*Shortlisted

Review by Waiel, Corpus Christi Catholic High School
I really enjoyed this book as it was full of twists and turns. The time was very interesting with the more 20th century setting and it was great to find out about technical advancements. I found Tarni to be the best character as she has a full and exciting past. The Australian Outback really stood out for me and I learned a lot about the history of Australia. I also liked how the book was quite long as I was able to spend a lot of time reading it.

Review by Poppy, Coopersale Hall School
When I dove into the depths of The Song Walker, I sensed the 13-year-old girl’s pain and confusion for the reason of failing to know who or where she was. I felt the relief when she met her future companion, Tarni Woll, after almost being bitten by a deadly, iridescent snake. I experienced her curiosity as she found a peppermint swirl marble in the pocket of a mysterious black, silky dress. I understood her shock and bewilderment when she was taught her real name: Sienna Marie Silke Martha Vanderbolt. It was like I was there, watching each action unfold.

The time that it was set wasn’t exactly made clear, though the clues that I was given added up to modern times. This was very interesting because some parts were not as modern as others.

I began to notice that there were many engaging, important clues intwined in the plot that I later on solved. This certainly made the plot extremely anticipating, thought-provoking and exciting.

I learned a lot of new words that were in a different language, including: gwardar – a highly venomous snake, tidda – best female friend, werte – hello, etc.

I would definitely recommend this book to other pupils, as it brings a sense of friendship, strong anticipation, clue-solving and natural adventure.

I learned a lot about the First Country beliefs (which came from Tarni, Sienna Marie Silke Martha Vanderbolt’s companion in the desert) such as the spirits which roam the lands, etc. This was just as engaging as learning things from the past.

Finally, to sum up my review, I truly enjoyed The Song Walker, and it is unlike any book that I have ever read (in a good way) and it really made me smile. I especially loved the clues. They were just tiny facts at first, but they later on became a huge stepping stone to figuring something important out.