Otahuhu College

38,689 pages read and 3,595 team points

Team members

Duynhocath

12,229 pts

(10,468 pages read)

Reykjavík

By Ragnar Jónasson and Katrín Jakobsdóttir

4 stars

An intriguing murder mystery set in Iceland. I was captivated by the slow burn created by the investigative journalist characters - such a different narrative perspective compared to the typical police or detective driven plots found within this genre.
Home Fire

By Kamila Shamsie

4 stars

A reimagining of Antigone, set across London, Syria and Pakistan. An interesting take on British immigration and modern anti-Islamic rhetoric. At the heart of the narrative is love and loyalty.
Atlas The Story of Pa Salt

By Lucinda Riley and Harry Whittaker

4 stars

This novel was so clever. It was fascinating to see how Pa Salt's life overlapped with the ancestors of his daughters and observing all that I missed while reading the first seven novels. It was also fascinating having a male POV during this novel.
The Missing Sister

By Lucinda Riley

5 stars

This is my favourite of the books in the series. The NZ and Ireland settings felt so familiar and recognizable to me, and I enjoyed the changing narratives across the different sisters and different parts of the world. It was nice to see some of the narratives fit together. I loved the fact that there was a massive misdirect about who the missing sister was and really enjoyed learning more about the Irish fight for independence.
The Sun Sister

By Lucinda Riley

3 stars

This installment of the series felt more grungy than other novels. The substance abuse narrative was powerful as was the racial inequality and civil rights narratives. Cecily's pregnancy, marriage of convenience, miscarriage and adoption of the abandoned Maasai baby was equally heart breaking and heartwarming.
The Moon Sister

By Lucinda Riley

3 stars

An interesting installment in the Seven Sisters series. I enjoyed the flamenco element of the historical narrative and learning more about the Spanish Civil War. I liked Tiggy's tenacity and her kindness towards creatures. Not my favourite in the series but a pleasant and exciting reading experience.
The Pearl Sister

By Lucinda Riley

4 stars

This is my favourite in the series so far. I really enjoyed the Australian setting for Kitty Mercer's marriage story, although the twin narrative was a bit farcical. The Aboriginal and Japanese cultural connections were also interesting for me and the cursed pearl had a mystical element which enhanced the reading experience.
The Housemaid

By Freida McFaddden

4 stars

Not at all what I was expecting - interesting twists and psychologically compelling. Read it in a single sitting. Some of the foreshadowing felt heavy-handed and a bit ludicrous at times but an enjoyable read. Similar to Gone Girl, Verity, Girl on the Train.
Beneath Our Feet

By Jack Hartley

4 stars

A New Zealand novel which made me think of sick-lit royalty The Fault in Our Stars. The NZ back drop, complete with copious f-bombs, underage drinking and reminders of the Christchurch earthquake created a familiar setting to the tragic tale. Still some questions about the time freezing element and how the donor heart factors in, but an enjoyable read.
The bride worse size 12

By Meg Cabot

4 stars

An enjoyable conclusion to the series - especially liked the introduction of new residents at death dorm , and the more political commentary. The misdirect about the various mysteries and the murder motives was clever.
Size 12 and ready to rock

By Meg Cabot

3 stars

A fun read - I enjoyed the fact that the murder mystery in this novel had less to do with the residence hall narrative and more to do with the music industry narrative.
Trust Exercise

By Susan Choi

2 stars

An esoteric exploration of how trauma impacts the self. I spent most of this novel disgusted by the characters and their actions and the rest of the time confused about what was happening.
Weyward

By Emilia Hart

5 stars

I really enjoyed this novel. Three women's narratives intertwine, touching on important historical and contemporary issues. The way the individual stories unfold and connect is extremely clever.
I who have never known men

By Jacqueline Harpman

2 stars

This book was recommended to me by a colleague, but I'm not really sure what to make of it. The premise was an ambitious thought experiment and survival commentary but the narrative lacked sufficient development and resolution. So many unanswered questions lead to an unsatisfactory reading experience which was perhaps by design? Conceptually intriguing but aesthetically bland.
Son of the Shadows

By Juliet Marillier

5 stars

My favourite in the original Sevenwaters trilogy. It has a been a long time since I reread this one. Part romance, part adventure quest, part fairy story. The band of loveable but ruthless warriors following the Painted Man make me think of Robin Hood and his Merry Men.
Finale

By Stephanie Garber

3 stars

I struggle with endings, especially in series. There was a lot I enjoyed in this third part including the dual narrative perspective and the connections to seemingly insignificant plot elements from book 1 and 2. At times the resolutions felt rushed and unbelievable.
Legendary

By Stephanie Garber

4 stars

This sequel was equally compelling when compared with the debut novel but the ending was more frustrating in that more questions were raised than answered and I feel obligated to finish the series.
Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow

By Gabrielle Zevin

5 stars

Absolutely astounding. Not a gamer but loved the lore and references. Characters were well developed and the creation process was detailed and realistic. An impressive read.
Caraval

By Stephanie Garber

4 stars

This book was gifted to me by a graduating student and it was a thoroughly captivating read filled with magic, suspense, tragedy and scandal.
The Amber Owl

By Juliet Marillier

5 stars

Beautiful storytelling. An engaging quest narrative. Magical realism. Can't wait for the next installment.
Dawn Raids

By Oscar Kightly

3 stars

This play deals with uncomfortable moments in New Zealand's history and is perhaps more informative and eye opening than it is entertaining. It would be interesting to see the script translated to stage.
Migration

By Steph Matuku

4 stars

I enjoyed this novel, although I found the rbding abrupt. While reading I kept getting Ender's game and Tomorrow when the war began flash backs. An interesting read but takes a bit of focus to keep track of the characters and the rules of the world.
Tell Me Lies

By Jennifer Crusie

4 stars

Embezzlement. Adultery. Murder. A town full of gossips. A fun romantic mystery with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing.

13 - 0 - 1

Add pages read

Otahuhu College

38,689 pages read and 3,595 team points

Team members

R D Mattocks

Duynhocath

RThomason

HanaGW

BTL

EmNorgsBish

Alaa

srhart

FionaN

HMY

Joanne

Kenelwe

ReneeL

Duynhocath

Reykjavík

Home Fire

Atlas The Story of Pa Salt

The Missing Sister

The Sun Sister

The Moon Sister

The Pearl Sister

The Housemaid

Beneath Our Feet

The bride worse size 12

Size 12 and ready to rock

Trust Exercise

Weyward

I who have never known men

Son of the Shadows

Finale

Legendary

Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow

Caraval

The Amber Owl

Dawn Raids

Migration

Tell Me Lies

Otahuhu College

38,689 pages read and 3,595 team points

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