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Strange Objects
On 4 June 1629, the Dutch vessel Batavia struck uncharted rocks off the Western Australian coast. By the time help arrived, over 120 men, women and children had met their deaths - not in the sea but murdered by two fellow survivors, Wouter Loos and Jan Pelgrom.
In 1986 teenager Steven Messenger discovers gruesome relics from that wreck. Four months later he disappears without a trace.
Where is Messenger? Is his disappearance linked to the relics? Someone knows...somewhere....
In 1986 teenager Steven Messenger discovers gruesome relics from that wreck. Four months later he disappears without a trace.
Where is Messenger? Is his disappearance linked to the relics? Someone knows...somewhere....
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First published January 1, 1990
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About the author
Gary Crew
96 books66 followersDr Gary Crew, author of novels, short stories and picture books for older children and young adults, began his writing career in 1985, when he was a high school teacher. His books are challenging and intriguing, often based on non-fiction. As well as writing fiction, Gary is a Associate Professor in Creative Writing, Children's and Adult Literature, at the University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland and editor of the After Dark series.
He lives with his wife Christine on several acres in the cool, high mountains of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland in Queensland, Australia in a house called 'Green Mansions' which is shaded by over 200 Australian rainforest palms he has cultivated. He enjoys gardening, reading, and playing with his dogs Ferris, Beulah, and Miss Wendy. In his spare time he has created an Australian Rainforest Garden around his home, filled with Australian palms. Gary loves to visit antique shops looking for curios and beautiful objects.
Gary Crew has been awarded the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the year four times: twice for Book of the Year for Young Adult Older Readers (Strange Objects in 1991 and Angel’s Gate in 1993) and twice for Picture Book of the Year with First Light in 1993 (illustrated by Peter Gouldthorpe) and The Watertower (illustrated by Steven Woolman) in 1994. Gary’s illustrated book, Memorial (with Shaun Tan) was awarded the Children’s Book Council of Australia Honour Book in 2000 and short listed for the Queensland Premier’s Awards. He has also won the Wilderness Society Award, the Whitley Award and the Aurealis Award for Speculative Fiction.
In the USA he has been twice short listed for the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Allan Poe Mystery Fiction Award for Youth and the Hungry Minds Review American Children’s Book of distinction. In Europe he has twice been and twice the prestigious White Raven Award for his illustrated books. Among his many Australian awards is the Ned Kelly Prize for Crime Fiction, the New South Wales Premier’s Award and the Victorian Premier’s Award. He has been short listed for both the Queensland Premier’s and the Western Australian Premier’s awards for Fiction.
He lives with his wife Christine on several acres in the cool, high mountains of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland in Queensland, Australia in a house called 'Green Mansions' which is shaded by over 200 Australian rainforest palms he has cultivated. He enjoys gardening, reading, and playing with his dogs Ferris, Beulah, and Miss Wendy. In his spare time he has created an Australian Rainforest Garden around his home, filled with Australian palms. Gary loves to visit antique shops looking for curios and beautiful objects.
Gary Crew has been awarded the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the year four times: twice for Book of the Year for Young Adult Older Readers (Strange Objects in 1991 and Angel’s Gate in 1993) and twice for Picture Book of the Year with First Light in 1993 (illustrated by Peter Gouldthorpe) and The Watertower (illustrated by Steven Woolman) in 1994. Gary’s illustrated book, Memorial (with Shaun Tan) was awarded the Children’s Book Council of Australia Honour Book in 2000 and short listed for the Queensland Premier’s Awards. He has also won the Wilderness Society Award, the Whitley Award and the Aurealis Award for Speculative Fiction.
In the USA he has been twice short listed for the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Allan Poe Mystery Fiction Award for Youth and the Hungry Minds Review American Children’s Book of distinction. In Europe he has twice been and twice the prestigious White Raven Award for his illustrated books. Among his many Australian awards is the Ned Kelly Prize for Crime Fiction, the New South Wales Premier’s Award and the Victorian Premier’s Award. He has been short listed for both the Queensland Premier’s and the Western Australian Premier’s awards for Fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
February 10, 2017
SORRY JUST RATING BOOKS IM REMEMBERING FROM HIGH SCHOOL.
This was trash. 15 year old me wanted to rip her hair out while reading it and did on several occasions. It's a short book, but it took me 10 weeks to finish it because of how absolutely awful it is.
Burn it if your school gives it to you.
This was trash. 15 year old me wanted to rip her hair out while reading it and did on several occasions. It's a short book, but it took me 10 weeks to finish it because of how absolutely awful it is.
