The Deadly Sky

by David Hill

It's 1974, and a dark, cold New Zealand winter. So when Darryl's mum announces she is going to the remote Pacific island of Mangareva for work, and she's taking him with her, he is thrilled.

But even as Darryl soaks up the warmth and peaceful beauty of French Polynesia, his holiday is darkened by violent anti-nuclear protests. Plus there's Alicia, with her furious outbursts against all Pacific nuclear tests. Darryl knows she's talking rubbish.

What he doesn't know is that when he boards Flight 766 to fly home, his life and the lives of others will be changed forever.

260 pages, Paperback

First published July 27, 2014

About the author

David Hill (born 1942) is a New Zealand author, especially well known for his young adult fiction. His young fiction books See Ya, Simon (1992) and Right Where It Hurts (2001) have been shortlisted for numerous awards. He is also a prolific journalist, writing many articles for The New Zealand Herald.

He cites Maurice Gee as his favourite author, and Joy Cowley and Margaret Mahy as his favourite children's authors.

Hill attended Victoria University in Wellington, graduating MA Hons in 1964. Hill currently lives in New Plymouth.

Reviews

[Adele Broadbent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in the early 1970’s, 14 yr old Darryl is interested in the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. When his mum tells him they will be travelling to Tahiti for her work with Pacific students, he doesn’t realise how nuclear bombs will become part of his own life.

There is to be more testing at nearby Mururoa and the island people aren’t happy about it. But how far will they go to prove their point?

With historical facts at the end of the book, this is a great way to learn about this part of our local Pacific history, while on an action packed, emotional ride. Not really suitable for under 10 yrs. Has a bite in the ending.

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an interesting historical story about a boy who's mum is a Greenpeace activist.