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Between Us
Is it possible for two very different teenagers to fall in love despite high barbed-wire fences and a political wilderness between them?
Anahita is passionate, curious and determined. She is also an Iranian asylum seeker who is only allowed out of detention to attend school. On weekdays, during school hours, she can be a ‘regular Australian girl’.
Jono needs the distraction of an infatuation. In the past year his mum has walked out, he’s been dumped and his sister has moved away. Lost and depressed, Jono feels as if he’s been left behind with his Vietnamese single father, Kenny.
Kenny is struggling to work out the rules in his new job; he recently started work as a guard at the Wickham Point Detention Centre. He tells Anahita to look out for Jono at school, but quickly comes to regret this, spiraling into suspicion and mistrust. Who is this girl, really? What is her story? Is she a genuine refugee or a queue jumper? As Jono and Anahita grow closer, Kenny starts snooping behind the scenes…
Anahita is passionate, curious and determined. She is also an Iranian asylum seeker who is only allowed out of detention to attend school. On weekdays, during school hours, she can be a ‘regular Australian girl’.
Jono needs the distraction of an infatuation. In the past year his mum has walked out, he’s been dumped and his sister has moved away. Lost and depressed, Jono feels as if he’s been left behind with his Vietnamese single father, Kenny.
Kenny is struggling to work out the rules in his new job; he recently started work as a guard at the Wickham Point Detention Centre. He tells Anahita to look out for Jono at school, but quickly comes to regret this, spiraling into suspicion and mistrust. Who is this girl, really? What is her story? Is she a genuine refugee or a queue jumper? As Jono and Anahita grow closer, Kenny starts snooping behind the scenes…
275 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2018
46 people are currently reading
930 people want to read
About the author
Clare Atkins
6 books29 followersAtkins is an author, scriptwriter, script editor and produce. Born and raised in Sydney, she has also lived in Bathurst (for university), on a small Spanish island called La Gomera, and in Arnhem Land. She currently lives in Darwin.
She has also written for many successful Australian television dramas, including All Saints, Home & Away, Headland, Winners & Losers and Wonderland.
She has a teaching degree, and loves running workshops about scriptwriting and creative writing in general.
She has also written for many successful Australian television dramas, including All Saints, Home & Away, Headland, Winners & Losers and Wonderland.
She has a teaching degree, and loves running workshops about scriptwriting and creative writing in general.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews
August 28, 2019
This is a book which packs a punch. Ana is an Iranian asylum seeker who with her mother and brother have been moved from Nauru to Darwin waiting for her mother to give birth. While in the Detention Centre she is able to attend the local high school where she meets and forms a friendship with the brooding Jono.
The book is narrated in short chapters of a page or two by either Ana, Jono or Jono's dad who has recently started work at the Detention Centre. The book sadly tells of the frustrations and lack of freedom held by Ana and her family as they undergo the daily dehumanisation of Australia's border protection processes. It also covers the way the guards look at the asylum seekers and the difficulties they face in doing their job.
Jono and Ana are reluctant to share their feelings, their pasts and what issues they are dealing with. So miscommunication, the impact of words (or lack thereof) and misunderstandings are also well handed.
The book is aimed at the YA market. But I found it to be as good as anything I have read in showing the asylum seekers as people trapped in a web of confusion, sadness, lack of hope and lack of compassion.
The book is narrated in short chapters of a page or two by either Ana, Jono or Jono's dad who has recently started work at the Detention Centre. The book sadly tells of the frustrations and lack of freedom held by Ana and her family as they undergo the daily dehumanisation of Australia's border protection processes. It also covers the way the guards look at the asylum seekers and the difficulties they face in doing their job.
Jono and Ana are reluctant to share their feelings, their pasts and what issues they are dealing with. So miscommunication, the impact of words (or lack thereof) and misunderstandings are also well handed.
The book is aimed at the YA market. But I found it to be as good as anything I have read in showing the asylum seekers as people trapped in a web of confusion, sadness, lack of hope and lack of compassion.
February 8, 2018
Jonathan Do is the biracial son of an Australian mother and Vietnamese immigrant single father, living within the parched landscape of Darwin in the Northern Territory. Jonathan disinterested in his education and preferring intoxication rather than accountability, choosing to isolate himself from his estranged mother living in Sydney. The relationship Jonathan shares with his father is distant and impersonal, preferring the company of Minh, Dzoung's sister. After the collapse of his relationship with girlfriend Priya, Jonathan became increasingly depressed, his father now concerned is the cause of Jonathan's destruction.
Anahita Shirdel is an Iranian asylum seeker at Wickham Point Detention Centre, previously located on Nauru and Manus Island. Wickham Point is a fortress to asylum seekers from Burma, Afghanistan, Iran, Vietnam and New Zealand, pregnant women and children have been transported to Darwin without their partners, the Australian Human Rights Commission convicting the centre as inhumane, ignored by the Australian government. Anahita's mother is pregnant to partner Abdul who remains on Manus Island, transported to the mainland after being diagnosed with preeclampsia along with Abdul's son, three year old Arash. Anahita is a beautiful young woman, gentle and compassionate. The devastating conditions experienced in Iran have left Anahita traumatised, overwhelmed by nightly terrors. Australia offered an opportunity of freedom and safety, now left behind the cyclone fence and kept in oppressive, inhumane conditions.
Dzoung Do is a guard at the regimented detention compound, his narrative often confronting and intolerant. Dzoung is a Vietnamese immigrant, sponsored by his sister Minh to journey to Australia, marrying an Australian citizen and forgoing his traditional Vietnamese heritage. Determined to integrate into western society. Dzoung initially facilitates the friendship between Jonathan and Anahita, as Anahita begins her education at the local secondary college. The guards at the Wickham Point facility are often cruel, some regarding those seeking asylum as subhuman. Dzoung is an infuriating character, judgemental and increasingly without compassion. He allowed his own moral compass to be poisoned by the racist, bigoted employees at the Wickham Point facility.
The tentative friendship between Jonathan and Anahita is gentle and compassionate. Jonathan allowed Anahita to set boundaries within their friendship concerning her personal and cultural principles. Although Jonathan continues to experience casual racism, Anahita's peers are considerate and courteous. Friend Zahra's journey to Australia is indicative of the harrowing journey made by asylum seekers. Boarding substandard transport with family members often lost to the treacherous conditions.
