Author: Fleur Beale
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
School: The Geelong College
Reviewer: Harper
Series: Through My Eyes
Genres: Critical incidents, Earthquakes, Fiction, Middle Fiction, New Zealand
Category: Review
Tags: Fiction, Student Review
A powerful and moving story about one girl caught up in the Christchurch earthquake in 2011. Lyla has just started her second year of high school when a magnitude 6.3 earthquake shakes Christchurch to pieces. Devastation is everywhere. While her police officer mother and trauma nurse father respond to the disaster, Lyla puts on a brave face, opening their home to neighbours and leading the community clean-up. But soon she discovers that it's not only…
Lyla, written by Fleur Beale, is a moving book. It explores the danger of being in the middle of an earthquake. This story centers on a 14-year-old girl who lives in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. She loves nothing more than spending time with her friends, until an awful earthquake devastates her city and everything she loves. Themes revealed throughout the book are friendship, love, mental health, resilience, and trust. The first part of the book was a bit slow but had a strong middle and end. I would recommend this for people aged 11+
Reviewed by Harper, Year 8, The Gellong College.
