The Catlins Area School

19,716 pages read and 13,268 team points

Team members

Glenys

14,542 pts

(8,352 pages read)

I am not Esther

By Fleur Beale

5 stars

I Am Not Esther by Fleur Beale is a powerful novel that explores how identity is shaped by upbringing and the intergenerational patterns that families and communities pass down. When Kirby is sent to live with her strict aunt and is renamed “Esther,” the story highlights how controlling environments can attempt to erase individuality in favour of obedience and conformity. Through Kirby’s struggle to hold onto her sense of self, Beale shows how beliefs, fear, and expectations can be inherited and reinforced over time, especially within closed communities. The book offers an unsettling but fascinating glimpse into an exclusive religious group where belonging is conditional, and it ultimately becomes a moving story about resilience, self-definition, and the courage it takes to break away from what others insist you should be.
Since we last met

By Bronwyn Sell

5 stars

Since We Last Met is a gentle, easy read that shines through its lush descriptions of the Whitsundays. The island setting is so vividly drawn it had me itching to book a holiday, a sharp contrast to a rainy weekend in The Catlins where I read it. The story itself is uncomplicated and comforting, offering a chance to sink into island life and switch off for a while. Perfect weekend reading when you want to be transported somewhere warm, familiar, and relaxed.
The Penguin History of New Zealand

By Michael King

5 stars

The Penguin History of New Zealand by Michael King stands as a landmark work in New Zealand historiography. King’s strength lies in his clear, factual presentation of events, carefully grounded in evidence and research, which offers readers a coherent and trustworthy account of the nation’s past. In doing so, the book provides a stark contrast to earlier education texts that often blurred myth and history, perpetuating partial truths or outright misinformation. King writes with authority but also with humility, acknowledging complexity and multiple perspectives while remaining anchored in verifiable sources. This commitment to evidence reshaped how many New Zealanders came to understand their history and set a higher standard for what historical writing, and teaching, should be. His death was a profound loss to New Zealand. The question of who will write the next comprehensive update to this work lingers, underscoring both the scale of King’s contribution and the ongoing responsibility to ensure our national story continues to be told with the same rigour, honesty, and care.
Aroha

By Dr Hinemoa Elder

5 stars

Āroha by Dr Hinemoa Elder gently weaves whakataukī throughout the text, using them as mirrors that invite deep reflection rather than quick answers. Each proverb encourages the reader to pause, reconsider their thinking, and connect personal wellbeing to collective wisdom. The book’s strength lies in how it uses whakataukī to guide thoughtful, compassionate reflection grounded in te ao Māori.
Access Road

By Maurice Gee

4 stars

Access Road by Maurice Gee is a quiet, reflective novel that explores how the past is constantly reworked in the present. Gee uses memory not as a fixed truth, but as something refined over time, shaped by distance, regret, and hindsight. As the narrator looks back, earlier events are reconsidered with the sharper, more measured understanding of the “now,” revealing how age and experience alter meaning. This interplay between past and present gives the novel its depth, showing that personal history is less about what happened and more about how we come to understand it.
Paper Cage

By Tom Baragwanath

4 stars

Paper Cages is a quiet, compelling murder mystery set in the Wairarapa. Centred on a middle-aged Māori police administrator, the story focuses less on action and more on relationships, memory, and truth. Whānau sits at the heart of the novel, shaping both the investigation and the characters’ choices. It is a grounded crime story with a strong sense of place and a clear reminder of the power of connection.
The Improbable Life of Ricky Bird

By Diane Connell

5 stars

The Improbable Life of Ricky Bird is told in the third person but closely follows Ricky’s perspective, placing the reader inside her carefully constructed view of the world. As an unreliable narrator, Ricky shapes the story through what she notices, explains away, or avoids entirely. The author relies on dialogue and subtle character interactions to reveal what Ricky cannot or will not acknowledge. Readers are left to infer the reality behind her understanding of her identity, her brother’s health, and the situations she navigates. Ricky’s avoidance of challenging conversations highlights the power of internal narratives as a way of coping in emotionally charged and extreme circumstances. The novel is a thoughtful exploration of how storytelling becomes a means of survival, trusting the reader to uncover the truth between the lines.
The Boy from Gorge River

By Chris Long

5 stars

The Boy from Gorge River shows how a childhood spent in isolation can be the perfect preparation for a life of adventure. Growing up on New Zealand’s remote West Coast, Chris Long developed resilience, independence, and a deep connection to place, qualities that later carried him across the globe, from Antarctica to the Arctic Circle and many places in between. Alongside the adventure is a strong thread of humanity. Long’s reflection on the loss of his close friend Lochie Bellerby, also mentioned by Paul Kilgore in Go Bush, is a poignant reminder that he tangata, he tangata, he tangata, it is people who matter most. Long consistently acknowledges the family and friends who shaped his journey, grounding the story in respect and gratitude. The book leaves the reader inspired by where he has been, and quietly wondering what he might do next.
The Heretic

By Liam McIlvanney

5 stars

I really enjoyed The Heretic, especially discovering Liam McIlvanney as a New Zealand crime writer and thinking how fortunate Otago University students are to learn from him. Set in Glasgow and narrated in a rich Scottish accent, the audiobook brought the setting and characters vividly to life. I was drawn in by the detailed physical descriptions of the characters and their gestures, so much so that I found myself unconsciously mimicking them as I listened. The letters from a sister to her lost brother threaded through the story were especially moving, offering a quiet reminder of hope for a better life and how people often place that hope in others. As the plot unfolded, the careful characterisation grounded the crime narrative in deeply human personalities, making the story feel both compelling and emotionally resonant.
Clap When You Land

By Elizabeth Acevedo

5 stars

Clap When You Land is a powerful novel told through spoken-word poetry, where every line carries emotion, rhythm, and meaning. Listening to it as an audiobook intensifies that impact, especially with Elizabeth Acevedo as one of the narrators. Hearing the author perform her own words adds authenticity and depth, allowing the poetry to breathe in the way it was clearly meant to be heard. The story unfolds through the voices of two teenage girls; one in the Dominican Republic and one in New York; each grieving the sudden loss of their father. Through their distinct perspectives, the novel explores grief, identity, and belonging, while gradually revealing the painful truth that their father lived two separate lives in different countries. The spoken-word format gives each girl a clear, individual voice, making their emotions feel immediate and real. As an audiobook, the novel becomes an act of listening as much as reading, reinforcing the power of voice, truth, and storytelling.
The Poet X

By Elizabeth Acevedo

4 stars

Listening to The Poet X felt like being invited directly into the inner world of the main character through her spoken-word poetry. The verse format builds the narrative in a raw, intimate way, allowing each poem to act as both a moment of confession and an act of resistance. Through her words, I gained a powerful insight into her thoughts, faith, identity, and growing sense of self. The spoken-word style is especially effective in conveying the tension of being a teenager with a controlling mother. The poems capture the push and pull between obedience and independence, love and frustration, silence and voice. As the story unfolds, her poetry becomes a space of freedom, helping her make sense of her experiences and claim her own identity.
The Astromancer

By Witi Ihimaera

5 stars

The Astromancer by Witi Ihimaera is a rich and reflective story that uses narrative to share the whakapapa connected to the rising of Matariki. Through layered storytelling, Ihimaera weaves astronomy, history, and culture together, reinforcing how knowledge is carried across generations. Listening to the story narrated by the author adds a strong sense of authenticity, as his voice echoes the traditions of oral storytelling and highlights the importance of oral history as a living and enduring source of knowledge.
The Whalerider

By Iti Wihimaera

5 stars

Listening to The Whale Rider as an audiobook narrated by Witi Ihimaera made the story feel deeply personal. The sharing of whakapapa is woven through the novel in a way that grounds Kahu’s journey in generations of history and expectation. I was especially struck by the narrator being Kahu’s uncle, whose perspective gently bridges the four generations between Koro and Kahu, offering insight into both tradition and change. Hearing the author tell the story deepened my appreciation of the novel and highlighted just how powerfully it translated into the screenplay and the film, which brought the book to life in such a memorable way.
Codename Charming

