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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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ReviewBecs Tetley considers the contributions and entirety of AROHANUI, described as 'a love letter to Aotearoa.'
Reviewed by Becs Tetley
17 August 2025
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ReviewMelanie Kwang is charmed by Sophie van Waardenberg's long-awaited first poetry collection, NO GOOD.
Reviewed by Melanie Kwang
13 August 2025
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Review'Harbours are liminal spaces—neither fully land nor sea—offering temporary shelter within constant movement, much like the cultural and personal sanctuaries Powles explores...'
Reviewed by Savannah Patterson
11 August 2025
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Review'His scope is full of fascinating characters and ever-changing music...'
Reviewed by Graham Reid
3 August 2025
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Review'The novel explores the way people come and go from our lives, the transitory nature and enduring impressions of relationships, but also of place. What it means to leave, return, s...
Reviewed by Clare Travaglia
30 July 2025
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Review'She describes young prisoners relaxing their guard and calling her ‘mum’ and the tragic effects on youthful prisoners of being moved to the adult section. She notes the ‘prison sy...
Reviewed by David Veart
29 July 2025
ReviewHeather McQuillan creates 'a version of Aotearoa that feels both speculative and alarmingly familiar,' writes Imogen Gadd.
Reviewed by Imogen Gadd
22 July 2025
ReviewDavid Hill name drops poetically and reviews Erik Kennedy's 'exuberant', 'satisfyingly satirical' SICK POWER TRIP.
Reviewed by David Hill
20 July 2025
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ReviewAnna Scaife is intrigued by the 'fly-on-the-wall view' of what goes on behind the camera in Lisette Reymer's debut memoir.
Reviewed by Anna Scaife
10 July 2025
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Review'One moment brought me to a full stop, learning about Banaba, where 90% of the land was mined away, leaving it uninhabitable and forcing its people to relocate. A genuine 'WTF' mom...
Reviewed by Pauline Smith MNZM
9 July 2025
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Review'They birth babies and discover radium, drive trucks and fly hot-air balloons, stare down debt collections and brew kawakawa tea. Yet it is the inquisitive and whimsical triplets w...
Reviewed by Lauren Donald
7 July 2025
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ReviewClaire Williamson reflects on 'the perfect gentle call to action' in Sonya Wilson's new children's novel THE SECRET GREEN, sequel to the bestselling SPARK HUNTER.
Reviewed by Claire Williamson
2 July 2025
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ReviewJennifer Trevelyan’s debut novel harnesses the fate of a missing child to kickstart a layered coming-of-age story of friendships, fears, and dysfunctional families, that shimmers w...
Reviewed by Craig Sisterson
29 June 2025
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Review'an unflinchingly honest critique of a New Zealand health system that is at risk of implosion...'
Reviewed by Himali McInnes
25 June 2025
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Review'What does the poet's voice think about over the seasons? Or think it's thinking about? How her pet hen shoved cats off the bed ''before laying an egg in one of the warm hollows''....
Reviewed by David Hill
24 June 2025
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ReviewClare Travaglia can't put down Liam McIlvanney's latest thriller, THE GOOD FATHER.
Reviewed by Clare Travaglia
22 June 2025
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Review'The bilingual presentation creates a unique reading experience. Stories appear numerically from 1-100, side by side in both languages, allowing readers to compare versions and dis...
Reviewed by Savannah Patterson
17 June 2025
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Review'This book reverberates with the bravery and tireless work ethic of extraordinary women in the face of absurd levels of prejudice and misogyny. Recognising that the past is still p...
Reviewed by Himali McInnes
16 June 2025
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ReviewWhat does a leader look like? Angela Walker dives into Jacinda Ardern's philosophy in A Different Kind of Power.
Reviewed by Angela Walker
10 June 2025
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Review'In amongst the main adventure plot, there are fart jokes, whistling challenges, a haunted house, and in a nod to Book 1 of the series, scorched shoelaces...'
Reviewed by Erica Stretton
9 June 2025
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ReviewRochelle Ganderton reviews the 'heart-warming' THE SECRETS OF MAIDEN'S COVE by Erin Palmisano, a world of strong female friendship and mermaids.
Reviewed by Rochelle Ganderton
5 June 2025