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The Nature Of Ash (2012)

by Mandy Hager(Favorite Author)

4.1 of 5 Votes: 5

languge

English

genre

Science Fiction

publisher

Random House New Zealand

review 1: The Teenage Voice - "nailed" to Perfection, This review is from: The Nature of Ash I read this story and then had to immediately order a print copy as a Christmas gift for a teenage nephew.I don't normally like swearing and "bad" language. This book has some but I didn't even notice it, at least not in a negative way, because it was a natural part of an authentic teenage boy's voice and it felt just right. Spot on. This narrator's "voice" has been nailed to perfection. The author must surely be either superbly skilled or living with teenagers day and night to get it so right..The whole thing feels so grittily realistic. No window dressing. The kids in the story are dealing with family horrors, societal collapse, grief, physical danger, and sometimes they do things like tu... morerning to alcohol. The author manages to skilfully show the reality of this without condoning it. The kids are so real - not perfect. They're complex characters experimenting with language, relationships, alcohol etc as teenagers do.It's a thriller and the pace just gallops, but so much more than a thriller with so much to say about inter-personal relationships, human behaviour and attitudes within families, society as a whole, as well as cultural difference between nations and races. After reading this book I felt I'd been shown what was important about being human and also could clearly see my own defects compared to someone like Ash. We may criticise a teenager for swearing and drinking, but could we deal with what this one dealt with as well as he did? I know I certainly couldn't and yet it all seemed so believable for this particular character to behave this way.The plot is very convoluted with twists and turns like wildfire, but in the end it all comes clear though at times you cannot see how it can ever all be satisfactorily concluded.This stunning book moved me to tears at times. I loved the poetic ending and the way it described . . . well . . . the nature of ash. You'll understand that comment better once you've read it and I highly recommend you do.
review 2: This novel reminded me a bit of the Tomorrow series by John Marsden; but set in NZ. Ash's world is turned upside down when his father is killed in a bomb blast and he has to go home to care for his Downs syndrome brother. The country is in the grip of unrest, terrorism and political instability; and a small group of teenagers must fight to rescue Jiouw's parents and stay alive. I hope there is a sequel...the ending lends itself to one. less

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