Nga Tawa Diocesan School

85,212 pages read and 6,551 team points

Team members

NatashaM

15,082 pts

(11,093 pages read)

The Secrets of Strangers

By Charity Norman

3 stars

A bit difficult to engage with each perspective initially. However, Norman encourages empathy for the protagonist, and the ending is a tear jerker.
The Son in Law

By Charity Norman

4 stars

Set in England, a heart wrenching story of loss, grief, mental illness and the question of forgiveness.
Freeing Grace

By Charity Norman

2 stars

Not as engaging as others I have read. I prefer her female protagonists. The character of Jake made unbelievable choices when sidling into another family - a bit farfetched to be real.
See you in September

By Charity Norman

5 stars

Hard to put down, this novel explores the intricacies of the cult mentality. Set in rural NZ, Norman does well to engage the reader with a troubled protagnist.
Second Chances

By Charity Norman

4 stars

Norman, a Ugandan born New Zealander, writes beautifully engaging characters. Set amongst a rural NZ back drop, Norman weaves a relatable story of every parent's worst nightmare. A wonderful storyteller who focuses on real world issues.
A Cold Dark Place

By Gregg Olsen

3 stars

A bit hard to get into initially. Olsen veers character perspectives a little erratically. A little predictable. A reasonable plot.
House of Flame and Shadow

By Sarah Maas

4 stars

The last novel ties everything together nicely with strong female protagonists. Leaves a few loose ends that could be made into further series.
House of Sky and Breath

By Sarah J Maas

4 stars

2nd of a trilogy. Engaging enough to read the third. Another sound fantasy series from Maas.
House of Earth and Blood

By Sarah Maas

4 stars

First of the Crescent City series. A must read for lovers of fantasy. Maas is a little prescriptive bit an enjoyable read nonetheless.
If She Saw

By Blake Pierce

4 stars

2nd in the series. Enjoy the character and the war she is having balancing all the elements of her life. However, I can see this series becoming predictable. Decent FBI cases that the protagonist solves.
If She Knew

By Blake Pierce

3 stars

An easy read, with a few grammatical and spelling errors - however, despite this, the novel has an engaging female protagonist. A retired FBI agent pulled back into the foray of catching violent criminals. The first of a series.
Blood & Honey

By Shelby Mahurin

4 stars

The 2nd in the trilogy. Finished on a cliff hanger, making the 3rd a must read!
Serpent & Dove

By Shelby Mahurin

4 stars

Fast paced read with an entertaining heroine who pushes back against social norms. A Romeo and Juliet story in a back drop of French witches. The first of a trilogy. Suitable for YA readers. Booktok and Amazon award winner.
Hera

By Jennifer Saint

3 stars

Another sound literary reimagining.A.number of Greek myths are touched on during the millennia the novel is set. Harder to get into than I expected. I enjoyed learning about the creation of the gods, and Hera's perspective.
The Wrong Woman

By J. P. Pomare

4 stars

Another gripping novel from Pomare. I enjoy the hints he drops along his story's arc, all for it to come together at the end - but always left with a twist!
Ariadne

By Jennifer Saint

3 stars

A lovely re-telling of the myth of Ariadne. Told from a woman's perspective, this novel encapsulates the difficulty of authenticity women struggle with at the hands of men.
Tell Me Lies

By J. P. Pomare

4 stars

Another engaging read which keeps you guessing. Pomare is the master of the red herring; after reading a fair bit of his work, the reader knows there will be one - but you're never quite sure of who it will be and how it will tie in! A novel, this time set in Australia, Pomare also uses Aotearoa as a backdrop in several other of his novels.
Return to Blood

By Michael Bennett

3 stars

An engaging novel which sets up its heroine for a third installment. Although not as confrontational as the first, the novel has a lovely way of incorporating genuine te ao Māori knowledge. A learning experience as well as an engaging mystery thriller.
Better the Blood

By Michael Bennett

4 stars

A tense, captivating read that encourages the reader to engage with the struggles of Māori who have positions in areas of systemic bias, all while catching a serial killer. Bennett creates a reader's empathy for the killer, and not so much the victims.
Kāwai - Tree of Nourishment

By Monty Soutar

4 stars

Following on from the first novel, Kāwai - Tree of Nourishment follows the same young man searching for a sense of identity in Māoridom by listening to the stories of his tīpuna from his koroua. A compelling and brutal story. A must read.
By Any Other Name

By Jodi Picoult

5 stars

A beautifully written story about the timeless struggle of a woman's voice. The necessity to remain invisible to achieve success, and the cost of doing so. Cleverly linked to Shakespeare's (?) works.
Percy Jackson The Wrath of the Three Headed Goddess

By Rick Riordan

3 stars

Very easy read - easier than Riordan's previous novels in the latter part of the Jackson series. Suited for readers aged 10 ish. Would suit lower ability readers who are engaged with mythology.

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Nga Tawa Diocesan School

85,212 pages read and 6,551 team points

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