St Dominic's Catholic College (Henderson)

122,078 pages read and 5,256 team points

Team members

Amy S

8,182 pts

(6,402 pages read)

They Both Die at the End

By Adam Silvera

0 stars
Dreamslinger

By Graci Kim

5 stars

Read an advance review copy of the first in this new Graci Kim series and she's done it again, weaving Korean traditions with rampant fantasy. Relatable (for the teen audience) characters and realistic dialogue, plus I love that she was able to slip in a character from Aotearoa. Can't wait for this one to come out in a few months.
Clap When You Land

By Elizabeth Acevedo

5 stars

Gripping, thought-provoking verse novel set between the US and Dominican Republic, Acevado excels at capturing immense emotion in sparse text.
Whetu Toa and the Secret Spies

By Steph Matuku

0 stars
Nickolai of the North

By Lucy Daniel Raby

3 stars

This was a bedtime read with the tamariki, we all struggled a bit through the middle but it came to a satisfying end.
Spineless

By Samantha San Miguel

4 stars

Another bedtime read, we all enjoyed this one, set in Florida (but not as we know it...) My daughters enjoyed the strong female characters, the thread of mystery, the adventure, and of course, Pulpy the octopus.
These Violent Delights

By Chloe Gong

5 stars

Been meaning to read this for a few years, did so on audiobook over the whole Summer while going about chores. A great read, unpredictable yet familiar, be transported to 1920s Shanghai but not as it ever was ....
Spy Academy : The Peak

By Jack Heath

4 stars

Another one read in prep for 2025 Book Battle, while I'm not the target demographic, Jack Heath sure does know how to keep his audience hanging out for the next chapter! A lot of twists and action from the first page till last.
Hostel Girl

By Maurice Gee

0 stars
Between the Flags

By Rachel Fenton

5 stars

A great local teen read with a focus on grief and recovery from trauma, I enjoyed the references to the Aeneid and all the mentions of Auckland geography, a book that is firm in it's sense of place and voice, through Mandy the narrator. The interweave of graphic novel pages and themes makes this a unique and appealing read.
Toffee

By Sarah Crossan

5 stars

Sarah Crossan is a master of encapsulating emotion through sparse text and this was a compelling, harrowing, and ultimately hopeful read.
Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus

By Dusti Bowling

4 stars

Read in prep for 2025 Book Battle, a different spin on the usual overcoming adversity middle-school novel, featuring characters with tourettes, missing limbs and weight challenges.
All that We Know

By Shilo Kino

5 stars

There's a lot packed into this debut adult novel from Shilo Kino - grief, growing up, neurodiversity, activism, religion, sexuality and a massive deep dive into colonialism and it's far-reaching consequences. A highly recommended, thought-provoking read.
Brotherless Night

By V. V. Ganeshananthan

5 stars

A hard-hitting story of one family's loss, suffering, love and resilience through the most tumultuous years in Sri Lanka's history. By turns devastating and hopeful, the narrative spans nearly 3 decades and keeps you hooked till the last page.
The Night in Question

By Kathleen Glasgow, Liz Lawson

4 stars

A fun teen mystery, this was a sequel which would have been more enjoyable if I'd read the original as there were a lot of references to what the characters had been through in the first book.
Land of Milk and Honey

By C Pam Zhang

4 stars

In an almost-believable dystopian future, a young chef takes a job in one of the only spaces left on earth with breathable air. Heavy on culinary descriptions and with a small cast of (mostly) unlikable characters, this book pushes the limits of what is palatable in a world where only the ultra rich breathe easy.
Falling into Rarohenga

By Steph Matuku

4 stars

Fast-paced, if a little predictable, this was a fun romp through the underworld with twins Kahu and Tui, peppered with kupu Māori and an interesting cast of mythological beings.
Suitors and Sabotage

By Cindy Anstey

2 stars

Not my cup of tea, read this to check if it was shelved correctly by genre. A very slow historical romance, with a hint of mystery.
One by One They Disappear

By Mike Lucas

4 stars

One of those books where the blurb really isn't going to do your work for you ... I was expecting creepy thriller vibes (which delivered), but the Brothers Grimm element and WWII Germany setting were surprising. I actually really enjoyed the slow-building pace and the atmosphere of this book, less sure how good it feels to have Nazi actions fictionalised into almost comic-style villainy with the radio plot...
Final Word : The Winterton Deception

By Janet Sumner Johnson

5 stars

Bedtime reading with the 9+11 year olds, we all enjoyed this spelling bee-based inheritance mystery. Some great characters, a classic mansion setting (with secret passages, naturally), enough literature references and obscure vocab for the word nerds, but enough of a strong story to keep the less word-obsessed following along, too.
The Little Wave

By Pip Harry

5 stars

Loved this verse novel, a beautifully gentle story of friendship, hardship, grief and change.
Thief on the Track

By Ellie Robinson

4 stars

Bedtime reading with the 9 year old.

27 - 0 - 1

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St Dominic's Catholic College (Henderson)

122,078 pages read and 5,256 team points

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