Monuments:
Monuments A Fantasy novel about Greek-like Gods and a trio of high school heroes trying to save Sydney. It seems in fact like one of those find the clues and solve the puzzle adventure hunts.
Written for older teens (but at times it seems a bit “young” for this age bracket) the Gay hero is Connor with his partner (Locky) and fellow adventurer Sally who discover the”Monuments” – gods who have been buried for generations – who created the world and hide themselves away from humanity to keep everyone safe.
But now they’re exposed and likely to be attacked, and Connor isn’t sure about them, or himself, or his close friends, as to who can be trusted with the knowledge and the power these gods have.
The story opens with 16-year-old Connor who has recently had a falling out with his boyfriend Olly. While he is trying to put this out of his mind, Connor manages to find a trap door in a hidden room at his school, Charlton Grammar. Just as Connor realizes that this is no ordinary store room but the hiding place of a Monument, Guardian Sally Rodgers appears
It appears that the Monuments are in danger and they need to be moved and Sally is leading the way. And so, the dynamic trio set off on a journey to locate them all in their hidden chambers, under schools across Sydney. However, Sally who is dealing with the loss of her mother has her own agenda and Connor finds a lot more than he expects coming his way – including starting a new relationship with Locky who he meets along the way.
While the plot is action packed with supernatural power struggles, which at times felt a little cliched (but probably not to a young reader) and relationships (fantasy and otherwise), the cast of characters is very diverse with a great representation of the LGBT+ and aboriginal teen community.
Not everyone has a happy ending (especially some of the Monuments), and I felt this was a little understated, but I liked the way the relationships unfolded between The Monuments and the characters, and between Locky, Connor and Sally in its own open and uncluttered way.
Would they make a film of it? Probably not.
