It’s not the way anyone would choose to finish year six. Peachy, the house Queenie and her mum Clare have lived in for as long as Queenie remembers, is being sold, due to the effects of the COVID pandemic on the real estate market. Queenie is heartbroken at leaving Peachy, especially when finding another rental property proves so difficult. All Queenie takes with her are her bag of stuff, and her dad’s old guitar.
The seven moves of Queenie and Clare cover all kinds of places, including living in a unit at the aged care village where Mum works, and sharing a house with the family of a boy from school. At the same time, Queenie is trying to pluck up courage to sing in front of an audience, and work out what is going on with her mum.
Queenie in seven moves is a story of our age. In a sensitive and understanding way, it shows what it is like to have limited housing options in modern Australia. Queenie is a likeable character who meets life’s challenges with optimism and resilience as she learns to see some issues from a fresh perspective, as well as learning when to apply her filter! Relationships were realistic and interesting, contributing to the dramatic tension. In particular, I enjoyed the way the relationships were portrayed between Queenie and the friends she makes at the aged care village.
Another aspect of the book that I loved was the different ways music was threaded through it, particularly as Queenie’s link with her father, and as momentum for moving forward and dealing with change. Queenie’s music journey can inspire anyone looking to write their own songs and find their own voice.
Highly recommended for middle grade readers dealing with change, for music lovers, and for those who love realistic stories about relationships.
Anna Quinlan - Author 