The Story:
Melina Marchetta's brilliant, heart-wrenching new novel takes up the story of the group of friends from her best-selling, much-loved book Saving Francesca - only this time it's five years later and Thomas Mackee is the one who needs saving.
Thomas Mackee wants oblivion. Wants to forget parents who leave and friends he used to care about and a string of one-night stands, and favourite uncles being blown to smithereens on their way to work on the other side of the world.
But when his flatmates turn him out of the house, Tom moves in with his single, pregnant aunt, Georgie. And starts working at the Union pub with his former friends. And winds up living with his grieving father again. And remembers how he abandoned Tara Finke two years ago, after his uncle's death.
And in a year when everything's broken, Tom realises that his family and friends need him to help put the pieces back together as much as he needs them.
My Thoughts:
Thomas Mackee wants oblivion. Wants to forget parents who leave and friends he used to care about and a string of one-night stands, and favourite uncles being blown to smithereens on their way to work on the other side of the world.
But when his flatmates turn him out of the house, Tom moves in with his single, pregnant aunt, Georgie. And starts working at the Union pub with his former friends. And winds up living with his grieving father again. And remembers how he abandoned Tara Finke two years ago, after his uncle's death.
And in a year when everything's broken, Tom realises that his family and friends need him to help put the pieces back together as much as he needs them.
My Thoughts:
I won't go on about this book too much because I think I'm in danger of being predisposed to anything written by Melina Marchetta. The Piper's Son is set in the same world as Marchetta's Saving Francesca novel. In fact, Francesca (Frankie) is one of the smaller players in this book as well. As with many of Marchetta's books, the reader is pretty much dropped into the middle of an action scene and from there you're given snippets of information that you must piece together as the events unfold. I'm sure there are those who find this style confusing, but I don't have a problem with it. Besides, the writing is so good I don't really mind what's happening.
This book is majorly character based which is why I have so much love for it. Tom isn't a guy who is easy to like. He's selfish, self absorbed and really mean at times. Even though I know he was hurting, I wanted to slap him for some of the things he said to Frankie and I kept screaming for her to knock him out. As the story progresses you see Tom transition from a massive jerk into the person he would have become a long time ago if it hadn't been for the death of some of his family.
I don't know how to describe it better than to say that this book is like a big family reunion where everyone has huge issues and problems but they love each other so much that you just know everything is going to be alright.
This book is majorly character based which is why I have so much love for it. Tom isn't a guy who is easy to like. He's selfish, self absorbed and really mean at times. Even though I know he was hurting, I wanted to slap him for some of the things he said to Frankie and I kept screaming for her to knock him out. As the story progresses you see Tom transition from a massive jerk into the person he would have become a long time ago if it hadn't been for the death of some of his family.
I don't know how to describe it better than to say that this book is like a big family reunion where everyone has huge issues and problems but they love each other so much that you just know everything is going to be alright.
The Rating:
