Review & Giveaway: The One and Only Jack Chant by Rosie Borella

The One and Only Jack Chant by Rosie Borella
Published by Allen and Unwin
Format Reviewed: Paperback
Publication Date: February 26th 2014
Genre: YA Contemporary
Pages: 328
Reviewed by: Eugenia
My Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
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Who is Jack Chant? And why is he hanging around her nursing home? That's the question sixteen-year-old Amber must ask herself as she's swept out of her routine job and taken on a poignant journey of mystery, romance and self-discovery. 

Sixteen-year-old Amber never expected to find romance while working in an old people's home ... but then Jack Chant is not what she expected either. He's young, exciting and enigmatic - and deeply troubled by something that happened in his past, something he can't quite remember. Gradually Amber suspects that Jack's past might be a whole lot further back in time than he realises. Is he solid flesh and blood, or just some kind of dreamy fantasy? A sweetly romantic coming-of-age story in which Amber learns more than most teens about getting old, falling in love and letting go.

Thank you to Allen and Unwin Australia for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Rosie Borella's impressive debut novel is one of converging opposites: Young and old, life and death, what is real and what is not. Throughout this beautifully woven tale, you are taken on a unique journey of an ordinary girl who ends up being apart of some pretty extraordinary things. Sixteen year old Amber may not have expected her job working in a nursing home to be anything but routine, however when she meets Jack Chant, a boy who seems to be from way out of this time, she finds something fascinating about him. Why he would turn up in Tranquil Banks Nursing Home was another matter altogether, but one she was determined to find more about.

Let's be honest - you don't see many YA novels set in nursing homes, and Rosie Borella has definitely put a fresh twist on this concept by using it in The One and Only Jack Chant. Oftentimes, although we don't like to admit it, the older people in our community don't always get the amount of care which they deserve, and not all nursing homes have a good reputation. In Tranquil Banks, there is a mixture of both; there are some really nice characters who look after the people there with genuine consideration, and others act more like a Miss Trunchbowl and put their own selves first. If only in a small way, this book has made me realise how important it is to care for the aged in our society, as they are still people too with hearts and minds that deserve to be taken care of when their own families can't provide that.

In my opinion, you can't have a fantastic book without a great lead character, and in this case Amber definitely is one. From the very beginning, it is obvious that Amber is more mature than her sixteen years might suggest. Finishing school early, she went to work in the nursing home to earn some extra money. Aside from this though, she is a compassionate character who really does care about the people she works with. Being both professional and friendly made her a good balance of both, and she really did step up to the plate as a carer. The other old characters in the home also had their own unique charm about them, giving the story more reliability and depth. Jack Chant himself proved to be quite elusive. He's definitely interesting and very mysterious, though you do learn what his purpose is and his significance to the story is apparent - you need to read the book to find out the rest!

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, even though I could go on for longer about the unique qualities of this book and why you should read it, I'm going to leave it for you to find out the rest for yourself. I really would recommend giving this book a try - it's a fresh perspective on something old and is a delight to read when you're looking for something just that little bit mystical, but very realistic at the same time.

Now for the Giveaway - Thanks to Allen and Unwin for supplying the books up for grabs!

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