Okay.
Here we go.
I'm sorry to say, but this was not good. It meanders off so much into little slices of the many characters lives that it is basically a collection of pointless tangents. The main storyline is insubstantial as a result. There is one very emotional moment but my overwhelming annoyance at the writing and characters clouded that for me. And the ending! So unsatisfyingly abrupt and disappointing. There was also some problematic stuff in there too that was not addressed or resolved. Sorry to be so harsh, especially about a piece of NZ fiction. And the audiobook narration was unpleasant with constantly mispronounced te reo that set my teeth on edge. It's a no from me. ( )

16-year-old Jahnine's mother is battling cervical cancer. Her family are convinced that a greenstone (ponamu) patu stolen from a fallen Maori warrior during the New Zealand Wars by Jahnine's great-great-grandfather is the source of a family curse. Jahnine decides that in order to lift the curse and save her mother the patu must be returned to it's rightful place with Maori. A disturbed Maori boy named Andy leads Jahnine into a Maori world that is foreign to both of them - or is it actually the patu leading them?

It wasn't until about a third of the way through this book that I started to enjoy it. It covers some themes that will be uncomfortable for some but which I feel are honestly done. Urban Maori's loss of identity and the journey to discover this I found touching. I also appreciated the wonderful sense of welcome and belonging to a community that a marae gives. Unfortunately I didn't feel that the cover was that appealing. We need more of this type of book on our New Zealand library shelves. ( )

Patu is the story of Jahnine who is a 16 year old Pakeha girl whose Mum is battling cancer. Jahnine's mum and her grandmother are convinced that their ongoing family troubles are caused by a curse. A patu was taken from a Maori warrior during the land wars. This patu has been in Jahnine's family ever since and is blamed for all their woes. Jahnine decides that in order to save her Mum the patu must be returned to it's rightful place. By chance Jahnine meets a boy named Andy who happens to be Maori and asks him for help. Andy has troubles of his own and leads Jahnine on a merry ride as together they find their way to a Maori world that is new and confusing to both of them. Through the journey there is growth and enlightenment for all concerned as well as a new sense of identity.

This novel was incredibly thought provoking for me. The writers agenda could be seen to be to foster greater understanding of Maori history and issues. While this was acheived, at times the lessons were heavy handed. The story also made me rehash my own quest for identity as both Pakeha and Maori.

I really enjoyed this reading this story. It was well written and had me hanging on to find out what would happen next. I felt emotionally connected to the characters and I was anxious for the Patu to end up in the right place. I was scared a couple of times that this would not happen. This book made me laugh and it made me sad. In the end I think the reader finds a sense of peace just as the characters do. ( )