Old Bertie (Vincenzo Perrella & Dan Osborn, Fremantle Press)

Old Bertie is Vincenzo Perrella and Dan Osborn’s debut fiction collaboration, the pair having previously worked together on film, TV and live performance projects.

On The Island, 15-year-old George is chafing at the strict boundaries of the only place she has ever known. In this community founded by a pompous explorer who escaped Old Bertie, a monstrous squid, the inhabitants live in fear of anything that deviates from the set pattern of their lives. George’s mother disappeared 6 years ago on a boat, and now George has found a stranger washed ashore. Fernandez brings stories of the outside world, giving George hope that her mother may, in fact, be alive.

Unfortunately, for this reviewer, after a snappy opening the story loses its way, with too much dialogue and a setting that becomes stagnant. George’s attempt to resist groupthink raises some interesting ideas about oppression and the power of critical thinking, but they are not developed as fully as I would have liked. Overall, it is hard to tell for whom this novel is intended – the plotting and characters are better suited to a middle-grade audience, but occasional language and more adult concepts shift it towards the 14 to 16 age group.

Nonetheless, Perrella and Osborn have dreamed up a rich, quirky lore for their fictional world, bringing to mind the work of Garth Nix and Ben Aaronovitch. The book may find a readership among fans of these authors.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Annie Waters sells books, writes about books and podcasts about books. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

Category: Friday Unlocked reviews Reviews