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Through My Eyes
Lyla
A gripping and personal story about one girl's experience of the 2011 Christchurch earthquake and its aftermath.
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 familiar buildings and landscapes that have vanished - it's friends and acquaintances too. As the earth keeps shaking day after day, can Lyla find a way to cope with her new reality?
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 familiar buildings and landscapes that have vanished - it's friends and acquaintances too. As the earth keeps shaking day after day, can Lyla find a way to cope with her new reality?
- GenresYoung AdultChildrens
208 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2018
4 people are currently reading
57 people want to read
About the author
Fleur Beale
47 books150 followersFleur Beale is the author of many award-winning books for children and young adults, best known for her novel I am not Esther which has been published worldwide.
Beale was one of six children of a dairy farmer Cedric Corney and of a teacher and author Estelle Corney (née Cook). She was born in Inglewood, Taranaki, New Zealand, on the farm where her father was born. Beale grew up in the town before attending Victoria University, Wellington and Christchurch Teachers' Training College, where she met her husband. Since 1985 she has taught at Melville High School in Hamilton, Waikato and in Wellington. Beale's first stories were written for the children's radio programme Grandpa's Place. Her first book was a small reader and picture book for young children and she started to write for teenagers in 1993. Her stories often involve troubled adolescents engaged in outdoor activities.
Beale was a finalist in the Aim Children's Book Awards (junior fiction) and her 1998 novel I am not Esther was shortlisted for the senior fiction section of the 1999 New Zealand Post Children's Awards. In 1999 she was awarded the Children's Writing Fellowship at Dunedin College of Education and quit teaching to write full time. Her 2001 novel Ambushed was a finalist for the Junior Fiction section of the 2002 New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards. Her 2004 account of how an indigenous girl discovers how her education can save her tribal lands (My Story A New Song in the Land. The Writings of Atapo, Pahia, c.1840) received a Notable Book award in 2005 as did Walking Lightly.
Beale was one of six children of a dairy farmer Cedric Corney and of a teacher and author Estelle Corney (née Cook). She was born in Inglewood, Taranaki, New Zealand, on the farm where her father was born. Beale grew up in the town before attending Victoria University, Wellington and Christchurch Teachers' Training College, where she met her husband. Since 1985 she has taught at Melville High School in Hamilton, Waikato and in Wellington. Beale's first stories were written for the children's radio programme Grandpa's Place. Her first book was a small reader and picture book for young children and she started to write for teenagers in 1993. Her stories often involve troubled adolescents engaged in outdoor activities.
Beale was a finalist in the Aim Children's Book Awards (junior fiction) and her 1998 novel I am not Esther was shortlisted for the senior fiction section of the 1999 New Zealand Post Children's Awards. In 1999 she was awarded the Children's Writing Fellowship at Dunedin College of Education and quit teaching to write full time. Her 2001 novel Ambushed was a finalist for the Junior Fiction section of the 2002 New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards. Her 2004 account of how an indigenous girl discovers how her education can save her tribal lands (My Story A New Song in the Land. The Writings of Atapo, Pahia, c.1840) received a Notable Book award in 2005 as did Walking Lightly.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
April 14, 2018
Fleur Beale has such a gift for getting into teenage girls' heads. Lyla's experiences during and after the Feb 2011 Christchurch earthquake are authentic and beautifully described, and reading this book has brought it home to me what it must have been like in a way that no news report or documentary has managed to do. That's the power of Fleur's writing and all the emotion she builds into it.
I wondered at the start how she would manage to keep the narrative going after the initial drama of the quake, but she does this with great skill - the pages keep turning, and we live with Lyla through the aftershocks that shred any remaining nerves she might have. She finally accepts that if she's ever to feel safe again, she needs to find a way through, and the conclusion to the story shows how she does this. Highly recommended for young adults and old ones too.
I wondered at the start how she would manage to keep the narrative going after the initial drama of the quake, but she does this with great skill - the pages keep turning, and we live with Lyla through the aftershocks that shred any remaining nerves she might have. She finally accepts that if she's ever to feel safe again, she needs to find a way through, and the conclusion to the story shows how she does this. Highly recommended for young adults and old ones too.
March 14, 2018
Lyla: Through My Eyes - Natural Disaster Zones
by Fleur Beale
Synopsis
A gripping and personal story about one girl's experience of the 2011 Christchurch earthquake and its aftermath.
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 familiar buildings and landscapes that have vanished - it's friends and acquaintances too. As the earth keeps shaking day after day, can Lyla find a way to cope with her new reality?
