‘I’ll tell you Mine’ By Pip Harry

Book Review of ‘I’ll tell you Mine’ By Pip Harry

       ‘I’ll tell you mine’ is a novel written by Pip Harry. Pip Harry is an Australian author. Her novel ‘Head of the River was shortlisted in the Young Adult Fiction category. She was born in Melbourne and was raised in Charlottesville, Virginia. She had gone to Singapore in an international school, before returning to Melbourne.

        Pip Harry is an award-winning writer. She is also an editor. Her Young Adult novels include I’ll Tell You Mine, Because of You and Head of the River. She is currently working as an Editor for the Australian and New Zealand Association. At the age of 12, she wanted to become an Olympic swimmer. Her novels are mostly about children and adults. 

       I’ll Tell You Mine, is a whimsical insight into the entangled world of 15-year-old Kate Elliot, who battles to find her identity.  The journalist’s female protagonist allures you in, both on the cover and between the pages. Her stern personality and situation are uncommon. She has a secret but she doesn’t know whom she can trust. 

       In this novel, Pip Harry has created a fantastic uncertainty at the beginning of the novel. There is an anti-climax when Kate notes down the secret for her friend, Maddy in an envelope, which is forgotten until the end. The secret was a good one and it was worth reading, but I feel like Pip Harry should have kept up the suspense. 

       A few characters are put aside, for example, Kate’s best friends Nate and Annie. Kate’s mother doesn’t want her daughter to join Annie and Nate at a party, so Kate stays with Maddy. It seems more reasonable that she would go to see Annie and Nate. In this novel, the conflict between the mother and daughter is a fascinating catalyst and the backstory adds to the multifaceted family dynamics, particularly the rebellious mother. The dorm-mates strained relationships add to the battle and require you to read whether everything will work out. Just like Kate, even I disliked the popular girls, Harriet and Jess, but they are as multifaceted and imperfect as her. I like the way the author, Harry, uncovers mutual but thoughts that are hidden.

       Harry pins the setting of the novel as it was easy for me to imagine the school, the house as well the party. Every detail in this novel is well thought of and well-chosen which easily creates a visual image. Most of the important characters in this novel are believable. I liked how Kate’s confidence and vulnerable personality just like how teens are today, makes many readers relate to her. Kate’s enhanced feelings sustain the stride and help Kate to seek for herself. Through this novel, we can understand that Kate’s story is all about acceptance, identity, free will and full of responsibility.

       Overall, I’ll Tell You Mine is a captivating novel to read, which is full of a great script, sturdy characters with lots of complications. 

Reviewer:

Aloysia Pereira, 29.

Bibliography

 

https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/inflibnet-ebooks/reader.action?docID=1027953

 

https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/inflibnet-ebooks/detail.action?docID=1027953

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