The plight of asylum seekers is a precarious discussion for Australians. Men, women and children journey to Australia in dangerous conditions only to be denied basic human rights. They are detained behind cyclone fences in remand compounds on Nauru or Manus Island. Those granted refugee status will never be afforded the opportunity of freedom, treated inhumanely and exposes vulnerable asylum seekers to sexual, physical and psychological abuse, withheld in indefinite detention.
Clare Atkins is one of Australia's finest young adult literature authors. Between Us is a passionate conversation of Australia's inhumane treatment of those seeking asylum, reminding us of our understanding and our compassion. Compelling and influential reading.
Anahita Shirdel is an Iranian asylum seeker at Wickham Point Detention Centre, previously located on Nauru and Manus Island. Wickham Point is a fortress to asylum seekers from Burma, Afghanistan, Iran, Vietnam and New Zealand, pregnant women and children have been transported to Darwin without their partners, the Australian Human Rights Commission convicting the centre as inhumane, ignored by the Australian government. Anahita's mother is pregnant to partner Abdul who remains on Manus Island, transported to the mainland after being diagnosed with preeclampsia along with Abdul's son, three year old Arash. Anahita is a beautiful young woman, gentle and compassionate. The devastating conditions experienced in Iran have left Anahita traumatised, overwhelmed by nightly terrors. Australia offered an opportunity of freedom and safety, now left behind the cyclone fence and kept in oppressive, inhumane conditions.
Dzoung Do is a guard at the regimented detention compound, his narrative often confronting and intolerant. Dzoung is a Vietnamese immigrant, sponsored by his sister Minh to journey to Australia, marrying an Australian citizen and forgoing his traditional Vietnamese heritage. Determined to integrate into western society. Dzoung initially facilitates the friendship between Jonathan and Anahita, as Anahita begins her education at the local secondary college. The guards at the Wickham Point facility are often cruel, some regarding those seeking asylum as subhuman. Dzoung is an infuriating character, judgemental and increasingly without compassion. He allowed his own moral compass to be poisoned by the racist, bigoted employees at the Wickham Point facility.
The tentative friendship between Jonathan and Anahita is gentle and compassionate. Jonathan allowed Anahita to set boundaries within their friendship concerning her personal and cultural principles. Although Jonathan continues to experience casual racism, Anahita's peers are considerate and courteous. Friend Zahra's journey to Australia is indicative of the harrowing journey made by asylum seekers. Boarding substandard transport with family members often lost to the treacherous conditions.
The plight of asylum seekers is a precarious discussion for Australians. Men, women and children journey to Australia in dangerous conditions only to be denied basic human rights. They are detained behind cyclone fences in remand compounds on Nauru or Manus Island. Those granted refugee status will never be afforded the opportunity of freedom, treated inhumanely and exposes vulnerable asylum seekers to sexual, physical and psychological abuse, withheld in indefinite detention.
Clare Atkins is one of Australia's finest young adult literature authors. Between Us is a passionate conversation of Australia's inhumane treatment of those seeking asylum, reminding us of our understanding and our compassion. Compelling and influential reading.
March 2, 2018
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A thoughtful read covering two types of immigrants - one as an asylum seeker who lives in a detention centre, and another as Vietnamese immigrant who has moved to Australia. Even within these communities, will we find prejudices against the two groups, and it really opens your eyes to the basic human rights that refugees are refused when they live in detention centres. With Ana's pregnant mother estranged from her partner, to their heavily monitored conditions and coping with PTSD, there's many eye-opening moments here to think about.
The three point of views offered an interesting contrast, with Ana as the Iralian asylum seeker who starts at Darwin High School, catching the attention of young trouble-maker Jonathan, an Australian-Vietnamese boy who has no direction in life. There's also Kenny or Dzoung who is a guard at the detention centre which colours his thoughts about the asylum seekers - which he pushes onto his son Jonathan.
It's probably not a surprise that I didn't really like the romance that bloomed, I really didn't see the chemistry or the appeal at all, but I think it was neccesary for the plot to evolve the way it did.
Between Us leaves you with a haunting impression without closure, which is pretty much what a lot of the refugees would feel when held on Manus Island or Nauru. It's a thoughtful story that offers an empathetic view on immigrants, refugees and the racism and abuse that can occur, and such an important one at that. Unfortunately, it's one I didn't find all that more engaging, seeming to focus more on making a political statement than creating an engaging plot.
I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
A thoughtful read covering two types of immigrants - one as an asylum seeker who lives in a detention centre, and another as Vietnamese immigrant who has moved to Australia. Even within these communities, will we find prejudices against the two groups, and it really opens your eyes to the basic human rights that refugees are refused when they live in detention centres. With Ana's pregnant mother estranged from her partner, to their heavily monitored conditions and coping with PTSD, there's many eye-opening moments here to think about.
The three point of views offered an interesting contrast, with Ana as the Iralian asylum seeker who starts at Darwin High School, catching the attention of young trouble-maker Jonathan, an Australian-Vietnamese boy who has no direction in life. There's also Kenny or Dzoung who is a guard at the detention centre which colours his thoughts about the asylum seekers - which he pushes onto his son Jonathan.
It's probably not a surprise that I didn't really like the romance that bloomed, I really didn't see the chemistry or the appeal at all, but I think it was neccesary for the plot to evolve the way it did.
Between Us leaves you with a haunting impression without closure, which is pretty much what a lot of the refugees would feel when held on Manus Island or Nauru. It's a thoughtful story that offers an empathetic view on immigrants, refugees and the racism and abuse that can occur, and such an important one at that. Unfortunately, it's one I didn't find all that more engaging, seeming to focus more on making a political statement than creating an engaging plot.
I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
March 2, 2018
Trigger warnings: refugee story, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, physical violence towards teenage girls and pregnant women, death of a parent (in the past), racial slurs, self-harm, mental health.
I've been wanting to read this book ever since I heard about it over a year ago. I mean, the story of an Iranian teenage girl living in an Australian detention centre and the Vietnamese-Australian son of one of her guards who befriends her at school? Uh, WOW.
