Book Review: The Boy in the Hoodie by Catriona McKeown (and Giveaway)

Review by Iola Goulton

The Boy in the Hoodie is the debut from Australian author Catriona McKeown, and winner of the 2016 Omega Writers CALEB Prize for an unpublished manuscript. It was a well-deserved win, because it's a great coming of age novel about making mistakes, paying the price, and becoming a better person through the experience.

Here's the description from the back cover:

One girl. One boy. And a friendship that could save them both.

Good-girl Kat knew drinking alcohol at school would have serious consequences. But to protect her friend from being expelled, Kat lands herself a terms worth of detentions.

Inside the detention room, she meets a strange boy who obsessively draws dark pictures and covers his head with a grey hoodie. Little does she know, the hoodie hides a dark past ...

An unlikely friendship forms between Kat and the boy in the hoodie. When she discovers a sinister truth hes been hiding, she somehow feels compelled to help him but at what cost? And how much is she willing to risk in order to keep him safe?

The Boy in the Hoodie is a real, unforgettable story about past scars and how the ones we love can sometimes heal them.

My Review

I enjoyed everything about The Boy in the Hoodie. Aussie setting, strong characters, solid plot, and excellent writing with enough humour to offset the often-serious nature of the story. Like this line, where Kat is wishing she could leave her current high school and go to a private school:

Well, I thought it was funny.

The set-up could have come across as contrived, but it didn't. I think this was because the story was told in first person from Kat's point of view, so we could see both why she lied for her friends, and what she thought about it. It was also interesting watching her get to know the boy in the hoodie and find out more about what the adults thought about her misdemeanor.

The boy was also an interesting character, and first person worked well in that I (as the reader) didn't know any more about him than Kat did, and got to know him as she did—for better and for worse.

I almost read The Boy in the Hoodie in one sitting—yes, it was that good. The 'almost' is because the tension got too much towards the end, so I had to take a break. I definitely recommend The Boy in the Hoodie for young adult and not-so-young adult readers.

Any chance of a sequel? I see Paige had issues and I want to know more ...

Giveaway

Cate has offered to give away two copies of The Boy in the Hoodie - one paperback copy to an Australian postal address, and one Kindle copy to an international reader.

If you'd like a chance to win, leave a comment and your email address, and tell us whether you ever got a detention in high school. If so, what was it for? 

We'll announce the winner next Friday, 2 February.

About Iola Goulton

Iola Goulton is a New Zealand book reviewer, freelance editor, and author, writing contemporary Christian romance with a Kiwi twist. She is a member of the Sisterhood of Unpronounceable Names (Iola is pronounced yo-la, not eye-ola and definitely not Lola).

Iola holds a degree in marketing, has a background in human resource consulting, and currently works as a freelance editor. When she’s not working, Iola is usually reading or writing her next book review. Iola lives in the beautiful Bay of Plenty in New Zealand (not far from Hobbiton) with her husband, two teenagers and one cat.

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Book Launch Party Planning

Last month saw the long awaited Australian book launch for my recently released Regency The Elusive Miss Ellison. Miss Ellison released in the US back in February, and we had an online launch party then, but apparently it takes a very long time for books to get from the US to Australia!

I’ve been scouring sites such as ACW for months, looking for ideas on what might work on a limited budget, as this was my initiative, and therefore my responsibility. Of course, in the midst of all my info gathering I was praying for God to lead me to make wise choices, and now it’s done, I look back and realise how God was helping me with so many things, even before I knew I’d have a book to launch.

What is your Regency name?

About eighteen months ago we moved to a new church, and over time I came to learn that one of the young women who attends runs our local Christian bookstore. She is an avid reader, and someone who really enjoys Georgette Heyer, so we quickly hit it off 😀. When she realised I was a Christian author with a book due to be published she offered her support.

Me and my 'Mr Darcy'

Originally I’d been thinking how nice it would be to hold the launch party at a historic venue in the area, something to help create the ambiance I wanted for my historical novel. Once I saw the prices they wanted to charge per head, and the rigmarole associated with getting exact numbers, I soon realised this would not be feasible, with those doors needing to remain closed.  😥

Time for tea!

My friend (let’s call her Brooke) somehow managed to read an early copy of Miss Ellison and loved it, so her interest quickly moved from polite curiosity to enthusiastic support. That support soon swelled from thoughts about an in-store book signing to a Regency-inspired book launch, held at the church, where Brooke had managed to pre-sell nearly 50 copies of my book, just to congregation members! Having read it and enjoyed it, she was able to encourage so many of the ladies at our church to pre-order a copy, which in turn generated their excitement and interest in my novel, and willingness to support, via buying copies for their friends and family members, encouraging others to attend, helping set up the day before, and even baking delectable goodies for the afternoon tea. What a blessing!

