A Bridge to Wiseman's Cove

Reader reviewed by Sar

This book was a good book to study in school...I know lots of people might not like it but it does deal with issues that most teenages go though.

In the book Carl goes though many differnt changes, like many teenages at that time. He gains self confidence and learns what it is like to have lost, loved and to have friends.

This book makes you feel like you know Carl and the other chararcters in this novel, you feel their hatred, their sadness, their hope and their happiness with every page you read.

Reader reviewed by Simone

Well I totally disagree with you as A Bridge To Wisemans Cove is one of the best books I've read. Now I'm not the type of person who reads books all day but I had to read this book for school as well. I find this book very mysterious and it really makes you wonder at the start; it doesnt really have a story line but the more you read the more you understand.

So I hope you get over your hatred of this book as it was a fanatastic read!

Reader reviewed by Reader

I thought A Bridge to Wiseman's Cove was a really good book. I don't normally like reading... in fact... I hate it! But, this is one of the only books ever that I have enjoyed.... ESPECIALLY for school.

James Moloney has done a great job wirting this book... I recommened you should read it.

Reader reviewed by Danni

In my opinion I thought this book was wounderful. It showed such compasion in the writing. As i got to the end I couldn't read much more because I didn't want the book to end.
This was such a beautiful story.

Reader reviewed by HILLARY


abtwc is a great book that i enjoyed lots!!
i have now been given an essay on the book from a teaher i HATE!!! she has made my liking of the book decrease because of the way she teaches. I have brought this issue up many times to the skewl council and nothing happens!@!!!!
It is real real bad any way

read the book it is FANTASTIC
it covers the frequent issues of teens and is a book u can relate to

thanks james for teaching me about different issues. As this was somthing my teacher COULDn't do

thanks

j lo

Reader reviewed by Katie














Bridge To Wiseman’s Cove is such an emotional and impressive novel. It takes the reader through stages of a young teenager’s life. Several emotions are expressed throughout the whole novel. His life is weird, full of sadness, happiness and even makes you sick from the way he gets treated by other kids at school and by his own aunt. You could even say he has a sick, sad life. It’s an excellent book, which can reflect other teenager’s lives.

A 15-year-old boy is sent to live with his aunt, along with his younger brother Harley. Their aunt is a mean woman who has no care or respect for anyone else. His life sucks, he loves a girl but she has a boyfriend, he is a loser, he has a broken family, the list goes on forever. Their aunt lives at Wattle Beach. Carl falls in love with a beautiful girl called Maddie. She has long blonde hair and has a slim figure; the only problem is she has a boyfriend!
School comes around and he has to travel on the bus to get there. He is forced to sit up the front because of the fact he is a new kid. Not long after being in school his Aunt Beryl informs him that he has to quit school and get a job to pay for his and Harley’s needs.
One day Carl knocks a lady over and she drops all of her stuff. He apologises and they get to know each other. She asks him if he has nothing to do then he can come and help her make a cage for the osprey. Joy, the lady he bumped into, offers him a job on her husband’s Barge. He accepts but soon after telling him his name they kick him out because of past family problems.
Later on Justine holds a pizza party on behalf of Maddie’s leaving. They all sit down to watch a movie and Carl and Justine sit next to each other. Further into the movie they hold hands. A steamy romance begins.
Carl and Joy are requested for at the police station. Carl is asked to observe a book of deceased people to try and identify his mother because the policeman believes she is one of the victims in a bus crash. While flicking through he discovers a page with a picture of his mother on it. Although he doesn’t inform the policeman. He bottles up his feelings for a long time.
Aunt Beryl decides to move away with her boyfriend Bruce. Therefore Carl and Harley move in with Skip and Joy Duncan.

The main characters are:
Carl-a friendly 15-year-old boy who is slightly chubby. Very kind hearted and caring. He has a terrible life but it eventually improves.
Harley-Carl’s younger brother, friendly and quiet.
Maddie-the pretty blonde girl whom Carl first has a crush on.
Justine-a really nice girl who eventually ends up dating Carl. One of Maddie’s friends.
Beryl-a mean woman who is forced to look after Carl and Harley but ends up deserting them for her boyfriend.
Joy-a nice lady who is really friendly and looks after Carl and Harley
This novel is set at a place called Wattle Beach. It’s in the Summer time. It has a long beach where all the cool kids hang out. Other parts in the novel are the surf club, the barge, school and the police station.
My favourite part of the book is where Carl finds out exactly what has happened to his mum. It’s so emotional and sad. It even brought tears to my eyes. It’s like a big twist in the book because you didn’t see it coning.
I think James Moloney’s choice of words in this novel is excellent. They’re so drawing, you feel like you’re in the novel at that place. The words explain every little detail throughout the book. The way Mr Moloney has used and set the words is very good.

My personal opinion of this book is that it is really good. I encourage all other teenagers to read this book because I believe a lot could relate to it. It’s an exciting book which when you start reading you can’t put it down. I’d rate it a 9 out of 10. Great book!!!

Reader reviewed by Mud

A Bridge to Wiseman’s Cove is a story about a boy with a broken family and a barge that makes him a hero. This book is a good kids book with a lot of mixed emotions, heartache and heroism. Suitable for the ages 9 to 15. The theme of the book is even though you think people don’t love you, someone does.

