cooloolat's review against another edition
5.0
Confronting, powerful, beautifully written.
One of the best books I've ever read.
One of the best books I've ever read.
leannep's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
4.0
Kitty Hawke is an artist, mother, grandmother, survivor. Her sculptures 'the watermen' guard the island where she lives alone, with her wolfing Girl. The water is rising, the weather is wild, the land and buildings disappearing.
One day her granddaughter and her friends turn up. They create a sort of family. They are on the run. The world is collapsing.
Mother /daughter/ granddaughter relationships feature. As do mother/son/murderer /prisoner relationships.
The journey in the later part of the book was engaging. The violent vigilantes concerning. So many guns. So many deaths, and different griefs. It is important to have the "long view of life" and to know "There is never an end, only way points between the past and the future".
I'm happy with this book being described as a parable, or as a literary fable. There is much to think about in our current world, and much to learn.
One day her granddaughter and her friends turn up. They create a sort of family. They are on the run. The world is collapsing.
Mother /daughter/ granddaughter relationships feature. As do mother/son/murderer /prisoner relationships.
The journey in the later part of the book was engaging. The violent vigilantes concerning. So many guns. So many deaths, and different griefs. It is important to have the "long view of life" and to know "There is never an end, only way points between the past and the future".
I'm happy with this book being described as a parable, or as a literary fable. There is much to think about in our current world, and much to learn.
pamela22's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed this novel. Not as relentlessly bleak as other dystopian texts but very much a novel of its time. Climate change, rising water table, the parochialism and nastiness that humanity is capable of, but also the good. Recent events with the rise of nationalism, wall building, demonisation of the other - all clearly were on the author’s heart and mind as she constructed this text.
I connected with the protagonist and enjoyed the switch between the reflective tone and the more immediate.
The denouement was really extended and could have done with some tightening up.
I listened to this and the narrator’s voice was divine.
I connected with the protagonist and enjoyed the switch between the reflective tone and the more immediate.
The denouement was really extended and could have done with some tightening up.
I listened to this and the narrator’s voice was divine.
steph_84's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
hellosarahlou's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars. Really struggled to get into this book, it started off quite slow for me. There were parts that I really enjoyed but others where I found myself losing interest. It was beautifully written but just not for me!
triciasreadings's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book more than I expected but being a little Dystopian I knew it was “my bag baby”
I see myself In this character, her island, her art, her dog - but I wonder if I would do what she did to help the runners who come to her island. I really hope I
Would - but that also frightens me.
I love this aspect of books that make me check who I think I am or would/could be.
I wish I had made it out to hear the author talk at Stirling library last night- but I was cold and tired after a 10 hr work day and I settled into my warm house with dinner and a bed and thought about finishing the last 40 pages of this book. I chose not to, but to be with my family and finished it this morning instead.
I see myself In this character, her island, her art, her dog - but I wonder if I would do what she did to help the runners who come to her island. I really hope I
Would - but that also frightens me.
I love this aspect of books that make me check who I think I am or would/could be.
I wish I had made it out to hear the author talk at Stirling library last night- but I was cold and tired after a 10 hr work day and I settled into my warm house with dinner and a bed and thought about finishing the last 40 pages of this book. I chose not to, but to be with my family and finished it this morning instead.
stanro's review against another edition
3.75
What a strange, dystopian world it is. Without discussion, we are caught up in a world of current technologies and different behaviours. Wolfe Island is being eroded by rising water and its dwellings are disappearing.
There are “runners” and vigilantes. It is a harsh and dangerous place, this nation beset by problems barely sketched out.
The very reasonable sounding protagonist Kitty Hawk, as she embarks on a mission to save her friends, through necessity, becomes a killer. Normally I’d say that was spoiler material, but in this story those plot details are really not the point.
It is about love in adversity, pain, fear, courage and determination.
There are “runners” and vigilantes. It is a harsh and dangerous place, this nation beset by problems barely sketched out.
The very reasonable sounding protagonist Kitty Hawk, as she embarks on a mission to save her friends, through necessity, becomes a killer. Normally I’d say that was spoiler material, but in this story those plot details are really not the point.
It is about love in adversity, pain, fear, courage and determination.
twistinthetale's review against another edition
4.0
Treloar has taken a 180 degree turn with the genre of this novel, going from the historical fiction of 'Salt Creek' to a dystopian near future in 'Wolfe Island'. It is a bleak novel that provides commentary on a number of real world issues such as climate change and immigration and the treatment of minority groups. The writing is vivid and lyrical and the characters well drawn. This is an engaging and solemn reading experience.
oanh_1's review against another edition
4.0
Thoroughly enjoyed this.
A loner, living on an island has to fight for survival with some refugees in a world falling apart. I thought this was a dystopian Australia, because the author is Australian, but it is the US. That probably should have been obvious to me (especially as I was not really coping with references to plants or animals that just would not have been in Australia!)
A loner, living on an island has to fight for survival with some refugees in a world falling apart. I thought this was a dystopian Australia, because the author is Australian, but it is the US. That probably should have been obvious to me (especially as I was not really coping with references to plants or animals that just would not have been in Australia!)
tasmanian_bibliophile's review against another edition
5.0
‘Slice a life anyway you like, and it’ll tell a different story.’
