Review:
Before the storm by Sean McMullen
Ford St.
2007.
(13+) FoxS3 holds his wounded commander, BC, and surveys Melbourne in
1901 through his rifle's target laser. Arriving from the future, the
totally alien smell of rotting vegetables assails him as he tries to
come to grips with their mission. They must prevent the opening of
Parliament being wrecked from a bomb in the Exhibition Buildings and
save the world from devastating wars in the future.
An intriguing blend of science fiction and history, the fast-paced
action, with some unexpected twists and turns, pulls the reader along
on an adventure to rescue the beginnings of Federation. The sights,
voices and smells of this important time in Australian history seem to
rise from the page.
McMullan has portrayed
some interesting characters. The interaction between the two young
space cadets with middle class teenagers, Emily and Daniel and
streetwise Barry the Bag, is fascinating. Emily is a wonderfully strong
character and girls would identify with her attempts to break down the
barriers of being a female in 1901. Emily and the reader learn an
important lesson about stereotypes. As BC says:
'We are all trapped in cages, yet all of us carry the keys. Finding the
courage to use the keys, that is the hard part.'
Fans of Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett should love the humour (which
includes some references to naughty French postcards) and could well be
tempted to read McMullen's adult books. Recommended for secondary
readers.
Pat Pledger
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© Pledger
Consulting, 2007