Into the River, by Ted Dawe
Dawe, T.
(2012). Into the river. Auckland, New Zealand: Mangakino University Press.
‘Into
the River’ is the prequel to Ted Dawes critically acclaimed Thunder
Road and has been the centre of much controversy. The book was subject to an interim
restriction order which has since been lifted.
Into
the River was judged Margaret Mahy Book of the Year at the NZ Post
Children’s Book Awards in 2013, and rightly so. This is a hard-hitting,
gritty story about a Maori boy from a rural community who wins a scholarship to
a boarding school in the city.
As a
child Te Arapa has a brush with the spirit world whilst eeling in a river. The consequences of this event come back to
haunt him as he heads off to boarding school alone. He has the expectations and hopes of his
grandfather and iwi on his shoulders, and it weighs heavily upon him. Te
Arapa, or Devon as he reinvents himself, does what he needs to do to survive in
the ruthless world of an all male boarding school. The issues he deals
with are those that so many young people face today – drugs, sex, inappropriate
sexual advances, and bullying. These issues are not glorified but
explored in a realistic way that shows how serious the consequences of your
decisions can be.
This
book explores actions and consequences, and I highly recommend it for teens and
their parents.
No comments:
Post a Comment