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3.28 AVERAGE
3.28 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I struggled with this book. I recognise that it is a book about a teenager, set in a boarding school, and as such I am very much not the target demographic. Not just because I'm much older, but also because it has been a long time since I was particularly interested in stories set in schools.
This one is interesting in a lot of ways - the characters are great, the world building is fascinating, the writing is good. A significant amount is written in second person, as our viewpoint character, Tessa, writes up what is happening for their guardian, Connolly. There are some interesting bits and pieces going on with supernatural elements and threats.
And yet I put it aside at about 45% finished and then had to make a serious effort to get to the end. Which was disappointing. Yes, there is a conflict with the big bad, but the ending didn't feel earned, plus it felt unfinished. Yes, there is a sequel, but it wasn't even the feel of open ending, but more just running out of space.
This one is interesting in a lot of ways - the characters are great, the world building is fascinating, the writing is good. A significant amount is written in second person, as our viewpoint character, Tessa, writes up what is happening for their guardian, Connolly. There are some interesting bits and pieces going on with supernatural elements and threats.
And yet I put it aside at about 45% finished and then had to make a serious effort to get to the end. Which was disappointing. Yes, there is a conflict with the big bad, but the ending didn't feel earned, plus it felt unfinished. Yes, there is a sequel, but it wasn't even the feel of open ending, but more just running out of space.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Death of parent
This novel's mystery had me hooked from the first page. Actually I think I was hooked from the moment I read the back of the book and the acknowledgements at the beginning and the story did not disappoint. In fact I was so hooked that I finished this story in less than a day and after reading some during my lunch break, seriously thought about not going back to work and finishing the story there and then instead.
Read the rest of my review at : http://sapphireddragon.blogspot.com/2011/06/review-thyla-by-kate-gordon.html
Read the rest of my review at : http://sapphireddragon.blogspot.com/2011/06/review-thyla-by-kate-gordon.html
Thyla is Kate Gordon's second novel, but her first in the Paranormal YA genre. Now I know that some readers have just turned away at the mention of paranormal and YA in the same sentence.
Bare with me.
Thyla is a refreshing take on the genre, uniquely Australian and not infiltrated by any moralising subtext. There’s a touch of teenage romance but essentially it’s a high school, mystery adventure tale with a female protagonist sans any sparkly supernaturals.
The Story
Tessa is found collapsed and alone in Tasmanian bush land. She wakes in a hospital bed, with little to no memory other than her name, and no idea how she got the scars across her back. She’s placed into Cascade Falls, a private all girls school at the behest of a mysterious benefactor. Her only friend is the policewoman Connolly, who has lost her own daughter only recently.
As the story unfolds Tessa becomes aware that things at Cascade Falls aren’t all that they seem. On the surface it’s the typical boarding school experience, bitchy cliques – the popular girls vs the ferals. Tessa falls in with the ferals, who are more easy going and accepting. It soon becomes apparent, however, that the ferals aren’t your average teenage girls, and neither is Tessa. Battling inconvenient amnesia and tribal conflicts, Tessa begins to slowly piece together her life and her supernatural origins, just in time to combat the sinister Diemens.
Australian History on the sly.
I like Gordon’s choice to set this book in an Australian context, I love her use of early Australian convict history which I think really beds down the narrative and gives it an honest Australian flavour. There’s passing mentions of institutions and places that are real, buildings whose original purpose may now be lost or at least unknown to 21st century teens – an invitation to interested readers to check out history in their own backyard (presuming of course they are Australian)
I also like her use of Australian animals for the were-creatures; notably the Thyla (Tasmanian tigers) and the Sarco (Tasmanian devils), tribal enemies until the Diemens(hinted at vampires) arrived at point of colonisation. It’s a refreshing departure from regular European Vampire/Werewolf mythology which would have been an easy road to tread.
There’s a nice little bit of world building that encompasses a narrative of colonisation- the Thyla’s and Sarco’s remember a time when humans and they lived together in peace, before settlement and before the Diemens. It would have been easy to have tapped into the earlier gothic traditions but I am glad Gordon didn’t, its nice to think that we have home grown were-creatures with a separate mythology.
No Vampire Hunks
One thing that niggled at me with Twilight was the sinister implications behind the attraction of a 100 year old vampire to a teenage girl. In Thyla, the romance (what little there is), is much better handled in terms of power dynamics. Tessa might be an immortal teen but at least she’s attracted to other immortal teens.