The story is split between Ana, Jono, and Jono's father. Ordinarily, I'd be totally against having a parent's perspective in a YA book, but here it worked perfectly as Kenny fills the gap between their two worlds. I don't think I've ever come across a book before that confronts Australia's bullshit attitude towards refugees and asylum seekers as effectively as this one does.
The ending was a little abrupt for my liking, but on the whole, this was wonderful from start to finish.
I've been wanting to read this book ever since I heard about it over a year ago. I mean, the story of an Iranian teenage girl living in an Australian detention centre and the Vietnamese-Australian son of one of her guards who befriends her at school? Uh, WOW.
The story is split between Ana, Jono, and Jono's father. Ordinarily, I'd be totally against having a parent's perspective in a YA book, but here it worked perfectly as Kenny fills the gap between their two worlds. I don't think I've ever come across a book before that confronts Australia's bullshit attitude towards refugees and asylum seekers as effectively as this one does.
The ending was a little abrupt for my liking, but on the whole, this was wonderful from start to finish.
May 22, 2018
I walk to the gate,
carrying
my heart
in my hands.
Can't anyone see it,
haemorrhaging
in my palms?
Can't they see
the blood
trailing me
on the ground?
Apart from currently haemorrhaging all over the place, I have never read such a true to life ending in a book.
And I finished 2 days before Book group. Wow! I'll have more to say after book group. I'm going whether my teeth are killing me or not (off to the dentist tomorrow and I know it'll be horrific)
May 2, 2018
EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS BOOK.
March 17, 2019
This book works it’s way into your heart and then sinks in it’s claws and doesn’t let go. The central story of Jono (the son of a Vietnamese migrant) and Ana (an Iranian refugee awaiting news of her fate in a Darwin detention center) is raw, authentic and full of vulnerability. It’s also pleasantly unconventional. The backstory of the two families is filled with tension, trauma and triggers. Ultimately the story reveals this bittersweet kind of hope but again, not in the the way you might expect. It is full of triggers and emotion but my goodness, it’s a beautiful read.
February 26, 2021
This was so good, it was awful. Left me devastated.
When I started this book I thought, it's YA, I know about the horrors of the detention centres, it's YA. Well, I wasn't grown-up enough or informed enough to properly brace myself for this.
There were so many layers of meaning and experience. Layers of immigration experiences and Australian experiences. And the disastrous situation that are the detention centres. And all of it heartbreaking and despairing. It left me with a hole in my gut. Definitely recommend.
When I started this book I thought, it's YA, I know about the horrors of the detention centres, it's YA. Well, I wasn't grown-up enough or informed enough to properly brace myself for this.
There were so many layers of meaning and experience. Layers of immigration experiences and Australian experiences. And the disastrous situation that are the detention centres. And all of it heartbreaking and despairing. It left me with a hole in my gut. Definitely recommend.
September 13, 2020
The world's a damn horrible place.
March 17, 2018
In some ways this is like an Aussie "The Hate U Give", tackling an issue that is so relevant and sensitive in our modern society through young adult fiction. Atkins' message is abundantly clear throughout, but I appreciated the multi-layered approach she took, looking at Anahita's refugee experience alongside that of a "legal" immigrant from a different generation. However, at the same time I felt as though this was slightly problematic as it left very little opportunity to criticise the racism and abhorrent attitudes of white Australians, who flitted in as mere supporting cast members, throwing in a racist statement or mean action here and there. Still, having just read 'Persepolis' I was moved by Ana's story, and that of Fatemah, who would be around the age of Marjane Sartrapi. I'm glad this issue has been tackled in YA and I hope to see it done again, perhaps with a little more exploration into the attitudes that allow such atrocities to occur.
June 6, 2018
I love the ending of the book because it is the truth. I honestly love the meaning behind this book because it talks about topics that matter now, and it helped me understand (to some extent) what was happening in detention centres.
At first I was apprehensive about reading this book because I didn’t enjoy her other books, but this was so much better and recommend you to read it!
At first I was apprehensive about reading this book because I didn’t enjoy her other books, but this was so much better and recommend you to read it!
August 1, 2023
What I thought:
Characters are annoyingly indistinguishable from one another besides their language. Kenny and Ana were basically the same. Elaborating, Ana didn’t really have a personality other than being kind/shy. She was just… there.
Character descriptions were not very thorough. Like what does Will, Mel, etc look like? We will never know.
Liked the concept, but the plot was a bit iffy.
Nice touch that Kenny had such a deep desire to fit in with his colleagues, like Ana at her school. Good how the colleagues interpreted Kenny’s kindness to Ana as weakness.
The “romance” felt unneeded. I understand how it evolved the plot but I think it would have been better if they bonded in a deep friendship sort of way, the romance felt like a cheap way of letting us know they like each other.
Nice character development of Jono, but I don’t see Ana change majorly.
Kenny’s perspective was a nice intermediate between Ana and Jono, but how much did we really need it. I guess he was there to be “between them” but he really didn’t do anything other than take away Jono’s phone and not like Ana.
It was weird to me that she had a romance with the first (and pretty much only) person she met at her new school. I suppose if you’re thinking really deeply, this could signify her desperation to be loved or something.
Ana’s English is weirdly portrayed. Half of the time, she speaks perfectly. She uses contractions, complicated words like “fitfully” and speaks in full, cohesive English. The other half of the time she says things like “We not allowed” and misses words and can’t comprehend contractions. No, Miss Coles, this is not a technique.
Used “I sleep fitfully” too many times. 6+ times is okay if it’s meant to be repetitive or something, but you could obviously tell the writer just didn’t know what to say.
Jono’s whole personality is that “Smoking makes me feel better” and that he’s so devastated and broken that every woman leaves him. Get rizz, my brother. I just wanted to smack him the whole time.
The topics didn’t feel like they were explored deep enough. I guess that’s fair considering it’s a YA book, but it felt like Jono and Ana’s relationship was overly consuming the book, rather than focusing on the horrible mistreatment of refugees by Australians.
The way the book both started and ended with “I start again” was kinda cringe.
There wasn’t much chemistry between Jono and Ana, which again is part of the reason I think the romance should have been scrapped. Would have been better if the writer focused on issues rather than the “budding romance” between the two.