Review
This book was a graphic reminder of the quake that rocked Christchurch on the 11th of February 2o11. ts a day that Ill never forgot, Lyla's account was a poignant reminder of the days events told from the point of view of a 15 year old girl. My daughter Bridget was the same age at the time of the quake, so this book,was a reminder of the trials and tribulations she went through. Her school was done, her home damaged and the constant aftershocks were unnerving. Fleur Beale has respectfully written a narrative that illustrated the panic, generosity and bravery that people experienced, doing a very difficult time. This is a story that everyone should read it, 4 stars.
by Fleur Beale
Synopsis
A gripping and personal story about one girl's experience of the 2011 Christchurch earthquake and its aftermath.
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 familiar buildings and landscapes that have vanished - it's friends and acquaintances too. As the earth keeps shaking day after day, can Lyla find a way to cope with her new reality?
Review
This book was a graphic reminder of the quake that rocked Christchurch on the 11th of February 2o11. ts a day that Ill never forgot, Lyla's account was a poignant reminder of the days events told from the point of view of a 15 year old girl. My daughter Bridget was the same age at the time of the quake, so this book,was a reminder of the trials and tribulations she went through. Her school was done, her home damaged and the constant aftershocks were unnerving. Fleur Beale has respectfully written a narrative that illustrated the panic, generosity and bravery that people experienced, doing a very difficult time. This is a story that everyone should read it, 4 stars.
December 17, 2023
I had to read this book for school. It was ok but it didn’t really feel like a 14-year-old kid was narrating the story more like an adult trying to replicate it, which I guess it is but it was hard to really understand and connect with the main character. Overall good story line though.
February 21, 2021
This book is great! It is set in urban New Zealand, during the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.
It is part of the amazing 'Through My Eyes' children's fiction series that are set in natural disaster and conflict zones around the world. But good for teens too, or anyone who likes learning what life is like in other countries. A great way to learn about other cultures, too! I love this book and really recommend it!
It is part of the amazing 'Through My Eyes' children's fiction series that are set in natural disaster and conflict zones around the world. But good for teens too, or anyone who likes learning what life is like in other countries. A great way to learn about other cultures, too! I love this book and really recommend it!
April 3, 2018
I've rated this book a three on the "subjective to Jess" scale, and to be fair, I'm not the target audience.
As a book to teach children or young people about a huge natural disaster through the eyes of a young person, it would rate more highly. Fleur Beale has a gift for writing from the point of view of young people engagingly and realistically, balancing a plot with how a teenager interacts with the world. The details about Christchurch and the earthquake are clearly written by someone who loves the city and has done a lot of research - I felt like a lot of the characters and locations had a basis in reality.
Another factor I liked was something that is very particular to Beale books - the relationship between the protagonist and their family. It's common in YA for parents to be antagonists or, at least, annoyingly dense barriers to what the main character wants to achieve. Beale books invariably include parent who - even if they aren't on the main character's "side" - have understandable motives and are characters in their own right.
What made this book a three-star for me was the fact that it felt like a sketch - because the city is almost a character in its own right the focus is there, not on Lyla. I expected more of her emotional arc and a bigger climax, but it's more about spending a bit of time with her and watching her react to the earthquakes. And that's okay! That's the point of a "through my eyes" book - but I wouldn't have read this if I weren't a Beale fan, and it the lack of satisfying ending wasn't quite what I expected.
As a book to teach children or young people about a huge natural disaster through the eyes of a young person, it would rate more highly. Fleur Beale has a gift for writing from the point of view of young people engagingly and realistically, balancing a plot with how a teenager interacts with the world. The details about Christchurch and the earthquake are clearly written by someone who loves the city and has done a lot of research - I felt like a lot of the characters and locations had a basis in reality.
Another factor I liked was something that is very particular to Beale books - the relationship between the protagonist and their family. It's common in YA for parents to be antagonists or, at least, annoyingly dense barriers to what the main character wants to achieve. Beale books invariably include parent who - even if they aren't on the main character's "side" - have understandable motives and are characters in their own right.
What made this book a three-star for me was the fact that it felt like a sketch - because the city is almost a character in its own right the focus is there, not on Lyla. I expected more of her emotional arc and a bigger climax, but it's more about spending a bit of time with her and watching her react to the earthquakes. And that's okay! That's the point of a "through my eyes" book - but I wouldn't have read this if I weren't a Beale fan, and it the lack of satisfying ending wasn't quite what I expected.
December 8, 2018
Lyla had already been through a large earthquake in Christchurch, but nothing prepared her for another one – with much more damage to the city, private homes, schools, landmarks and devastatingly – 185 lives are lost.
Lyla and her friends are outside in the city when this earthquake hits in the middle of the day. The air is thick with dust, people are running, crying, and injured. Lyla helps an elderly gentleman with a deep gash on his head and is worried where her parents might be. She makes her way home along streets torn up and flooded by the all too familiar liquifaction.