Narrative mode
I found the narrative mode interesting-Tessa as the narrator (first person), directed at the character Connolly. This can be a tricky mode to write in and get the balance right – nothing worse than being caught in a boring characters head. Thankfully Gordon handles it well giving the reader an intimate account of Tessa’s adventures.
Recommendations
At only 279 pages and with an uncomplicated style it was a quick enjoyable read for me. I’d recommend it for ages 13 + and both genders, and while it does feature Tessa having her first period - certain to register as “too much info” for young male readers. It also features well described conflict, bloodshed and death for the action fans. I’d suggest it for those readers who want an original take on the Vampire/Werewolf myth.
Bare with me.
Thyla is a refreshing take on the genre, uniquely Australian and not infiltrated by any moralising subtext. There’s a touch of teenage romance but essentially it’s a high school, mystery adventure tale with a female protagonist sans any sparkly supernaturals.
The Story
Tessa is found collapsed and alone in Tasmanian bush land. She wakes in a hospital bed, with little to no memory other than her name, and no idea how she got the scars across her back. She’s placed into Cascade Falls, a private all girls school at the behest of a mysterious benefactor. Her only friend is the policewoman Connolly, who has lost her own daughter only recently.
As the story unfolds Tessa becomes aware that things at Cascade Falls aren’t all that they seem. On the surface it’s the typical boarding school experience, bitchy cliques – the popular girls vs the ferals. Tessa falls in with the ferals, who are more easy going and accepting. It soon becomes apparent, however, that the ferals aren’t your average teenage girls, and neither is Tessa. Battling inconvenient amnesia and tribal conflicts, Tessa begins to slowly piece together her life and her supernatural origins, just in time to combat the sinister Diemens.
Australian History on the sly.
I like Gordon’s choice to set this book in an Australian context, I love her use of early Australian convict history which I think really beds down the narrative and gives it an honest Australian flavour. There’s passing mentions of institutions and places that are real, buildings whose original purpose may now be lost or at least unknown to 21st century teens – an invitation to interested readers to check out history in their own backyard (presuming of course they are Australian)
I also like her use of Australian animals for the were-creatures; notably the Thyla (Tasmanian tigers) and the Sarco (Tasmanian devils), tribal enemies until the Diemens(hinted at vampires) arrived at point of colonisation. It’s a refreshing departure from regular European Vampire/Werewolf mythology which would have been an easy road to tread.
There’s a nice little bit of world building that encompasses a narrative of colonisation- the Thyla’s and Sarco’s remember a time when humans and they lived together in peace, before settlement and before the Diemens. It would have been easy to have tapped into the earlier gothic traditions but I am glad Gordon didn’t, its nice to think that we have home grown were-creatures with a separate mythology.
No Vampire Hunks
One thing that niggled at me with Twilight was the sinister implications behind the attraction of a 100 year old vampire to a teenage girl. In Thyla, the romance (what little there is), is much better handled in terms of power dynamics. Tessa might be an immortal teen but at least she’s attracted to other immortal teens.
Narrative mode
I found the narrative mode interesting-Tessa as the narrator (first person), directed at the character Connolly. This can be a tricky mode to write in and get the balance right – nothing worse than being caught in a boring characters head. Thankfully Gordon handles it well giving the reader an intimate account of Tessa’s adventures.
Recommendations
At only 279 pages and with an uncomplicated style it was a quick enjoyable read for me. I’d recommend it for ages 13 + and both genders, and while it does feature Tessa having her first period - certain to register as “too much info” for young male readers. It also features well described conflict, bloodshed and death for the action fans. I’d suggest it for those readers who want an original take on the Vampire/Werewolf myth.
Yay for the traveling book in YA-MA! It's so much fun, reading the book after my other Group friends. Looking at their little notes, and adding my own. So much fun.
Thyla is a book I doubt I ever would have even heard of if it weren't for the tours we do. Maybe it wasn't the best paranormal book I've ever read, but it was definitely unique. I don't want to give too much away, because this is a book of secrets, but I'll say that I've never read a book about this subject before.
The writing was a little odd, as it was written as a letter and the events were almost transcribed. The characters could have used some more fleshing out. And sadly, once you've gotten used to Tessa and Perrin the story changes and book two isn't about Tessa any more. I'm not sure how I feel about that.
Still, I'm glad I read it, and I'm glad we all shared it. If I can get my hands on it, I'll give book two a try! (Thanks Carina!)
Thyla is a book I doubt I ever would have even heard of if it weren't for the tours we do. Maybe it wasn't the best paranormal book I've ever read, but it was definitely unique. I don't want to give too much away, because this is a book of secrets, but I'll say that I've never read a book about this subject before.