It all starts with Carl Matt’s mother, Kerry Matt running away. Her sister sells the house they were currently living in and planned a trip overseas, never to return. This leaves Carl and his brother Harley to go to Wattle Beach to live with their Aunt Beryl (who absolutely hates children).
While exploring Wattle Beach, he set eyes on a girl named Maddie Duncan in a blue bikini looking very attractive. When holidays finish he is set to go to school. The first day on the bus he realised that the new kids have to sit at the front of the bus and not with the “cool” kids.
When he gets home his Aunt says that he has to leave school and get a job.
After a lot of anticipation and asking for work, he comes out of a shop and runs into a lady and knocks her stuff out of her hands. He then goes with the lady and helps make a cage for an osprey with a broken wing. Joy Duncan then offers him a job on his husband’s barge. Everything was great until he told them his name.
It all stated before he was born, his Grandfather didn’t like Skip. Skip was out fishing with his son Graham. His Grandfather, Dessie Matt went out and ran into Skip and hurt his leg and killed his son.
Carl begged for the job and he insisted that they try him out for one week then see if they still want him. The first day they didn’t get many cars. Carl started to wave to the cars and they came aboard the red barge. The end of the week came and they had received more money then they ever had before Skip injured his leg.
They keep him on the barge and he gets a lot of cars. Harley got into a fight school and got suspended. When Beryl finds out, she first chained Harley’s bike up and he got away, then because he got away, while Carl was at work, washing down cars, Beryl chained Harley up. When Carl arrived home from work, Beryl was at the Bowls Club and he found that Harley was chained up. He went down to the Bowls Club and told Aunt Beryl that she didn’t have the right to chain up Harley and to give him the keys so he could unchain him.

The next day at work, Carl told Skip and Joy what happened and asked why everyone hated the Matt family so much. Joy told Carl what happened to Skip but not their son. One day Harley went over to Joy’s house and together they made a cake and Harley made Carl have the first piece. The next day Joy came and asked Carl whether Harley would like to come to their house and live. When Carl goes home, he asked Harley and he started shoving all his gear into his knapsack as fast as he could. There was just one problem, getting past Beryl. Carl finally convinced her by telling her that she would still be able to get Harley’ social security money.

While this is happening, Maddie ignores Carl every time he goes over to Joy and Skip’s. Harley is happy living in the Duncan household and is in less trouble. Beryl’s boyfriend Bruce offers Carl a job but he turns it down because he loves the barge too much. Beryl gets up him for turning it down and is so depressed because she thinks he is going to dump her.

Carl is giving all of his income to Beryl to spend on the pokies and alcoholic beverages.

Finally Carl becomes friends with Maddie and really good friends with Justine (her friend). Maddie and Nathan, (her boyfriend) brake up. They let the osprey go, and Justine held a pizza part where Nathan and Maddie were about to leave when Carl stepped in front of the door they were going out of and got up Nathan. After that they watched a movie.

Carl then finds out about his mother. She was killed in a bus accident when she was returning to see him and Harley. He tried to be tough but in the end, he couldn’t hold it in any longer.

Someone sets of f the red barge, someone shoots out the Wattle Lady’s windows out, Wattle Lady builds a rinsing machine, Skip and Joy decide to sell the red barge because they are building a bridge from Wattle Beach to Wiseman’s Cove. Carl finds out about their son from Beryl.

Beryl moves away with Bruce just like all the Matt family and he was about to do the same. He got all his belongings and when he was about to leave, he realises that is he is going to be happy anywhere, it is Wattle Beach. Carl finally moves in with Skip and Carl and they are happy as Larry.

Main Characters
Carl: is the main character, 15 ears old, embarrassed all the time, worried, easy going
Harley: mischief, good inside, bored 10 years old
Joy: Caring, loving, easy going, understanding
Skip: grumpy at first, but then nice
Justine: loving, caring, easy going
Maddie: snobbish at first, caring, loving
Kerry: loving mother, unthoughtful
Beryl: mean, jealous, doesn’t look after kids properly.
Bruce: mean as well, not caring, not well mannered.

My favourite part of the book is when Carl gets with Justine. The style on language used is very good. The book is set on the beach the most but in Wattle Beach and Wiseman’s Cove.
The Bridge to Wiseman’s Cove is a book with lots of family problems and is very emotional. Some parts are happy and some are very sad. The way the author has put this book together is very clever. Just as one problem ends, another begins. Overall I give this book, out of five stars, a four and one half.

By Hayley Moore

Reader reviewed by McNeilly

I read a review before and i totally disagree with what it said. A Bridge to Wiseman's Cove is one of the best books i've ever read... it tells about a disfuntional famaily where the mum leaves each year,leaving the kids to fend for themselves. but one time she dosn't come back so they go to wattle beach where there lives are going to change dramiticly.

The use of charecters and their personality are really clear and fun to read about
i totaly recomend this book

Reader reviewed by Gedi

Unlike many other people who despised the book because they were forced to read it by their school teachers, I found the book to be extremely interesting and relevant to my life at this time.

Carl Matt sets a perfect example for myself and gives me something to work my life from, and he influenced me greatly.

I have to say, I don't think I will ever read a better book that is essential in my school's curriculum.

Reader reviewed by alfred

what a great book it was! I had to read ABTWC for my yearly english exam. i thought this book had very interesting and good descriptions of the characters, place and other object. I could just picture the story in my mind, i almost felt that i was the main character in the novel. The best bit was when carl fought against his aunt beryl and their was no worst bit. I liked carl best out of all the characters in this novel because i liked about him winning against everything with determination, love and bit of help.

Only way to find about rest of the nivel is to read it yourself!