Otago Boys' High School

66,329 pages read and 4,814 team points

Team members

Kelly K

7,122 pts

(5,519 pages read)

The Last Living Cannibal

By Airana Ngawera

5 stars

An excellent read! Set in Taranaki in the 1940's, this is the story of a Māori community told through the voice of the elder, Koko. It is a story about balance and the righting of wrongs within the family. It is also a story that is centered in the historical context of Taranaki Māori - the NZ wars, land confiscation, imprisonment, and the subsequent refusal to fight in WWII "for King and Country". For a short book, this one really packs a punch, and I think it will be received as an important NZ novel. Airana Ngawera is a great writer who continues to deliver amazing and authentic stories.
The Ministry of Time

By Kaliane Bradley

3 stars

A secretive government programme uses a time travelling device to bring a group of people from history into the present. The plot follows Graham Gore (an Arctic explorer who died in 1847) and his bridge (a British-Cambodian civil servant who is tasked with guiding him through his first year in the 21st century). The book started out a bit slow, and I wasn't sure if I was going to finish it, but it did pick up towards the end. Ultimately it's about doing what's right vs doing what you're told. It deals with issues around colonialism, racial prejudice, the paradoxes of time travel, and the obscured truth that can sit behind bureaucracy - and there is a bit of a love story to tie it all together. It felt a bit scattered, and dragged at times, but ultimately it was a good story with an interesting ending, which did raise some questions to ponder.
The Song of Achilles

By Madeline Miller

5 stars

An excellent read, a re-telling of the legend of Achilles as he grows up and meets his eventual destiny at Troy.
Dungeon Crawler Carl

By Matt Dinniman

4 stars

This book was so much fun, and I think it was enhanced by the audiobook experience. Carl and his Persian cat (Princess Donut) find themselves plunged into a video game-esque survival situation when an alien corporation takes over the world. Like Hunger Games, but a lot more adult - this is probably not a book for younger teens. I found myself enjoying the absurdity of it all.
Whispers Underground

By Ben Aaronovitch

4 stars

I'm continuing to enjoy this series about the magical criminals of London and the cops who deal with them. This instalment developed more of the ongoing storyline, as well as introducing us to a new magical community living below ground.
The Halfmen of O

By Maurice Gee

3 stars

A nostalgia read as I remembered reading this when I was somewhere around year 7, and maybe performing in a play based on the book? A solid children's adventure portal fantasy. Reading as an adult, the characters felt a bit 2-dimensional at times, and both MC's seemed a bit passive. I might read the rest of the trilogy just to see how it continues.
Bound

By Vanda Symon

4 stars

Another excellent crime thriller by Vanda Symon, featuring plucky cop, Sam Shephard, who finds herself wrapped up in the drama of Dunedin's seedy underworld. It's weird (in a good way) to read crime novels set in places I'm very familiar with!
Everything She Never Knew

By Annette Chavez Marcias

3 stars

Blindsided by an affair between her husband and her best friend, Claudia starts to put the pieces of her life back together.
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter

By Stephen Graham Jones

4 stars

When the diary of her 3x Great Grandfather is discovered in a wall in Montana, Etsy sees an opportunity to make moves in her academic career by delving into her own past. But the story she uncovers begins with a massacre and ends with a horror she never could have imagined. This book is not an easy read, nor is it for anyone squeamish (there is a lot of death, both animal and human, and many, many buffalo). It is at once a confronting examination of the colonization of the American frontier and it's specific impact on the Blackfoot tribes of Montana; and a literary horror with a menacing central character.
Moon Over Soho

By Ben Aaronovitch

4 stars

I listened to the audiobook of this while getting some Christmas jobs done (a great way to squeeze in some extra reading!). This series is a fun urban fantasy/police procedural hybrid - Harry Potter for adults if Harry grew up to be a cop, and this instalment sees Peter Grant investigating the London jazz scene following a series of unexplained deaths. The audiobook is enhanced by an excellent narrator, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith.
Automatic Noodle

By Annalee Newitz

4 stars

A cute novella about a group of robots (and one human) who start a noodle restaurant and find community. Delightfully weird and sweet while touching on some deeper themes (war-related trauma, amplified hate in online spaces, the idea of sentient robots, to touch on just a few) - an excellent quick read!
The Paradise Generation

By Sanna Thompson

5 stars

The Paradise Generation live in a post-plague, post-climate crisis world, where they're told all the problems have been solved, and as long as they live by the rules of society, they will have a great life. Set in a futuristic Wellington, the story follows Kieran and his love interest, Mira, as they uncover the truth about their world. A great action-packed read that will certainly appeal to younger readers.
Slewfoot

By Brom

4 stars

A very dark, folky horror set in Puritan New England. This book isn't for everyone, but if you like immersive witchy stories with oppressive religious undertones and visceral descriptive writing, you may enjoy this one.
Remarkably Bright Creatures

By Shelby Van Pelt

4 stars

A heartwarming read about an unlikely friendship between a giant Pacific octopus and a 72 year old widow.
The Dead Are Always Watching Us

By Dominic Hoey

5 stars

An angry, irreverent, grief-stricken, love-sick poetry collection which also explores the experience of surviving as an artist in our post-neoliberal hellscape. Dominic Hoey's writing is poignant while also being accessible, and the design aspect of the book enhances the reading experience. It will appeal to young adult readers despite (or perhaps because of) the colourful language and the more adult themes.
Careless People: A Story of Where I Used to Work

By Sarah Wynn-Williams

4 stars

A tell-all account of the inner workings at the very upper levels of Facebook. At times I felt that the author glossed over her own contributions to "the machine", but it was an eye-opening exploration of the global power of Facebook and the lack of care of those at the helm.
Where the Crawdads Sing

By Delia Owens

4 stars

An atmospheric read set in the marshes of North Carolina, this book follows the life of Kya, who is abandoned by her family and left alone to scrape a meagre living off the land. When the town golden-boy, Chase Andrews, is discovered dead in the marsh, the people of the town direct their suspicion towards the mysterious marsh girl. A compelling story with beautifully descriptive writing.

17 - 0 - 1

Add pages read

Otago Boys' High School

66,329 pages read and 4,814 team points

Team members

Maria Z

Rach C

Athrawes

Helen W

Kelly K

Tim Hyslop

EM

Kate H

JI

Quentin

Richard

GB

JZani

Mr Thomas

A Ward

HH

NicoleB

Kelly K

The Last Living Cannibal

The Ministry of Time

The Song of Achilles

Dungeon Crawler Carl

Whispers Underground

The Halfmen of O

Bound

Everything She Never Knew

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter

Moon Over Soho

Automatic Noodle

The Paradise Generation

Slewfoot

Remarkably Bright Creatures

The Dead Are Always Watching Us

Careless People: A Story of Where I Used to Work

Where the Crawdads Sing

Otago Boys' High School

66,329 pages read and 4,814 team points

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