Burn it if your school gives it to you.
January 11, 2011
This is the book, in many ways, that inspired me to turn my hand to writing. Utterly intriguing, completely untrustworthy, and totally compelling. Crew's blend of fiction and fact, his unreliable narrator and narrative, and his genius for resistant reading make this a work that will challenge everyone who reads it. In many ways, it's a book which helped re-shape the form of Australian Young Adult fiction writing, and which opened the door for a lot of other writers (myself included) to really take their 'adolescent' writing into to new levels of complexity and narrative depth. I'd place it among the cadre of novels which had a significant influence upon the more recent boom in 'crossover' writing.
February 25, 2012
Where's the 0 star button? This book is terribly disturbing. The worst thing is, it won a childrens award medal and so it is able to be put in school libraries without the librarian reading it first. It is completely inpropriate for children.
August 10, 2017
Inspired by a readathon doing the rounds to revisit childhood favourites, I picked up Strange Objects, and was immediately reminded, more than anything, of the feelings I had when reading this book about 20 years ago. The excitement of a mystery, the dark imagery, the dark history, and the seemingly paranormal happenings - I felt an almost delicious nostalgia for the first time I read and become engrossed with this novel.
The first time around I became fascinated by the story of Batavia, and I think it is one of the key influences on my fascination with history, and historical 'detective' work. The second time around, I'm an adult with a degree in history, and I still find the story of Batavia so interesting. This time around, I was able to pick up on the way the book introduces primary sources - presenting the idea of piecing together a story for yourself from multiple sources, for a young audience.
I probably didn't find the ending very satisfying the first time I read it - and I'm sure many young readers would be frustrated at the unanswered questions and suggestions that are made within the book. But reading it now, I can really appreciate the way this book reflects the subjective nature of stories. We will inevitably never know the whole truth, because the truth looks different depending on where you stand. Further, you can never know the whole truth of mysteries from the past; you can never know what happened to abandoned sailors on the coast of Australia in the 17th century, and you can never know what happened in Aboriginal communities hundreds or thousands of years ago. You can guess though, based on evidence. Just that you'll never know the entirety of it.
I also now enjoy the introduction of the unreliable narrator. In the midst of the story, you aren't quite sure what to make of Messenger's experience of events, and you certainly aren't supposed to agree wholeheartedly with a lot of his decisions. Later on, of course, you are introduced to the idea that his perspective may be even more unreliable than previously suspected.
There is so much to this book!
Of course, I cringed a bit in reference to 'Abos', and the stereotypes of Aboriginal people all being deros, drunks, and generally not worth very much in the scheme of things. That is couched, however, in the perspective of someone who we come to know as not a very good person; and the respect that is given to Charlie in other contexts seems to go some way to mitigate these not so nice remarks and assumptions.
All in all, I think this book stood up really well, and I really enjoyed re-reading it.
The first time around I became fascinated by the story of Batavia, and I think it is one of the key influences on my fascination with history, and historical 'detective' work. The second time around, I'm an adult with a degree in history, and I still find the story of Batavia so interesting. This time around, I was able to pick up on the way the book introduces primary sources - presenting the idea of piecing together a story for yourself from multiple sources, for a young audience.
I probably didn't find the ending very satisfying the first time I read it - and I'm sure many young readers would be frustrated at the unanswered questions and suggestions that are made within the book. But reading it now, I can really appreciate the way this book reflects the subjective nature of stories. We will inevitably never know the whole truth, because the truth looks different depending on where you stand. Further, you can never know the whole truth of mysteries from the past; you can never know what happened to abandoned sailors on the coast of Australia in the 17th century, and you can never know what happened in Aboriginal communities hundreds or thousands of years ago. You can guess though, based on evidence. Just that you'll never know the entirety of it.
I also now enjoy the introduction of the unreliable narrator. In the midst of the story, you aren't quite sure what to make of Messenger's experience of events, and you certainly aren't supposed to agree wholeheartedly with a lot of his decisions. Later on, of course, you are introduced to the idea that his perspective may be even more unreliable than previously suspected.
There is so much to this book!
Of course, I cringed a bit in reference to 'Abos', and the stereotypes of Aboriginal people all being deros, drunks, and generally not worth very much in the scheme of things. That is couched, however, in the perspective of someone who we come to know as not a very good person; and the respect that is given to Charlie in other contexts seems to go some way to mitigate these not so nice remarks and assumptions.
All in all, I think this book stood up really well, and I really enjoyed re-reading it.
