What I’m Reading: Catching Teller Crow By Ambelin & Ezekiel Kwamullina
I came across Catching Teller Crow as part of a research project looking for young adult fantasy novels set in small town Australia. Dealing with some hefty themes of grief, colonial history and violence – told mainly through the eyes of a girl who happens to be dead – this isn’t the kind of book I’d normally gravitate to.
Also, this novel by Aboriginal brother and sister team, Ambelin and Ezekiel Kwamullina, switches between regular prose and verse. Since I don’t tend to read much poetry I was skeptical it was going to grab me. Yet this book had me totally engrossed by page one.
What I loved most was the uniquely Australian setting, the compelling voices of the main characters and the way the mystery unfolded. The dynamic between Beth and her father is equally heart-warming and heart-wrenching. With plenty of twists and turns, a sprinkle of the supernatural and some thought provoking themes, I loved everything about Catching Teller Crow, including the verse!
About the Book
WINNER: 2019 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards, Young Adult
Nothing’s been the same for Beth Teller since she died. Her dad, a detective, is the only one who can see and hear her – and he’s drowning in grief. But now they have a mystery to solve together. Who is Isobel Catching, and what’s her connection to the fire that killed a man? What happened to the people who haven’t been seen since the fire? As Beth unravels the mystery, she finds a shocking story lurking beneath the surface of a small town, and a friendship that lasts beyond one life and into another.
Catching Teller Crow is published by Allen & Unwin. Get the book from Booktopia today.
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