Wasn’t ‘An urgent, compelling and transcendent love story for our times’
Kenny was a refugee as well, but didn’t have any empathy towards Ana and believed when people at Wickham point told him it was better to stay away. It can be assumed that he was likely in a similar if not the same position as Ana, so why does he not care.
Jono doesn’t get much of a backstory other than he is Vietnamese and his mum and girlfriend left.
Should have been clearer that the book was set in the 90s. I had to mathematically equate it to figure it out based on Jono’s birthday.
“Boring, yawning, sloppy, lazy.”
The different perspectives were organised into very short sections. This worked when Ana got too annoying/boring to deal with (which happened a lot).
I love the reality of Ana’s situation and the way her family deals with it. The little brother really makes the story better, especially at the point when Ana puts stars on the ceiling and he cries because the last time he saw them was on the boat on the way to Australia. I think this trauma should have been delved into deeper, especially considering it’s such a large part of their characters.
Zhara felt like a prop put there to make Ana look nicer. And 90% of the time it didn’t work because Ana was just being annoying. I really liked Zahra though, and I wish we saw more of her.
The story didn’t really feel authentic. Very put-downable book.
“This spoon is from St Vincent de Paul. Very nice people. Make me feel very welcome. Very happy and warm." This is a piece of dialect taken from when Minh, Kenny’s sister, is describing her way to Australia. This shows a good contrast between refugee treatment then and now.
Didn’t really learn anything new.
It was nice how the ‘inmates’ of Wickham point all displayed dread towards going to Nauru. It really made you fear for Ana and her family. However, we don’t learn too much about why they all hate it.
Ana talks about her fraying bra a lot. Got boring.
Jono expresses attraction to her maybe once before they go on a ‘date’ at the movies, in which he just starts going on about how hot she looks. Then they suddenly both love each other so much which is a bit of a jump scare tbh.
Show don’t tell left the chat.
Every time it’s Ana or Jono’s perspective, they are thinking about each other. Cute, you might say. No. Not cute, boring. Irritating. Do they not have their own freaking lives? When Ana’s mum is about to give birth, she goes and calls Jono to let him know. Why the hell would Jono care??? Your mother is in extreme pain and you just think, “welp, better call Jono. He might want to know that my mother is giving birth even though he doesn’t even know my mothers name or that she was pregnant in the first place! Jono is the priority.”
Ana promises Allah that she will stay away from Jono when her mum is giving birth in exchange for her mother and the baby’s safety. The mum and child are fine, and then Ana feels pressure to hold up her end of the deal. She’s a bit distant with Jono for the next few weeks, unsure and also worried for her mum. But then, he buys her something and her eyes “illuminate”. Shallowww. After that her promise is never mentioned again.
Verse was weird and I didn’t like it. Was there to symbolise lack of hope or happiness but it kinda sounded goofy ahh
The ending was really abrupt, sort of like the author just got bored. Ana’s whole ending was explained in 1.5 pages. The ending was realistic, which I appreciated. But Jono didn’t really quit smoking/drinking which I think could have been an important part of the way his character developed due to Ana’s influence. Instead, it felt like Jono just had smoking issues so that he would seem more ‘broken’.
Got so annoying when Jono would smoke and then the author would write something like, “I smoke until ___”. She would insert something deep like “I feel numb” or “grey turns to black”. This technique became ineffective quickly.
Suggestions:
Catch yourself when you’re repeating something, it can really diminish the value of the book. Avoid this by putting the characters in situations that they haven’t been in before rather than repeating them.
Emphasise the way Ana feels responsible for her family when her mother has her baby.
Write character descriptions to refer to throughout writing. This can help differentiate the perspectives. When reading, it should be clear who is who even without the name titles telling us.
Make Jono quit smoking under Ana’s influence.
Show more conversations between Zhara and Ana. This could better highlight their desire to fit in with the ‘Australians’ who they are subliminally segregated from.
Give Ana more negative experiences to deepen the themes and make Jono’s friendship and appreciation more connecting.
Describe deeply the terrible state at Nauru to build dread in the reader. We should be rooting for Ana to avoid Nauru, and would be more devastated by the final ending.
When writing the verse, make sure you make it even. The random rhyming and unrhyming intervals make it confusing and takes away from what the verse is for.
Further explain the isolation Ana has from the general public. Display clearly that she has two environments: the school, and Wickham Point.
It feels like Ana is writing a year 5 recount of her weekend but in present tense the whole time. Show, don’t tell.
Give the readers a reason to root for the romance between Ana and Jono.
More build up is needed for the ending. This would make it more heart-wrenching.
Characters are annoyingly indistinguishable from one another besides their language. Kenny and Ana were basically the same. Elaborating, Ana didn’t really have a personality other than being kind/shy. She was just… there.
Character descriptions were not very thorough. Like what does Will, Mel, etc look like? We will never know.
Liked the concept, but the plot was a bit iffy.
Nice touch that Kenny had such a deep desire to fit in with his colleagues, like Ana at her school. Good how the colleagues interpreted Kenny’s kindness to Ana as weakness.
The “romance” felt unneeded. I understand how it evolved the plot but I think it would have been better if they bonded in a deep friendship sort of way, the romance felt like a cheap way of letting us know they like each other.
Nice character development of Jono, but I don’t see Ana change majorly.
Kenny’s perspective was a nice intermediate between Ana and Jono, but how much did we really need it. I guess he was there to be “between them” but he really didn’t do anything other than take away Jono’s phone and not like Ana.
It was weird to me that she had a romance with the first (and pretty much only) person she met at her new school. I suppose if you’re thinking really deeply, this could signify her desperation to be loved or something.
Ana’s English is weirdly portrayed. Half of the time, she speaks perfectly. She uses contractions, complicated words like “fitfully” and speaks in full, cohesive English. The other half of the time she says things like “We not allowed” and misses words and can’t comprehend contractions. No, Miss Coles, this is not a technique.
Used “I sleep fitfully” too many times. 6+ times is okay if it’s meant to be repetitive or something, but you could obviously tell the writer just didn’t know what to say.
Jono’s whole personality is that “Smoking makes me feel better” and that he’s so devastated and broken that every woman leaves him. Get rizz, my brother. I just wanted to smack him the whole time.
The topics didn’t feel like they were explored deep enough. I guess that’s fair considering it’s a YA book, but it felt like Jono and Ana’s relationship was overly consuming the book, rather than focusing on the horrible mistreatment of refugees by Australians.
