Whiti Hereaka has combined science fiction and World War I in her new YA title, Legacy. You read the excerpt last week, now 15-year-old Kimihia Garcia-Grace tells us his thoughts on the novel, launched at the 2018 National Writers Festival.
Whiti Hereaka’s Legacy was greatly enjoyable for me to read. The story, following Te Ariki as he travelled to the past in an accident, was very unique, and immediately intrigued me. It’s well-explained, it gets to the trigger moment quite quickly and stays interesting by showing us parts of the plot through the tape recordings and interactions in the past, letting us slowly put together the pieces to the puzzle.
This book, as well as being entertaining, also presents a lot of insight into what life was like for the soldiers of the Māori contingent. Its original purpose was to be a book about the Māori contingent in World War 1 and it shows, even with all the other science fiction stuff going on in the background. I especially liked how it detailed time in Gallipoli and showed both sides to the war, with the younger troops excited to prove themselves and the veterans who didn’t even want to be there.
This book, as well as being entertaining, also presents a lot of insight into what life was like for the soldiers of theMāori contingent.
Because he is from modern times, Te Ariki is a character that I could relate to better than most characters in books about history. When he goes through history, you also feel like you’re living through it, because you’ve also followed Te Ariki through skipping school, family arguments and girl problems. This is really important to keep readers (especially teenagers) interested in the story, something which isn’t usually done in regular history books.
Legacy is a fun read. It was set up nicely and stayed interesting, something a lot of other books I’ve read recently have failed to do. I commend Whiti Hereaka on her research and also her writing. If I was marking this, I would give it perfect marks.
I commend Whiti Hereaka on her research and also her writing. If I was marking this, I would give it perfect marks.
I recommend this book to people who enjoy history and enjoy some good sci-fi, as this book combines the two neatly. While reading on the train and at school, a few of my friends did show some interest in the plot when I explained it to them, which I think is a good sign.
Kimihia Garcia-Grace
Kimihia (also Kimi) is a half-Māori half-Spanish teen from the Kāpiti Coast. When he isn't in school, he's shut in his room, either reading, writing, re-re-watching a superhero movie or playing retro video games.