Aotea College

21,630 pages read and 1,256 team points

Team members

Sophie

5,168 pts

(2,786 pages read)

Greta & Valdin

By Rebecca K Reilly

5 stars

Greta & Valdin had been sitting on my TBR shelf forever, and I'm kicking myself for ignoring it for so long. What a fantastic story about the lives of two adult siblings (both clearly on the autism spectrum and with other neurodiversities). It is so funny, at times frustrating, and very entertaining.
Gangland: New Zealand's Underworld of Organised Crime

By Jared Savage

4 stars

The first book by New Zealand journalist Jared Savage about the rise of organised crime and methamphetamine production/ importation in New Zealand. Like the sequel, this book left me sad, concerned, and angry. Sad, because of the harm that meth causes. Concerned, because of the prevalence of weapons, violence, and drugs that exist beyond the confines of my comfortable life. And angry at the amount of people out there importing, manufacturing, and selling this crap.
Lioness

By Emily Perkins

4 stars

I went in with apprehension (I didn't enjoy The Forrests, also by Perkins), but this book was a pleasant surprise. As much as I found Therese frustrating and was internally screaming at her most of the book, I found all her different relationships absolutely fascinating. I also had my own "Claire" at one time, so I related to Therese a lot.
The Night She Fell

By Eileen Merriman

4 stars

One of those "every character in this book sucks" books, but I surprisingly didn't hate it. It's well-written, engaging, with hints of the classic university tragedy (A Secret History, We Were Villains) about it.
Gangster's Paradise: New Zealand's Deadly Escalation of Organised Crime

By Jared Savage

4 stars

The second book in the series by NZ journalist Jared Savage. This is a really interesting (albeit frightening) investigation into the control and distribution of methamphetamine in New Zealand by local and foreign gangs.
Detective Beans: Adventures in Cat Town

By Li Chen

5 stars

I didn't think I could love this series any more, but I do! Li Chen is such a talented story-teller and illustrator. Every panel holds a new detail, and the attention to detail in general is just astonishing. The story is cute, and is engaging even for adult readers. More Detective Beans!
Violet and the Velvets: The Case of the Angry Ghost

By Rachael King

4 stars

The sequel didn't "hit" quite as well as book 1 (a tale as old as time), but I enjoyed having closure about Band Champs. The friendships between the kids was really well written. I hope that this series gets published overseas, it's very readable and I can see it being very popular.
Jacaranda

By Gaël Faye

5 stars

This novel won one of the major French literary awards in 2024, and it was well- deserved. It is a beautiful story of Milan, a French-Rwandan boy, disconnected from his parents, his culture, and himself, who starts to find himself when Claude, a mute survivor of the Rwandan genocide, comes to stay with Milan's family in Paris. This leads to Milan being pulled to Rwanda, and going on his journey of discovery. There are some bummers (survivor testimony), but they are treated with respect and dignity by Fael. If you can find an English translation, Jacaranda is well worth your time.
Violet and the Velvets: The Case of the Missing Stuff

By Rachael King

5 stars

"Mum was furious and said something about how girls aren't just decoration for male musicians." Agh, this book is wonderful! It has a really strong theme of feminism, but it doesn't knock you over the head with it. We also have a very fair representation of inattentive ADHD and how it can impact a person's day to day life. It's classed as junior fiction, but I think it'll really appeal to younger teenage girls. As a 40+ year old, I loved it!
Small Things Like These

By Claire Keegan

3 stars

As beautifully written as 'Small Things Like These' is, it just didn't capture my attention the way 'So Late In The Day' and 'Foster' did. Maybe it was just the topic (the Magdalene Laundries as the ominous backdrop is never a fun time), but I really didn't like this novella.
Detective Beans and the Case of the Missing Hat

By Li Chen

5 stars

A simply gorgeous graphic novel from a NZ author. Every illustration is beautiful, and the story is very sweet (but also kept me on tenterhooks - when would Beans get his hat back?!). Li Chen has written a great story, and wow, what a talented artist! I look forward to reading more Detective Beans ♥️

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Aotea College

21,630 pages read and 1,256 team points

Team members

Mferris

Eva

Sophie

JMY

Anna G

SAZ

HMD

Ruth F

KHN

Zac Painting

Shona

Jen Warren

Rose A

Andrea

DebA

Donee2000

Farah

Fi

GardenerKristi

mddaotea

Ms.B.

ShelleyJ

STR

TCox

Whaea Stacey

Sophie

Greta & Valdin

Gangland: New Zealand's Underworld of Organised Crime

Lioness

The Night She Fell

Gangster's Paradise: New Zealand's Deadly Escalation of Organised Crime

Detective Beans: Adventures in Cat Town

Violet and the Velvets: The Case of the Angry Ghost

Jacaranda

Violet and the Velvets: The Case of the Missing Stuff

Small Things Like These

Detective Beans and the Case of the Missing Hat

Aotea College

21,630 pages read and 1,256 team points

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