Kitty Hawke has lived on Wolfe Island (set off the north-eastern coast of the USA) all of her life. She’s the last person still living there as the island becomes eroded, salt affected and less habitable. She was married, to Hart, and had two children Claudie and Tobe. But island life was not for them. Kitty has her wolfdog Girl for company, and her work as a sculptor to keep her busy. Turmoil on the mainland is distant: Kitty is not unaware of problems on the mainland, but she doesn’t have to think about it too much. Until one day, when her sixteen-year-old granddaughter Cat arrives. Cat is accompanied by eighteen-year-old Josh and by Luis and Alejandra, a teenaged brother and seven-year-old sister. All four are seeking refuge.
The five of them, and Girl, work out ways of living together. While it becomes clear while Luis and Alejandra need refuge, it is less clear (at least to begin with) why Cat and Josh do. Alejandra is clearly traumatised; Luis is very protective. Cat wants to make a difference, by helping others who need help fleeing persecution. And Josh?
But the time comes when Wolfe Island is no longer safe. And Kitty must decide whether (and how) she can help those fleeing for their lives.
‘Get busy, that’s the way to deal with it. Doing something helps you forget your troubles.’
Much of the novel is a long journey, from past through present and into what is at best an uncertain future. Everyone must make choices, but Kitty’s choices are made more difficult because she is older and more aware of consequences. She’s practical and protective, focussed and strong. The group is travelling north, to try to find safety for Luis and Alejandra. Slowly stories unfold and as they do, I thought about the world this novel is set in. Much of it is recognisable: vigilantes focussed on who is ‘legal’ (or looks legal), suspicious of strangers, wanting to move on those who don’t belong. Kitty intervenes where she must to keep her group safe. The world is changing, and not for the better.
‘I still have to live with it, though. The rightness of an action doesn’t set you free from it; only sets you free from the danger.’
Kitty’s notebook, her writing, at first helps her adjust to life on Wolfe Island with others. It’s part reflection on the past, part list of things found and later events. We journey with Kitty, experience her concerns and regrets, understand her choices. And how will it end?
‘It’s a long time ago, but it doesn’t seem to matter. Memories are as faithful as dogs in their way, though not always tame.’
I finished this novel convinced that it will be one of my favourite novels of 2019. I’m writing this review a week later having reflected on why this novel has had such an impact on me. Kitty Hawke’s world is both bleak and beautiful, the threats faced feel so real, as do Kitty’s regrets. Ms Treloar conveys this story through Kitty and her connection to place, her observation of the world. There are hard edges, difficult choices and tragedy. There’s also reflection on the different forms of family, on the beauty of the natural environment, and what we all stand to lose.
‘We went out the next day, it being as fine and still as any other I have experienced, if not as warm. The algal blooms had died and the water had turned old-fashioned blue: taut, brimful, sequined.’
A novel that invites careful reading and reflection. A novel I will reread.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Kitty Hawke has lived on Wolfe Island (set off the north-eastern coast of the USA) all of her life. She’s the last person still living there as the island becomes eroded, salt affected and less habitable. She was married, to Hart, and had two children Claudie and Tobe. But island life was not for them. Kitty has her wolfdog Girl for company, and her work as a sculptor to keep her busy. Turmoil on the mainland is distant: Kitty is not unaware of problems on the mainland, but she doesn’t have to think about it too much. Until one day, when her sixteen-year-old granddaughter Cat arrives. Cat is accompanied by eighteen-year-old Josh and by Luis and Alejandra, a teenaged brother and seven-year-old sister. All four are seeking refuge.
The five of them, and Girl, work out ways of living together. While it becomes clear while Luis and Alejandra need refuge, it is less clear (at least to begin with) why Cat and Josh do. Alejandra is clearly traumatised; Luis is very protective. Cat wants to make a difference, by helping others who need help fleeing persecution. And Josh?
But the time comes when Wolfe Island is no longer safe. And Kitty must decide whether (and how) she can help those fleeing for their lives.
‘Get busy, that’s the way to deal with it. Doing something helps you forget your troubles.’
Much of the novel is a long journey, from past through present and into what is at best an uncertain future. Everyone must make choices, but Kitty’s choices are made more difficult because she is older and more aware of consequences. She’s practical and protective, focussed and strong. The group is travelling north, to try to find safety for Luis and Alejandra. Slowly stories unfold and as they do, I thought about the world this novel is set in. Much of it is recognisable: vigilantes focussed on who is ‘legal’ (or looks legal), suspicious of strangers, wanting to move on those who don’t belong. Kitty intervenes where she must to keep her group safe. The world is changing, and not for the better.
‘I still have to live with it, though. The rightness of an action doesn’t set you free from it; only sets you free from the danger.’
Kitty’s notebook, her writing, at first helps her adjust to life on Wolfe Island with others. It’s part reflection on the past, part list of things found and later events. We journey with Kitty, experience her concerns and regrets, understand her choices. And how will it end?
‘It’s a long time ago, but it doesn’t seem to matter. Memories are as faithful as dogs in their way, though not always tame.’
I finished this novel convinced that it will be one of my favourite novels of 2019. I’m writing this review a week later having reflected on why this novel has had such an impact on me. Kitty Hawke’s world is both bleak and beautiful, the threats faced feel so real, as do Kitty’s regrets. Ms Treloar conveys this story through Kitty and her connection to place, her observation of the world. There are hard edges, difficult choices and tragedy. There’s also reflection on the different forms of family, on the beauty of the natural environment, and what we all stand to lose.
‘We went out the next day, it being as fine and still as any other I have experienced, if not as warm. The algal blooms had died and the water had turned old-fashioned blue: taut, brimful, sequined.’
A novel that invites careful reading and reflection. A novel I will reread.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith