Dear Miffy

Considering Marsden has received a plethora of awards for books he published each side of Dear Miffy in 1997, he has received no award for this novel. Perhaps the judges and nominators of awards didn't consider it because `conservative, neat, fake books written for and marketed towards awards committees rather than for readers' take out awards. However, many, mainly positive, comments on weblogs from the target audience of male and female teens should help you decide in favour of Dear Miffy. A good example is the University of Tasmania weblog. Amongst the comments on the book trends appeared, especially in the posts from the boys: along the lines of `I came across it when I was at a difficult point in my life, and Dear Miffy showed me that my life really wasn't that bad. Nothing could be worse than Tony's life. Read it and hopefully it will have the same effect on you that it had on me.' (Resoort, 2007) If you are after a book on many teen issues, Dear Miffy has a selection. While the side issues are abandonment, betrayal, deceit, sibling death, shoplifting, police harassment and drug use, the issues it focuses on are violence and its consequences, class differences, sex, depression and suicide. The attempted suicide on the main character's life is handled with gritty realism. Marsden has tapped in to the teen psyche (My family has first-hand suicide experience). Encouraging, if brief, use of humour alleviates the grim story in places. I've attended a workshop where top New Zealand author Tessa Duder spoke bitterly about the language in this novel. The reality is that the language expressed by Tony [main character and author of the Dear Miffy letters] is wholly appropriate. As alarming as it sounds, Tony could be any of the several teens I personally know and count as my circle of friends, such is Marsden's authentic character portrayal. For an author as advanced in years as Marsden, attempting to characterize a violent, suicidal, hormonal sixteen year old boy without sounding ineffectual is an impressive accomplishment. Adult characters have a tough time in many of Marsden's novels, and Dear Miffy is no exception. Both Tony and Miffy's relatives are rude, deceitful, ineffective, and unhelpful. But some key redeeming adult cameos do occur, with the principal, nurses and a friend's father getting kudos (the friend's father says `He's a good boy'). Teens will not find good adult role models in Dear Miffy, which fits recent adolescent literature trends. A mention must be made of the use of class differences of Miffy [upper] and Tony [working]. This class difference is ultimately blamed for the key scene when everything turns to custard for the main characters. It is perhaps the least original part of the novel, and the phrase kept entering my head that `he was a boy from the wrong side of the tracks'

We were forced to read this book in school, but it was allright. I liked it! But the ennoying thing is, we have to make a book review about it..better start write..

I picked this book up last night just before I was about to go to bed and I didn't put it down until I'd read every page. Even when I'd finished I couldn't stop thinking about it, I'm still thinking about it now. It may me cry so hard because I felt like I was in the book and my whole world had been flipped upside down when it finished. Many aspects of the book and the characters related so much to my own life, it was the most gripping and real teenage book I'd ever read. John Marsden isn't afraid to write things that other authors are and it makes his work so alive. Dear Miffy keeps you guessing until the very end and it makes you feel like you're living through the experiences with Tony. This is just such an amazing book because you get something from it, it leaves a mark and adds to your way of thinking. Aboslutely unforgetable, read it.

If you like the type of story with a twist in the end, you are in for a treat. Dear miffy was one of the most powerful books I had ever read in my life. What I love most about it was how real it made me feel while I was reading it, while lots books for teenagers had fabricated the reality into anything but real, John Marsden had always kept it raw and true. Although the language could be a bit offensive to some readers, but I think that's what this book is all about- showing you the not-so-nice part of life and the darker side of the world. I deeply felt for Tony- the main character in the book, this book was so very powerful, I couldn't sleep that night when I finished the book. One advise though, don't go and read the ending before you should, it will ruin the story.

this book was a surprise to me. of all the john marsden books i have read, this has been the one that has most affected me. as i read it i felt as though the boy was talking to me, not as a character, but a person. when i reached the end and found out why he was so miserable, the book fell from my hands and i couldn't get to sleep. to have a book have that affect on you, it must be something special.