May 3, 2018
As a book-lover i try to see the good in most books, even if they aren't exactly to my taste I try to understand why others might enjoy them or what the authors purpose was in writing it, however when writing this review I can only result to absolute honesty and say that this book was TERRIBLE!
As I read it I foolishly searched for reason, purpose or even just an understandable plot-line but it appears to be written with none. Its unique scrapbook-like structure does not work because the whole premise feels outrageously unbelievable and at no point does the reader ever gain a full understanding of the events of the story or the book's overall meaning. The genre also appeared to be a poor attempt at Australian historical fiction mixed with an appalling Lord of The Rings like element that was added with no explanation.
There are seriously large plot holes left unresolved that just left me confused and thinking "i just wasted 3 hours of my life I'll never get back on something that made no sense". It left many questions like "what the hell was the deal with the ring?" and "what happened to the main character who basically turned out to be a murderer?". The lack of decent writing also meant that I found I could not understand how a reader would even draw their own "artistic interpretations" if that was the author's design.
In addition to this lack of logic within the story, the characters were undeveloped, unlikeable and quite frankly disturbing, making this in no way an enjoyable read. I have no idea why this book is "critically acclaimed" as Australian fiction but I would not recommend it to anyone with taste.
As I read it I foolishly searched for reason, purpose or even just an understandable plot-line but it appears to be written with none. Its unique scrapbook-like structure does not work because the whole premise feels outrageously unbelievable and at no point does the reader ever gain a full understanding of the events of the story or the book's overall meaning. The genre also appeared to be a poor attempt at Australian historical fiction mixed with an appalling Lord of The Rings like element that was added with no explanation.
There are seriously large plot holes left unresolved that just left me confused and thinking "i just wasted 3 hours of my life I'll never get back on something that made no sense". It left many questions like "what the hell was the deal with the ring?" and "what happened to the main character who basically turned out to be a murderer?". The lack of decent writing also meant that I found I could not understand how a reader would even draw their own "artistic interpretations" if that was the author's design.
In addition to this lack of logic within the story, the characters were undeveloped, unlikeable and quite frankly disturbing, making this in no way an enjoyable read. I have no idea why this book is "critically acclaimed" as Australian fiction but I would not recommend it to anyone with taste.
August 9, 2014
YA novel that pushes the bounds of what is acceptable for teens, Strange Objects pulls no punches. Unusual for its age group, Strange Objects is an epistolary novel and utilizes the format well, implying more horror than it gives. A clever game of bait-and-switch runs throughout the novel, starting with Steve, who is our primary narrator and, by most default thinking, the protagonist. It is only when we revisit his actions from another perspective that we truly get a glimpse of Steven not filtered by his self-delusion. So it goes with history present throughout the book. Crew gives an account of historical triumph for colonial whites in Australia, and then revisits it from another perspective and forces the reader to reexamine earlier conclusions. Those looking for a neat ending won't find one, those looking for a haunting ending will be very satisfied. This book is one rug-pull after another, and I couldn't have loved it more.
July 19, 2014
I had to read this book as a forced assignment. Usually, I look forward to the classics, like reading books from Charles Dickens as an assignment I always would say; that's a terrible book- maybe at the end it'll be good... and so I kept on reading. With Dickens, the ending, the cherry on top makes it all worth it.
However, with Crew's novel there was none of that. It was disappointing. Have your own opinions, sure, but mine is a 0 star for this book.
For example, characterisation of the main character was poorly done- maybe it was on purpose.
(Spoiler)
The kid, Steven Messenger, is heartless and racist. Maybe the racism was meant to reflect black/white views on 1980's generations, but the heartless factor.
Messenger busies himself creating the "Life Frame" a freakish obsession with trapping a living specimen inside of a wire mesh, then placing this trapped animal over red meat ants, and observe the cruel eating ceremony live. However he decides to kill the specimens first. Why? Not for humane purposes no- he decides he doesn't want the specimen to squirm, so he spends days and nights creating a metallic knife like object to kill it. Furthermore, Messenger argues that one of his only friends Kratzman, had twisted ideologies. When Messenger decides to spend his after KILLING AND HUNTING LIVE SEAGULL "filth" Kratzman stops him, with Messenger remarking how annoying he was.
I shouldn't just pick on what is meant to be a good book on fine features like this, but it left my mouth tasting sour. Some books don't have justice, but letting Messenger kill an elderly Aborigine, forcing his friend to commit road offences then take no blame for it was too much.
The only apparent good part of the story was the dual system; the juxtaposed Messenger and Jon Pelgrom; two physchomanics possessed over a ring living in separate ages.
