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Join the Kete community. Stay up-to-date on the latest in new books from Aotearoa, from reviews and events to giveaways.
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Join the Kete community. Stay up-to-date on the latest in new books from Aotearoa, from reviews and events to giveaways.
Read our independent reviews of the latest books from Aotearoa.
Pānuihia ā mātou arotakenga tūhake o ngā pukapuka hou nō Aotearoa.
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Review'Marlon’s unfamiliarity with friendship and family makes him an interesting protagonist. He is used to being overlooked...'
Reviewed by Imogen Gadd
20 August 2026
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ReviewImogen Gadd considers loss and grief in Philippa Werry's latest YA novel.
Reviewed by Imogen Gadd
19 August 2026
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ReviewImogen Gadd explores Li Chen's second DETECTIVE BEANS graphic novel and finds it engaging and adventurous.
Reviewed by Imogen Gadd
15 August 2026
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Review'She recounts her experiences with a directness that is as refreshing and enlightening as it is disturbingly honest...'
Reviewed by Richard Pamatatau
6 August 2026
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Review'Quiet seriousness sits at the heart of these stories, alongside a steadfast commitment to going deeper, getting under the skin...'
Reviewed by Nat Baker
4 August 2026
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Review'Mason suggests that the most meaningful relationships we form with art may ultimately reveal as much about ourselves...'
Reviewed by Clare Travaglia
28 July 2026
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Review'The stories are bound together by the common thread of male isolation...'
Reviewed by Anna Scaife
27 July 2026
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Review'...thoughtful, tender, and playful meditations on place, self, and the haunting of both.'
Reviewed by Melanie Kwang
14 July 2026
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ReviewLibby Kirkby-McLeod hunts for juicy story in political memoir RINGSIDE.
Reviewed by Libby Kirkby-McLeod
14 July 2026
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Review'This is a book about chasing desire, but also about renegotiating boundaries...'
Reviewed by Becs Tetley
8 July 2026
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ReviewReviewed by Himali McInnes
6 July 2026
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ReviewClaire Williamson analyses the questions at the heart of Allen & Unwin Fiction Prize Winner novel THE NOWHERE BOY.
Reviewed by Claire Williamson
3 July 2026
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Review'Smith co‑wrote The Apology with her grandson Brooklyn Taylor – a collaboration that feels especially apt for a novel centred on intergenerational connection...'
Reviewed by Barbara Uini
1 July 2026
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Review'The story of Te Pahi demonstrates how history can be distorted, exposing the misunderstandings, prejudice, and imperial interests that combined to obscure the truth...'
Reviewed by Angela Walker
29 June 2026
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Review'The essays develop into a sustained series of pivotal moments in the author's life and in others'. Yes, you'll think of Proust, even if you haven't read him...'
Reviewed by David Hill
24 June 2026
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Review'There are vast expanses of this country where the mana of the whenua has not been acknowledged by the conquerors. To learn the whakapapa we need to listen, but to whom? This book,...
Reviewed by David Veart
22 June 2026
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ReviewClaire Williamson finds compelling depth in Emma Neale's exploration of complex families and parenthood.
Reviewed by Claire Williamson
3 June 2026
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ReviewKrysana Hanley finds much to admire in Pax Assadi's debut book.
Reviewed by Krysana Hanley
26 May 2026
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Review'The homecoming, the reconnection, and perhaps, the most important story he’ll ever tell.'
Reviewed by Isla Huia
22 May 2026
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Review'This is what happens when you’ve been away from the place you’re from: time changes it, and you too, leaving a gap that never reconciles...'
Reviewed by Becs Tetley
18 May 2026
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Review'The result is often the same, involving support that lets them down, rehabs that are full, bail conditions that set them up for failure, despite the best intentions of everyone in...
Reviewed by Greg Fleming
12 May 2026