The way the book both started and ended with “I start again” was kinda cringe.
There wasn’t much chemistry between Jono and Ana, which again is part of the reason I think the romance should have been scrapped. Would have been better if the writer focused on issues rather than the “budding romance” between the two.
Wasn’t ‘An urgent, compelling and transcendent love story for our times’
Kenny was a refugee as well, but didn’t have any empathy towards Ana and believed when people at Wickham point told him it was better to stay away. It can be assumed that he was likely in a similar if not the same position as Ana, so why does he not care.
Jono doesn’t get much of a backstory other than he is Vietnamese and his mum and girlfriend left.
Should have been clearer that the book was set in the 90s. I had to mathematically equate it to figure it out based on Jono’s birthday.
“Boring, yawning, sloppy, lazy.”
The different perspectives were organised into very short sections. This worked when Ana got too annoying/boring to deal with (which happened a lot).
I love the reality of Ana’s situation and the way her family deals with it. The little brother really makes the story better, especially at the point when Ana puts stars on the ceiling and he cries because the last time he saw them was on the boat on the way to Australia. I think this trauma should have been delved into deeper, especially considering it’s such a large part of their characters.
Zhara felt like a prop put there to make Ana look nicer. And 90% of the time it didn’t work because Ana was just being annoying. I really liked Zahra though, and I wish we saw more of her.
The story didn’t really feel authentic. Very put-downable book.
“This spoon is from St Vincent de Paul. Very nice people. Make me feel very welcome. Very happy and warm." This is a piece of dialect taken from when Minh, Kenny’s sister, is describing her way to Australia. This shows a good contrast between refugee treatment then and now.
Didn’t really learn anything new.
It was nice how the ‘inmates’ of Wickham point all displayed dread towards going to Nauru. It really made you fear for Ana and her family. However, we don’t learn too much about why they all hate it.
Ana talks about her fraying bra a lot. Got boring.
Jono expresses attraction to her maybe once before they go on a ‘date’ at the movies, in which he just starts going on about how hot she looks. Then they suddenly both love each other so much which is a bit of a jump scare tbh.
Show don’t tell left the chat.
Every time it’s Ana or Jono’s perspective, they are thinking about each other. Cute, you might say. No. Not cute, boring. Irritating. Do they not have their own freaking lives? When Ana’s mum is about to give birth, she goes and calls Jono to let him know. Why the hell would Jono care??? Your mother is in extreme pain and you just think, “welp, better call Jono. He might want to know that my mother is giving birth even though he doesn’t even know my mothers name or that she was pregnant in the first place! Jono is the priority.”
Ana promises Allah that she will stay away from Jono when her mum is giving birth in exchange for her mother and the baby’s safety. The mum and child are fine, and then Ana feels pressure to hold up her end of the deal. She’s a bit distant with Jono for the next few weeks, unsure and also worried for her mum. But then, he buys her something and her eyes “illuminate”. Shallowww. After that her promise is never mentioned again.
Verse was weird and I didn’t like it. Was there to symbolise lack of hope or happiness but it kinda sounded goofy ahh
The ending was really abrupt, sort of like the author just got bored. Ana’s whole ending was explained in 1.5 pages. The ending was realistic, which I appreciated. But Jono didn’t really quit smoking/drinking which I think could have been an important part of the way his character developed due to Ana’s influence. Instead, it felt like Jono just had smoking issues so that he would seem more ‘broken’.
Got so annoying when Jono would smoke and then the author would write something like, “I smoke until ___”. She would insert something deep like “I feel numb” or “grey turns to black”. This technique became ineffective quickly.
Suggestions:
Catch yourself when you’re repeating something, it can really diminish the value of the book. Avoid this by putting the characters in situations that they haven’t been in before rather than repeating them.
Emphasise the way Ana feels responsible for her family when her mother has her baby.
Write character descriptions to refer to throughout writing. This can help differentiate the perspectives. When reading, it should be clear who is who even without the name titles telling us.
Make Jono quit smoking under Ana’s influence.
Show more conversations between Zhara and Ana. This could better highlight their desire to fit in with the ‘Australians’ who they are subliminally segregated from.
Give Ana more negative experiences to deepen the themes and make Jono’s friendship and appreciation more connecting.
Describe deeply the terrible state at Nauru to build dread in the reader. We should be rooting for Ana to avoid Nauru, and would be more devastated by the final ending.
When writing the verse, make sure you make it even. The random rhyming and unrhyming intervals make it confusing and takes away from what the verse is for.
Further explain the isolation Ana has from the general public. Display clearly that she has two environments: the school, and Wickham Point.
It feels like Ana is writing a year 5 recount of her weekend but in present tense the whole time. Show, don’t tell.
Give the readers a reason to root for the romance between Ana and Jono.
More build up is needed for the ending. This would make it more heart-wrenching.
July 13, 2022
This book would have gotten four stars for me if it wasn't for the end. The end really ruined the whole book. At the start, I LOVED THE CUTE LITTLE ROMANCE! The fact that Jono stayed by Ana the entire time. I would definitely recommend this book to those who like that bit of forbidden romance. Just remember that the end might not be the most fulfilling.
January 6, 2018
What I loved was how all three of the main characters in this book are People of Colour. It would’ve been just as easy for Atkins to write Jono and Kenny as white, but since Atkins herself is a biracial Vietnamese-Australian, I think it’s safe to assume that Jono’s cultural background and heritage were a nod to her own.
What I didn’t love so much—
Immigration and racism have been tackled in Australian YA books before, but this is one of the only ones I know that specifically tackle the issue of detention centres in Australia and the poor treatment of the people in them. This book comes out in less than a month, so as a heads up, some books that I found similar to this and this reminded me of are When Michael Met Mina by Randa Abdel-Fattah (known as The Lines We Cross in the U.S.), The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon, The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon, Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell, The Things I Didn’t Say by Kylie Fornasier, and How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon.
Thank you, Black Inc Publishing, for sending me an ARC! Look out for this in stores on Feb 1.
