Review: Australia in Grand, Unique Fashion
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 24, 2014
Australia has been on my destination list for many years, and when the premise of this new series by Ryn Shell caught my eye, they seemed like some short, easy reads that might whet my appetite for a vacation I can't quite afford at the moment. What I didn't expect was such an impressive style of writing and such a mastery of time periods, slang, natural rhythm of speech, and a rich ability to describe a landscape or a setting as though I was right there. In terms of historical books, the second half of the 20th century is a favorite for me, yet I had never read or studied much about Australia during that time. Granted, there is some artistic leeway in writing a completely accurate book, as some of the more over-the-top characters remind us, but overall, the book is a very interesting snapshot of life in an area of the world I know very little about.To capture a complex, yet compelling, plot in such a short book was also quite the accomplishment, but then to populate it with fascinating characters, mysterious creek beds, hauntings, intrigue, a mixture of history and supernatural....let's just say I was impressed. It never got too far from reality where I felt that it had become silly, but it was also a fun and entertaining read that only took a couple days to get through. I hope the rest of Shell's books in this series are just as good. I see that there are 5 or 6 more, so I know what nation I'll be living vicariously in for the next month or so! Highly recommended!!