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The Bone Tree
After the death of both parents, Kauri and Black must find a way to survive in a world that doesn't care much about them. Kauri embarks on a journey into his father's past, to come to terms with the trauma he's experienced in his short life, and to break the cycle of violence he fears perpetuating as he raises his younger brother.
The Bone Tree is a gritty coming of age novel, where the unforgettable young protagonist faces immense challenges, and the stakes are life or death - yet it also has a lyrical beauty, and a powerful message of love at its heart.
It gives voice to characters who are on the margins of society, raised in poverty, and who have a deep mistrust in the systems that are meant to protect them - and it considers the question of how we can best protect the ones we love.
The Bone Tree is a gritty coming of age novel, where the unforgettable young protagonist faces immense challenges, and the stakes are life or death - yet it also has a lyrical beauty, and a powerful message of love at its heart.
It gives voice to characters who are on the margins of society, raised in poverty, and who have a deep mistrust in the systems that are meant to protect them - and it considers the question of how we can best protect the ones we love.
- GenresComing Of AgeFiction
251 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 8, 2023
40 people are currently reading
578 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
November 2, 2023
Inventive description and original use of language, together with modern slang and te reo Māori makes this a good read, especially from a first-time novelist.
Some of it was almost magic realism, with the main character Kauri showing a strong kinship with the natural world, and connection with Māori myth, wrapping it like a cloak around the stark pain of what's been happening in his dysfunctional whānau.
There are points in the novel that seemed unrealistic, but it is viewed through the eyes of teenage Kauri who (with his young brother Black) has grown up in an isolated area and been homeschooled by his mum who fiercely resisted cultural assimilation and the Pākeha bureaucracy of child welfare. The setting of a falling-down house in the middle of a farming area provides the backdrop of colonisation, land theft and the resulting poverty and disenfranchisement of the indigenous people.
I was confused sometimes by who was who, and how each was related to each other. It seemed odd that Kauri didn't initially seem to have an inkling as to who these various whānau members were, even though there had been family estrangement. I felt the story would have benefited from introducing some of the characters earlier. At times the story meandered and I couldn't see where it was going. It could have been tighter in the middle, but I was glad that there was a wrapping up at the end.
Love the cover.
Some of it was almost magic realism, with the main character Kauri showing a strong kinship with the natural world, and connection with Māori myth, wrapping it like a cloak around the stark pain of what's been happening in his dysfunctional whānau.
There are points in the novel that seemed unrealistic, but it is viewed through the eyes of teenage Kauri who (with his young brother Black) has grown up in an isolated area and been homeschooled by his mum who fiercely resisted cultural assimilation and the Pākeha bureaucracy of child welfare. The setting of a falling-down house in the middle of a farming area provides the backdrop of colonisation, land theft and the resulting poverty and disenfranchisement of the indigenous people.
I was confused sometimes by who was who, and how each was related to each other. It seemed odd that Kauri didn't initially seem to have an inkling as to who these various whānau members were, even though there had been family estrangement. I felt the story would have benefited from introducing some of the characters earlier. At times the story meandered and I couldn't see where it was going. It could have been tighter in the middle, but I was glad that there was a wrapping up at the end.
Love the cover.
April 11, 2024
Spoiler Free Review 💭
Title: The Bone Tree
Review:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️ (4.5)
-Blurb-
After the death of both parents, Kauri and Black must find a way to survive in a world that doesn't care much about them. Kauri embarks on a journey into his father's past, to come to terms with the trauma he's experienced in his short life, and to break the cycle of violence he fears perpetuating as he raises his younger brother.
Review ✨️
This book was beautiful. From start to finish, you get a feeling and understanding of how life is like for an adolescent Māori. From cultural practices to the responsibilities as an older sibling. It was heavy for me in some areas where abuse, alcoholism, and racism were present, and as a Māori, sadly, it's common and constantly swept under the rug. So, to bring awareness of these aspects to light in this book gave me a sense of not being alone through those struggles and hardships. This book brought me to tears, made me at times nervous to flip the pages to see what else was to cross paths with these boys, and really showcased that love triumphs all.
It's definitely a captivating must-read!
