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Finch
Audrey is used to not fitting in. She knows she's different - even her little sister calls her "Nerd Girl". When her family moves to the country to live on a vineyard property, Audrey makes a secret friend: a boy, Finch, who seems to understand her as nobody else can. But there's something mysterious about Finch. Who is he, really?
- GenresMystery
240 pages, Paperback
Published August 1, 2018
4 people are currently reading
32 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 31, 2018
I am more than enthralled by this gem.
The blurb does not give this novel justice, it is about so much more than Finch, so much more than Audrey and her move to a rural setting.
This environmentally thoughtful creation was just a joy to read.
Audrey and her obsession with birds is refreshing, not nerdy as it's described above, and has a great innocence to it. Her character development wasn't as it usually is in a lot coming of age stories - she didn't start meek and become the most popular girl in school. She start's uncertain, realises who she is and what she loves, and embraces it.
Our storyline is beautiful.
You expect it to become ghostly but instead explores a beautiful kind of bend in time. Finch is not who he seems, yet his friendship allows Audrey to blossom.
The character Mavis is imperative to expressing the environmental issues effecting Australia. While it seems sometimes abrupt, particularly when it comes to Audrey's family cat, it is a message young readers do need to realise.
Mavis tells it how it is, explains how global warming and human interference with the land creates what freak weather we are now experiencing.
Matthews uses Audrey as a vessel which will encourage girls to embrace science and maths as subjects they can succeed in - not be afraid of.
I can not fault this novel one bit.
I sincerely hope it will be used at schools, it is one that needs to be shared Australia wide.
The blurb does not give this novel justice, it is about so much more than Finch, so much more than Audrey and her move to a rural setting.
This environmentally thoughtful creation was just a joy to read.
Audrey and her obsession with birds is refreshing, not nerdy as it's described above, and has a great innocence to it. Her character development wasn't as it usually is in a lot coming of age stories - she didn't start meek and become the most popular girl in school. She start's uncertain, realises who she is and what she loves, and embraces it.
Our storyline is beautiful.
You expect it to become ghostly but instead explores a beautiful kind of bend in time. Finch is not who he seems, yet his friendship allows Audrey to blossom.
The character Mavis is imperative to expressing the environmental issues effecting Australia. While it seems sometimes abrupt, particularly when it comes to Audrey's family cat, it is a message young readers do need to realise.
Mavis tells it how it is, explains how global warming and human interference with the land creates what freak weather we are now experiencing.
Matthews uses Audrey as a vessel which will encourage girls to embrace science and maths as subjects they can succeed in - not be afraid of.
I can not fault this novel one bit.
I sincerely hope it will be used at schools, it is one that needs to be shared Australia wide.
August 12, 2018
‘Finch’ by Penny Matthews is a beautifully written coming of age novel, weaving themes of individuality, self-perception, family hardship, the rigours of country life with an emotional environmental message. Her main character Audrey’s journey is poignant, sensitively portrayed and her voice will resonate with readers stepping into their teenage years, filled with uncertainty, questioning friendships and fitting in with their peers.
Moving to a hobby farm in the country fills Audrey with dread, she fears the unknown, a new school, making friends and settling into an unfamiliar environment. Her father and younger sister’s excitement and acceptance of the change is at odds with her mother’s feelings and her own. Her mother had been the breadwinner in the city working as a legal secretary and isn’t excited by their tree change. Chloe calls her older sister ‘Nerd Girl’ she’s quieter, more interested in studying birds researching their scientific names and features and caring for her pet finches, than all things girly.
Late at night Audrey observes a little dog moving through their property, no-one else notices him. She asks their old neighbour Mavis about the mysterious dog but she has no knowledge of the small animal. While Chloe loves the new school and quickly makes friends, while Audrey is more cautious. Her Year 7 teacher Mr Scardino welcomes her, he shares her passion for natural sciences and humorously encourages her to try fitting in to rural life.
While her school and home life have its ups and downs, Audrey’s forays into the surrounding bush brings her joy. She loves looking for and identifying native birds, this leads her to discover a secret cave and a teenage boy who owns Snowy the dog. She finds a connection with Finch, he loves nature and has made his home here away from the dramas of life with his uncle.
When a heavy downpour floods the creek and cave, Audrey is worried, she reveals her friend’s secret home and raises the alarm. The authorities unsuccessfully search for Finch and Snowy. Common threads and conversations with Mavis unravel to reveal secret connections. Through this difficult time, Audrey discovers an inner core of strength and a previously unknown sense of purpose.
Penny Matthews ‘Finch’ is a rich and rewarding story, filled with hope, tinged with mystery and realistic characters that will resonate with middle school readers. She captures the heart of rural life, the reality of families struggling to find purpose and pulling together when times are tough.
