Aliki Says by Irini Savvides
When this book first came in I was dying to read it, but I do have to discipline myself or else I end up with a huge pile of bad or boring books without a gem to relieve the monotony.
So finally it came to the top of my reading list. And it was worth the wait.
As the age of the population changes, how many young adults today are going to be confronted with the increasing fraility of grandparents and great grandparents. In this book two cousins/best friends are each facing unusual challenges from their ‘olds’ just as they prepare to commence year 12. For Liza it’s the arrival of her grandmother torn from a small Greek village and dropped into Sydney so that Liza and her family can look after her as Alzheimer’s takes control. For Aliki it’s the sudden move out of Sydney away from her friends and her school to the country that her father has decided to make.
As the book gradually weaves its magic, the reader discovers that the two events are linked and the connection has something to do with the death of Aliki’s mother in a car accident many years before. I’ll say no more.
Irini Savvides’ books work on many levels. First the plot is interesting, unusual and engrossing. Secondly her writing style is that of a very comfortable storyteller. The reader is compelled to follow along and even though there are multiple narrators, there is no difficulty in keeping the storyline in clear focus. And for those looking for symbolism and other literary devices, I’ll just suggest that you revise the myth of Arachne before you start this book.
