Reviewed by Melissa Wray
New town. New School. New girl. When Cora
moves to a small town in Tasmania so her father can rebuild a run-down theatre,
she is determined to be different. More confident. More seen. More heard. But
things don’t go to plan, and it quickly becomes obvious that Cora 2.0 is going
to struggle to reinvent herself.
Cora tries to find her place in a new
school and make new friends, however her shy and quiet nature seems to hold her
back. Her frustrations grow as she tries, and fails, to be the kind of popular,
confident person she wishes she could be. It doesn’t help that her parents are
arguing more since the move and that she is mad at her mum most of the time.
Louise carefully crafts a version of Cora
that the reader can see doesn’t need to change, but that the character is
blinded by her desire to be more. Her writing delicately addresses the fears
that many young people have around self-identity and where they fit in with
their peers and in the world. Having worked with many teenagers, this reviewer
sadly sees this battle regularly. Louise captured the angst, torment,
self-doubt and anxiety of this age group perfectly.
Cora is a likeable character who uses some
secret letter writing as a means of expression. She reveals herself, her fears,
her frustrations and her vulnerability to a pen pal who was once a famous
performer at the theatre. Little does she know that she might not be the only
one who has such feelings. Or that her letters will not remain secret for long.
This book highlights that everyone wants
to be seen and heard and that we should all take the time to look and listen.
It mixes family, friendship and identity together to remind us of the
importance of just being ourselves, because that is always going to be the best
version. Cora Seen and Heard is suitable for a 10+ year-old readership.
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