As Lyla and her neighbours gather together in their fears and worries for other family members, they learn more about their ravaged beloved city. A boy from school who has always been a thorn in her side is suddenly on her couch, her lounge is full and she is trying to hold everything together at home and within herself. But as life changes around her, she struggles with her inner turmoil more and more. Will she ever be able to relax and feel normal again?
This story expresses the fear and horror of the Christchurch earthquakes through the life of a 14 year old girl. It gave me a clearer understanding of not only the devastation of the city itself, but also the terrible toll the continuing earthquakes (some as nearly as big as the first two) takes on it’s citizens.
Lyla and her friends are outside in the city when this earthquake hits in the middle of the day. The air is thick with dust, people are running, crying, and injured. Lyla helps an elderly gentleman with a deep gash on his head and is worried where her parents might be. She makes her way home along streets torn up and flooded by the all too familiar liquifaction.
As Lyla and her neighbours gather together in their fears and worries for other family members, they learn more about their ravaged beloved city. A boy from school who has always been a thorn in her side is suddenly on her couch, her lounge is full and she is trying to hold everything together at home and within herself. But as life changes around her, she struggles with her inner turmoil more and more. Will she ever be able to relax and feel normal again?
This story expresses the fear and horror of the Christchurch earthquakes through the life of a 14 year old girl. It gave me a clearer understanding of not only the devastation of the city itself, but also the terrible toll the continuing earthquakes (some as nearly as big as the first two) takes on it’s citizens.
March 5, 2018
Unputdownable. Vintage Fleur Beale. Convincing and sympathetic characters. Flawlessly written. I read all in one sitting and did not want the story to end - I loved the main character Lyla and her family and her friends and I loved the authenticity of the story set at a time we who live here all know and still see the results of. It's been 7 years since the Feb 22 quake and maybe some have forgotten what it was like for those living in the aftermath of the quake(s). This story sure does pull you right back.
One of the things I really appreciated about the novel was the positive attitude of the people - the kindness and generosity shown to others.
If you weren't in Christchurch when the quakes happened, then read this book because it will go some way to explaining the mind set of those who live here. If you were here, it will remind you about all the GOOD that came out of the bad and you will feel deservedly proud of yourself.
One of the things I really appreciated about the novel was the positive attitude of the people - the kindness and generosity shown to others.
If you weren't in Christchurch when the quakes happened, then read this book because it will go some way to explaining the mind set of those who live here. If you were here, it will remind you about all the GOOD that came out of the bad and you will feel deservedly proud of yourself.
September 30, 2021
Competently written but with tropey stock-standard characters (esp "that awful" Matt and his mother). Goes through some of the upsets of disaster (earthquake) in an immediate way and you learn something (I didn't know about liquidification) and quite rightly shows that trauma sets in over time and is multi-faceted and that counsellors are useful.
I felt a bit sick at how much the counsellor said "good girl" and generally didn't find that section believable or useful. I didn;t find the parents' puzzling neglect of their daughter early on in the book suddenly switching to overbearing care very believable either.
The main thing that I found useful was the details of what happens in an earthquake (physically and socially) the sorts of ways it affects people's lives and the specific things that happened in Christchurch.
I felt a bit sick at how much the counsellor said "good girl" and generally didn't find that section believable or useful. I didn;t find the parents' puzzling neglect of their daughter early on in the book suddenly switching to overbearing care very believable either.
The main thing that I found useful was the details of what happens in an earthquake (physically and socially) the sorts of ways it affects people's lives and the specific things that happened in Christchurch.
August 27, 2018
Honest, heart wrenching story of what life was like for people living through the Christchurch earthquakes, through the eyes of a teenage girl. I found this book moving and I was swept along with the carnage, I hated putting it down (weekend housework!) as I felt like I was a abandoning friends, in their time of need.
Excerpt …
“But the ground didn’t listen to prayers or pleas or screams. It just kept on bucking and bucking and heaving. So much noise. Earthquakes are loud. The earth shrieks as it tears itself apart. Buildings moan before they give up and crash to the ground…. When it did stop we were in an alien place full of chaos”
Excerpt …
“But the ground didn’t listen to prayers or pleas or screams. It just kept on bucking and bucking and heaving. So much noise. Earthquakes are loud. The earth shrieks as it tears itself apart. Buildings moan before they give up and crash to the ground…. When it did stop we were in an alien place full of chaos”
April 19, 2018
It was a graphic reminder of the earthquakes, and Beale wrote it wonderfully. It really triggered my memories and emotions of that time, so was great at really getting into the experience, but I recommend anyone with PTSD or anxiety from the quakes to read with caution. I didn’t expect it to affect me so much.
February 28, 2020
I give it a 4/5. It was a great book, but I found it a bit to emotional for my liking. It was devastating, picturing the Christchurch earthquake. It can be so hard for the people in Christchurch, I can't imagine myself being there to feel it and witness the damage it caused. Overall, it was an amazing book.
