until the end. It is very compelling to keep reading although the nature of the book is quite dark.
Artificial Sweetener: Tales of AI: 100% Written by Humans

By SpecFicNZ

4 stars

I thought this was a really clever collection. I think more NZ settings would have been good for a NZ collection. My favourite was about an AI powered house whose owners had left.
Summer Island

By Kristin Hannah

4 stars

A sweet easy read about repairing family relationships
Five Survive

By Holly Jackson

3 stars
Violet and the Velvets: The case of the angry ghost

By Rachael King

3 stars

While it furthered the story from the first book, I did not feel any relationships or people underwent any growth
Episodes

By Alex Scott

2 stars

This book has wonderful reviews online but unfortunately I couldn't get into it.
Detective Beans: Adventures in Cat Town

By Li Chen

3 stars
The New Zealand Night Sky

By Alistair Huges

4 stars

A beautiful bicultural book about the New Zealand night sky. A great introduction to the topic.
Needs adult supervision

By Emily Writes

3 stars
At the Grand Glacier Hotel

By Laurence Fearnley

4 stars

There's a lot to unpack in this book, it would make a good book club book. It gives good insight into the feelings of vulnerability after serious illness and the impact it has. It has good descriptions of New Zealand's beautiful natural scenery.
Bury our bones in the midnight soil

By V.E. Schwab

4 stars
There's a cure for this

By Dr Emma Espiner

4 stars
Mophead Tu: The Queen's Poem

By Selina Tusitala Marsh

5 stars

The author talks about her experience of being named the Commonwealth Poet
Taniwha

By Gavin Bishop

4 stars

Gavin Bishop has collected and retold nga pūrākau taniwha from across New Zealand with incredible illustrations.
Parable of the Talents

By Octavia E. Butler

4 stars
Tsunami

By Ned Wenlock

3 stars

I liked the portrayal of bullying however I would have liked a different ending
Violet and the Velvets: The Case of the Missing Stuff

By Rachael King

4 stars

This is the first Rachael King book I've read. It is about a girl forming a band and entering a contest. It really gave a good perspective of what it's like to live with adhd and also covered themes of bullying and sexism. You were really rooting for the band by the end.
Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's dairy

By Lynley Dodd

4 stars

Great rhyming classic. There is a greyhound featured but fails to explore the deeper issues around the racing industry.
The Inkberg Enigma

By Jonathan King

3 stars

This is a page turner about a mystery in a small fishing town but the ending doesn't explain much
Detective Beans and the Case of the Missing Hat

By Li Chen

5 stars

I loved this book about a child cat detective trying to find his own hat. It was so funny. I think children from age 7 and up could read it by themselves but I think all ages including adults will enjoy the humour also also the artwork.

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Aotea College

21,630 pages read and 1,256 team points

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