Previous SFF Author: Dennis Mahoney
(1936-2012) Margaret Mahy was born in Whakatane, New Zealand and was inspired to write at a very young age by the adventure stories her father would tell her. She wrote speculative fiction for children and teens.
I first read The Haunting when I was about ten or eleven years old, and now — almost twenty years later — I was stunned by how much I remembered it. Usually good books leave an imprint of enjoyment on your memory, but such is the potency of Margaret Mahy‘s writing that I recalled almost every beat of her story. At the same time, there were parts of The Haunting that I could appreciate much more as an adult than as a child.
Rebecca Fisher´s rating: 5 | Margaret Mahy | Children, Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | no comments |
The Changeover by Margaret Mahy
[In our Edge of the Universe column, we review mainstream authors that incorporate elements of speculative fiction into their “literary” work. However you want to label them, we hope you’ll enjoy discussing these books with us.]
I read Margaret Mahy’s Carnegie-winning novel first as a teenager and again just recently, in my twenties. Despite the passage of time, I found that The Changeover had lost none of its potency. It’s still a striking coming-of-age story,
Rebecca Fisher´s rating: 5 | Margaret Mahy | Edge, Young Adult | SFF Reviews | 4 comments |
The Tricksters by Margaret Mahy
Margaret Mahy was one of New Zealand’s most seminal writers, and one of only a few authors to twice-win the Carnegie Medal — first for The Haunting and then for The Changeover. As good as these books are, my personal favourite is The Tricksters, written for a slightly older audience and filled with her trademark New Zealand scenery, supernatural occurrences, family dramas and the awakening of a young person to adulthood.
Rebecca Fisher´s rating: 4.5 | Margaret Mahy | Edge, Stand-Alone, Young Adult | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
The Five Sisters by Margaret Mahy
You always know you’re in for a magical, whimsical treat when reading something by Margaret Mahy, one of New Zealand’s most best-loved children’s authors. The Five Sisters (1997) is no exception, recounting the marvellous adventures of five paper dolls with linked hands.
On a hot summer day Sally entreats her Nana for a story, but instead watches as she folds a piece of paper and draws a doll with a crooked smile and strong running shoes called Alpha.
Rebecca Fisher´s rating: 4 | Margaret Mahy | Children, Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Maddigan’s Fantasia by Margaret Mahy
Early in the 22nd century, the world underwent a vast and radical change, in which the tectonic plates of the Earth shifted and a series of devastating earthquakes changed the face of the planet. As a result of these events — now known as the Great Chaos — the population has severely dropped and most technology has been lost. What remains is a dangerous wilderness where communities are isolated and bandits roam the unmapped highways.
Yet out of the ashes of the old world comes Solis,
Rebecca Fisher´s rating: 4 | Margaret Mahy | Children, Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Tale of a Tail by Margaret Mahy
Margaret Mahy was one of New Zealand’s most beloved writers, the author of forty novels, over one hundred picture books, and a twice-winner of the Carnegie Medal. She passed away in 2012, and I’ll admit that I got a little tearful when I heard that there was still one last story of hers to be published posthumously.
As a final coda to Mahy’s prolific writing career, Tale of a Tail is a funny, magical little story about a boy called Tom who lives with his mother on Prodigy Street.
Rebecca Fisher´s rating: 4.5 | Margaret Mahy | Children | SFF Reviews | 3 comments |
Previous SFF Author: Dennis Mahoney
Pretty challenging book. Cut by half, speed up the cadence. Trying to figure out the plot, the main point of…
Thanks for the kind words, Marion! Coming as they are from a professional writer, they are much appreciated!
Wonderful review, Sandy.
The "body count" bothered me a bit less because being dead seemed more like an inconvenience than anything else... unlike…
Detailed, thoughtful review, Bill. I'm going to read it for two reasons. First, Karen Russell wrote it, and second, it…