The awesome book ‘The Jammer’ is not what you would expect when you see the title. The author, Nova Weetman, has not put much enthusiasm into the title ,however the story says otherwise. The book is perfect for this audience.
Fred has followed her mum in the sport of derby, however after her loss, things have changed. This caused a hole in my heart, however not for long .She has a Christmas ahead of her without her mum, but Fred has ‘animal company’ thanks to Graham. In Melbourne, she finds her mum’s past. Fred’s dad isn’t a usual dad. He doesn’t show his love from his actions but purely from his heart. This significantly touched my heart and showed compassion. He can be a little bit annoying but it revolves around his love for Fred. This book has a high touch of reality which makes it thoroughly emotional , although it is very enjoyable. This goes the same to the fact that it lacks or completely blacks out humour. Obviously, this is something you would expect related to the context of the story. It is healing to see that Fred’s problems fade away after realising that she has a useless and unwanted fear. Thanks to Maxxed Out she gets to find out what her mum really wanted for her. This book typically has an expected solution, but it doesn’t solve it in the way you would expect it to. It happens all so suddenly but affectionately. I loved to see Fred’s dad was there to cheer with her but at times to cry with her as well.
This book has a well-planned plot. The way everything sets into place and solves flawlessly makes it feel like a usual event, however with problems which add touch to the story making it enjoyable to read. It deters from similes and metaphors all to enhance reality, again, which makes a book readable. The author has aced this aspect along with all the others to an almost, perfect standard. The ⅘ rating is reasonable for this story as I think that the start it stretches with excessive detail. Overall, the book was just right, and not overwhelming and it deserves a good title.
Reviewed by Nithish, Brentwood Park Primary School