January 24, 2023
Really interesting! A nice quick read about the Christchurch earthquake of 2011, told through the eyes of a 14 year old who lived through it all. Fictional characters but obviously everything else was true. I remember hearing about it when it happened but I had forgotten how devastating it was, and hadn't realised how many aftershocks kept rattling the city! Yikes.
April 3, 2018
Fleur Beale has done a superb job in conveying how people coped in the aftermath of the 2011 Christchurch earthquakes. Totally believable, realistic through a teen's eyes without being overly dramatic. Well worth the read.
July 4, 2018
I think that Fleur Beale has written a wonderful book about what it must have been like for people who lived through the Christchurch earthquakes. She describes well what it must have felt like living through the thousands of aftershocks.
November 18, 2018
Powerful account of the Christchurch earthquake of February 2011 plus its aftermath told from the perspective of a 15 year old girl. It is thought-provoking and well-written and helps anyone who has not gone through this sort of event to understand the impact of the quake.
April 15, 2018
Amazing story of the Christchurch earthquake. Told with sensitivity and honesty, making it a very real read.
Loved it!!
Loved it!!
April 24, 2018
An excellent story evoking so well what it would have been like for Christchurch residents caught up in the earthquake of February 22nd 2011. I enjoyed this book very much.
May 4, 2018
A fascinating insight into one of the worst local international disasters in recent memory.
August 30, 2018
Deals with aftermath of the Christchurch earthquakes. Capable Y5-6s will enjoy it as will Y7-10 students.
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November 29, 2019A gripping and insightful story about the terrible Christchurch earthquake.
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February 22, 2022loved this book.
really showed how horrible Christchurch was at the time of the earthquake.
really showed how horrible Christchurch was at the time of the earthquake.
November 15, 2023
Pretty good but I think Lyla and matt should of got together.
February 28, 2020
This middle grade fiction tells the story of the Christchurch earthquake of February 2011 through the eyes of 13 year old Lyla. It was an interesting experience to read about such a major event that I have still remember so vividly and viscerally. I don’t usually read books set in New Zealand, let alone my city. Being able to accurately picture every place mentioned definitely added that little bit extra to my reading experience.
The writing was straightforward as you might expect given the target audience. Yet the author did a good job of accurately portraying the events and emotions of that day, and the days, weeks and months following. The fear of not being able to get in contact with friends and family and just hoping they were okay, the shock as the death toll mounted, the new found and unwanted ability to determine the magnitude of the many aftershocks, the cranes and road cones that sprung up everywhere, not recognising your own city since so many buildings were damaged and demolished were all very familiar! Reading this book certainly brought all the memories flooding back, although thankfully the impact on my side of town was less severe than that out east where Lyla lived. We were without power and water for hours not days and didn’t have an liquefaction to deal with.
I also thought the author did a good job of portraying the lingering stress that Lyla was under. Forme these chapters had the most emotional impact. I’m sure young readers would be reassured to know they weren’t the only ones struggling. They hopefully found some of the techniques Lyla learnt from her counsellor to be of use themselves.
The writing was straightforward as you might expect given the target audience. Yet the author did a good job of accurately portraying the events and emotions of that day, and the days, weeks and months following. The fear of not being able to get in contact with friends and family and just hoping they were okay, the shock as the death toll mounted, the new found and unwanted ability to determine the magnitude of the many aftershocks, the cranes and road cones that sprung up everywhere, not recognising your own city since so many buildings were damaged and demolished were all very familiar! Reading this book certainly brought all the memories flooding back, although thankfully the impact on my side of town was less severe than that out east where Lyla lived. We were without power and water for hours not days and didn’t have an liquefaction to deal with.
I also thought the author did a good job of portraying the lingering stress that Lyla was under. Forme these chapters had the most emotional impact. I’m sure young readers would be reassured to know they weren’t the only ones struggling. They hopefully found some of the techniques Lyla learnt from her counsellor to be of use themselves.
August 1, 2024
Really enjoyed.
November 2, 2024
This book was honestly really eye opening. It was sad and I can't believe I went so long in my life without knowing the truth of what happened during the Christchurch earthquake (s) in 2010 through to 2011. It's actually traumatic and horrible what these people had to go through! This novel is based on the truth just in a fictional form! I really enjoyed this novel and finished it quite quickly. It's probably more young adult and under, but it's still good for adults. Around 189 pages I think! Xx
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March 22, 2018Lyla 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 familiar buildings and landscapes that have vanished - it's friends and acquaintances too. As the earth keeps shaking day after day, can Lyla find a way to cope with her new reality?
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 familiar buildings and landscapes that have vanished - it's friends and acquaintances too. As the earth keeps shaking day after day, can Lyla find a way to cope with her new reality?
Read
August 2, 2018Loved this one.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews