A Bridge to Wiseman's Cove

Reader reviewed by Zoe Koster

My name is Zoe Koster, and I am a 15 year old reader of 'A Bridge to Wiseman's Cove' by James Moloney.
I absolutely love this book. I'm doing an assignment on it at school. I truly admire the sense of writing James Moloney does. I love the way he makes me feel as if I am in the story when I read it. I also admire the way he throws words together, and makes similies with them. His writing is amazing. One day, I'd love to meet him. That's a real writer!

Reader reviewed by !shazza!

A bridge to Wisemans Cove: Book review

 

A bridge to Wisemans cove is a good read; I guess you could call it that. Though I think it is overrated. I think anyone who writes a mildly emotional book can get attention and can get year 9 students like us, to study it. The book has some good themes like Love, Family and Belonging. I think if you include any of themes you can make a relatively good novel.

 

Love is one of the predominant themes in the story. Love recurs throughout the course of the novel. The different times the books touch on love for example when Beryl says to Carl: Wholl love you if your own mother doesnt? And when Joy takes in Harley: Its not the cake. Its Joy. Shes the only person whos been good to him since we came here. So you can see how this theme recurs. I think any book that touches on the theme love, will make a relatively good book.

 

The most dominant theme in the book, Family. This book is basically based on family relationships. An example of this is: Carl floated in the sea of families where everyone, it seemed, walked spoke and laughed with at least one other a daughter, a father, a mate. This is an example of one of the themes. Yes, this theme is a good theme, but it can become utterly boring.

 

Belonging, the final dominant theme in the book. The book focuses on belonging, we see this when Carl starts to finally fit into an environment his comfortable with. We can see this from these quotes: Carl slumped against the hull, shivering in the evening breeze. He was exhausted but happier hed been since he arrived in Wattle Beach, happier than hed been since his mother disappeared. This is a pretty basic theme as well, but it does become utterly boring later in the book.

 

So its a relatively good book, but it becomes utterly boring if you analyse it.
My tip is to read it once, and only once.

I rate this book 6/10. 

Reader reviewed by Katie














Bridge To Wiseman’s Cove is such an emotional and impressive novel. It takes the reader through stages of a young teenager’s life. Several emotions are expressed throughout the whole novel. His life is weird, full of sadness, happiness and even makes you sick from the way he gets treated by other kids at school and by his own aunt. You could even say he has a sick, sad life. It’s an excellent book, which can reflect other teenager’s lives.

A 15-year-old boy is sent to live with his aunt, along with his younger brother Harley. Their aunt is a mean woman who has no care or respect for anyone else. His life sucks, he loves a girl but she has a boyfriend, he is a loser, he has a broken family, the list goes on forever. Their aunt lives at Wattle Beach. Carl falls in love with a beautiful girl called Maddie. She has long blonde hair and has a slim figure; the only problem is she has a boyfriend!
School comes around and he has to travel on the bus to get there. He is forced to sit up the front because of the fact he is a new kid. Not long after being in school his Aunt Beryl informs him that he has to quit school and get a job to pay for his and Harley’s needs.
One day Carl knocks a lady over and she drops all of her stuff. He apologises and they get to know each other. She asks him if he has nothing to do then he can come and help her make a cage for the osprey. Joy, the lady he bumped into, offers him a job on her husband’s Barge. He accepts but soon after telling him his name they kick him out because of past family problems.
Later on Justine holds a pizza party on behalf of Maddie’s leaving. They all sit down to watch a movie and Carl and Justine sit next to each other. Further into the movie they hold hands. A steamy romance begins.
Carl and Joy are requested for at the police station. Carl is asked to observe a book of deceased people to try and identify his mother because the policeman believes she is one of the victims in a bus crash. While flicking through he discovers a page with a picture of his mother on it. Although he doesn’t inform the policeman. He bottles up his feelings for a long time.
Aunt Beryl decides to move away with her boyfriend Bruce. Therefore Carl and Harley move in with Skip and Joy Duncan.

