Description
Set in a modern-day small town among the remnants of a Japanese POW camp, this is the story of Charlie. Charlie has synaesthesia and hence sees and hears differently: people have auras; days of the week are coloured; numbers and letters have attitudes. But when Charlie meets Japanese exchange student Kenichi, her senses intensify and she experiences flashbacks, nausea, and hears unfamiliar voices in her head pulling her back to the town's violent past.
This is heartfelt contemporary storytelling at its best.
Review
Charlie lives in Cowra and has always heard stories about the prisoner of war camp that was located in the town in 1944. Charlie has synaesthesia, which means that she hears and sees things differently. Everything has a colour, Fridays are yellow and her best friend Lucy has a pink aura.
When a Japanese exchange student called Kenichi comes to stay at her house, her senses are intensified, and when she touches a photo of a Japanese POW, she can suddenly see and hear the past. Can Charlie and Kenichi solve the puzzle from the past?
This is a wonderful story that is set in contemporary Australia, but takes the reader back to Australia during the time of World War II, through Charlie’s flashbacks. It is a fantastic and enthralling story that keeps you turning the pages, with very lovable characters.
This is a great read for all those in Year 8 and up, especially for fans of stories with a bit of history mixed in.
Reviewed by Michelle