What I didn’t love so much—
Immigration and racism have been tackled in Australian YA books before, but this is one of the only ones I know that specifically tackle the issue of detention centres in Australia and the poor treatment of the people in them. This book comes out in less than a month, so as a heads up, some books that I found similar to this and this reminded me of are When Michael Met Mina by Randa Abdel-Fattah (known as The Lines We Cross in the U.S.), The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon, The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon, Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell, The Things I Didn’t Say by Kylie Fornasier, and How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon.
Thank you, Black Inc Publishing, for sending me an ARC! Look out for this in stores on Feb 1.
January 25, 2024
2.5 stars rounded up.
I wasn't sure how to conceptualise what I felt about this one, until I read a similar sentiment in one of the other reviews: This book seems to be more about making a political statement rather than developing a plot. The premise is good and the execution in the manner of having 3 points-of-view worked very well, having Jono (a confused teenager who, for all he's known, is Australian, yet experiences racism as the result of having a mixed heritage), Ana (a current asylum seeker who is in Australia with her mother and younger half-brother) and Kenny (a now-naturalised Australian of Vietnamese heritage who understands the struggles associated with migration).
My favourite was Kenny, maybe understandably so as this book is pitched for readers much younger than I am and I appreciated his more worldly opinion, but mainly because I loved his sense of reason when talking with Jono. His internal conflicts were also the most relatable, e..g . Jono too was actually well-written, it was easy to see his teenage confusion. He knows that he is different, and is treated as such, but there is nothing that he has personally experienced that would appear to cause this - he never actually did the journey to Australia or experienced being a refugee himself.
I feel this would have worked better pitched as a friendship between Jono and Ana rather than the romance that it attempted, which was .
The book is well constructed, the characters and their profiles brilliantly chosen for its purpose. But in the end, the over-politicalness of the narrative ruined things for me, made worse by Ana's behaviour as the stereotypical ungrateful refugee.
I wasn't sure how to conceptualise what I felt about this one, until I read a similar sentiment in one of the other reviews: This book seems to be more about making a political statement rather than developing a plot. The premise is good and the execution in the manner of having 3 points-of-view worked very well, having Jono (a confused teenager who, for all he's known, is Australian, yet experiences racism as the result of having a mixed heritage), Ana (a current asylum seeker who is in Australia with her mother and younger half-brother) and Kenny (a now-naturalised Australian of Vietnamese heritage who understands the struggles associated with migration).
My favourite was Kenny, maybe understandably so as this book is pitched for readers much younger than I am and I appreciated his more worldly opinion, but mainly because I loved his sense of reason when talking with Jono. His internal conflicts were also the most relatable, e..g . Jono too was actually well-written, it was easy to see his teenage confusion. He knows that he is different, and is treated as such, but there is nothing that he has personally experienced that would appear to cause this - he never actually did the journey to Australia or experienced being a refugee himself.
I feel this would have worked better pitched as a friendship between Jono and Ana rather than the romance that it attempted, which was .
The book is well constructed, the characters and their profiles brilliantly chosen for its purpose. But in the end, the over-politicalness of the narrative ruined things for me, made worse by Ana's behaviour as the stereotypical ungrateful refugee.
February 13, 2018
EVERYONE should read this.
July 25, 2024
I am upset
Soooooo upset
Soooooo upset
March 21, 2019
Review originally published on A Keyboard and an Open Mind March 18, 2019
Oof. What a book to start off my challenge of reading the YA and MG books on the Children's Book Council of Australia's 2019 Notables List.
This review is part of my 2019 Australian Women Writers Challenge. Click here for more information.
Oof. What a book to start off my challenge of reading the YA and MG books on the Children's Book Council of Australia's 2019 Notables List.
This is the story of Iranian asylum seeker, Ana, who is only let out of detention to attend school. There she meets and becomes close to Jono, the son of one of the officers at her detention centre. Meanwhile Jono's father, Kenny, becomes increasinly paranoid about the relationship between his son and the detainee.
This book has real power, though I wonder if some people will dismiss it as being over the top. I certainly had to keep reminding myself that our country wouldn't be in the situatioin it currently is in regards to refugees if there weren't people who thought the same way as the characters in this book. It says something about the present situation when the author can't even name some of the people she spoke to when researching the novel.
These characters disgusted me, but I know they are not far from the truth. I think it might be easy for those less willing to engage to write them off as unrealistic, but I hope that isn't the case.
The scenes from Ana's perspective are heartbreaking. Watching her have to take responsibility for her family as her mother sinks further into depression while also trying to cling to some semblance of a regular teenage life through friendships and music and the occasional excursion.
I didn't warm to Jono quite as much. This is not really the fault of the character, as he is well written. It is more that he is not the type of character I can easily identify with - he smokes and drinks and lies to his dad about his whereabouts. Look, I admit it, I was a goody two-shoes growing up, but I don't see anything wrong with that. I did enjoy the scenes where Jono opened up a bit more to his dad, and their bond started to return.
Kenny was the character I struggled with the most, for the reasons I stated above about not quite believing there are people like this. I wanted to shake some sense into him.
Despite these niggles, I still gave it five stars for the way it made me feel, for the fact that I had a dream about these characters, and the fact that I was still thinking about it days later.
This review is part of my 2019 Australian Women Writers Challenge. Click here for more information.
I am trying to read as many of the books as possible on the 2019 Children's Book Council of Australia Notables List. Click here to see the titles.
May 9, 2019
This is the third book from The Children's Book Council of Australia 2019 short list for YA.
Between Us examines a very topical subject in Australia at the moment - the offshore detention of asylum seekers who have arrived by boat. It's a subject that can be quite polarising and has a lot of misinformation around it.
Ana, her mother and her little brother have been moved off Nauru Island to the Wickham Detention Centre to await the birth of her mother's baby. Ana is allowed to go to school, however she is transported there and back each day, with no chance to spend any time with her non detained peers outside of school hours. Despite this, Ana forms a friendship with Jono, based largely on their mutual love of music - especially "beautiful ugly" music. Jono himself is struggling with his relationship with his dad, Kenny, who is a guard at the detention centre. Kenny is struggling with solo parenting a 17 year old boy who he sees going off the track, as well as learning how to fit in at his new job.