The main characters are:
Carl-a friendly 15-year-old boy who is slightly chubby. Very kind hearted and caring. He has a terrible life but it eventually improves.
Harley-Carl’s younger brother, friendly and quiet.
Maddie-the pretty blonde girl whom Carl first has a crush on.
Justine-a really nice girl who eventually ends up dating Carl. One of Maddie’s friends.
Beryl-a mean woman who is forced to look after Carl and Harley but ends up deserting them for her boyfriend.
Joy-a nice lady who is really friendly and looks after Carl and Harley
This novel is set at a place called Wattle Beach. It’s in the Summer time. It has a long beach where all the cool kids hang out. Other parts in the novel are the surf club, the barge, school and the police station.
My favourite part of the book is where Carl finds out exactly what has happened to his mum. It’s so emotional and sad. It even brought tears to my eyes. It’s like a big twist in the book because you didn’t see it coning.
I think James Moloney’s choice of words in this novel is excellent. They’re so drawing, you feel like you’re in the novel at that place. The words explain every little detail throughout the book. The way Mr Moloney has used and set the words is very good.

My personal opinion of this book is that it is really good. I encourage all other teenagers to read this book because I believe a lot could relate to it. It’s an exciting book which when you start reading you can’t put it down. I’d rate it a 9 out of 10. Great book!!!

Reader reviewed by Lady gaga rox

The novel A Bridge to Wisemans Cove was in my opinion was a very touching, interesting and also very funny all at the same time. After reading the first 2 chapters I was hooked and ended up reading 3 times. The start of the book is very mysterious but has a very dramatic ending but also it also was a happy ending that satisfied all the characters.

James Moloney is one of the most talented authors that I know for writing such a magnificent and touching story. Also another reason why I think James is such a good author is that he included a whole lot of different themes in the story that helps the reader understand the concept of the story more.

One of the themes in the story is Family which is a huge part of this book. In the book Carl the main character has many troubles that deal with his family. The only thing that Carl wants is to have a happy and ordinary family. Some of the problems that Carl has with family are; his mother Kerry leaving him ho we find out is end all this time, Sarah his older sister leaves him and his younger brother, he has lots of trouble with his Aunt Beryl and there is much more.

The next most important theme is love which is also shown several times in the book. The big thing that has troubled Carl during the book is that he thinks his mother doesnt love him anymore but he soons finds out that she did love him but she died on the way back. Also some other examples that show love in the book include; Carl waiting at the bus stop near the Nugents store everyday to see if his mother has come, he always looks after Harley and also leaves school for him so they have a place to live, he also works very hard on Skips barge to pay his Aunt so she lets them stay.

Another important theme in the novel is Body Image. Body image is maybe one of the biggest things that keep Carl upset and scared to speak to others. Some examples of this are; when he goes to the beach he always wears a t-shirt so no one can see his big bulges of fat and also how he was too scared to talk to any of the kids in Wattle Beach because he thinks hey would tease him and laugh at him.

Overall this book was very interesting book that is something that I havent read before. So if you like drama and family themed books you will love this one

Reader reviewed by Claire

I didn't think much of A Bridge to Wiseman's Cove at first. To me it was just an ordinary boring English book that was compulsery to read for the school. I picked up like I was going o die of boredom by the first page, but it wasn't like any other book I read. I turned to the prelude (which I normally don't bother reading). At withing the first line of words it captivated me and took my breath away. Yes it wasn't like books like Twilight where it gets the whole world stirring but this book is unique, it has this special way of relating to everyone. Carl's life is so sad and it makes you want to keep on reading every page just in hope that it will only get better. I wouldn't recommend the book to people who don't like reading because they will not understand the themes and attidues of loneliness, hatred and unrequited love. But to everyone who does love reading grab the book out of your library, go buy it or order it somehow. This book will never be forgotten, well at least not with me.

