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3rd out of 18 books
—
16 voters
The Beach House
by
Helen McKenna (Goodreads Author)
Nothing much happens in the small Queensland town of Sunset Point, which is just the way the locals like it. So when an outsider with grand plans threatens to demolish an iconic local landmark and build a huge resort the battle lines are drawn.
Young journalist Jessica hopes to make it big with her coverage of the court case, but first she has to appease her editor and put...more
Young journalist Jessica hopes to make it big with her coverage of the court case, but first she has to appease her editor and put...more
Paperback, 507 pages
Published
2011
by Josha Books
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Having read a few reviews of this book, I was fairly sure that I was going to enjoy it and I wasn’t disappointed. While I agree it is an ‘easy’ read, there is also some depth to each section/character in the story as well as a charm and simplicity that ultimately left me with a smile on my face when I finished it.
Told in five parts, The Beach House is the story of five individuals who all holiday in the same small town in Queensland and stay at the same beach house. The underpinning of the story...more
Told in five parts, The Beach House is the story of five individuals who all holiday in the same small town in Queensland and stay at the same beach house. The underpinning of the story...more
I’m a bit reluctant to try new authors and then when it is a first novel, I’m always a bit dubious. But I got a nice surprise when I read The Beach House. Right from the start I could tell that I was going to enjoy it and that it would be an easy, entertaining read.
The basic storyline is about a developer who wants to buy some prime beachfront land in Queensland. The only problem is that there is an old holiday house already there. He is annoyed when the locals protest but he really wants the la...more
The basic storyline is about a developer who wants to buy some prime beachfront land in Queensland. The only problem is that there is an old holiday house already there. He is annoyed when the locals protest but he really wants the la...more
3 likes · like · see review
The Blurb
“Nothing much happens in the small Queensland town of Sunset Point, which is just the way the locals like it. So, when an outsider with grand plans threatens to demolish an iconic local landmark and build a huge resort, the battle lines are drawn.
Young journalist Jessica hopes to make it big with her coverage of the course case, but first she has to appease her editor and put a human interest spin on the situation. At first glance the five people she chooses to background have little in...more
“Nothing much happens in the small Queensland town of Sunset Point, which is just the way the locals like it. So, when an outsider with grand plans threatens to demolish an iconic local landmark and build a huge resort, the battle lines are drawn.
Young journalist Jessica hopes to make it big with her coverage of the course case, but first she has to appease her editor and put a human interest spin on the situation. At first glance the five people she chooses to background have little in...more
A developer wants to demolish an old beach house in Queensland - nothing too unusual about that these days. But the people of Sunset Point aren't going to let "their" beach house be torn down without a fight. Enter journalist Jessica, who is assigned the job of telling the stories of five people from different walks of life who have stayed in the house. These stories join together to form the novel The Beach House.
As a Queenslander I loved the setting and all the local references. Although a fic...more
As a Queenslander I loved the setting and all the local references. Although a fic...more
Set in a small, coastal Queensland town, The Beach House tells the story of an old holiday house that is being threatened with demolition to make way for a new resort. A court battle is looming and a young journalist is assigned the story. However rather than chasing after the “big” headline, her editor first makes her cover the human interest angle and interview five people who have stayed there in the past. Thus their stories form the novel.
I knew I was going to enjoy this book right from the...more
I knew I was going to enjoy this book right from the...more
I LOVED it!! This is a really enjoyable book. It will make you laugh and make you cry, the characters are so well written that you genuinely care what happens to them and get totally involved in their stories. I was really sorry when each story ended and i had to leave the characters behind. Thankfully there were new characters to get to know in each new story. The style is an easy read but it is in no way predictable, i loved the twists in the stories that i never saw coming. I loved the epilog...more
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I loved this book! For a start I loved the fact that it was set in Queensland (Australia) as there are so few books set there and I also loved the fact that parts of it were set in the 1990s. It is a bit of a different kind of novel in that there are five stories within the book each featuring a different character. But they are all set at the same place "The Beaach House" in the small town of Sunset Point. Each of these stories could have almost been a novel in themselves, but they are more lik...more
4 likes · like · see review
Like my favourite Maeve Binchy book, (Evening Class), The Beach House is a group of different stories that have been woven together to form a novel. I loved exploring each different character and their individual journey in staying at The Beach House. But I also loved the way all the characters were threaded together at the end. All the characters had an impact on me in some way. There were also a couple of little twists that I didn't see coming.
I also loved the setting. Queensland is one of my...more
I also loved the setting. Queensland is one of my...more
2 likes · like · see review
This book was totally awesome!!!!!!!!! I finished it in four days because I couldn't put it down. I really liked getting to know all of the characters and their stories at the beach house. The author explored many different kinds of emotion, humour, sadness and hope. There are some good lessons about life that we should all listen to. Also I love the 90's references. The Beach House is a great novel to read on holidays, especially at the beach ;-)
Great novel by an Australian author. I loved how the stories of each person's experience at the beach house moved them and changed their lives in some way, and also the details of life in Queensland throughout in different periods of time, from the early 90s to present day. My favourite story was Claire's.
1 like · like · see review
This book is filled with wonderful stories of people who have spent time staying at The Beach House. They have nothing in common bar the house itself. One thing that happens during each stay at The Beach House if life changing.
It’s beautifully written and inspiring.
At first it looked like a huge story but it’s not, it’s divided into sections where each of the five tell their story of their stay at The Beach House. It started off from Kate’s stay in 1994 to Jack’s stay in 2003.
There is great di...more
It’s beautifully written and inspiring.
At first it looked like a huge story but it’s not, it’s divided into sections where each of the five tell their story of their stay at The Beach House. It started off from Kate’s stay in 1994 to Jack’s stay in 2003.
There is great di...more
2 likes · like · see review
The setting for The Beach House is a small seaside town (the kind most of us have visited) in Queensland. There are five different stories, which are told separately, but they are weaved together towards the end. Each character has their own reasons for holidaying at The Beach House and you learn of that as the story unfolds. The writing style is quite simple but engaging and you definitely get a real sense of the house. There is drama and some sadness within the stories, but also humour and fun...more
A really nice, comforting story with some great characters.
Sep 04, 2012
Dermo
marked it as to-read
I won this book as part of the giveaway.
I thought it would be chick lit but it's not, it's kind of a mix of genres and should appeal to a fairly wide audience. The writing style is simple but engaging and there are a few nice little twists that you don't really expect. Great holiday read, or for escaping in the middle of winter.
Thanks to Goodreads for my giveaway!
Review to follow!
Review to follow!
Well, you've got to love your own book, right??
Good holiday read.
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Helen McKenna grew up in Queensland, Australia. An avid reader from childhood, she always dreamed of writing her own book one day.
Helen completed a B.A. degree at the University of Queensland and has worked in many fields – banking, local government, in learning support, as a swimming instructor and as a biographer. Her love of the beach and Queenslander houses inspired her to write The Beach Hou...more
More about Helen McKenna...
Helen completed a B.A. degree at the University of Queensland and has worked in many fields – banking, local government, in learning support, as a swimming instructor and as a biographer. Her love of the beach and Queenslander houses inspired her to write The Beach Hou...more
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