The Runner
Cynthia Voigt

287p pbk $12.95

 0-00-710015-9

The Runner written by Cynthia Voigt was first published in 1985 by Atheneum Publishers. It is the fourth book in the acclaimed Tillerman series and contains around 287 pages. This historical fiction book depicts the racial issues seen in an American rural town during the 1960s.

Samuel Tillerman aka “Bullet” is a senior at his school, but Bullet is no ordinary boy, he is filled with anger. Anger towards his father because of the way he treats people, the people at school because of the way they think only of themselves and the African-Americans because he is racist. But his racist views begin to change when he is told to train an African-American named Tamer Shipp. Tamer teaches Bullet that no matter what the colour of your skin nobody is better or worse because of that difference.

This book in my opinion is well written and I highly recommend it to people aged 14 and above. While the majority of the book is very good I think the beginning was rather slow and took a while to grab and hold the reader’s interest. Overall it was great and I would give it a 9 ½ out of 10.

Derek, aged 15, Canberra, ACT

Seventeen Against the Dealer Cynthia Voigt

Collins 2001
304p pbk $13.95

ISBN: 0-00-710067-1

Seventeen Against the Dealer, by Cynthia Voigt, was first published in 1989 by Atheneum Publishers. It is a 304-page family/real life novel and follows on from Homecoming, Dicey’s Song, A Solitary Blue, The Runner, Come a Stranger, and Sons from Afar.

Dicey finally gets her own business; she is the proud owner of Tillerman Boats. However, all is not well. Grandma is getting sicker and sicker by the day, and this is only made worse by the fact that she refuses to see a doctor. Meanwhile, Jeff, Dicey’s boyfriend, goes away on a ski trip and Dicey leaves all of his calls back home unanswered. Jeff and Dicey begin to fall apart, and the relationship unofficially ends.

Tillerman Boats is robbed of all its tools save a few clamps, and Dicey has had a financial crisis and must resort to getting cheap deals on cheaply constructed boats from people she doesn’t like. But all is not lost! Cisco, a mysterious man with a mysterious purpose decides to help Dicey for no money at all. But Cisco helping at home doesn’t help Jeff leaving and dating other girls. Dicey struggles as life seems to get worse and worse, but will she pull out of it all before the final book in the Tillerman Saga comes to its conclusion?

Seventeen Against the Dealer is never too slow, but not amazingly fast either. Each new character is introduced to the story well, and has an obvious effect on the storyline. An enjoyable read, but not a story to suit all tastes.

Sons From Afar
Cynthia Voigt

Collins 2000
374p pbk $13.95

Sons From Afar is written by Cynthia Voigt. It is the sixth book in the Tillerman series which follows the story of the Tillerman family. Each book focuses on different characters and periods of time. This particular book is about the two boys James and Sammy. They live with their grandmother because their mother died and their father left home when they were very young. James and Sammy leave home in search of their father. They want to know who he was and why he left home. Their search leads them to libraries and old schools in search of information. They finally end up in a bar where the truth awaits them.

Sons From Afar is an excellent book that I would recommend to anyone over the age of thirteen. It is a very interesting read.

Come A Stranger
Cynthia Voigt

Collins 2000
320p pbk $12.95

ISBN: 0-00-710017-5  

Come A Stranger is about a girl called Meena who loves to dance, so when she gets the privilege of doing a special dancing scholarship for talented dancers, she leaps for the chance. Soon she discovers that people seem to treat her strangely. The thing on her mind though is: Why? Is it because I’m black!

Come A Stranger is a very interesting book. It’s beautifully written with lots of adjectives, and it makes you think differently about other people’s lives and the troubles they face. The words make you move with the story, as well as being able to picture the scene to every last detail.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Come A Stranger and now I’m reading the other books in the series. I strongly encourage everyone to read this fantastic series. Cynthia Voight has an imagination that never ends.

Tharsiga, aged 11, Canberra, ACT