Xpresso Reads

Thanks Maja for your great review of this that led me to try out the works of an Aussie author. I really enjoyed it.Tessa, found in a bush and brought to a hospital, wakes up with absolutely no memory but her name. And I mean, NO memory. Of anything. The tiny people in the TV scare her! So she gets sent to this school… with this missing girl... duh duh duuuuuuuuuh.What a great author. The writing is so wonderfully simple that it's easy to get lost in Tessa's words. The prose is truly unique. I don't think I've ever read a book where the main character is talking directly to me. Of course she's not - she's writing her story to her guardian, but it's a great way to narrate. It gets you feeling like you're part of the story. Part of her life. I loved Tessa, the protagonist. She's so loveable and innocent, but you also know that there are mind blowing secrets that are hidden behind that wall in her memory. There is definitely a lot of intrigue and although you might think you have it all figured out, you don't. Another aspect I loved in the book, probably what I liked best actually, was the humour. It made me laugh quite often due to Tessa's ignorance. I mean the girl didn't remember what waffles were! It was all so amusing and cleverly fabricated.So yeah, as my first Aussie book, I'm quite impressed. Really, other than the location, it isn't terribly different from american books - don't go comparing them like US vs Japanese horror movies - it just has this originality that stems from actual ingenuity, and not just "writing with the hype" to make fast money. (I mean, let's face it, who hasn't milked the Twilight cow?). That leaves us with a billion similar B-rated books that just… lack. And I'll admit that I do read most of them and they're still enjoyable for the most part, but this was straight-out original and just lovely, plain lovely. This will not be my last Aussie book.