Thank you Hachette for this book in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis:

Sorrento, Victoria – 1999
Fred’s family is a mess. Fred’s mother died when she was six and she’s been raised by her Pop and adoptive father, Luca, ever since. But now Pop is at the Rye Rehabilitation Centre recovering from a fall; Luca’s girlfriend, Anika, has moved in; and Fred’s just found out that Anika and Luca are having a baby of their own. More and more it feels like a land-grab for family and Fred is the one being left off the map.

But even as the world feels like it’s spinning out of control, a crisis from the other side of it comes crashing in. When 400 Kosovar-Albanian refugees arrive in the middle of the night to be housed at one of Australia’s ‘safe havens’ on an isolated headland not far from Sorrento, their fate becomes intertwined with the lives of Fred and her family, as she navigates one extraordinary year that will change them all.

Review:

The Year the Maps Changed was an odd read for me.

There were some heavy topics that were touched upon in regard to human ethics, refugees and temporary housing in Australia. While I am a huge fan of these being discussed with young minds and bringing about awareness of the outside world, I just thought it was all ill delivered? There were a few parts of the book that didn’t explain enough or do into detail. This could be because it is for the younger reader, but I don’t believe in half of a story.

To be honest, I expected a lot more depth to it and it didn’t really shine a light on refugees and the hardships they come from or face. It was a real G version of a story.

Writing was good though…

Rating: 2/5

Publisher: Lothians Children’s Books

ISBN: 9780734419712