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reanne's review against another edition
4.0
(Review crossposted from my book review blog.)
Oh man, this book is gut-wrenching. In a good way. That’s not usually something I look for in a book, but I really think it works here.(Especially since it has a happy ending.)
Kirra is a girl who it’s very easy to feel sorry for. She’s a normal teenager, but one whose life is abnormally difficult. Her parents are really terrible, and the kids at school treat her like crap even while pretending to be her friends. When we’re first introduced to them, I wonder why she’s friends with them. I don’t really understand a desire to be popular that’s so strong that it makes you put up with people treating you like crap. But the way it was portrayed, I could see why Kirra was like that. Fortunately, she does learn that popularity isn’t worth that.
As the story goes on, things start looking up for her, then more bad things happen, and we’re taken along on this tumultuous, emotional ride with her as she tries to navigate life as a teenager when she’s been dealt a pretty crappy hand. It’s not as awful as some people’s, of course, but it’s bad enough to really make me feel sorry for her.
Kirra is a very believable and sympathetic character. Even when she makes bad decisions or says things that aren’t the best thing she could have said, she’s always believable, and I can understand why she’s doing what she’s doing, based on the life she’s living. She’s not a paragon of this is how you handle life. She’s just a normal kid trying to muddle her way through the best she can. Through her efforts, some things turn out good, some bad, and some of the good things lead to bad results which end up just making things more difficult.
The ghost element is only one aspect of the story, and it’s not big enough that I’d really call this a proper ghost story. It’s more like just one more screwed-up part of Kirra’s life. Things aren’t as straightforward as they seem, and it goes to show that even if a ghost talks to you, that doesn’t mean you should believe everything it says. Which is a very reasonable lesson, really.
The best part of this book, for me, was the fact that it’s Australian. It’s about an Australian girl, set in Australia, by an Australian author, and narrated by an Australian. So I really felt like I was getting a glimpse of what life is like in another part of today’s world. (Or, rather, the world of the late ’90s.) And it’s small-town Australia, too, which I think gives a better look than big-city Australia, since big cities tend to be similar to each other in ways that small town life isn’t so much. One thing I found interesting about this was how big a part of everyone’s lives the beach and ocean were. How they acknowledged the sun was causing cancer but they didn’t care in the same way that smokers don’t care. And how they spent so much time out in the ocean even while acknowledging how dangerous it is—and, apparently, also not caring at all about that. I guess maybe they’re so bored otherwise in this tiny town that it’s worth the danger. Or maybe that’s all part of Australian culture. Hard to tell from one book, but that’s what I’m talking about, the interesting stuff that’s so different from life where I live. This book really made me feel what it was like to live in Kirra’s town, or at least get a taste of it. And really, listening to the Australian accent was just fun (most of the books I listen to are in American or British accents).
Oh man, this book is gut-wrenching. In a good way. That’s not usually something I look for in a book, but I really think it works here.
Kirra is a girl who it’s very easy to feel sorry for. She’s a normal teenager, but one whose life is abnormally difficult. Her parents are really terrible, and the kids at school treat her like crap even while pretending to be her friends. When we’re first introduced to them, I wonder why she’s friends with them. I don’t really understand a desire to be popular that’s so strong that it makes you put up with people treating you like crap. But the way it was portrayed, I could see why Kirra was like that. Fortunately, she does learn that popularity isn’t worth that.
As the story goes on, things start looking up for her, then more bad things happen, and we’re taken along on this tumultuous, emotional ride with her as she tries to navigate life as a teenager when she’s been dealt a pretty crappy hand. It’s not as awful as some people’s, of course, but it’s bad enough to really make me feel sorry for her.
Kirra is a very believable and sympathetic character. Even when she makes bad decisions or says things that aren’t the best thing she could have said, she’s always believable, and I can understand why she’s doing what she’s doing, based on the life she’s living. She’s not a paragon of this is how you handle life. She’s just a normal kid trying to muddle her way through the best she can. Through her efforts, some things turn out good, some bad, and some of the good things lead to bad results which end up just making things more difficult.
The ghost element is only one aspect of the story, and it’s not big enough that I’d really call this a proper ghost story. It’s more like just one more screwed-up part of Kirra’s life. Things aren’t as straightforward as they seem, and it goes to show that even if a ghost talks to you, that doesn’t mean you should believe everything it says. Which is a very reasonable lesson, really.
