Review of Ironbark Hill

[Kimberly Stone]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Ironbark Hill" by Jennie Linnane.]

---

4 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Ironbark Hill by Jennie Linnane is built on a fascinating, if not terribly groundbreaking, premise. It is the story of a teenage girl struggling to make a future for herself, while protecting her family from her abusive stepfather. Natalie Chapman is full of fire and not easily intimidated. Anyone who has ever been a teenage girl can see themselves in her balancing act between courage and reckless stupidity. She even acknowledges this early on in the story, noting that having a brave and independent nature is “an attribute sometimes depreciated by those who lack it” (pg 21).

The author’s description of the landscape, including birds and plants found near their home of Ironbark Hill, was fascinating to me. I’d never heard of most of the things mentioned. I was also captivated by the wording used to tell the story. Boring cliches were consistently foregone in favor of more poetic phrases. The author did a terrific job of painting a mental picture to tell this story, which pairs nicely with the main character’s desire to become an artist herself. Most of the characters were likable, or at least relatable enough, even the bratty younger sister.

I struggled with the mother’s character. Her weakness in confronting her abusive, alcoholic husband was maddening, even when the reasoning behind it was explained by the wise and sweet family patriarch. I hated the way she submitted to his rages and expected her children to do the same. I definitely hated to see how she never stood up for herself in a meaningful and lasting way. I also feel like there were some literary decisions made within the storyline that were meant to add drama, even if they didn’t add anything to the storyline. The book’s summary mentions Natalie fell in love with someone during her seventeenth year, and I think that whole portion of the story could have been left out. Indeed, there wasn’t even a satisfying resolution by the end of the book. There is a sequel written by the same author, but I don’t know if that portion of the storyline would even be mentioned in it.

I am rating this book 4 out of 4 stars. It was definitely professionally edited. I found no typos or errors, not even borderline ones. The fact that some of the characters irritated me so thoroughly is proof that I was emotionally invested. I loved Natalie’s story. I loved her background. Most of all, I loved her willingness to fight back.

******
Ironbark Hill
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon