ALEXANDRA ALMOND Thoroughly Disenchanted. Reviewed by Amelia Dudley
Alexandra Almond’s cosy fantasy demonstrates why you really should be careful what you wish for. In Australian author Alexandra Almond’s debut fantasy novel, lovers Genevieve and Oliver spent a weekend in an enchanting old house – that may or may not be haunted...
SUN JUNG My Name is Gucci. Reviewed by Michael Jongen
Gucci the Dalmatian narrates this novel of lives entwined from South Korea to Sydney over multiple lifetimes. I did not expect that a novel narrated by a dog would move and astound me so much. I was not prepared for the richness of My Name is Gucci by Sun Jung. I...
2025 Last Days of Summer Giveaway #3
This is the third and final of this series of summer giveaways. So get cracking and don’t miss out on a chance to win! To go into the draw to win all four of these titles, simply email editors@newtownreviewofbooks.com.au with ‘Summer 3′ in the subject line and...
2025 Last Days of Summer Giveaway #2
Yes! A second chance to win a great bundle of books in our big Last Days of Summer Giveaway! To go into the draw to win all four of these titles, simply email editors@newtownreviewofbooks.com.au with ‘Summer 2′ in the subject line and your name and address in the body...
2025 Last Days of Summer Giveaway #1
Suddenly we’re halfway through February and summer’s nearly over. But it’s not too late for a big summer book giveaway. To go into the draw to win all four of these titles, simply email editors@newtownreviewofbooks.com.au with ‘Summer 1′ in the...
INGA SIMPSON The Thinning Reviewed by Ann Skea
The new novel from the author of Understory explores what happens when mining dramatically changes life on Earth. We haven’t always lived on amber alert, ready to run. When Dianella was the photographer in residence and Dad the head astronomer, we used to have a...
MELANIE CHENG The Burrow. Reviewed by Sanchana Venkatesh
The arrival of a pet rabbit proves confronting as well as comforting for the fractured family in Melanie Cheng’s second novel. Amy, Jin, and their ten-year-old daughter Lucie live in an inner-city suburb of Melbourne. Set towards the end of the pandemic lockdowns,...
MARK SMITH Three Boys Gone. Reviewed by Michael Jongen
Mark Smith’s first novel for adults is both a psychological thriller and an exploration of a shocking moral dilemma. Mark Smith, a Victoria-based educator, is best known as the author of the critically acclaimed YA Winter Trilogy and If Not For Us, a very enjoyable YA...
KIRSTEN KRAUTH and ANGELA SAVAGE (eds) Spinning Around: The Kylie Playlist. Reviewed by Michael Jongen
Not just for Kylie fans: the editors of this anthology inspired by Kylie Minogue have assembled a diverse range of authors and genres. Each of the 24 writers featured in Spinning Around has taken a Kylie Minogue song – ranging across her repertoire from 1987’s ‘I...
EMILY MAGUIRE Rapture. Reviewed by Ann Skea
The author of Love Objects and An Isolated Incident turns to historical fiction to tell the story of a young ninth-century woman whose quest for knowledge will not be denied. Rapture is a romance. Not just because it follows the love and passion of an unconventional...
RODNEY HALL Vortex. Reviewed by Paul Anderson
Rodney Hall has won the Miles Franklin Award twice (Just Relations, The Grisly Wife); his new novel is a panoramic alternative history of the twentieth century. Queen Elizabeth II visited Brisbane on 9 March 1954 as part of her longest-ever Commonwealth tour. A...
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