The best part of this book, for me, was the fact that it’s Australian. It’s about an Australian girl, set in Australia, by an Australian author, and narrated by an Australian. So I really felt like I was getting a glimpse of what life is like in another part of today’s world. (Or, rather, the world of the late ’90s.) And it’s small-town Australia, too, which I think gives a better look than big-city Australia, since big cities tend to be similar to each other in ways that small town life isn’t so much. One thing I found interesting about this was how big a part of everyone’s lives the beach and ocean were. How they acknowledged the sun was causing cancer but they didn’t care in the same way that smokers don’t care. And how they spent so much time out in the ocean even while acknowledging how dangerous it is—and, apparently, also not caring at all about that. I guess maybe they’re so bored otherwise in this tiny town that it’s worth the danger. Or maybe that’s all part of Australian culture. Hard to tell from one book, but that’s what I’m talking about, the interesting stuff that’s so different from life where I live. This book really made me feel what it was like to live in Kirra’s town, or at least get a taste of it. And really, listening to the Australian accent was just fun (most of the books I listen to are in American or British accents).
katmullen's review against another edition
3.0
The only reason I gave Yellow three stars instead of four is that I read to escape this world and this book does such a good job capturing the world I grew up in. I live in this world, so I don't particularly want to read about it. But I strongly suggest that Non-Australians pick up this book. It is set in the late nineties, but so many things still apply.
This book is Aussie As. There were so many things in my real life that showed up in this book: Having Billabong or Roxy backpacks, gel pens, buying minimum chips at the local fish and chips shop and sharing them with friends, chiko rolls, Centrelink, Ned Kelly, Waltzing Matilda and "sneaking scratches in Netball" (But I can tell you I've got much worse than scratches in netball).
This book does have a slight supernatural element, but it works so well that you forget that a ghost calling someone from a phone booth isn't normal.
This book is Aussie As. There were so many things in my real life that showed up in this book: Having Billabong or Roxy backpacks, gel pens, buying minimum chips at the local fish and chips shop and sharing them with friends, chiko rolls, Centrelink, Ned Kelly, Waltzing Matilda and "sneaking scratches in Netball" (But I can tell you I've got much worse than scratches in netball).
This book does have a slight supernatural element, but it works so well that you forget that a ghost calling someone from a phone booth isn't normal.
divinefolly's review against another edition
4.0
4.2☆
This was an incredibly sad, but beautifully written book. I'm sort of mad that there aren't more pages to read, but it's perfect as it is. I don't know why I don't read more books set in Australia because they give me all of the nostalgic feelings and they connect to me in a way that other stories just can't.
Kirra is a despondent teenager that is trying to deal with an absent father, an alcoholic mother, disgusting friends and a creepy as hell ghost. Kirra's character development is amazing to read. And even though I should pretend to be an evolved being that doesn't condone violence, I was internally cheering when she punched a particular someone in the face. I kind of really like that the supernatural element isn't explained in the story; there is this ghost at the end of the phone line and it's just sort of accepted. Sometimes inconsequential details like that can bog a story down, so I'm glad this one doesn't suffer from it.
This was an incredibly sad, but beautifully written book. I'm sort of mad that there aren't more pages to read, but it's perfect as it is. I don't know why I don't read more books set in Australia because they give me all of the nostalgic feelings and they connect to me in a way that other stories just can't.
Kirra is a despondent teenager that is trying to deal with an absent father, an alcoholic mother, disgusting friends and a creepy as hell ghost. Kirra's character development is amazing to read. And even though I should pretend to be an evolved being that doesn't condone violence, I was internally cheering when she punched a particular someone in the face. I kind of really like that the supernatural element isn't explained in the story; there is this ghost at the end of the phone line and it's just sort of accepted. Sometimes inconsequential details like that can bog a story down, so I'm glad this one doesn't suffer from it.
calissa's review against another edition
This book is an entry in the Aurealis Awards for 2016, for which I am a judge. Any review will be withheld until the results of the awards are announced.
neptune's review against another edition
4.0
Review originally posted on Inked In Pages.
Megan Jacobson has written an excruciatingly honest and real story of teenage struggles and less than preferable family circumstances. Kirra comes from a low income family who lives in a Housing Commission. Jacobson shows us how misunderstood these families, particularly the teenagers, are in our society.