However, with Crew's novel there was none of that. It was disappointing. Have your own opinions, sure, but mine is a 0 star for this book.
For example, characterisation of the main character was poorly done- maybe it was on purpose.
(Spoiler)
The kid, Steven Messenger, is heartless and racist. Maybe the racism was meant to reflect black/white views on 1980's generations, but the heartless factor.
Messenger busies himself creating the "Life Frame" a freakish obsession with trapping a living specimen inside of a wire mesh, then placing this trapped animal over red meat ants, and observe the cruel eating ceremony live. However he decides to kill the specimens first. Why? Not for humane purposes no- he decides he doesn't want the specimen to squirm, so he spends days and nights creating a metallic knife like object to kill it. Furthermore, Messenger argues that one of his only friends Kratzman, had twisted ideologies. When Messenger decides to spend his after KILLING AND HUNTING LIVE SEAGULL "filth" Kratzman stops him, with Messenger remarking how annoying he was.
I shouldn't just pick on what is meant to be a good book on fine features like this, but it left my mouth tasting sour. Some books don't have justice, but letting Messenger kill an elderly Aborigine, forcing his friend to commit road offences then take no blame for it was too much.
The only apparent good part of the story was the dual system; the juxtaposed Messenger and Jon Pelgrom; two physchomanics possessed over a ring living in separate ages.
March 28, 2017
We had to read this book for English at school, and I don't know if the fact that it was mandatory reading put me off slightly, but I did not find this book interesting at all.
The format was interesting with all the excerpts and files, but the story kind of built up to nothing. There was all this backstory and stuff with the ring which could have come to something, but the book just kind of ended, and I was left sitting there like "okay... nothing happened, that wasn't worth my time."
I changed the rating from 1 star to 2 stars just because this isn't as bad as the book that I gave 1 star too.
The format was interesting with all the excerpts and files, but the story kind of built up to nothing. There was all this backstory and stuff with the ring which could have come to something, but the book just kind of ended, and I was left sitting there like "okay... nothing happened, that wasn't worth my time."
I changed the rating from 1 star to 2 stars just because this isn't as bad as the book that I gave 1 star too.
May 29, 2019
This story has haunted me for years as I didn't have a copy of it. I couldn't remember the name but the story has stuck with me and influenced who I am inadvertently as a human being; as an adult. It inspired me to write short stories from creative spaces I never thought existed within me.
Gary Crew shared a story that so profoundly ripped at my pure and nubile psyche and tormented it with his storyline and the happenings of Steven Messenger in the book. I became even more wiser and open to the world's unforgivable course. It woke me up. I absolutely LOVED this book.
Gary Crew shared a story that so profoundly ripped at my pure and nubile psyche and tormented it with his storyline and the happenings of Steven Messenger in the book. I became even more wiser and open to the world's unforgivable course. It woke me up. I absolutely LOVED this book.
February 6, 2017
I found this book really hard to get into... I wasn't sure what happened to Messenger in the end, either. Like is he dead? What's with the ring - are we talking some lord of the rings-esque thing here? Also, how come other people saw Messenger as his hallucination in the end??? It was a completely non-satisfying ending.
I didn't really get the point of this book & things just didn't make sense for me. I put the book down and just asked myself why I wasted time on that. Don't recommend.
I didn't really get the point of this book & things just didn't make sense for me. I put the book down and just asked myself why I wasted time on that. Don't recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 6, 2018
A weird, creepy but fascinating little story which captured the eeriness of remote Western Australia perfectly.
From the other reviews I can only conclude that this little jewel is completely wasted on today’s phone-addicted zombie children.
From the other reviews I can only conclude that this little jewel is completely wasted on today’s phone-addicted zombie children.
May 5, 2017
0 stars actually.
Read
July 14, 2020Why do so many reviewers loath this? Because it's original, weird, disturbing, and 'not suitable for teens?' I can see giving it two stars or a dnf if you don't care for it, but what is worth the rants to burn it? My guess is, kids who read it for school, being all melodramatic as kids are. Well, my 14 yo gave it four stars and refused to part with it when we moved cross country. So I'm re-reading it myself and am very impressed.
I like the mix of fact and fiction. The town of Hamelin in Australia is real... even though, think about it, it's a great name for a town with this story in it because, hello, Hamelin Germany is setting of Pied Piper. The awful story of the wreck of the Batavia is also real.