Props for the Regency photo booth

On the day we had the usual book launch things, such as an author interview, a book reading, the opportunity for books to be signed, even a live Facebook stream (video here), but we took things a few steps further. There were people dressed in Regency attire, opportunity for people to create their own Regency name and locale (Lady Maria Edgerton, of Dalmouth Castle, anyone?), we had a Regency quiz, a Regency conversation game (filled with one-liners from books by Jane Austen, Georgette Heyer and yours truly), even a Regency photo booth! Lots of people commented on how much they enjoyed themselves, and I hope they come to associate fun and humour with reading my work.

I truly could not have done this without the support of Brooke and the people of my church. If I’d pushed ahead with doing things the way I’d originally envisaged, it would have been far smaller, far more stressful, far more complicated, and far more expensive. I'd anticipated that maybe 50 people might attend, maybe 70 if I was really fortunate. As it was there were over 100 (!) people in attendance, something neither I nor any hired venue could have coped with had I gone ahead with my original plans, and so many more people meant so many more book sales and pre-orders for book 2! 

Listening to the author interview

It’s funny isn’t it, how often what we think ‘will do’ proves to be less than what God wants for us. Our God is a good God, and His plans for us are for good and not for evil (Jeremiah 29.11). Our God is a mighty, powerful God. We may have many plans in our heart but it is God’s will that prevails (Proverbs 19.21).

Miss Ellison’s book launch once again proved the importance of trusting our faithful God to open the right doors at the right time. After all, “He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Eph. 3.19).

So be encouraged! Trust God. He will open the right doors, and close the wrong ones.

He wants more for us than we realise.

How about you? Have you seen God surprise you by surpassing your expectations?

Carolyn Miller lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and four children. Together with her husband she has pastored a church for ten years, and worked part-time as a public high school English and Learning and Support teacher. A longtime lover of romance, especially that of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer’s Regency era, Carolyn holds a BA in English Literature, and loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives. Her Regency novel 'The Elusive Miss Ellison' released in the US in February 2017, and is available at Amazon.com, CBD, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository and Koorong. Her second novel ‘The Captivating Lady Charlotte’ releases June 27 and  is available for preorder now.

Connect with her:    www.carolynmillerauthor.com

                                 www.pinterest.com/camillering

  www.facebook.com/CarolynMillerAuthor/

  twitter.com/CarolynMAuthor

Introducing Susanne Timpani, Debut novelist.

Jenny Blake here, I am happy to be able to being an interview with Susanne Timpani who is releasing her debut novel on Feb 12th In my home town of Naracoorte and in Adelaide on Valentines day. Please welcome Susanne to our blog. 

1.  Can you tell us a something interesting that readers may not know about you?

My family know that I'm not a great fan of television, but dare anyone disturb me when I'm watching Miss Marple, Hercule Poriot or Midsummer Murders. I don't read or write murder mysteries so this may appear unusual. Upon reflection, it's probably due to the strong characters, mysterious settings and spooky music.

2. Do you get to read many books and if so do you have a favourite Genre?

 I read at least two books simultaneously. Since the introduction of the Kindle I usually have a queue of e-books waiting to be read, as well as a pile of real books next to my bed. I like most genres of Fiction but am particularly interested in stories that serve to entertain while broadening my knowledge base. If I put a book down knowing a little bit more about myself or the world, I feel satisfied.

3. Where did you get the idea for your current book?

I listened to a heartbreaking account of an Aboriginal baby stolen, in the 1950's, from a cot in a South Australian hospital. I realized how little I knew about the tragedy of the Aboriginal Stolen Generations. I set about researching this dark chapter of our history and I wanted to share the outcome of my research. I chose Inspirational Fiction as the format in order to weave romance, humour, spirituality and faith throughout the story. I hope this makes it an entertaining as well as an informative read.

4. In your latest book did you learn any interesting tidbits in your research?

 Where do I begin? I learnt about Aboriginal totems, photographic dark rooms, the story behind the Song of Songs, icy hair caps in cancer treatment and medical emergencies in the Australian outback. I'm hoping that readers will benefit from all this research.