There is so much to examine in this book. Kenny was a refugee himself after the Vietnam War. While he arrived by plane, his sister arrived before him by boat. Her stories of how they were greeted and treated when they arrived are so different from what is happening now. There is the horrific scars left by detaining people who are already fleeing terrifying situations, putting them in centres where the guards are not properly trained on how to help people suffering PTSD, nor are they encouraged to care. The fact that we feel the need to lock up and guard people who have not actually done anything wrong. The ridiculous case load placed on those who are suppose to be able to help the asylum seekers navigate a complex and difficult system. As things progress you are very unsure as to what is going to happen, what the path is for Ana and her family.
Clare Atkins manages to take all of these issues and deal with them sensitively and realistically. The ending, while heart breaking is the reality of the situation.
I would love for all Australian's to read this book and actually imagine the characters are real, because while they are fictional, there are real people suffering the way Ana and her family do. It needs to change.
Between Us examines a very topical subject in Australia at the moment - the offshore detention of asylum seekers who have arrived by boat. It's a subject that can be quite polarising and has a lot of misinformation around it.
Ana, her mother and her little brother have been moved off Nauru Island to the Wickham Detention Centre to await the birth of her mother's baby. Ana is allowed to go to school, however she is transported there and back each day, with no chance to spend any time with her non detained peers outside of school hours. Despite this, Ana forms a friendship with Jono, based largely on their mutual love of music - especially "beautiful ugly" music. Jono himself is struggling with his relationship with his dad, Kenny, who is a guard at the detention centre. Kenny is struggling with solo parenting a 17 year old boy who he sees going off the track, as well as learning how to fit in at his new job.
There is so much to examine in this book. Kenny was a refugee himself after the Vietnam War. While he arrived by plane, his sister arrived before him by boat. Her stories of how they were greeted and treated when they arrived are so different from what is happening now. There is the horrific scars left by detaining people who are already fleeing terrifying situations, putting them in centres where the guards are not properly trained on how to help people suffering PTSD, nor are they encouraged to care. The fact that we feel the need to lock up and guard people who have not actually done anything wrong. The ridiculous case load placed on those who are suppose to be able to help the asylum seekers navigate a complex and difficult system. As things progress you are very unsure as to what is going to happen, what the path is for Ana and her family.
Clare Atkins manages to take all of these issues and deal with them sensitively and realistically. The ending, while heart breaking is the reality of the situation.
I would love for all Australian's to read this book and actually imagine the characters are real, because while they are fictional, there are real people suffering the way Ana and her family do. It needs to change.
February 12, 2019
An excellent YA read and so topical in the current 2019 Australian political climate. Set prior to 2018, "Between Us" highlights the woeful conditions experienced by asylum seekers who have been brought to Darwin temporarily from Manus Island and Nauru because of inadequate medical facilities at those detention centres. It is a fictional account of two families. A Vietnamese single parent Kenny Do, who was sponsored to come to Australia after the Vietnamese War by his refugee aunt. Kenny married an Australian woman and they had two children. However, his wife left them and moved to Melbourne leaving Kenny with two teenagers. Kenny is not coping; his daughter has moved to live with her mother, his son Jonathan, is suffering from depression and he has recently obtained work as a guard at the Darwin detention centre. Ana is a teenage Iranian refugee who is who is detained in the refugee centre in Darwin with her mother and younger brother while her mother awaits the birth of her third child and the acknowledgement their refugee status.
School aged children are bussed to a local school where they attend ESL classes and if capable are mixed with the Australian mainstream classes. Ana and Jono become aware of each other in a science class after Kenny mentions to Ana that his son is at the same school. The impossible romance blossoms via clandestine rendezvous, “saving” for phone cards, Facebook messages when computer time permits, and enduring the appropriating of anything brought back to the detention centre. Nevertheless, this only serves to highlight the inhumane treatment of people who are only here because they are seeking asylum.
The story also exposes the mental attitude of the prison officers who guard the refugees and appear to treat them worse than common criminals. Also, it presents the plight of the case workers who are supposed to assist the refugees under their care but who may be very inexperienced and/or worn out by the system to feel helpless and ineffective.
A very good, quick read which introduces some of the issues facing asylum seekers who do reach Australian waters
School aged children are bussed to a local school where they attend ESL classes and if capable are mixed with the Australian mainstream classes. Ana and Jono become aware of each other in a science class after Kenny mentions to Ana that his son is at the same school. The impossible romance blossoms via clandestine rendezvous, “saving” for phone cards, Facebook messages when computer time permits, and enduring the appropriating of anything brought back to the detention centre. Nevertheless, this only serves to highlight the inhumane treatment of people who are only here because they are seeking asylum.
The story also exposes the mental attitude of the prison officers who guard the refugees and appear to treat them worse than common criminals. Also, it presents the plight of the case workers who are supposed to assist the refugees under their care but who may be very inexperienced and/or worn out by the system to feel helpless and ineffective.
A very good, quick read which introduces some of the issues facing asylum seekers who do reach Australian waters
July 8, 2019
This was a page turner for me - I really needed to see how everything would pan out for the three narrators. Anahita's story is the the most pressing as she is an Iranian refugee stuck in a detention centre in Darwin with her pregnant mother and three? year old brother. She is allowed out (under strict conditions) to go to the local school. The family is desperate to be allowed to stay in Australia but each day they are waiting for the news they will be deported to Nauru. Jono's story is also absorbing as he is a young man trying to find his way in a complicated world. He has just come from a broken relationship which sent him into depression. He is dabbling with drugs and rebelling against his father, Kenny, who is the other narrator. Kenny was a Vietnamese refugee, who has successfully integrated into Australian life and is trying to keep Jono on the straight and narrow as a single father. He is a guard at the detention center.
I believe the young adult reader will empathise with Anahita and Jono, because although they are going through things unique to their situations they are also normal teenagers. I'm not sure how the reader will feel about Kenny but I certainly empathised with him as a parent.
Jono and Anahita form a bond while at school and Jono is enlightened about the plight of the refugees through his relationship with her. This enlightenment is a slow and at times painful process. I love the way that Atkins shows rather than tells. The story is very powerful and the characters are very real and totally believable (even the very minor ones). The author's use of free verse adds another layer to the book and blends in so well it is hardly noticeable (note the whole novel is not free verse). I'm still in two minds about the ending for Jono - don't read further if you don't want a spoiler. Part of me says that the "repair" of the relationship with his father is what holds his mental health but the other side of me thinks that given his past, the way it ends with Anahita would have most likely tipped him over the edge. This is the only possible weakness (for me) the rest is so realistic that I can imagine it being based on a true story where the characters are actually real people whom I would love to meet as I feel I know them so well.