I like that we're not necessarily rooting for the main character. I don't like how he treats his mom, or the "annoying" kid next door. Neither the kid next door nor I like how casual he is about killing. He's appallingly racist, even more so than whatever off-stage voices influenced him to be so. It's a really interesting take on pov.
I do wish that the 'photocopies' and 'newspaper clippings' looked more like same, so it would be easier to see what the Messenger boy wrote himself.
Ok done. Yeah, def. a strong 4 stars. I will absolutely consider more by the author, even though I normally don't like creepy or whatever. Just too brilliantly original.
I like the mix of fact and fiction. The town of Hamelin in Australia is real... even though, think about it, it's a great name for a town with this story in it because, hello, Hamelin Germany is setting of Pied Piper. The awful story of the wreck of the Batavia is also real.
I like that we're not necessarily rooting for the main character. I don't like how he treats his mom, or the "annoying" kid next door. Neither the kid next door nor I like how casual he is about killing. He's appallingly racist, even more so than whatever off-stage voices influenced him to be so. It's a really interesting take on pov.
I do wish that the 'photocopies' and 'newspaper clippings' looked more like same, so it would be easier to see what the Messenger boy wrote himself.
Ok done. Yeah, def. a strong 4 stars. I will absolutely consider more by the author, even though I normally don't like creepy or whatever. Just too brilliantly original.
December 6, 2024
A great yarn that is inexplicably connected to The Batavia 😊😊
November 22, 2021
Legendary book by a legendary author
Worth all the hype. Great read. Leaves you with a lot to consider well after you’ve finished reading. Gary Crew is a literary master.
Worth all the hype. Great read. Leaves you with a lot to consider well after you’ve finished reading. Gary Crew is a literary master.
December 11, 2012
Macabre, exciting, fresh, challenging.
Perhaps a little demanding of even the most sophisticated of young adult readers, "Strange Objects" is a ground breaking novel . All hail to Gary Crew for his intelligent and ingenious weaving together of time shift, historical reconstruction, multi- genre, cultural sensitivity, sinuous plot, psychological mystery and much more besides. He challenges his reader to make of the events what they will and to draw conclusions based on the evidence presented. There were times that the level of respect Crew accorded me, as a reader, to draw my own conclusions, drove me half crazy. I tried to be brave and do just that.
If the cleverness of the book alone isn't enough for you, consider the tragic events of the wrecking of the "Batavia" of the desolate West Coast of Australia many years before white occupation of the country and the bloody aftermath of that event. What's not to love about that? Consider the supernatural elements that range from Aboriginal spirituality to aliens to "strange objects" - archaeological relics that hold the power to tear a person through time. There's just so much in this book to grab and hold your attention, educate you, amaze you and bewilder you. Read it,
Perhaps a little demanding of even the most sophisticated of young adult readers, "Strange Objects" is a ground breaking novel . All hail to Gary Crew for his intelligent and ingenious weaving together of time shift, historical reconstruction, multi- genre, cultural sensitivity, sinuous plot, psychological mystery and much more besides. He challenges his reader to make of the events what they will and to draw conclusions based on the evidence presented. There were times that the level of respect Crew accorded me, as a reader, to draw my own conclusions, drove me half crazy. I tried to be brave and do just that.
If the cleverness of the book alone isn't enough for you, consider the tragic events of the wrecking of the "Batavia" of the desolate West Coast of Australia many years before white occupation of the country and the bloody aftermath of that event. What's not to love about that? Consider the supernatural elements that range from Aboriginal spirituality to aliens to "strange objects" - archaeological relics that hold the power to tear a person through time. There's just so much in this book to grab and hold your attention, educate you, amaze you and bewilder you. Read it,
December 23, 2015
I didn't love this book, in fact at many points in the book i wanted to give up and stop reading. However i had to endure it because I had to write a school essay on it.
I found it hard to read and confusing at many points in the book, the book was written from many different different people's points of view which was hard to follow sometimes.
This book won an award which i do actually believe was well deserved, this is because it is a well written book and it grew on me a bit. One of the best aspects of the books was the allusion. Allusion is references in fiction to factual events or references to movies or books. This was done very well, so well in fact I have had to research what actually happened and what didn't. I think this is why this book won the awards because of how well it was written.
The story was what threw me it was very weird and didn't make much sense. it follows the story of a very strange boy who does some weird things and has hallucinations which makes it extra hard to follow what is happening.
While I have said all these bad things about it I truly do recommend this book because while it wasn't my favourite i still think it was a nice and well written book.0
I found it hard to read and confusing at many points in the book, the book was written from many different different people's points of view which was hard to follow sometimes.
