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New Titles - books at the library

Your reviews

Have you read something great lately? Or was it rubbish? Either way, tell us all about it and we'll publish your review for all to see.

We also feature reviews from library staff who know what's hot and not in the world of books.


The Sixth Sense by Night Shyamalan

Reviewed by Lucy Tothill

'The Sixth Sense' is an incredible film of powerful motifs which helped me understand it more. One of the reasons I, and many others, enjoy this film is because of its edge, it isn't horror nor is it overwhelmingly scary, but it is enough to keep the audience in suspense and on the edge of their seat.

Cole sees ghosts - 'People who don't know they are dead.' They haunt him as he tries to find a way out of his enclosed world. When a psychologist comes to visit the boy, he works hard to not mess up the job like he did with the boy's father.

One of the motifs present throughout the film is the symbolism of red. When spirits are near 8-year-old Cole, the colour red is almost always present. An eerie red door handle appears often, and a red balloon which pops near the ceiling is a memorable effect.

The ending brings a dramatic twist, and a feeling of 'Oh!' However, I will leave it up to you to see it!

I would certainly recommend this film to others, and watch it again.

Overall I give it a star rating of 8/10.

April 2011

The Unidentified by Rae Mariz

Reviewed by Zac

CoverIn Rae Mariz' debut novel The Unidentified, 15 year-old Katey (AKA Kid) goes to school in the Game, an alternative education system run by corporations. These 'Games' have been set up in disused shopping malls, so where there used to be shops, there are different spaces that students can go to try new products and participate in activities to increase their 'score.'

The students vie with each other to be noticed and sponsored (or 'branded') by the corporations, thereby giving them celebrity status and financial freedom. Students each have iPad-like devices that they use to update their profile pages and live streams.

When Kid witnesses a mock suicide staged by an anonymous group called the Unidentified, she begins to doubt the system. The story will strike a chord with teens and they'll be able to really relate to Kid and the suffocating world she lives in. If you're a fan of YA dystopian fiction there are plenty of titles to choose from. Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games Trilogy is the most obvious choice (and the most popular) but here are a few others I recommend:

February 2011

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Reviewed by Zac

CoverAcross the Universe is the absolutely amazing debut Young Adult novel by Beth Revis and I can already tell that it is going to be one of my favourite books of the year.

The story starts with Amy who, along with her parents, is being prepared to be cryogenically frozen for the next 300 years as they travel to a new planet. Her parents and the other adults on the ship all have special skills that will help to colonise this new planet, while Amy is a non-essential, just there because of her parents.

There are also others on board the ship, Godspeed, who are not frozen but keeping the ship moving on it's course. Elder is one of these people. He is the youngest person on the ship and the one chosen to lead the next generation.

When Amy is violently woken 50 years before they are due to arrive on the new planet, she creates tension in Elder's carefully ordered society. On a ship in the middle of space where everyone has the same skin and hair colour, similar features, and never questions the rules, Amy is not welcomed. Amy's questions and Elder's own discoveries lead them to uncover the lies that Eldest has been telling them all about the ship and their quest for Centauri-Earth.

Beth Revis leads you on a rollercoaster ride, with lots of unexpected twists and turns. Across the Universe has something for just about every reader — a dystopian society, science fiction, mystery, murder, and a touch of romance. It's the first book in a new trilogy and I really can't wait to read more.

You can also check out Beth's website and read her very entertaining blog.

January 2011