Kirra starts out as a shy and scared teenage. She really reminded me of myself which speaks to the realistic way in which Jacobson has written her. During the book Kirra befriends Willow, a girl from school, who, along with Boogie the ghost, give her direction and encouragement which pushes her into standing up for herself and taking charge in changing her circumstances. She makes some questionable and flawed decisions but it’s important to note that she learns from them.
I loved Willow. Despite being constantly bullied and outcast by her peers, she’s strong and as fierce as a teenage girl can be. She was the girl I always wanted to be as a high schooler, someone who just did not care what other people thought about her. Willow and Kirra’s friendship was very realistic. Their friendship was shaky at first and they would fight and make up. It perfectly reflected any friendship between a pair of teenage girls.
There was a hint of romance but it didn’t overpower the story. It wasn’t presented in a manner that suggested Kirra needs a boyfriend. Similarly, it was very easy to forget that this was a magical-realism. It was a very subtle ghost story. It read as a contemporary with a dash of ghost which was somewhat jarring at times. It almost felt like the book was trying to bring together two stories and didn’t quite make it over the line
Yellow is a story of outcasts and a healthy reminder of the struggles that teenagers have to overcome everyday. Some parts of the story felt slightly rushed and other unrealistic but overall it was a quick and easy read that discussed some important issues. Jacobson reminds us that it’s important to take risks and stand up to our bullies but most importantly, we have the power to change our circumstances.
Megan Jacobson has written an excruciatingly honest and real story of teenage struggles and less than preferable family circumstances. Kirra comes from a low income family who lives in a Housing Commission. Jacobson shows us how misunderstood these families, particularly the teenagers, are in our society.
“I think you can be shy and still feel okay about yourself at the same time.”
Kirra starts out as a shy and scared teenage. She really reminded me of myself which speaks to the realistic way in which Jacobson has written her. During the book Kirra befriends Willow, a girl from school, who, along with Boogie the ghost, give her direction and encouragement which pushes her into standing up for herself and taking charge in changing her circumstances. She makes some questionable and flawed decisions but it’s important to note that she learns from them.
“Do not define me by my gender or my socio-economic status, Noah Willis. Do not tell me who I am and do not tell me who society thinks I am and then put me in that box and expect me to stay there."
I loved Willow. Despite being constantly bullied and outcast by her peers, she’s strong and as fierce as a teenage girl can be. She was the girl I always wanted to be as a high schooler, someone who just did not care what other people thought about her. Willow and Kirra’s friendship was very realistic. Their friendship was shaky at first and they would fight and make up. It perfectly reflected any friendship between a pair of teenage girls.
There was a hint of romance but it didn’t overpower the story. It wasn’t presented in a manner that suggested Kirra needs a boyfriend. Similarly, it was very easy to forget that this was a magical-realism. It was a very subtle ghost story. It read as a contemporary with a dash of ghost which was somewhat jarring at times. It almost felt like the book was trying to bring together two stories and didn’t quite make it over the line
“Courage, real courage, comes from being afraid and doing it anyway.”
Yellow is a story of outcasts and a healthy reminder of the struggles that teenagers have to overcome everyday. Some parts of the story felt slightly rushed and other unrealistic but overall it was a quick and easy read that discussed some important issues. Jacobson reminds us that it’s important to take risks and stand up to our bullies but most importantly, we have the power to change our circumstances.
babblingbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Yellow is such a terrific example of how compelling Young Adult contemporary fiction can be.
Megan Jacobson paints a portrait of a teenage girl struggling with the separation of her parents, her mother's alcoholism, and the bullying of her 'friends'. Everything is compounded by poverty, & it was good to see representation of characters who don't come from middle class or higher that didn't trivialize or romanticize her situation.
There's a ghost, a murder mystery, and a bit of falling in love, but I'll let you discover the story for yourself. It's a gem.
Megan Jacobson paints a portrait of a teenage girl struggling with the separation of her parents, her mother's alcoholism, and the bullying of her 'friends'. Everything is compounded by poverty, & it was good to see representation of characters who don't come from middle class or higher that didn't trivialize or romanticize her situation.
There's a ghost, a murder mystery, and a bit of falling in love, but I'll let you discover the story for yourself. It's a gem.