This book won an award which i do actually believe was well deserved, this is because it is a well written book and it grew on me a bit. One of the best aspects of the books was the allusion. Allusion is references in fiction to factual events or references to movies or books. This was done very well, so well in fact I have had to research what actually happened and what didn't. I think this is why this book won the awards because of how well it was written.
The story was what threw me it was very weird and didn't make much sense. it follows the story of a very strange boy who does some weird things and has hallucinations which makes it extra hard to follow what is happening.
While I have said all these bad things about it I truly do recommend this book because while it wasn't my favourite i still think it was a nice and well written book.0
January 28, 2017
An intriguing and sometimes confusing narrative based around the true event of the wreck of the Batavia off the Western Australia coast in 1629. The text moves between past and present, between fact and fiction, and the creative conclusion is open to the reader's interpretation.
Strange Objects challenges the reader to question traditional history reports and to explore history from more than one perspective, notably in this instance, from Indigenous and non-indigenous perspectives. Shaun Tan's foreward also promotes this idea. He includes valid questions which history students and readers should consider : What is history? Who is telling it? What is fact and what is fiction?
As many authors conduct thorough research to make their narratives more convincing, it can sometimes be difficult to separate fact and fiction, such is the calibre of their work. That is true of this work by Gary Crew.
Strange Objects challenges the reader to question traditional history reports and to explore history from more than one perspective, notably in this instance, from Indigenous and non-indigenous perspectives. Shaun Tan's foreward also promotes this idea. He includes valid questions which history students and readers should consider : What is history? Who is telling it? What is fact and what is fiction?
As many authors conduct thorough research to make their narratives more convincing, it can sometimes be difficult to separate fact and fiction, such is the calibre of their work. That is true of this work by Gary Crew.
February 1, 2009
Low Fantasy? Fantastical elements invade the "real world." Actually, this book is more horror? More historical? This story kind of defies pigeon-holing or defining by genre or anything like that. It is in novel format, but the text takes the form of a scrapbook of media files and reports, and is bookended by introductions and conclusions reminiscent of psychology case-studies or other scientific documents.
Some of the major themes or plot points for this book include shipwreck, cannibalism, teenage runaways, archaeology, diaries, and alien abduction.
I wish they had a good picture of the cover. It is very interesting.
Some of the major themes or plot points for this book include shipwreck, cannibalism, teenage runaways, archaeology, diaries, and alien abduction.
I wish they had a good picture of the cover. It is very interesting.
March 5, 2012
Currently using this as a class-novel text with a Year 10 class.
The variety in texts used and methods of storytelling make this a dense and interesting way of studying literature and australian history.
However, many students are confused by the 'strange happenings' in the book, particularly because of Crew's ambigious style of writing. While this makes for a great text for analysis, many students find reading it tedious and hard to understand.
With the right scaffolding activities, this would make a challenging yet effective text.
As a novel in itself, I found it to be a very interesting way of portraying some of Australia's lesser-known history.
The variety in texts used and methods of storytelling make this a dense and interesting way of studying literature and australian history.
However, many students are confused by the 'strange happenings' in the book, particularly because of Crew's ambigious style of writing. While this makes for a great text for analysis, many students find reading it tedious and hard to understand.
With the right scaffolding activities, this would make a challenging yet effective text.
As a novel in itself, I found it to be a very interesting way of portraying some of Australia's lesser-known history.
Read
September 5, 2012Only said I read it so I could write a review. This book was terrible and I didn't even make it past like 50 pages.... DIE STRANGE OBJECTS DIE!!!!!!
October 17, 2015
Interesting book presented via journal excerpts and newspaper cutouts.
August 16, 2023
I found this old book during my travels in the Maritimes recently - published in 1990. This was a strange story. It certainly is not for kids - more for young adults, AND I am a little surprised it won a literary award. The background story is fascinating though, and so that is what first captivated me - the Batavia shipwreck of 1629.
The following quote is from the online article:
https://www.sea.museum/.../barbarism-......
"Almost 400 years ago, in the hours before dawn on 4 June 1629, a flagship of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) was wrecked upon Morning Reef near Beacon Island, some 60 kilometres off the Western Australian coast. It was the maiden voyage of the Batavia, bound for the Dutch East Indian colonies of modern-day Jakarta, but the tragedy of shipwreck would be overshadowed by the subsequent mutiny among the survivors on the isolated Houtman Abrolhos Islands."
The story opens with a package arriving for an Australian Archaeology professor containing a "project book" which included a journal from the main character of the story, Steven Messenger, a teenager who discovered some artifacts from the Batavia shipwreck and an account of the events that occurred from that moment on.
So the format is written in an epistolary format, using letters and articles and journal entries to tell the story. The content is rather bizarre and although it is generally interesting, it felt more like a research project than a novel. There is a magic ring, a woman's mummified hand, and a disturbing journal written by one of the mutineers from the Batavia shipwreck who was dropped off as a castaway with another murderous sailor.
Even though Gary Crew's story fell flat for me, leaving much unanswered by the end of the book, the actual account of the Batavia shipwreck has been a most interesting subject to research.
The following quote is from the online article:
https://www.sea.museum/.../barbarism-......
"Almost 400 years ago, in the hours before dawn on 4 June 1629, a flagship of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) was wrecked upon Morning Reef near Beacon Island, some 60 kilometres off the Western Australian coast. It was the maiden voyage of the Batavia, bound for the Dutch East Indian colonies of modern-day Jakarta, but the tragedy of shipwreck would be overshadowed by the subsequent mutiny among the survivors on the isolated Houtman Abrolhos Islands."
The story opens with a package arriving for an Australian Archaeology professor containing a "project book" which included a journal from the main character of the story, Steven Messenger, a teenager who discovered some artifacts from the Batavia shipwreck and an account of the events that occurred from that moment on.
So the format is written in an epistolary format, using letters and articles and journal entries to tell the story. The content is rather bizarre and although it is generally interesting, it felt more like a research project than a novel. There is a magic ring, a woman's mummified hand, and a disturbing journal written by one of the mutineers from the Batavia shipwreck who was dropped off as a castaway with another murderous sailor.
Even though Gary Crew's story fell flat for me, leaving much unanswered by the end of the book, the actual account of the Batavia shipwreck has been a most interesting subject to research.
March 22, 2024
It was a confusing read. AT FIRST. I had to read this book because of a school assignment, but i grew to enjoy it as a whole. It makes your mind wonder what is really happening behind the scenes, and think, "What is going on that you aren't telling me?"
And it may cover explicit content, but that's what history is. It is gruesome, and it's dark, and that makes some writers scared to write about it. I'm glad Gary wasn't scared to try. He came out with a great book that, though some may hate, is a fascinating read and worthwhile.
We all should have a book like this on our shelves, a book that though it may not tie all of its bits up with a bow, like most of the stories now a day do, it leaves a few strings attached, so it will simmer away in the back of your mind and make you wonder. Those books are good ones, ones that stick with you. And some may prefer the books that leave no stings attached, but for me, I prefer to allow a little bit of mystery to stay.
Strange Objects is a book that is a must-read for any person who feels like taking on the decades old challenge of figuring out what happened to Steven Messenger. It's funny, at the start of the book, we find out he is missing, and we know these are documents they collected to try and find him, but we begin to get sucked into the story, and feel as if it is happening in real time. As if we are witnessing Steven in the moment, and aren't reading files for an attempt at a rescue.
All in all, well done Gary!
And it may cover explicit content, but that's what history is. It is gruesome, and it's dark, and that makes some writers scared to write about it. I'm glad Gary wasn't scared to try. He came out with a great book that, though some may hate, is a fascinating read and worthwhile.
We all should have a book like this on our shelves, a book that though it may not tie all of its bits up with a bow, like most of the stories now a day do, it leaves a few strings attached, so it will simmer away in the back of your mind and make you wonder. Those books are good ones, ones that stick with you. And some may prefer the books that leave no stings attached, but for me, I prefer to allow a little bit of mystery to stay.
Strange Objects is a book that is a must-read for any person who feels like taking on the decades old challenge of figuring out what happened to Steven Messenger. It's funny, at the start of the book, we find out he is missing, and we know these are documents they collected to try and find him, but we begin to get sucked into the story, and feel as if it is happening in real time. As if we are witnessing Steven in the moment, and aren't reading files for an attempt at a rescue.
All in all, well done Gary!
January 19, 2021
I don’t often go for books written in first person, as the writing style doesn’t always capture my imagination that well. But I picked this up at the local Library and ended up reading it in one afternoon. It reminds me a lot of Dracula, in that the narrative is told in transcripts, diary entries and reports with rough which we learn about missing teenager Steven Messenger, and a potential crossover with a much earlier period of Australian History.