Title: The Bone Tree
Review:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️ (4.5)
-Blurb-
After the death of both parents, Kauri and Black must find a way to survive in a world that doesn't care much about them. Kauri embarks on a journey into his father's past, to come to terms with the trauma he's experienced in his short life, and to break the cycle of violence he fears perpetuating as he raises his younger brother.
Review ✨️
This book was beautiful. From start to finish, you get a feeling and understanding of how life is like for an adolescent Māori. From cultural practices to the responsibilities as an older sibling. It was heavy for me in some areas where abuse, alcoholism, and racism were present, and as a Māori, sadly, it's common and constantly swept under the rug. So, to bring awareness of these aspects to light in this book gave me a sense of not being alone through those struggles and hardships. This book brought me to tears, made me at times nervous to flip the pages to see what else was to cross paths with these boys, and really showcased that love triumphs all.
It's definitely a captivating must-read!
September 28, 2023
Ngarewa is obviously a talented writer, and there are some lovely moments in this, especially in the first-person narrator's descriptions of his rural environment. But some lazy and unbelievable plotting and characterisation prevent this first novel from being what it possibly could have been. For example, the protagonist lives an hour's walk out of the city somewhere in Taranaki -'the wops' he calls it and has never been to school - yet an hour's walk is not so far from civilisation - where exactly is this? When he gets to this unnamed city, New Plymouth I guess, it is hard to picture it from the description. And yet stretching all laws of coincidence, every single character he meets in this concrete jungle is related to him - intimately. There's murder, suicide, violence and yet the grief of the affected characters is strangely muted. I look forward to seeing what he writes next when he has practised his craft a little more.
Read
December 7, 2023Dnf. In a reading slump
March 2, 2024
An excellent story that weaves together different tropes to keep the reader engaged. Unfortunately some of the storyline’s are too predictable and obvious. I would have loved to have seen more interplay with wairua tanga but ka pai. A very good and engaging read. Looking forward to the next one!
September 23, 2023
An excellent read. Love New Zealand fiction. This is the story of two brothers, the hardships they face, complex family connections and love. A thought provoking read.
May 27, 2025
Not my usual genre yet I struggled to put it down. Such a cool tale written by a pretty clued up author
May 11, 2024
took me ages to get through this. it started off really well but there was a big lull for about 120 pages. beautifully written though, and a very heartbreaking story.
February 25, 2024
This book needed more rigorous editing. I got sick of all the times people didn’t say Jack. And surely to god they should know that the convention for spelling the word often at the end of a sentence of dialogue in NZ is “eh” not “aye”???
Don’t get me started on “sidewalk”…
Don’t get me started on “sidewalk”…
April 3, 2025
An unlikely set of circumstances providing context to a plausible reaction.
Two Māori brothers live on the fringe of society, off-grid and off record. When both parents are gone, how to keep CYPS (child and young persons service) away? Older brother Kauri faces this situation with his younger brother Black in danger of being taken into care.
There is a strong thread of resentment through the book, and distrust of pakeha. This is the part of the book I found most believable and compelling. The complete distrust of authorities and desire of Kauri to keep CYPS from taking Black away is grounded in decades of Māori exploitation. Some of Kauri's desperate actions to protect his brother, though completely stupid, ring true.
I struggled to believe some of Kauri's behaviour. He (understandably) experiences some rage after the death of his father which he takes out on his young brother, but rather than accepting this is a natural reaction, decides he is reliving his father's crimes and that he needs to do something (about the rage, not about his dependent brother). The rage appears to have been inserted into the plot to motivate Kauri to act, but surely wanting to understand more about his background would have been enough motivation. In any case, Kauri appears to have no friends and family to support him, and instead decides to walk into the city (unidentified, but New Plymouth is implied) and trust the first person he meets, who turns out to be a drunk in a pub.
There are several plot and setting points I struggled with. I found the fact that Kauri had nobody he could turn to implausible. Had he had zero contact with the outside world for the 10 years they'd lived outside of the city? It serves the plot that he has, but in Māori context not knowing wider whanau is unlikely.
The setting too exists nowhere in New Zealand. The poverty in the size of city described could only be Auckland within New Zealand. New Plymouth is a wealthy small city, so doesn't match the description, and yet Taranaki is clearly the reference point for the novel. The author has created a version and vision of New Plymouth which suits his narrative. I struggled to engage with the book because I found some of these points implausible.
