NZ
Writer Denis
Wright Nanotech Mākaro Press
(Submarine) 2015 $25.00pb
212pp
ISBN 9 780 9941
695 7
Themes: Year 13 High School students/
Kidnapping/ Racism/ Science Field Trips/ Sexual abuse
Set
in Auckland, New Zealand, the basis of the novel is the invention of an
American biologist who creates a virus that works on the pigmentation in the
skin that could be used for great good to cure diseases in certain ethnic
groups. However, it also has the power to wipe out the groups completely
without touching the white population.
At
a high-powered conference the biologist is captured by a group of
White
supremacists and also, because they manage to get in the way, a group of highly
intelligent science students from Wellington. The story is told in an ‘easy’
manner by one of the students who, because of traumatic events in his life when
he was much younger, has not spoken aloud much since then.
There is blood,
killings, sex, some swearing but I found
this an addictive, read-at-a-sitting experience. However, because of its themes
of ethnic cleansing and sexual abuse I would be very careful how it was issued
in a secondary or public library situation.
My only quibble is with the group’s teacher, Bernie, who at times
was so OTT she was hard to believe. But even Bernie had her moments – and her
class would certainly never forget her
The writer, who also wrote Violence
101 Penguin Books which won the
Best First Book in the NZ Post Children’s Book awards in 2009 is a teacher in a
Wellington High school. He has captured the tone of the voices and actions of
his group of high school students with perfect pitch.
Year
11 up – suggested mature readers only
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