Reader reviewed by Zyrad

A Bridge To Wiseman's Cove review
by Zyrad


A Bridge To Wiseman's Cove is one of the worst books of all time. The book is just worse than the book you had to read in the previous year, Johnny Hearts Heroes. After reading This book I realised it was like a donut; it had nothing in the middle. The plot of this book was so awful as it was so boring and it wasnt very well polished. Also it was very predictable, like when they found out the mother was away for a long time on one of her holidays; I thought then that the mother was dead and you would find out at the end and there would be some stupid soppy story to go along with it.


Just like the plot, the characters werent very well polished, they were silly and some of the characters just changed in the middle of the book. It also went against Australian law; Australian law states that you have to finish year 10 before you can go on to work, something the author didnt think about.

Some bits in the book were so empty-headed and the author made some characters look like total dimwits. Like when they were looking for Harley out at sea when the boat capsized, nearly everyone would have realised that theres something called the current. The current would carry a thing in the direction the current was heading, if that thing in question was is in the current. But the search party didnt think about that; so it took an ex lumberjack, barge driver to realise it.


In addition when Carl bumped into Joy, you wouldnt pick up the sharp nail-like objects until your hands bled and you were in great pain. How would you no that Joy, being short on cash, didnt try to save on money by buying the cheapest brand or get second hand items, which could have been rusted and you could of got tetanus and judging Carls background he wouldnt of got a tetanus shot and could of died.


As you may have figured from the above four paragraphs, I hate this book and I feel sorry for all unlucky people who have to read it. Lets just hope to god that there isnt a sequel (which there very likely will be if more unlucky grade ten students have to buy the book and read it against there will). Hopefully you have a really good English teacher and you can beg and plead her to change the book to something less unconsciously foolish, fatuous, vacuous, puerile, inane, inconsistent, depressing, abominable, onerous, contemptible, vile, ungodly or unholy book to something more balmy, desirable, stupendous, exemplary, tip-top, supereminent, awe-inspiring, breathtaking, superexcellent or zestful book that you will want to read.


But until that time, just read the book, do the piece of assessment on the book and when your finished with the book, invite your friends (who also hated the book) to a flat abanded area and make a bonfire with your copy of the book.

Reader reviewed by Simone

Well I totally disagree with you as A Bridge To Wisemans Cove is one of the best books I've read. Now I'm not the type of person who reads books all day but I had to read this book for school as well. I find this book very mysterious and it really makes you wonder at the start; it doesnt really have a story line but the more you read the more you understand.

So I hope you get over your hatred of this book as it was a fanatastic read!

Reader reviewed by NAOMI

i think that this book was put out to target those who have lost their loved ones or that their loved one has abandoned them. This book is alright FOR THOSE WHO LIKE THE BOOK and even if you dnt you can try to be commited to reading because you may need it for years to come.......

Reader reviewed by cooks

when first reading this book i was stunned. i found it had mixed emotions. however once studying the book i found it mind blowing at how detailed the plot is. a lot of writing techniques are shown within the book. eg pg75/76 i found up to 20 different techniques used. from similes to metaphors to imagerary and heavy decriptive paragraphs. slang right the way throught to formal language. over all it was a fantastic read.

Reader reviewed by Hartley

If you have come to this site, it means you are interested in what other people thought of A Bridge to Wiseman's Cove. I'm 13, and we had to read it for English for this term's book study. ABTWC happens to be a book I have read before in leisure time, and I enjoyed it very much. My english teacher gets us to read a chapter out loud and then to explain to the class what it's about, and how we feel about it, and this book is not difficult to read- no ridiculously long words or descriptions,and is easy to follw but what it does contain, however, are plenty of very powerful metaphors which capture the mood perfectly, in easy but strong language. This novel contains many much-talked about themes, bt in a much more personal and more descriptive way. Some of the people I know didn't like the book because of the 'strong' language in it, but that's just one of the things which makes this book so truthful and raw with emotion.

This book is suitable for any one over the age of 12, right up to 150 year olds. Read it if you get the chance. Even if you don't particularly enjoy reading it, you'll come away with a new sense of understanding for all types of situations.