By Lucy Parker

5 stars

Code Name: Charming comes alive through vivid, cinematic description that immerses the reader in London and the intrigue of a fictional royal family, making the setting feel both glamorous and immediate. Although it is a romance, the love story remains secondary to the thoughtful development of the main characters, whose growth is shaped by their demanding jobs, personal flaws, and the increasingly absurd situations they must navigate. I laughed out loud often, as the humor is sharp, situational, and driven by character rather than gimmicks. Both protagonists are clearly well crafted, and their evolving dynamic adds depth to the comedy rather than distracting from it. The novel is particularly remarkable given that the author hails from Central Otago, bringing an impressive sense of place and authenticity to a story set half a world away.
Auē

By Becky Manawatu

5 stars

I have carried Auē with me for years. I first read the opening chapter while living in Cheviot and returning to Kaikōura for holidays, then put it down, not because it wasn’t compelling, but because it was confronting. This year, reading it again while in Kaikōura, I was finally ready. Auē is a hard book, but it is also one of hope. Becky Manawatu weaves narratives across generations to show the intergenerational challenges whānau face, revealing how pain and love are carried forward together. The shifting perspectives deepen the story, allowing the past and present to speak to one another. Hope appears in small, powerful ways: the belief that band-aids can heal all wounds, and a young boy’s blind faith that God will listen and his whānau will turn up. These moments linger. Auē is honest, unsettling, and compassionate; a story that hurts, but also holds.
How to Loiter in a Turf War

By Coco Solid

5 stars

Reading How to Loiter in a Turf War as a teacher, I was struck by how closely it reflects the lives of Pacifica young people in Tāmaki Makaurau—while still speaking to the wider experience of youth across Aotearoa New Zealand. The third-person narrative creates enough distance to reveal patterns of judgement and the quiet, passive racism that many students encounter daily. The short, episodic structure mirrors fragmented youth experience, and the pieces of writing woven between chapters are powerful reminders of the depth and insight of young people so often dismissed as superficial. These voices add weight and humanity to the stories. The sadness feels real and familiar, but what lingers most is the resilience. These are young people who keep going. For educators, the book is a timely reminder to look beyond behaviour and recognise the unseen load our students carry each day.
Birnam Wood

By Eleanor Catton

5 stars

As a teacher, I found Birnam Wood to be a novel where characterisation matters more than plot. The storyline often felt secondary to Eleanor Catton’s rich and deliberate narration, which draws the reader into the inner lives of the characters. The use of internal narratives created a close, almost unsettling connection to them, allowing me to understand not just their actions but the flawed reasoning and self-justifications behind those choices. I was particularly struck by how characters construct narratives about one another, projecting motives and assumptions to make sense of uncertainty. This felt deeply human and highly relevant to how people, including students, navigate relationships and power. The novel rewards slow, attentive reading and invites reflection on perception and misunderstanding rather than fast-moving action. I’m now looking forward to the mini-series and curious to see how such an internal, character-driven novel will be translated to the screen.
Gone Bush

By Paul Kilgour

4 stars

Paul Kilgour’s book is a warm, mud-splashed love letter to the New Zealand back country and the trampers who move through it at walking pace. Drawing on a lifetime of journeys, tramping the length and breadth of Aotearoa and visiting more than a thousand huts, Kilgour captures a way of life grounded in patience, respect, and connection. His philosophy is summed up beautifully in his line, “one step at a time is really good walking,” a reminder that the value of tramping lies not in speed or conquest, but in presence. The book is rich with bush atmosphere: rain on tin roofs, boot-worn tracks, and the quiet companionship of shared huts. Just as memorable are the people met along the way, and the generosity and understated hospitality of the back country. Reading it leaves you wondering — how many trampers these days still leave the fire set for the next visitors when they close the hut door behind them?
The Honeysuckle Cafe

By Lilly Mirren

4 stars

A feel good book about searching for family after an unexpected match from a database.
Venetian Lessons in Love

By Jenna Lo Bianco

5 stars
Unguarded Hearts

By MJ Duff

4 stars
Fitz’s Cross

By MJ Duff

4 stars
Heart of Doolin

By MJ Duff

4 stars

The first book of a NZ author from South Otago. A feel good book that is an easy and heartwarming read.
The Tea Ladies

By Amanda Hampson

5 stars
The Seachangers

By Meredith Appleyard

4 stars

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The Catlins Area School

19,716 pages read and 13,268 team points

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