Woodford House

40,112 pages read and 2,323 team points

Team members

Kmbrlyr

4,084 pts

(3,508 pages read)

Orbital

By Samantha Harvey

5 stars

Spanning 24 hours, or one ‘day’, in the lives of six astronauts aboard the International Space Station, this book is rich—almost heavy—with intense, detailed description, and you feel a weird sense of claustrophobia being confined to the small space they occupy, 400 kilometres above Earth's surface. It captures both what the astronauts observe through the space-viewing portal (the formation of a super typhoon over South-East Asia) and what they experience internally (the moment one learns of the death of a mother back on Earth). They philosophise their way around the planet, completing 16 full orbits—witnessing 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets within that single 24-hour period. Beautiful, dense description replaces plot and (most) action. The research required for this Booker Prize winner (2024) must have been phenomenal.
The Year of the Locust

By Terry Hayes

4 stars

This is advertised as the “sequel” to I Am Pilgrim, but it is only similar in narrative structure and pace; the story itself is far more expansive and geopolitical, moving beyond a single manhunt into a broader, darker exploration of global power, ideology, and modern warfare. Its heroic lead character is reminiscent of its predecessor – a highly skilled protagonist operating largely alone, with exceptional intelligence and training, as is the CIA background and supporting cast of characters. This book is like 3 movies all in one. Its relentless pace and incredibly high tension make it incredibly binge-worthy.
Red Rising

By Pierce Brown

4 stars

Humans live beneath Mars’s surface in mining colonies, believing the planet is uninhabitable. Their job is to mine helium-3 to “terraform” Mars for future generations. Above (and unbeknownst to them), society is divided by genetically engineered castes (Colours). The miners – the Reds – do the dangerous manual labour, unaware that higher Colours already live on the surface and that Mars has already been terraformed. The surface is inhabited by the elite Golds and other upper Colours, while Reds are kept ignorant to maintain control. Of course, a heroic young Red infiltrates the surface's society and unleashes heck on them. The ensuing battle reads more like historical fiction set in feudal medievil Europe than off-planet sci-fi dystopia. Perfect holiday escapism and hard to put down.
The Paradise Generation

By Sanna Thompson

4 stars

This one took me longer to read because it takes a while for the action to actually start, and it requires a high degree of belief suspension. Recognisable settings in and around Wellington, with some imagined future additions post sea level rises. The title is ironic: the story questions who gets access to safety, comfort, and opportunity, and what is sacrificed to maintain the illusion of a perfect life.
Orbiting Jupiter

By Gary D Schmidt

4 stars

I finished this one quickly, but I won't forget it in a hurry. Told through the eyes of 12 y/o Jack, in spare prose and plain language, the story is about Jack's new foster brother who became a father at 14 and is desperate to meet his daughter, Jupiter. And yes, there were tears. It's a beautiful, simple story about how friendship, loyalty, and compassion can exist even when you don’t fully understand someone else’s pain.
How to Bee

By Bren MacDibble

3 stars

A quick and easy read, this novel (not set in NZ but its author is a Kiwi by birth) presents a future where real bees are gone and children must climb fruit trees with feather wands to pollinate the crops by hand. Less about the climate crisis and more character-driven, the novel explores themes of poverty, social inequality, survival and loyalty. It was enjoyable, and the main character is feisty and kind-hearted, but at times it felt (and sounded) like it was set in the American South during the Civil Rights Movement era, which drew the focus away from its environmental message.
Green Rising

By Lauren James

4 stars

Continuing to read my way through every Cli-Cri lit book in my school library, this one was recommended by our librarian, and I'm pleased she offered it to me because I really enjoyed it! It's a fast-paced eco-thriller that blends climate activism and teen empowerment and tackles big themes of corporate greed, environmental responsibility, and activism, but with optimism, not despair. I read it in one day because it was too hot to go outside.
FEED

By MT Anderson

3 stars

I enjoy speculative fiction, and this one imagines the foreseeable - where people have internet-like “feeds” implanted directly into their brains. Anderson’s writing style is intentionally fragmented, saturated with slang and ads. I got annoyed with the slang and didn't find the novel as humorous as reviews made it out to be. Titus, the main character, was actually just a bit of a dick.
Dry

By Neal Shusterman & Jarrod Shusterman

4 stars

Fast-paced and exciting. Not just a disaster narrative but a cautionary tale about how close society is to collapse when essential systems fail. The characters were all very different and not as 2D or flat as the cast of many YA novels can be. I enjoyed the alternating viewpoints.
Scythe

By Neal Shusterman

4 stars

Many of my students are avid fans of this book, so I wanted to see what the appeal was for myself. It turned out to be an easy, engaging read, and I really enjoyed Shusterman’s writing style and the big questions driving the story. I can see why themes around power structures, social control, and the ethics of AI and surveillance resonate so strongly with teenagers today. I also found the moral ambiguity of the central characters (Citra, Rowan, and their Scythedom mentors) compelling, as their choices constantly challenge you to consider what integrity and humanity look like in a world without death.

21 - 0 - 1

Add pages read

Woodford House

40,112 pages read and 2,323 team points

Team members

Di M

DanP

Mary S

Kmbrlyr

LisaS

JennyT

JPE

Alice C

SueP

Rev

RebeccaF

Carissa Vaughan

Anna Gilmour

Amy R

LizzyC

JessHalas

Dushay

Annabel Flynn

Frodosmum

Brady

Jo 90

Kmbrlyr

Orbital

The Year of the Locust

Red Rising

The Paradise Generation

Orbiting Jupiter

How to Bee

Green Rising

FEED

Dry

Scythe

Woodford House

40,112 pages read and 2,323 team points

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