I believe the young adult reader will empathise with Anahita and Jono, because although they are going through things unique to their situations they are also normal teenagers. I'm not sure how the reader will feel about Kenny but I certainly empathised with him as a parent.
Jono and Anahita form a bond while at school and Jono is enlightened about the plight of the refugees through his relationship with her. This enlightenment is a slow and at times painful process. I love the way that Atkins shows rather than tells. The story is very powerful and the characters are very real and totally believable (even the very minor ones). The author's use of free verse adds another layer to the book and blends in so well it is hardly noticeable (note the whole novel is not free verse). I'm still in two minds about the ending for Jono - don't read further if you don't want a spoiler. Part of me says that the "repair" of the relationship with his father is what holds his mental health but the other side of me thinks that given his past, the way it ends with Anahita would have most likely tipped him over the edge. This is the only possible weakness (for me) the rest is so realistic that I can imagine it being based on a true story where the characters are actually real people whom I would love to meet as I feel I know them so well.
April 23, 2020
Ana lives in a refugee camp outside Darwin. She catches a bus to the local high-school. On her way out a guard suggests she say hi to Jonathan. Jonathan writes poetry. He lives at home with Mum ad Dad. Ana attends the intensive English section of the school and attends some mainstream classes. Jonathan is in Year 10.
Ana is brave, strong and curious. She seeks out Jonathan.
Jonathan notices the new girl with dark eyes and a scarf.
Life in the refugee camp is harsh – jail-like. Some guards are conflicted if they are friendly, they feel they’ll be taken advantage of – that’s the whisper. Compassionate guards don’t last. Kenny wants to be compassionate. Kenny wants to keep his job.
Jonathan wants to get to know the new girl Ana. She’s shy. He’s nervous. There are rules – whispered – not written about being friendly to people from ‘out there.’
Ana is criticised by her friends for being friendly to a boy so different. Not her religion. Australian. Is he trustworthy? Will it lead to trouble? Better to stay unnoticed.
Jonathan is teased by his friends for having anything to do with Ana. Jonathan realises that his father, a guard at the refugee camp, is one of the people making Ana’s life so tough. They fight.
How long with Ana and her family be in the refugee camp? People vanish every day. Visa not granted.
How do Ana and Jonathan navigate the complexities of their lives for friendship?
I loved the easy flow of the story and the multiple voices. The different perspectives of the issues addressed in the book adds depth and clarity. A must read.
Highly Recommended for 13+
Ana is brave, strong and curious. She seeks out Jonathan.
Jonathan notices the new girl with dark eyes and a scarf.
Life in the refugee camp is harsh – jail-like. Some guards are conflicted if they are friendly, they feel they’ll be taken advantage of – that’s the whisper. Compassionate guards don’t last. Kenny wants to be compassionate. Kenny wants to keep his job.
Jonathan wants to get to know the new girl Ana. She’s shy. He’s nervous. There are rules – whispered – not written about being friendly to people from ‘out there.’
Ana is criticised by her friends for being friendly to a boy so different. Not her religion. Australian. Is he trustworthy? Will it lead to trouble? Better to stay unnoticed.
Jonathan is teased by his friends for having anything to do with Ana. Jonathan realises that his father, a guard at the refugee camp, is one of the people making Ana’s life so tough. They fight.
How long with Ana and her family be in the refugee camp? People vanish every day. Visa not granted.
How do Ana and Jonathan navigate the complexities of their lives for friendship?
I loved the easy flow of the story and the multiple voices. The different perspectives of the issues addressed in the book adds depth and clarity. A must read.
Highly Recommended for 13+
November 16, 2020
Wow - my heart just hurts so bad...
There are 3 perspectives and at times, some are told in verse and these are just the more powerful especially as they are usually in portrayal of pain; heartbreaks, loneliness, suffering, anything & everything! They are Anahita (a teen girl indetention centre prison), Jono (a teen boy with mixed parentage), and Kenny (Jono's father, a Vietnamese immigrant, who works security at above mentioned facility). Each are carrying their own pain. Each are, or aren't, managing their pain. Somehow, their paths crossed and an imaginary line that shouldn't even be there is crossed. Will this destroy them or can they see their way through to a better place?
This is a novel that there is no way I could have read in one sitting because it was just really painful. And yet at the same time, I needed to get to the end just to know how it ends (I couldn't suppress my hope for a positive ending). Full kudos to the author because I really could feel the pain of everyone in this novel. Let's just say it's a realistic ending so I'm sort of okay.
There are 3 perspectives and at times, some are told in verse and these are just the more powerful especially as they are usually in portrayal of pain; heartbreaks, loneliness, suffering, anything & everything! They are Anahita (a teen girl in
This is a novel that there is no way I could have read in one sitting because it was just really painful. And yet at the same time, I needed to get to the end just to know how it ends (I couldn't suppress my hope for a positive ending). Full kudos to the author because I really could feel the pain of everyone in this novel. Let's just say it's a realistic ending so I'm sort of okay.
January 26, 2021
Important Australian storytelling. A beautiful and heartbreaking story of friendship between Anahita, an Iranian asylum seeker in onshore detention, and Jono, a troubled teen dealing with his own personal challenges. Couldn't put it down!
Young adult fiction.
Young adult fiction.
October 11, 2024
This book tells a heartfelt story - one that resonates with real issues happening in Australia with refugee centre's. It draws upon a open ended question at the end of the book, of the reality of struggles experienced by these people.
January 10, 2019
I LOVED THIS!!!!!!
July 17, 2019
Fiona Wood is correct - everyone should read this book. Absolutely heart wrenching.
January 29, 2021
A gorgeous YA novel that has been on my to read list for quite some time. I really enjoyed the multiple perspectives, the poetry components and the touching teenage love story at the centre of the novel’s exploration of issue of refugees in Australian detention centres.
July 3, 2022
An accessible and empathetic take on issues surrounding seeking asylum in Australia for a teenage audience.
January 24, 2025
This book was extremely emotional, evoking a lot of empathy. Will my year 10s have the same response when we read it? 😅😅😅
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