5. What does a typical writing day look like?

Out of necessity, I've learnt to be a 'morning person'. On my non-work days I set the alarm for 5.15am and struggle out of bed. Once I've had my cup of tea I'm ready to function and I can write prolifically until 9am, when the rest of the household is in full swing. Our four children are gradually moving out of home but our family life remains ever busy. I've learnt that early rises are the only guarantee I have of undisturbed time.

6. If you had one tip for aspiring writers what would it be?

Join a writing group! At the beginning of my writing journey I joined 'Writing Right', a group that balanced a teaching session with a critique session. The greatest benefit though was the camaraderie and support of other writers. After almost ten years the Group ended and I searched the internet for other options. This is when I came across Omega Writers. Living interstate, my initial contact with Omega was via social media. I travelled to their writing conferences and, once again, benefited from the support and fellowship of other writers. If it wasn’t for Omega I wonder if this debut novel would have been released. I am also a member of two local groups.

7. What do you hope readers take out of your latest book?

 The story has multiple layers and if readers can take a thread of just one and feel enriched, I have achieved my goal. The characters learn about the Song of Songs and correlate its principles to their own romance. Dimitri uncovers potential roots to the Stolen Generation. Leah manages breast cancer as a young woman. Being a new midwife, Leah's experiences open up the medical world. The setting provides insight into Outback Australia. Most of all, both characters grow in their experience of faith. Readers should find many gems in its pages.

8. A couple of fun questions to end if you were to come to Australia what would you most like to see?

I would like to experience a high speed ferry ride across Sydney Harbour during a magnificent sunset. How thrilling to have the wind whip my face and the waves thrash beneath my feet as we circumvent the Opera House. When the grey sky turns to black and the Sydney Harbour Bridge blazes into life against the darkness, I will know those postcards are genuine.

9. Do you have a favourite Ice cream flavour (this interview was composed on a day where it was over 100f or 40C in Australia)?

 My children complain that I buy low fat, low sugar ice cream. They ask what point there is of buying a tub of ice-cream without flavour. I tell them it's the only guarantee I have of finding ice-cream in my freezer within 24 hours of doing the shopping.

10. Finally can you tell us about your current books and/or any that will

be coming out soon. Also where we can find you on the web.

'Twice stolen' won the CALEB prize for an unpublished manuscript. It is a love story. It has a sprinkling of medical romance, is imbued with Christian spirituality and set in the Australian Outback.

It is due for release on Valentine's Day, 2016 in Adelaide, South Australia. The book is published with Armour Books.  I will have the honour of the publisher, Annie Hamilton, travel to SA to launch the book.

You can find further information on my website: www.susannetimpani.com.au

Twice Stolen Book Launch

February 12th 2016 11am

Naracoorte Christian Books and Gifts 

1 Rivoli Lane, 

Naracoorte, South Australia.

February 14th, 2016 2pm.

St Pius X Primary School, Hillburn Ave, 

Windsor Gardens, South Australia.

Book Review: Jaded - by Varina Denman

Review by Andrea Grigg

I love novels about small towns because I don’t come from one. The fact this (fictional) small town is situated in Texas, USA and not in my home country of Australia made it even more interesting.

Ruthie Turner intrigued me from the first page. It was clear Ruthie has a chip on her shoulder the size of … well, the size of Texas. And I couldn’t wait to find out why.

A hard-working and resourceful girl, she has a lot to contend with due to circumstances beyond her control. Her mother has a ‘past’ and because of this, she and Ruthie are shunned from joining the local worship service. If they ever wanted to, that is. Ruthie has a dim view of  church-goers in the light of what went on.                                   

Interestingly enough, Ruthie’s opinion of God isn’t completely negative, and her attitude toward Him is challenged when she meets the eye-catching new preacher, Dodd Cunningham. Despite Ruthie’s best efforts to avoid Dodd, their paths keep crossing and her barriers go up – barriers that Dodd does his best to break down.

This book had everything in it that I love. Complicated family dynamics, quirky characters, a mystery about the past, and best of all, romance. The chemistry between Ruthie and Dodd is fabulous.

But that’s not all. Varina Denman has written a story that shows all too well the dangers of becoming religious, and yet the themes of God’s love and grace come shining through. I will be recommending this fabulous debut novel for a long time to come.

Andrea Grigg lives on the Gold Coast, Queensland, and is a writer of contemporary Christian romance. Her first book, ‘A Simple Mistake’ was a finalist in the 2012 CALEB awards. Her second novel, ‘Too Pretty’ was released in August 2014.

Website: www.andreagrigg.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/author.andreagrigg?ref=hl

Twitter: @andreagrigg https://twitter.com/andreagrigg