Moving to a hobby farm in the country fills Audrey with dread, she fears the unknown, a new school, making friends and settling into an unfamiliar environment. Her father and younger sister’s excitement and acceptance of the change is at odds with her mother’s feelings and her own. Her mother had been the breadwinner in the city working as a legal secretary and isn’t excited by their tree change. Chloe calls her older sister ‘Nerd Girl’ she’s quieter, more interested in studying birds researching their scientific names and features and caring for her pet finches, than all things girly.
Late at night Audrey observes a little dog moving through their property, no-one else notices him. She asks their old neighbour Mavis about the mysterious dog but she has no knowledge of the small animal. While Chloe loves the new school and quickly makes friends, while Audrey is more cautious. Her Year 7 teacher Mr Scardino welcomes her, he shares her passion for natural sciences and humorously encourages her to try fitting in to rural life.
While her school and home life have its ups and downs, Audrey’s forays into the surrounding bush brings her joy. She loves looking for and identifying native birds, this leads her to discover a secret cave and a teenage boy who owns Snowy the dog. She finds a connection with Finch, he loves nature and has made his home here away from the dramas of life with his uncle.
When a heavy downpour floods the creek and cave, Audrey is worried, she reveals her friend’s secret home and raises the alarm. The authorities unsuccessfully search for Finch and Snowy. Common threads and conversations with Mavis unravel to reveal secret connections. Through this difficult time, Audrey discovers an inner core of strength and a previously unknown sense of purpose.
Penny Matthews ‘Finch’ is a rich and rewarding story, filled with hope, tinged with mystery and realistic characters that will resonate with middle school readers. She captures the heart of rural life, the reality of families struggling to find purpose and pulling together when times are tough.
September 15, 2018
Age - 10+
Audrey is a nerd. She knows it, and her younger sister Chloe reminds her all the time.
Audrey loves birds. She learnt the latin names for birds at a young age and recites them to herself when she sees any bird on their new vineyard property, and the paddocks beyond. Their new neighbour, chatty and confident Mavis, also loves birds, but Audrey isn't keen to go bird watching with her and her elderly friends. Now that would be nerdy.
One day, while exploring with Chloe (and watching birds, they spy a cave further inside a neighbour's property. At first they go no further. They have been warned about trespassing in the country. But later when Audrey is alone, she ventures further.
She is surprised to find someone. He's hiding. He's got a secret, and his name is Finch.
He loves birds as much as her, and she finds his company relaxing. But who is he and where did he suddenly go?
With a secret, a mystery and feuding parents, this is a coming of age story. Audrey is learning about herself, her family and coming to terms with her new home and surroundings.
(New home, Family, Secret, Historical, Siblings, Sisters, Mystery, Birds, Bird watching, Geek, Ornithology)
Audrey is a nerd. She knows it, and her younger sister Chloe reminds her all the time.
Audrey loves birds. She learnt the latin names for birds at a young age and recites them to herself when she sees any bird on their new vineyard property, and the paddocks beyond. Their new neighbour, chatty and confident Mavis, also loves birds, but Audrey isn't keen to go bird watching with her and her elderly friends. Now that would be nerdy.
One day, while exploring with Chloe (and watching birds, they spy a cave further inside a neighbour's property. At first they go no further. They have been warned about trespassing in the country. But later when Audrey is alone, she ventures further.
She is surprised to find someone. He's hiding. He's got a secret, and his name is Finch.
He loves birds as much as her, and she finds his company relaxing. But who is he and where did he suddenly go?
With a secret, a mystery and feuding parents, this is a coming of age story. Audrey is learning about herself, her family and coming to terms with her new home and surroundings.
(New home, Family, Secret, Historical, Siblings, Sisters, Mystery, Birds, Bird watching, Geek, Ornithology)
January 16, 2019
When Audrey’s Dad loses his factory job, he decides to buy a vineyard and move his family to the Australian countryside. Audrey’s little sister is happy anywhere, but Audrey and her Mum hate leaving the city.
Will Audrey fit into Year Seven in her new rural school? She had been an odd-girl-out in her city school, secretly passionate about birds, memorizing their scientific names, but bored with the “pink things” other girls liked.
The story is carried forward by very believable dialog, drawing the reader into the family, and moving events along at a good pace. We eavesdrop on the good-natured squabbles between Audrey and little Chloe, but along with Audrey we worry that her parents’ arguments are far more serious. Could her parents' marriage break up over this move to the country?
Then mysterious things begin to happen. Audrey sees a dog on their farm that the neighbors know nothing about, a dog that appears and disappears in a way she can’t explain. What secret does the cave on the creek bank hold? How do the dog and the cave connect?
The cave draws her, and when she crawls under her farm’s boundary fence to explore it, she breaks an important rule in her new community. She’s trespassing.
Then she meets Finch, a boy with secrets, who’s as passionate about birds as Audrey is. Soon Audrey’s life outside of school gets very complicated. She’s keeping Finch a secret from her parents, lying to avoid being seen with the elderly birdwatchers’ group, and learning how hard it is to look after grapevines.