It's a lonely and depressing, though educational read, reminiscent of themes in Once Were Warriors. Worth a read to reflect on the 'us and them' mentality and certainly shines a light on a hidden sector of society.
Two Māori brothers live on the fringe of society, off-grid and off record. When both parents are gone, how to keep CYPS (child and young persons service) away? Older brother Kauri faces this situation with his younger brother Black in danger of being taken into care.
There is a strong thread of resentment through the book, and distrust of pakeha. This is the part of the book I found most believable and compelling. The complete distrust of authorities and desire of Kauri to keep CYPS from taking Black away is grounded in decades of Māori exploitation. Some of Kauri's desperate actions to protect his brother, though completely stupid, ring true.
I struggled to believe some of Kauri's behaviour. He (understandably) experiences some rage after the death of his father which he takes out on his young brother, but rather than accepting this is a natural reaction, decides he is reliving his father's crimes and that he needs to do something (about the rage, not about his dependent brother). The rage appears to have been inserted into the plot to motivate Kauri to act, but surely wanting to understand more about his background would have been enough motivation. In any case, Kauri appears to have no friends and family to support him, and instead decides to walk into the city (unidentified, but New Plymouth is implied) and trust the first person he meets, who turns out to be a drunk in a pub.
There are several plot and setting points I struggled with. I found the fact that Kauri had nobody he could turn to implausible. Had he had zero contact with the outside world for the 10 years they'd lived outside of the city? It serves the plot that he has, but in Māori context not knowing wider whanau is unlikely.
The setting too exists nowhere in New Zealand. The poverty in the size of city described could only be Auckland within New Zealand. New Plymouth is a wealthy small city, so doesn't match the description, and yet Taranaki is clearly the reference point for the novel. The author has created a version and vision of New Plymouth which suits his narrative. I struggled to engage with the book because I found some of these points implausible.
It's a lonely and depressing, though educational read, reminiscent of themes in Once Were Warriors. Worth a read to reflect on the 'us and them' mentality and certainly shines a light on a hidden sector of society.
abandoned
January 14, 2024Oh dear, this was disappointing. I can read in French and Indonesian, and I have tourist conversational competence in Italian, Spanish and Russian so I'm not bad at guessing the meaning of foreign words and phrases from context.
But this was frustrating. Too many Maori words for me, starting on page 1 with 'You can't manu in pants'... I never did figure it out: Google Translate says it means birds, but that doesn't make sense. They're down at a beach: does it mean 'swim', 'dive' or 'surf'?
At the bar in town the use of Maori ramps up with out any context (or glossary) to help out a reader who doesn't know Maori...do I want to look up words with Google Translate on every other page?
No, I do not.
And then I realised that I didn't want to read another story of Māori poverty, brutality, neglect, and alcohol abuse anyway.
I don't rate books I don't finish.
But this was frustrating. Too many Maori words for me, starting on page 1 with 'You can't manu in pants'... I never did figure it out: Google Translate says it means birds, but that doesn't make sense. They're down at a beach: does it mean 'swim', 'dive' or 'surf'?
At the bar in town the use of Maori ramps up with out any context (or glossary) to help out a reader who doesn't know Maori...do I want to look up words with Google Translate on every other page?
No, I do not.
And then I realised that I didn't want to read another story of Māori poverty, brutality, neglect, and alcohol abuse anyway.
I don't rate books I don't finish.
November 16, 2024
The Bone Tree by Airana Ngarewa is a compelling coming-of-age story that follows two brothers, Kauri and Black, as they navigate trauma, loss, and the burdens of family secrets. Set against the rural landscapes of New Zealand, Kauri embarks on a journey into his father’s troubled past, confronting cycles of violence and striving for a better future while protecting his younger brother.
Ngarewa’s debut is an impressive exploration of resilience and identity. I found the novel gritty yet poetic, with its sprinkle of te reo Māori and Kiwi-isms adding authenticity and a strong sense of place. These cultural touches made the story feel deeply rooted in Aotearoa, enhancing its emotional impact and offering a raw yet empathetic portrayal of resilience in the face of adversity. The pacing was deliberate and reflective, and the vivid writing and emotional depth kept me turning the pages.
