Reading On A Star

Hello, Bookworms, today I will be reviewing a book that I recently read, that although is quite confusing, and at times uncomfortable, has a very deep meaning.

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐(3/5 stars)

Publisher: Allen & Unwin, February 1st 2015

Length: Hardcover, 231 pages

Summary: Rose didn’t tell anyone about it. She wondered if it showed. She looked at herself in the mirror and turned this way and then that way. She stood as close to the mirror as she could, leaning over the bathroom basin, looking into her own eyes until they disappeared behind the fog of her breath. Looking for something. Some evidence that she was different now. Something had shifted inside her, a gear being ratcheted over a clunky cog, gaining torque, starting her up. But it didn’t show. How could all of these feelings not show? She was a woman now but it didn’t show and she couldn’t tell anyone.

Recommendation:A small madness is beautifully written and kept me fixed from one page to the next the entire book. The reason why my rating is 3/5 stars, is although I love it when an author takes risks and writes about controversial topics, the writing made me feel slightly uncomfortable and confused at times. Something I loved was how realistic the book was, allowing the characters to be very authentic and real. this book teaches us that this devastating situation could have been avoided if the kids talked to their parents, or went to a medical facility. The kids in the book had their communication cut off with each other, and their parents and friends, showing us how important communication really is. This book is considered YA, and should absolutely be read by every sing high school student. I would recommend this book to the ages of 14-18, because of the lessons in the book that need to be taught to pre-teens, and teens. Overall, A Small Madness is a raw, powerful, and unsettling read, that explores a controversial topic, and leaves the reader left with many questions.

A little about the author: Dianne Touchell is an Australian YA author writing contemporary fiction for young adult readers. Her first book, Creepy & Maud was Shortlisted for the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Award in the Older Readers category, 2013.  Her second book, A Small Madness was published in February 2015.  And her latest novel,  Forgetting Foster, was published in 2016, and was Shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Award, Young Adult Category, in 2018.

Praise for A Small Madness 

“Tender, terse, and utterly unforgettable.” — Booklist, starred review

“Told with compassion and empathy, a conversation-starting look at the dangers of keeping a pregnancy secret.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Readers will come for the melodramatic plot and stay for the revealing characterization.” — The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“You can finish this in a day, but take two: one to read and one to recover. It’s all-consuming and remarkable.” — The Globe and Mail

Thanks for reading!📚

-Erin