When the family’s grape crop is ready to pick, it will make or break their farm and their new life. Not enough pickers can be hired, and Audrey and Chloe learn what hard physical work feels like, as the family races against an incoming thunderstorm to harvest the heavy bunches.
Will this crisis finally splinter Audrey’s family?
And just who is the mysterious Finch, really?
Through Matthews' writing, readers enter into Australian rural life, as experienced by a young newcomer. The locals’ speech, the feel of scratchy grass on bare legs, the dry summer heat, the bird calls and the drumming rain of a thunderstorm, the rhythms and courtesies of a rural community - these are only samples of how Matthews draws a world she knows deeply. The quality of the writing gives "Finch" an appeal outside its intended age-group.
Will Audrey fit into Year Seven in her new rural school? She had been an odd-girl-out in her city school, secretly passionate about birds, memorizing their scientific names, but bored with the “pink things” other girls liked.
The story is carried forward by very believable dialog, drawing the reader into the family, and moving events along at a good pace. We eavesdrop on the good-natured squabbles between Audrey and little Chloe, but along with Audrey we worry that her parents’ arguments are far more serious. Could her parents' marriage break up over this move to the country?
Then mysterious things begin to happen. Audrey sees a dog on their farm that the neighbors know nothing about, a dog that appears and disappears in a way she can’t explain. What secret does the cave on the creek bank hold? How do the dog and the cave connect?
The cave draws her, and when she crawls under her farm’s boundary fence to explore it, she breaks an important rule in her new community. She’s trespassing.
Then she meets Finch, a boy with secrets, who’s as passionate about birds as Audrey is. Soon Audrey’s life outside of school gets very complicated. She’s keeping Finch a secret from her parents, lying to avoid being seen with the elderly birdwatchers’ group, and learning how hard it is to look after grapevines.
When the family’s grape crop is ready to pick, it will make or break their farm and their new life. Not enough pickers can be hired, and Audrey and Chloe learn what hard physical work feels like, as the family races against an incoming thunderstorm to harvest the heavy bunches.
Will this crisis finally splinter Audrey’s family?
And just who is the mysterious Finch, really?
Through Matthews' writing, readers enter into Australian rural life, as experienced by a young newcomer. The locals’ speech, the feel of scratchy grass on bare legs, the dry summer heat, the bird calls and the drumming rain of a thunderstorm, the rhythms and courtesies of a rural community - these are only samples of how Matthews draws a world she knows deeply. The quality of the writing gives "Finch" an appeal outside its intended age-group.
October 27, 2018
3.5* A lovely rural story about friendship, family and finding yourself. A slightly longer story might have allowed for the fleshing out of certain aspects of the story (eg. Mavis’ story and Audrey and Finch’s friendship) a little more deeply. But, overall, an enjoyable story with a touch of magic. Whilst the story itself is suitable for both middle and upper primary, the inclusion of the word ‘slut’ may mean teachers, librarians and parents are mindful of the maturity and sensitivity of the students they offer this book to.
July 15, 2020
This was a sweet book. About a family from the city moving to the country to run a vineyard. About settling in to a new place and learning about the history of the area. The main character Audrey loves birds and the books allows some scope to go and study birds.
I was just disappointed that the book was spoilt by one paragraph that referred to the topic of being a slut. I don’t think it was relevant to the story. And it took the book from being a great year 3/4 read, to only being suitable for year 5/6 students. So that was disappointing.
I was just disappointed that the book was spoilt by one paragraph that referred to the topic of being a slut. I don’t think it was relevant to the story. And it took the book from being a great year 3/4 read, to only being suitable for year 5/6 students. So that was disappointing.
December 25, 2019
This was a lovely book, and very relaxing to read. It was one of those books that you finish in a day or two because you can't put it down. I wouldn't say it was a real page turner, but I kept reading because I wanted to know what happened. It is very intriguing, and a great read.
October 3, 2024
A neat tale about moving to the country and coping with fluctuations in the weather whilst managing your first grape harvest. It's about being proud of your strengths, skills and knowledge and looking out for others.
July 17, 2019
Amazing book. Definay recommend reading it
Currently Reading
November 19, 2019IT WONT LET ME READ
August 11, 2021
It was very interesting and heart warming. I love the incorporation of different bird species.
Would definitely recommend!
Would definitely recommend!
January 13, 2022
It was actually legit so boring and predictable. The ending sucked so much, like it was so confusing. The book left me confused and the plot twist I predicted it earlier on. No drama at all it’s all just pointless stuff. Everything is so pointless. The TITLE OF THE BOOK IS CALLED FINCH and it barely includes him in the book, you see him what three times in a 250+ page book. It’s just the daily life of a family moving to the country side, I had to force myself to finish the book.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews