Nora & Kettle - Review

This book is the first installment in the Paper Stars series. It's a reimagining of Peter Pan and follows two teenagers named Nora and Kettle. They face extreme hardships and both of them long for the day when they will be able to fly away and touch the sky. Kettle is a Japanese American living on the streets with other lost children after the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Nora's home life in the brownstone walls is filled with violence, lies and perpetual danger. She dreams of being free and seeing what it's like outside of those walls that constantly torment her. When Nora and Kettle meet, they discover that there might be such a thing as pixie dust after all. But they must confront what's been making them run, so that they can finally fly. Nora & Kettle is one of those stories that leave an imprint on your memory long after you turn the last page. The writing is lyrical and poetic. It's rich in metaphors, and yet so simply told. The characters are brilliant. They have their own backgrounds and distinguishing characteristics that make them so vivid in your mind. This is a story of love, trust, survival and overcoming adversity. It's about always believing that things will get better, no matter how many times it seems like it only gets worse. Life can knock you down so hard that you feel as though the earth never can meet the sky. But love pulls you back up each time. And then you find that you can will your feet to move, to leave the ground. Because that star you thought was out of reach, may have been in your pocket all along.

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Poem by @writing_15_

Photo source: writing_15_ I'd like to present a poem written by a friend of mine. She's fifteen years old and a very talented writer. You guys can check out her Instagram . Writing_15_ also has a new blog where she posts her poetry, book reviews and short stories. I watched you fade away, slowly. Then all at once. Like I watched the petals of a flower, fall to the ground. Parts of you fell away faster than others. Your sense of humour stayed, but your kindness fell of the stem. You aren’t the same person you once were. Your petals continue to fall. You are slowly changing into nothing but a stem. The water you need is no longer available, like the attention you no longer receive. Your petals have fallen to the ground, leaving nothing but a stalk. You have changed, leaving nothing but a stranger. ...

Wit Heinings(An Afrikaans Short Story)

Die trein kaartjie. Dis al waaraan sy kan dink. Die trein kaartjie; dis haar sleutel tot vryheid. Tot asemhaling, ja dit sal haar longe weer lug laat proe. Binne haar handsak – die glinsterende bottelgroen een wat sy verafsku, die een wat hy vir haar as geskenk vir hulle eerste huweliksherdenking gegee het (nie noodwendig oor die kleur, of die gehalte, of die prys nie, maar eerder oor die sentiment wat daaragter skuil) – tussen die voue, lê die vierkantige papiertjie. Sy vroetel met haar vingers binne in die bottelgroen mond, haar hand Jona en die 'geliefkoosde' handsak die vis. Uiteindelik voel sy die kaartjie– dit was darem nie ingesluk en weggevoer nie. En blaas saggies uit. Die agterkant van haar skedel raak aan die koel muur. Daar's niemand langs haar nie. Haar oë gaan toe en prentjiemooi beelde van 'n paradys neem haar verstand oor. Alleen lê sy op 'n goue strand, geniet die ligte somer briesie oor haar vel. Sal iemand haar as mal beskou indien sy nou '...

A Quiet Kind of Thunder - Sara Barnard - Review

Steffi has anxiety and is selectively mute. She knows basic sign language and is assigned to look after Rhys. He can't hear, but he listens and he and Steffi communicate in their own silent way. They navigate the world with a quiet power and show that a whisper can be louder than a shout. A Quiet Kind of Thunder left a mark on my heart. I can't even explain how much I enjoyed this book! The characters are so memorable and multilayered. Steffi and Rhys are an endearing pair and I love how they communicate with each other. Their relationship isn't perfect. It's messy and full of ups and downs, but that's what makes them real and relatable. There might be a barrier between them, but they work through it. This novel is beautiful, not only because of the love story, but also because of the relationships between the main characters and their families. This book shows that being gentle isn't a weakness and introverts can thrive in this world.

Rowena Writes

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