I found this an interesting book, not only for the subtle Science Fiction elements, but also because it doesn’t shy away from showing exactly how pervasive colonial attitudes still are in Australia and how this has a continued impact on the Indigenous Australian people as the traditional custodians of the land. It’s also a fantastic example of an unreliable narrator, but leaves enough in question that you’re not longer sure how unreliable the story of Steven is. I think it’s well worth a read.
I found this an interesting book, not only for the subtle Science Fiction elements, but also because it doesn’t shy away from showing exactly how pervasive colonial attitudes still are in Australia and how this has a continued impact on the Indigenous Australian people as the traditional custodians of the land. It’s also a fantastic example of an unreliable narrator, but leaves enough in question that you’re not longer sure how unreliable the story of Steven is. I think it’s well worth a read.
November 12, 2024
I thought this was fantastic. I was unsure at the very start but it didn’t take long to really get into the story. Alternating between Steven messengers’s story and the 17th century diary of Wouter Loos, this quite quickly became a page turner with a need to learn more about what happened next and the interconnectedness between Steven and the past.
The book was awarded children’s book Council of Australia book of the year for the category young adult and older readers. While it is suitable for older teenage readers, I would definitely recommend to adult readers as it’s a fascinating story that leaves you thinking not everything is neatly wrapped up and answered. You are left to form your own conclusions.
The book was awarded children’s book Council of Australia book of the year for the category young adult and older readers. While it is suitable for older teenage readers, I would definitely recommend to adult readers as it’s a fascinating story that leaves you thinking not everything is neatly wrapped up and answered. You are left to form your own conclusions.
March 16, 2022
I’m a bit torn by this book. Cleverly written with no one authoritative narrator voice but it was quite slow for a long period near the middle.
I love Gary Crew’s ability to throw up questions with no answers in sight.
One hard aspect is you can’t connect with the Messenger character as he makes less and less sense throughout the book either as a result of the influence of the ring or as a sign of increasing mental ill-health.
I also struggled with the negative/racist terminology used in terms of the First Australians in the book. I understand why it was used, it just was confronting each time.
I will be thinking about this book for some time, which is always the sign of a good book.
I love Gary Crew’s ability to throw up questions with no answers in sight.
One hard aspect is you can’t connect with the Messenger character as he makes less and less sense throughout the book either as a result of the influence of the ring or as a sign of increasing mental ill-health.
I also struggled with the negative/racist terminology used in terms of the First Australians in the book. I understand why it was used, it just was confronting each time.
I will be thinking about this book for some time, which is always the sign of a good book.
August 7, 2022
“They’re all lies of course. Only illusions.” This is one of those books that stays with you. I read this in Year 10 and recently reread it, determined, now that I am older and wiser, to uncover the mystery embedded within the two timelines between Steven Messenger (a 16-year-old boy living in rural Western Australia, 1986) and Jan Pelgrom (murderer, rapist, stranded on Australian shores in 1629 from the Batavia shipwreck). No such luck: the story, written in the form of diary and newspaper clippings, once again left me with a feeling of the supernatural, a creepy sensation that something more was unfolding behind the scenes of each perspective.
September 10, 2022
What in the hell is this book?
I'm so confused.
It's a straight up horror story.
For every day I read this book, I had the weirdest nightmares.
I had no questions when I started and now I have a million and of course they all come with major spoiler alerts and are literally impossible to articulate.
Strange Objects is by far the strangest book I have ever read. What did I even just read? It was amazing, but I also hate it?
I'm scared to read other reviews because that'll make me think more and this confusion is just too pure.
Read it. Just read it. That's the only way you will understand. Or not understand.
I'm so confused.
It's a straight up horror story.
For every day I read this book, I had the weirdest nightmares.
I had no questions when I started and now I have a million and of course they all come with major spoiler alerts and are literally impossible to articulate.
Strange Objects is by far the strangest book I have ever read. What did I even just read? It was amazing, but I also hate it?
I'm scared to read other reviews because that'll make me think more and this confusion is just too pure.
Read it. Just read it. That's the only way you will understand. Or not understand.
April 24, 2018
Listening to a story on a road trip is a treat.
This one was well read and set up with interesting effects that worked well, adding to the energy of the theme.
It traversed different settings, people and time periods via journal entries, reports and the magic of a strange ring that seems to keep some hold over it’s owner.
You never quite know what to expect and the ending keeps you wondering but not in a bad way. Intriguing.
This one was well read and set up with interesting effects that worked well, adding to the energy of the theme.
It traversed different settings, people and time periods via journal entries, reports and the magic of a strange ring that seems to keep some hold over it’s owner.
You never quite know what to expect and the ending keeps you wondering but not in a bad way. Intriguing.
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