The writing was a little odd, as it was written as a letter and the events were almost transcribed. The characters could have used some more fleshing out. And sadly, once you've gotten used to Tessa and Perrin the story changes and book two isn't about Tessa any more. I'm not sure how I feel about that.
Still, I'm glad I read it, and I'm glad we all shared it. If I can get my hands on it, I'll give book two a try! (Thanks Carina!)
Thyla was an okay read. Some of it is cheesy, but my opinion tends to lean in that direction where paranormal is concerned. Some of it is fairly appealing, and the mythology is on the unique side, though the standard paranormal themes and plot devices are still pretty much the norm here. Thyla also ends right at the point where it becomes its most interesting.
I think I would have liked Thyla better had it been condensed a little and then continued beyond where it ended, because it does feel very expository and it does cut off the story once the circumstances and conflict are at their best. Will I read the next one? I don't know, since the POV switches in book two to a different character and I'm not sure how I feel about that, considering the point at which this one ended.
I think I would have liked Thyla better had it been condensed a little and then continued beyond where it ended, because it does feel very expository and it does cut off the story once the circumstances and conflict are at their best. Will I read the next one? I don't know, since the POV switches in book two to a different character and I'm not sure how I feel about that, considering the point at which this one ended.
it was refreshingly new and different. GO THE AUSSIE!!! :)
Tessa woke up without a single memory of who she was. No family, no identity. The only truth she knew deep into the marrow of her bones is that she’s a strong person, incapable of tears and she's fearless. Little by little, snaps of recollections come back to her as she’s thrust into a mysterious world inside and outside of the boarding school she was forced into – a school, which held more memories of who she was than she cared to remember.
The synopsis wasn’t very forthcoming; I had no clue what I was getting into when I started reading. As a result, I was overly anxious for the mystery to unfold and Kate Gordon took her sweet old time revealing what kind of paranormal creatures she has on the offing. She took lycanthrope and spun with a bit creepier factor than normal. It was definitely different. I think that having the setting somewhere much novel (novel to me, anyway) added to the mystery. Port Arthur (Van Diemen’s Land), Tasmania was a penal colony and the hardened British and Irish criminals’ destination back in the days. You can just imagine how Gordon wove this history into her novel.
It took almost the entirety of the book for the revelation to come; most of the story really focused on Tessa’s memory recovery. It was a jigsaw puzzle – intricate but very slow in giving pieces of clues away. Lucky for me, the book isn’t really hefty. While the writing flowed smoothly, I was encumbered with the unhurried speed of the plot. And I understand that the primary reason was because it’s the initial offering of the series, ergo, the author spent some time with the set up. I also think that because this story was told in a journal entry form, the sparse dialogues contributed to the tedium.
VERDICT: This is my first Australian paranormal that I managed to finish. To be honest, this is probably far more superior to the other shape-shifting books on my shelves. But a story needs to grab me right off the bat and hold my interest for the entirety of the novel. Unfortunately, this book didn’t.
The synopsis wasn’t very forthcoming; I had no clue what I was getting into when I started reading. As a result, I was overly anxious for the mystery to unfold and Kate Gordon took her sweet old time revealing what kind of paranormal creatures she has on the offing. She took lycanthrope and spun with a bit creepier factor than normal. It was definitely different. I think that having the setting somewhere much novel (novel to me, anyway) added to the mystery. Port Arthur (Van Diemen’s Land), Tasmania was a penal colony and the hardened British and Irish criminals’ destination back in the days. You can just imagine how Gordon wove this history into her novel.
It took almost the entirety of the book for the revelation to come; most of the story really focused on Tessa’s memory recovery. It was a jigsaw puzzle – intricate but very slow in giving pieces of clues away. Lucky for me, the book isn’t really hefty. While the writing flowed smoothly, I was encumbered with the unhurried speed of the plot. And I understand that the primary reason was because it’s the initial offering of the series, ergo, the author spent some time with the set up. I also think that because this story was told in a journal entry form, the sparse dialogues contributed to the tedium.
VERDICT: This is my first Australian paranormal that I managed to finish. To be honest, this is probably far more superior to the other shape-shifting books on my shelves. But a story needs to grab me right off the bat and hold my interest for the entirety of the novel. Unfortunately, this book didn’t.
Thyla was a really interesting book, but the second half was just filled with info-dumping and explaining what had happened which kinda killed the story for me. I don't plan on picking up the rest of the series.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I don't know when I read this, but I remember really liking it.