Children of the Outback
By Amanda N Newman
Recommend
Australia has become divided. The New Australian Republic rejected those that now live in the Outback. The people known as Dingoes are the most feared in both the Republic and the Outback. Gangs of Bitzers kidnap anyone who trespasses beyond the gate and make them slaves to anyone who will buy them. Grace Walker was kidnapped when she was twelve years old, and officially enters the slave trade now that she has turned sixteen. As she is taken deeper into the Outback, she begins to truly learn about the people who live there and what the civil war that split the country was really all about.
Children of the Outback by Amanda N Newman is a very interesting fantasy. I don’t think I have read a dystopian fantasy before, so I really enjoyed the uniqueness of this storyline. The New Republic is supposed to be an amazing place where only good people live, and beyond the fence is where the criminals and murders are kept away. However, it is fairly obvious from the start that the Republic might not be as great as everyone thinks it is. There are plenty of twists and turns throughout the story that add more depth to the events and characters.
There is a fairly large cast of characters in this novel with a first-person point of view that jumps between all of them. I think this works really well with the author’s writing style while allowing the reader to see what is happening in the Outback and the Republic. The reader is in the position to know more than any of the characters. As things continue to unfold, that knowledge creates more tension and makes you wonder how everything will end.
I also think Newman created a really complex world. She has mixed magic, discrimination, the concept of good and evil, and people’s vulnerabilities all into one book. As the reader learns more about the Outback and the Republic, we see the truth about people on both sides. The story points out the vulnerability of those who had a hard life. Good and evil is not easily definable, and we even see how discrimination feeds into false assumptions and unnecessary conflicts.
However, I do feel that the book is a little long. There are some events that didn’t seem to be necessary or to develop the plot as much as I’d like. I also feel that the character development was a bit slow because of this. Grace and Rudolfous are the two main characters that develop and change over the course of the novel. However, even with a lot of obvious indicators and events that challenge their current ideals or beliefs, they seem to have a hard time believing any of it. It takes almost three hundred pages to truly see their mindsets start to shift which at times was a bit frustrating.
Overall, I think this story has a lot to enjoy about it. The writing is smooth and easy to read and has a very unique and interesting storyline. There are many characters to learn about and follow through their struggles. And with many of them, the author tackles some very serious situations. If dystopian stories are of interest to you, I think this book is one to give a shot.
Pros:
- Unique Storyline
- View of Republic and Outback situations
- Complex world
Cons:
- Some sections don’t add as much to the plot or characters
- Character development a little slow
Recommended for readers who like:
- First-person point of view
- Dystopian stories
- Unique world
- LGBTQ characters
- Slow moving stories
Book Details:
- Published: September 11, 2019
- Series: Tales From the Outback
- Book Number: 1
- Pages: 567
- Publisher: Lulu.com
If you want to see my rating system Click Here
Amanda N Newman’s Website: Click Here
If you want to see other books by Newman, I have a review of her young adult novel Hybrid Empire. Click here to read it.