Ngarewa’s debut is an impressive exploration of resilience and identity. I found the novel gritty yet poetic, with its sprinkle of te reo Māori and Kiwi-isms adding authenticity and a strong sense of place. These cultural touches made the story feel deeply rooted in Aotearoa, enhancing its emotional impact and offering a raw yet empathetic portrayal of resilience in the face of adversity. The pacing was deliberate and reflective, and the vivid writing and emotional depth kept me turning the pages.
August 3, 2024
Emotional DAMAGE.
Ngarewa is talented in the way that they intricately craft the imagery in The Bone Tree.
Warning: The words in this book will take you down a path that will have you gripping at it and also have you afraid to turn pages.
Kauri and Black are brothers who fall into an unfortunate situation where they have to navigate obstacles that are beyond they control.
The Bone Tree is Raw. The Bone Tree is tear inducing. The Bone Tree is Hopeful.
Some chapters had me reading them twice.
The Bone Tree will hit close to home for many māori readers. I found myself thrown back in time and in the shoes of my fellow whānau. It did take some time for me to read through this. It is a slow pace. It should be savoured.
Ka rawe Airana. Well done on creating this book.
Ngarewa is talented in the way that they intricately craft the imagery in The Bone Tree.
Warning: The words in this book will take you down a path that will have you gripping at it and also have you afraid to turn pages.
Kauri and Black are brothers who fall into an unfortunate situation where they have to navigate obstacles that are beyond they control.
The Bone Tree is Raw. The Bone Tree is tear inducing. The Bone Tree is Hopeful.
Some chapters had me reading them twice.
The Bone Tree will hit close to home for many māori readers. I found myself thrown back in time and in the shoes of my fellow whānau. It did take some time for me to read through this. It is a slow pace. It should be savoured.
Ka rawe Airana. Well done on creating this book.
September 27, 2024
I love what the author was doing mixing Te Reo with English and all the allusions to Māori knowledge/culture.
But... a couple of things I really struggled with.
1) There were some instances where I struggled to follow the logic of the characters - in particular, WHY DID NO-ONE GIVE BLACK WATER??
2) It needed a harder edit. Quite a few times I had to read passages two or three times to understand, especially in the conversations. The writer's use of minor sentences was sometimes overdone and made following the story a bit confusing.
I look forward to reading other books by this author, though.
I'm torn between 3 and 4 stars for this one. It's 3.5 from me. I'll round up to 4 because the ending gave a bit of closure.
But... a couple of things I really struggled with.
1) There were some instances where I struggled to follow the logic of the characters - in particular, WHY DID NO-ONE GIVE BLACK WATER??
2) It needed a harder edit. Quite a few times I had to read passages two or three times to understand, especially in the conversations. The writer's use of minor sentences was sometimes overdone and made following the story a bit confusing.
I look forward to reading other books by this author, though.
I'm torn between 3 and 4 stars for this one. It's 3.5 from me. I'll round up to 4 because the ending gave a bit of closure.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2023
Kauri knows it’s best for him and his little brother, Black, to stay together. That conviction is ingrained and he holds to it, despite enormous challenges and few resources. His dogged determination carries him on, fooling the CYPS staff - temporarily - searching out food, and then confiding in the one adult who might be in a position to help.
From the beginning the author, Ariana Ngawera, immerses the reader into Kauri’s world - a world of deprivation, and loss, and grief, that is packed with commitment, and love, and holding true to what is important. Just when it seems all is lost Kauri reaches out for help.
From the beginning the author, Ariana Ngawera, immerses the reader into Kauri’s world - a world of deprivation, and loss, and grief, that is packed with commitment, and love, and holding true to what is important. Just when it seems all is lost Kauri reaches out for help.
September 28, 2023
A confronting read about children bearing the brunt of generational trauma. A story well-told with elements of hero’s-journey and magical realism combined with gritty truths about flawed adults, a broken “system”, and the hard-won resilience of the young.
After his parents die, Kauri is left alone to care for his brother, Black. Black is injured and very unwell, as the house they live in seems to fall apart around them. Kauri needs to make some moves but first he needs to address and understand his own history.
A great first novel from Ngawera.
After his parents die, Kauri is left alone to care for his brother, Black. Black is injured and very unwell, as the house they live in seems to fall apart around them. Kauri needs to make some moves but first he needs to address and understand his own history.
A great first novel from Ngawera.
