Changeling's Island

OMG, This book is amazing! I so thoroughly enjoyed it and couldn’t put it down.I LOVE how Dave wove together the elements of magical wee folk, the deep ancestors of the Tasmanian land, the angst of being a teen trying to fit in, and the unique characteristics of a small island community. Not to mention the nuances of fishing and seamanship. He did a brilliant job of expressing the deep energies running through the story.And, having lived on Flinders for 5 years, I have to say he really caught the flavor of the place and the people, from walking the bush track, the tiny airport, the local school, and the characters.I was especially impressed with the change in perspective throughout the book, giving me backstory, and helping me to understand the little helper that traveled with the main character.

Wow. Just wow! This is how you write a coming-of-age story. No Marty-Stu kid who breezes through everything but a "real" boy struggling to become a man. The setting subtly becomes a character in its own right; you are not bludgeoned with it (I'm looking at you Ms. Describe Every Leaf and you Mr. GPS Driving Directions). It just comes alive and takes part in the story. Absolutely brilliant.This is not the sort of book I usually read. I bought it because I've liked other books by Mr. Freer. It's the best book I've read this year (granted, it's only February, but let's go with "last 12 months", shall we). I actually hope there is not a sequel. It stands well on its own and the story is told.I'm sick to death of the Hero's Journey. So much so that I'm tempted to write a series of short stories in which our intrepid hero dies nastily at the beginning. This is not a Hero's Journey. It's a realistic character dealing with teenage issues - and not in that horrible, trite angsty way that is so common (although there is a bit of that; he is a teenager, after all). I cannot recommend this highly enough, especially since I've read that about this book several times and was still reluctant to read it. Read it. Now.Oh, there are a few Australianisms (is too a word) that threw me out of the story, but not many. "I'll see you Monday avro". What the heck is "avro"? There are not many considering the strangely foreign setting (says US reader who knows nothing about Australia).

Dave's a good writer -- I've read, and very much enjoyed, several of his other books. But he outdid himself with this one. It's a coming of age story, set in a small community on Flinders Island, south of Australia (where Dave lives). But that doesn't begin to cover it. There's a sweet neighbor girl, and an old grandma who's been alone too long, and good neighbors...and a bad neighbor. There's a bit of magic, which both causes trouble, and helps when trouble comes along. Choices to make, growing up to do. I loved it, and shed a few tears, and wish I could live there, too!

Changeling's Island Very nicely done! This is a classic "coming of age" tale set in a small community. As anyone from a small community knows, everyone knows everyone, and that feel is well translated into the story.One of the best things I liked about this book is that it talks about magic, Fae and fairy tales without making the entire book's focus upon it. The magic merely provides a background, a causa belli for many of the ways the story twists and turns. And the greatest part about this tale? It's relatability. The characters seem more real, because in your mind, you know, without a doubt, that you've met someone just like them.Readership should not to be limited to just the young adult crowd, as I found it to be a gripping tale, even though I've left adolescence far behind.Will be sending this to my 12 year old son to read. He should like it!

I came upon this book because it had been disparaged by the Guardian. But the first paragraph, quoted in the Guardian article, was so intriguing, it made me want to read the book.And the promise of the first paragraph proved true! This book is a perfect example of the kind of book I loved best as a child--books like The Secret Garden and The Children of Green Knowe--where a child arrives at a place they don't want to be, hates it, gets involved in some adventure, and comes to love the place and the people.Like Green Knowe, Changeling's Island has just a touch of magic. Enough to make the story eerie and wonderful without it being the main issue of the tale. Unlike Green Knowe, Tim doesn't just learn his way around, he discovers a strong talent for understanding the sea that was truly fascinating. The passage where the book discussed what Tim saw about the sea, how to sail and fish, that an cheerful but inexperienced adult did not see was one of the most wonderful bits of the book, as it gave me a new appreciation for the sea and fishing and the things that one could know about them. (Things which I, a terrible fisher, definitely don't know!)The story follows a reluctant city boy who is exiled to the country for bad behavior. In this case, the "country" is a remote Australian island where life moves a bit more slowly than the mainland. Tim's grandmother doesn't even have Internet. Waking up early every day to milk the cow is not Tim's idea of a good time, but the friendship of a girl named Molly and her huge Irish Wolfhound/Great Dane starts helping him thaw to his new life.Soon Tim is developing new skills and discovering new talents. Now, if he can only survive the mysterious seal woman--whom only his grandmother can see--who seems to have some ancient claim against Tim's family.

I read this straight through once and then set it aside for a few days before re-reading; I did the same with the author's "Joy Cometh with the Mourning" and then re-read both, alternately and repeatedly.I've now re-read it end-to-end twice and keep returning to odd bits of it.Of course, us poor Poms don't get all of it until the fourth or fifth reading and repeated consultation of Wikipedia. There are TLAs (RLS, RIB) that are not in use in English English; also abbreviated names like Lonnie and Tassie which one can eventually work out.The author gives us the thoughts of four characters - three teenagers and a leprechaun-like figure of magic. He does not hop from head to head. Those episodes are interspersed with a more-general omniscient approach to the reactions of adults whilst doing that.For all the teenageness of the [human] heads we occupy, this is not a "Young Adult" book; it is a rare, successful attempt to bring magic into the modern world in so matter-of-fact a way that it can be accepted.

This was an absolutely delightful read. Set on a remote Australian island, the story blends elements of Celtic and aboriginal mythology (an odd choice, I thought at first, but it makes sense given the mixed heritage of the main character and presumably of many people in that part of the world), along with a coming-of-age story, and plenty of adventure and peril, all in a fascinating and unique setting. Extra points for good, brave dogs, tough old ladies, and a no-good kid who comes right in the end.This is technically a young adult story, but while it would certainly be suitable for children/teens, I can strongly recommend it for adults too. Great for anyone looking for a diverse cast and a setting a bit different from the usual modern fantasy.