August 1, 2024
Beautifully written but BRUTAL. Really grim, really hopeless feeling for 90% of the story. So much death. But so beautifully written that I couldn't put it down. One of the things I love is how little information you are given to start with, and how the details about the characters and their history is drip-fed to you in tiny revelations with huge consequences. By the end of the book I was on tenterhooks for Kauri and Black. I loved the warmth that built in the characters, and the ending was very satisfying. I'll definitely be recommending it to a very particular audience.
October 20, 2024
96%.
The Bone Tree tells the story of a Māori boy and his brother, struggling to survive and keep away the social services after they find themselves orphaned. Kauri struggles to come to terms with his own identity as half Māori, half Irish, learning about his estranged family and himself, determined not to turn into his father.
This is an incredible book, in turns moving, tender, dark and humorous. Life in the 'wops' is vividly painted and Kauri's tale is heartbreaking and all too believable.
The Bone Tree tells the story of a Māori boy and his brother, struggling to survive and keep away the social services after they find themselves orphaned. Kauri struggles to come to terms with his own identity as half Māori, half Irish, learning about his estranged family and himself, determined not to turn into his father.
This is an incredible book, in turns moving, tender, dark and humorous. Life in the 'wops' is vividly painted and Kauri's tale is heartbreaking and all too believable.
June 23, 2024
Very much a book of two halves. Or three halves. Anyway, the last 50 pages or so were categorically better than the rest of the book that led up to there. I was going to rate it only 3 stars, in the same bin as countless other attempts to write the Great New Zealand Novel, but I upgraded my opinion to 4 stars due to the writer's keen eye for a big set-piece ending scene. Other than that, however, the story was wandering and confusing.
June 16, 2024
honestly, I was lowkey a bit skeptical to start this one but I actually really liked it. super duper sad (in a good way) and it was so cool seeing te reo in it. i read it in one day which was surprising because i procrastinated throughout the week. i really need to work on that, but overall, a good 4/5 for me.
(i also just wanted to say i saw the author irl at a writers festival 😋)
(i also just wanted to say i saw the author irl at a writers festival 😋)
September 20, 2024
I read this as a potential teaching novel but it won't be. It didn't really grab my attention (and was a bit grim for a teaching text). I understand what the author was trying to do with a story of siblings surviving and tragic family circumstances, but it just wasn't for me. Didn't hate it though - so 3 ⭐️
September 26, 2023
An eye-opening story of poverty going down generations since the confiscation of Māori land. People are living in full view of this without seeing it. The first-person narrator will steal your heart as he does his best to care for his little brother against the odds.
October 12, 2023
A beautifully poetic story about two brothers experiencing the hardship left to them by choices of their parents and those before them. Love New Zealand fiction and the interweaving of te reo throughout.
Read
December 22, 2023I skipped ahead because I was struggling to connect with any of the characters, though there was really only Kauri and Black and then Tea. It didn’t add up for me either. How were they getting food? How was it only an hour’s walk but “in the wops” and they saw no-one and didn’t go to school?
February 11, 2024
A reasonable read although definitely not what I was expecting with it being a top seller. A little disappointed really. It was a very slow read with far to many convenient coincidences for my liking.
March 11, 2024
I found parts of it unrealistic. The scenes in the town didn't work for me. They were less 'kid new to a city' and more like dream sequences. That aside, the relationship between the brothers was beautifully addressed as was the depressing reality of disenfranchisement, poverty and trauma.
April 24, 2024
Not a bad book but I felt it got a bit lazy at the end. Everything sort of settled itself without anything actually happening. Was happy to see the te reo mixed in. The slang would be harder to work around for someone not used to it.
September 1, 2025
Meh. I liked the rural Taranaki landscape, and it had me enjoying it for a while. The frequent te reo was nice too. But the plot was pretty weak in the end. Not sure why I stopped caring about the characters, it just seemed everyone was a victim. Good enough read though its no "Bone People "
October 13, 2023
Talented writing and a thought provoking read. Confronting at times; beautiful at times. This is an eye-opening story of poverty in Aotearoa/NZ.
October 13, 2023
Twisting plot of whanau and whakapapa, desolation and redemption. Brothers trapped in a desert of aloneness, despair and state interferences. The truth reveals hope, love and belonging.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews