What do you think?
Rate this book
Thunderwith
After she moves to the Australian outback following her mother's death, fifteen-year-old Laura's friendship with a strange and beautiful dog helps her adjust to a new life with an unfamiliar father and unfriendly stepfamily.
214 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
17 people are currently reading
489 people want to read
About the author
Libby Hathorn
98 books32 followersLibby Hathorn is an Australian writer who produces poetry, picture books, drama, novels, short stories, and nonfiction for children, young adults, and adults. Best known in the United States for her critically acclaimed novel Thunderwith, Hathorn has created works ranging from serious stories of troubled youth to lighthearted, fast-paced comedies. She writes of powerful female characters in her novels for junior readers, such as the protagonists in All about Anna and The Extraordinary Magics of Emma McDade; or of lonely, misunderstood teenagers in novels such as Feral Kid, Love Me Tender, and Valley under the Rock. As Maurice Saxby noted in St. James Guide to Children's Writers, "In her novels for teenagers especially, Hathorn exposes, with compassion, sensitivity, and poetry the universal and ongoing struggle of humanity to heal hurts, establish meaningful relationships, and to learn to accept one's self—and ultimately—those who have wronged us."
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
August 27, 2012
Thunderwith is my all time favorite book. It has helped me through hard times in 9th grade when my old friends left. My mum brought me this book from a second hand book shop. It’s an old worm eaten copy and I love it all the more for that. I’ve read it many times and I still read each page with as much emotion as I did the first time.
This is what happened when I started this book:
By the end, I was probably like this:
Here’s why I really love this book:
1)The Title: Thunderwith- With thunder. When you read it, don’t you feel something rise inside you? A power, an unknown force that will stay with you forever. It’s almost hypnotic- it makes you want to read the book.
2)The Cover: A blond girl, a dingo dog, a forest- it perfectly sums up the story. The expression on the girls face is priceless; it’s so heartbreaking. Her violet eyes are extremely expressive- she wills you to understand her, to pity her. It’s as if she is breaking from inside and yet pretending to be strong. There is no way she’ll give up anything. Hope seems to radiate from her.
3)The Poem at the Beginning:
“With thunder, with thunder, you’ll come
Undreamed of battles to be won!
She’ll know at once your sprit strong.
Discover, sing, the earth’s wild song.
And when you’ve taught her all you know
With thunder, with thunder, with thunder
You’ll go.”
No need to explain this- it is a beautiful and self expressive poem. At the same time, it is a premonition of the story. It carries within it a message of hope, victorious battles and compromises.
4)The Theme: This book is all about love -not romance- but love of a far stronger kind. It is about love for parents. Lara Ritchie, the protagonist, has lost her mother to cancer and now her father is coming to take her away to a new life. She will have to cope up with a stepmother and half siblings who hate her, adjust to hard work on the farm and loneliness. Not to mention bullies. Can a city raised teen ever manage to do this?
This book is about deriving pleasure from the little things in life, it’s about being strong, it’s about persistence, and about being optimistic. The story doesn’t have a typical happy ending where things turn out to be perfect for everyone; it is more of a compromise. It is about the way life actually turns out to be not perfect but bearable.
5)The Writing Style: Many books waste a lot of words describing the settings in detail and some books don’t do it at all. Thunderwith contains a perfect balance of descriptions. All the surroundings capture the mood of the story. It is symbolic enough not to waste words and not so symbolic that it is difficult to comprehend. Also, the aboriginal folklore add an aura of mystery to the story. Besides it depicts the feelings of characters very aptly. You don’t have to struggle to understand it. You just have to allow yourself to be swept away by sheer emotion.
This is what happened when I started this book:
By the end, I was probably like this:
Here’s why I really love this book:
1)The Title: Thunderwith- With thunder. When you read it, don’t you feel something rise inside you? A power, an unknown force that will stay with you forever. It’s almost hypnotic- it makes you want to read the book.
2)The Cover: A blond girl, a dingo dog, a forest- it perfectly sums up the story. The expression on the girls face is priceless; it’s so heartbreaking. Her violet eyes are extremely expressive- she wills you to understand her, to pity her. It’s as if she is breaking from inside and yet pretending to be strong. There is no way she’ll give up anything. Hope seems to radiate from her.
3)The Poem at the Beginning:
“With thunder, with thunder, you’ll come
Undreamed of battles to be won!
She’ll know at once your sprit strong.
Discover, sing, the earth’s wild song.
And when you’ve taught her all you know
With thunder, with thunder, with thunder
You’ll go.”
No need to explain this- it is a beautiful and self expressive poem. At the same time, it is a premonition of the story. It carries within it a message of hope, victorious battles and compromises.
4)The Theme: This book is all about love -not romance- but love of a far stronger kind. It is about love for parents. Lara Ritchie, the protagonist, has lost her mother to cancer and now her father is coming to take her away to a new life. She will have to cope up with a stepmother and half siblings who hate her, adjust to hard work on the farm and loneliness. Not to mention bullies. Can a city raised teen ever manage to do this?
This book is about deriving pleasure from the little things in life, it’s about being strong, it’s about persistence, and about being optimistic. The story doesn’t have a typical happy ending where things turn out to be perfect for everyone; it is more of a compromise. It is about the way life actually turns out to be not perfect but bearable.
5)The Writing Style: Many books waste a lot of words describing the settings in detail and some books don’t do it at all. Thunderwith contains a perfect balance of descriptions. All the surroundings capture the mood of the story. It is symbolic enough not to waste words and not so symbolic that it is difficult to comprehend. Also, the aboriginal folklore add an aura of mystery to the story. Besides it depicts the feelings of characters very aptly. You don’t have to struggle to understand it. You just have to allow yourself to be swept away by sheer emotion.
June 12, 2009
Lara's mother Cheryl has just died from a long battle with cancer, leaving her to the care of the Man, her father Larry Ritchie, who Cheryl managed to track down before she died. He's practically a stranger to Lara, but she warms to this tall, lean, weather-beaten man almost immediately. He takes her home to his own family of hard wife Gladwyn and four children, all younger than Lara: Opal, Pearl, Garnet and baby Jasper. Home is a farm called Willy Nilly out the back of the Bulahdelah Mountains in northern NSW, past Newcastle.
Gladwyn is cold towards her, and Opal is distinctly unwelcoming. The younger children take to her, but between the hard work on the farm, the bully Gowd Gadrey at school who lives down the road, and Opal and Gladwyn's dislike of her, Lara sorely misses her mother. Larry is often gone for long stretches of time, leaving Gladwyn to manage the homestead and fern farm in a tough land and harsh climate.
Lonely, Lara befriends and is befriended by a dog she meets in the bush who comes during a thunderstorm - so she names him Thunderwith. Her only friend, he accompanies her on treks through the bush whenever she can get free, and the only person she tells is an Aboriginal Elder who tells Dreamtime stories at the school.
As the animosity between her and Gladwyn increases, as the heat rises and the bullying intensifies, something has to crack, but the price for gaining a new family turns out to be more than Lara would ever want to pay.
I have read this book countless times since grade 5 and it never loses its power over me - to absorb me, to make me cry. It's like an old friend, comforting and challenging at the same time. It's easily one of my most favoured books of all time.
This is a book that seemed to come at just the right moment in my life, just as Thunderwith came to Lara. It sometimes felt like it had been written just for me. I read this book, about a girl whose mother dies of cancer so she goes to live with her Dad's somewhat unwelcoming and hostile family in the bush, just months before finding out I had an older sister too. This book was my best friend for months, if not years, a surprise gift from my mother because she knew I loved it so much - one of the first books I ever owned.
The beauty of the Australian landscape is captured flawlessly in this novel, transporting me to the wild bush and rugged mountains, the scent of eucalyptus and soil and sheep surrounding me from memory.
It makes me cry every time I read it, makes me sob, and I still come back to it time and time again. I love it on a deep personal level, and it holds a precious place in my heart.
Gladwyn is cold towards her, and Opal is distinctly unwelcoming. The younger children take to her, but between the hard work on the farm, the bully Gowd Gadrey at school who lives down the road, and Opal and Gladwyn's dislike of her, Lara sorely misses her mother. Larry is often gone for long stretches of time, leaving Gladwyn to manage the homestead and fern farm in a tough land and harsh climate.
Lonely, Lara befriends and is befriended by a dog she meets in the bush who comes during a thunderstorm - so she names him Thunderwith. Her only friend, he accompanies her on treks through the bush whenever she can get free, and the only person she tells is an Aboriginal Elder who tells Dreamtime stories at the school.
As the animosity between her and Gladwyn increases, as the heat rises and the bullying intensifies, something has to crack, but the price for gaining a new family turns out to be more than Lara would ever want to pay.
I have read this book countless times since grade 5 and it never loses its power over me - to absorb me, to make me cry. It's like an old friend, comforting and challenging at the same time. It's easily one of my most favoured books of all time.
This is a book that seemed to come at just the right moment in my life, just as Thunderwith came to Lara. It sometimes felt like it had been written just for me. I read this book, about a girl whose mother dies of cancer so she goes to live with her Dad's somewhat unwelcoming and hostile family in the bush, just months before finding out I had an older sister too. This book was my best friend for months, if not years, a surprise gift from my mother because she knew I loved it so much - one of the first books I ever owned.
The beauty of the Australian landscape is captured flawlessly in this novel, transporting me to the wild bush and rugged mountains, the scent of eucalyptus and soil and sheep surrounding me from memory.
It makes me cry every time I read it, makes me sob, and I still come back to it time and time again. I love it on a deep personal level, and it holds a precious place in my heart.
April 27, 2012
Great book. To be able to convey such strong emtions in words, its just awesome. The book took my breath away
August 11, 2009
In year 7 English on the first day of school, we had to pair up with someone we didn't know and learn a little about them. My partner was Fi Collins and she told me that this and Bridge to Terabithia were her favourite books. Having never read either, I borrowed them from the library that afternoon. Thunderwith I have since read at least a dozen times, the most recent being on a plane to Germany when I found I had two copies - I decided to bring one with me to read, then free it into the wild so that I wouldn't need to bring it back with me. It still makes me sob just as much as ever and my god I love it.
July 24, 2016
With thunder you'll come and with thunder you'll go [. . .] I'll call you Withthunder. I'll call you Thunderwith.
This is one of my favorite book titles in the world. I loved it so much that when I joined a sim horse club at age 12, I made up a Mustang stallion named after it for similar reasons as Lara names the dog, although in my case I said it was because his galloping hooves sounded like thunder. Thunderwith-the-stallion spawned generations of beloved digital horses and holds a special place in my heart to this day thanks to the impression the poetry-like quote above made on me in middle school, and thus, so does the book that inspired him.
I bought the library's copy as soon as I saw it on the sale cart and still cherish it as the book that started a mini-obsession with Australian novels, and whose vivid text always immediately carries me off to that faraway place. The story isn't really about the dog, who makes only a few appearances and lives as an apparent stray -- he's more of a talisman, and Lara even calls him her "magic dog," a creature she believes her late mother sent for her in times of need, who seems to appear in a certain spot when she needs comfort, or just a true friend.
What it's mainly about is shy, awkward teenage Lara Ritchie trying to fit into her heretofore unknown father's life, complete with four raucous siblings ranging in age from 2 to 12 and a stepmother who resents her presence, after her mother passes away from cancer. Her loneliness is increased by the fact that not only is her father is often gone for work, they live in a remote rural area trying to cut a meager farm from the outback, rustic enough that they don't have a phone but do have an outhouse, and the main house is more of a tin shed, so small and crowded that Lara chooses to sleep on the porch for any semblance of privacy. School isn't any better, as not only has she never been a great student, the local bully targets her weakness immediately.
There is no romance to the story, only the heartbreaking struggle of this girl trying so hard to keep her head above water and reorient herself when her central constant has been ripped away. But she does orient herself; slowly but surely she finds herself starting to help out with the backbreaking chores around the farm, being embraced by her siblings, and of course, sneaking off to visit "her" dog.
Lara comes across as a bit simple, or perhaps just young/naive for her age, but that makes her all the more endearing. She's an extremely memorable character to me -- I empathize deeply with her loss and her loneliness, and how she cherishes the few possessions from her mother, and I love watching her gradually find footholds here and there. Little sisters Garnet and Opal, who quickly hero-worship her, are especially adorable.
I also love all the little detail of day-to-day life, from working in muddy fields (where leeches lie in wait to attack you, because Australia), to preparing supper, to the occasional day trips to town and a beach area; it really makes her home life come alive. Yes, having reread it today for the first time in probably 15 years and finding it every bit as wonderful as I did then, this is a book that will definitely be staying with me in the long term.
This is one of my favorite book titles in the world. I loved it so much that when I joined a sim horse club at age 12, I made up a Mustang stallion named after it for similar reasons as Lara names the dog, although in my case I said it was because his galloping hooves sounded like thunder. Thunderwith-the-stallion spawned generations of beloved digital horses and holds a special place in my heart to this day thanks to the impression the poetry-like quote above made on me in middle school, and thus, so does the book that inspired him.
I bought the library's copy as soon as I saw it on the sale cart and still cherish it as the book that started a mini-obsession with Australian novels, and whose vivid text always immediately carries me off to that faraway place. The story isn't really about the dog, who makes only a few appearances and lives as an apparent stray -- he's more of a talisman, and Lara even calls him her "magic dog," a creature she believes her late mother sent for her in times of need, who seems to appear in a certain spot when she needs comfort, or just a true friend.
What it's mainly about is shy, awkward teenage Lara Ritchie trying to fit into her heretofore unknown father's life, complete with four raucous siblings ranging in age from 2 to 12 and a stepmother who resents her presence, after her mother passes away from cancer. Her loneliness is increased by the fact that not only is her father is often gone for work, they live in a remote rural area trying to cut a meager farm from the outback, rustic enough that they don't have a phone but do have an outhouse, and the main house is more of a tin shed, so small and crowded that Lara chooses to sleep on the porch for any semblance of privacy. School isn't any better, as not only has she never been a great student, the local bully targets her weakness immediately.
There is no romance to the story, only the heartbreaking struggle of this girl trying so hard to keep her head above water and reorient herself when her central constant has been ripped away. But she does orient herself; slowly but surely she finds herself starting to help out with the backbreaking chores around the farm, being embraced by her siblings, and of course, sneaking off to visit "her" dog.
Lara comes across as a bit simple, or perhaps just young/naive for her age, but that makes her all the more endearing. She's an extremely memorable character to me -- I empathize deeply with her loss and her loneliness, and how she cherishes the few possessions from her mother, and I love watching her gradually find footholds here and there. Little sisters Garnet and Opal, who quickly hero-worship her, are especially adorable.
I also love all the little detail of day-to-day life, from working in muddy fields (where leeches lie in wait to attack you, because Australia), to preparing supper, to the occasional day trips to town and a beach area; it really makes her home life come alive. Yes, having reread it today for the first time in probably 15 years and finding it every bit as wonderful as I did then, this is a book that will definitely be staying with me in the long term.
March 20, 2010
After her mother's death, despite her fears of an orphanage Lara is reunited with the father she hasn't seen since she was a toddler. He is kind and understanding but lives in the back of beyond in the Australian Outback with his second wife and their four children, and often has to leave for weeks at a time to earn a living. Not only does Lara's stepmother make it clear she is not welcome but there is barely room for her - she sleeps on the verandah - and money is very tight. Worse, although her half-siblings soon accept her, a cruel boy at school torments Lara daily, trying to force her to give him the cherished coin collection she had shared with her mother. Lara's only confidantes are an elderly Aboriginal storyteller and a beautiful dog, Thunderwith, she meets on the hill near her house and which seems to appear whenever she needs comfort. When Lara's friendship with Thunderwith is threatened by her cruel neighbor, she despairs of ever belonging anywhere again.
Palm Grove High is in need of the Anti-Bullying Bill the Massachusetts Legislature is working on, although I am sure bullies always find a way to taunt and hurt.
Palm Grove High is in need of the Anti-Bullying Bill the Massachusetts Legislature is working on, although I am sure bullies always find a way to taunt and hurt.
September 27, 2011
Lara Meredith Richie has lost her Mum Cheryl to cancer, and her father Larry who Lara has not seen since she was three, takes her to live with his family. With his wife Gladwyn, daughters Pearl (12), Garnet (6), Opal (5), and son Jasper (20 months). Lara struggles to find acceptance in her new family, being bullied at her new School, while dealing with the death of her mother. But she finds a friend in a dingo dog that hangs around near the Willy Nilly Farm where Lara is living. She believes Thunderwith must have been sent specially for her and keeps her meetings with her magic dog secret. There is some sadness in the story, but it's very much worth reading. Other notable characters in the book are the Aboriginal story teller Neil Symon who inspires Lara with his stories and understanding manner. And the bully Gowd Gadrey who acts as the pleasant and reasonable student in front of teachers and most students, but to Lara he is a cruel bully.
April 16, 2011
I thought this book was great. The characters had depth. The story was packed with emotion. The crescendo of problems seemed, in total, insurmountable. But the resolution was realistic and very satisfying. I haven't cried over a book for a while, but this one had me reaching for the tissues! Recommended.
July 30, 2012
From year 5. Terrible memories.
February 8, 2021
I am thoroughly convinced at this point that I read a completely different book from everyone else. It’s like this: I got sent the joke copy. It’s all part of some elaborate prank. I’m being Punk’d. Any day now, the people are going to jump out from behind the cameras and scream, “Sike! That’s not the real version of Thunderwith. And then I read the real version, and it’s actually good and amazing like everyone’s saying. That’s the only rational explanation I can think of for why everyone thinks it's some deep, heartfelt, touching story. They literally read a completely different set of printed words from me. It was a different set of words. It had to be. Because what I’m seeing, is a horror movie that should’ve ended like Carrie.
This book had a many “firsts” for me. It was the first time I ever actually threw a book across the room. I’m serious. I’ve never done that to a book before. Not even Night Road (disgusting as that book was). Not even Eona. It’s also the first time I was seriously tempted to start ripping pages out. Don’t worry, I didn’t. But I was seriously wanting to.
Here is the plot of the book: It’s about a 12-year old girl who goes through the cripplingly traumatic experience of losing her mom to cancer, and so she is sent to go live with her father’s new family. And well, basically, she’s a bad horrible person for all of this happening.
No really. That’s it. That’s the story.
Look, it’s all well and good to have nasty, confrontational characters who makes the main character’s life hell. That’s…kind of the point of stories, to be honest. BUT!!! It also has to be addressed correctly. You can’t just have our protagonist keep taking it and taking it and never once feeling angry about it or firing back…why, she comes to ADMIRE her abuser. Seriously. Long before the abuse stops. You’ve got to stop giving me characters that don’t react realistically to certain situations. Not that I’m blaming Lara, because she’s only 12, and I just feel sorry for her. I was that easy to push around when I was 12 too. She was scared.
But even in her THOUGHTS, she admired and loved Gladwyn, and wanted her love back. And so do all the other kids. Gladwyn is always appallingly shitty to them, and you’re really trying to tell me not ONE of them ever fights back or even just is angry and hates her? They all still love her and worship her and treat her like mother of the year??? Please. It’s just not realistic. I don’t believe it for a second.
The dad, don’t even get me started on him. He actually says, “It’s been hard for Gladwyn too.” Are you KIDDING ME? He actually lets another woman tell him that his OWN CHILD doesn’t fucking matter. He actually tricked Lara into coming to live with his Hills Have Eyes family, then left and didn’t even protect her. Then when he comes back, he actually says, “I know it’s been hard for you Lara, but it’s beenhard for your abuser too, it’s been hard for Gladwyn too.” If there’s anything that MICRO-PENIS MAN has, it’s the audacity.
And if you’re one of those people with the medieval mindset of “Abuse Only Ever Matters When It’s Physical”, don’t even waste your time with me. No. Screaming in a child’s face because they dropped a plate, and then roaring about how they “can’t do anything right” is ABUSE. Plain and fucking simple. And that word isn’t used ONCE to describe Gladwyn’s horrid behavior. It’s always watered down, minimized, NORMALIZED. That is NOT a normal reaction to have to such a silly simple accident. Being hostile and blaming towards a child for her OWN TRAGEDY SHE’S SUFFERING, and calling her a burden, is ABUSE. Making a child feel anxious to walk around in her own living quarters, is ABUSE. Threatening that she’s only going to stay there for a “period of time”, is ABUSE. Calling her things “rubbish” and scorning her over her belongings when those are the ONLY THINGS SHE HAS LEFT OF HER OLD LIFE, that may be the only things she has left to comfort her, is ABUSE. Expecting someone to immediately know how to do new things and pick up on new tasks that they’ve NEVER been taught before, is ABUSE. No matter how you slice it, this is all abuse. And should be treated as such.
Hell, Lara wasn’t even ALLOWED TO CRY OVER HER MOTHER. She was not given any options for proper grief counseling or anything. This is exactly the sort of thing that leads to SUICIDE, and I’m surprised she never tried that. People like Pearl and Gladwyn are literally the reason why suicide EXISTS. She also scorns Lara’s mother’s THINGS when they get sent down—that “rubbish” came from her DEAD MOM, you absolutely evil slimy bitch. Jesus H. Christ.
And yet, her behavior is ACCEPTED by all of the characters, never criticized. That is PRECISELY the reason why Gladwyn keeps doing it, because they are all ENABLERS.
This book is a gaslighting fest. They even try to overlap it with a side story about overcoming a school bully…I call it a poor attempt at a distraction. Gladwyn is just as bad, if not worse than, Gowd Gadry, so why am I suddenly supposed to care about how he acts??? That’s the hypocrisy of the whole supposed “anti-bullying” storyline…this is NOT an anti-bullying book. If it were, Gladwyn would be properly demonized just like Gadry, when the whole reason why Gadry is seen as the villain is because he puts his hands on Lara and intimidates. Well, GLADWYN puts her hands on her own kids at a certain point, and is constantly intimidating Lara. SO………???????? How are they any different?
It also doesn’t make sense in the context of Pearl. So, you’re just going to introduce an even worse person, just so you can start to make Pearl look better? When Pearl herself was a bully all this time? Why does Lara start to align herself with Pearl, trust her, and why does she get shocked when Pearl is bullied into telling the bully about Lara’s mom’s coin collection, when that is exactly how Pearl has been acting the entire book???
Nothing in this book makes any remote sense. Make it make sense.
You’re not fooling me.
As I predicted early on in the book, we eventually have a sob story for why Gladwyn “is the way she is”. Because you know…poor Gladwyn. Not poor Lara, who is a child who lost her family. But poor Gladwyn, a grown-ass adult who HAS her family, and whose family lets her treat them however she wants. Poor, poor, Gladwyn.
Look, I’m a sucker for redemption stories. I’m a sucker for cruel characters who end up having a softer side. And I’ll admit, I did get massive relief for Lara’s sake. But this whole thing just did not work for me, for several reasons:
-It reeked of/primarily focused on Gladwyn being the “real victim”. Not her taking accountability for her actions (she literally never even says the words “I’m sorry”). In fact, saying ‘primarily’ is even too generous. It SOLELY focuses on Gladwyn’s pain, and none on Lara’s. LARA is the supposed to be the central focus here, and LARA is the one who lost something. Not Gladwyn.
-It wasn’t even THAT sad of a sob story. Like, you could’ve at least given me something a little more crushing. Not that that would’ve excused or fixed anything anyone, but you could’ve at least TRIED.
-It came too little too late.
-Most importantly, it does not make up for the numerous instances of abuse that are firmly glossed over, shoved aside, and swept under the rug without a single comment. In fact, it actually contradicts those instances, because they were all based around the fact that Lara was even there. That she had nowhere else to go. Now, Gladwyn wants to claim, “I know firsthand that orphanages and foster homes are bad, so I don’t want you to go through that,” once LARA decides she wants to leave?
I'm sick of authors mistreating their protagonists JUST for the sake of mistreating them. Just because they're the main character, DOESN'T mean they aren't allowed to have a backbone and self-love. I could NEVER envision myself accepting any of this. I just can't relate.
There is no redemption in my eyes for Gladwyn or Pearl. The ONLY reason why Gladwyn starts to like Lara is because Lara went out of her way to save her life and to save her children’s lives when Gladwyn was neglecting them. The only reason why PEARL starts to like Lara is because she needed an older, bigger girl to shield her from the school bully, so she used her. That’s it. They only love what she can do for them, what she can PROVIDE for them…they don’t love her herself. There’s a DIFFERENCE.
One last thing: Going back to the unrealistic reactions…there’s a commentary made toward the end that the reason why Lara “gives and receives love so easily” is because she was shown love as a child. I…really don’t care how much love someone was shown or well they were treated in their childhood—it is STILL unrealistic for someone to continue to have such a loving, pure response to getting treated the way Lara was treated over and over and over. No one is that ridiculously pure. She’s still a human. She’s ALLOWED to get angry and fight back. I really don’t care how well her life was before all this—because what matters is that it’s not NOW. It’s not anymore. Her mom died. It’s almost like…it’s almost like they’re trying to say, “Lara had a good life before this, so now she DESERVES to suffer, because people should be ashamed of the fact that they have loving parents, because poor Gladwyn and others don’t.” Spare me that sickeningly stupid shit.
I didn’t care a thing for Gladwyn’s distress, because she doesn’t care about others’. I’m forced to care about her pitiful emotional state, but I’m supposed to be fine with Lara being treated like crap when she’s ALREADY gone through hell? Are you joking? This book constantly gaslights you about what’s ACTUALLY going on. Gladwyn’s never even called out on her lies. She’s one of the monstrous people in the world who thinks people who get bullied at school just need to ‘deal with it’, then turns around later and claims no one ever told her what was going on, and pretends to care only when it starts to become VERY severe. And Pearl, never takes accountability for them missing the bus. She also derides people who have a fear of water, and plays on the younger siblings’ fears of sharks in the waters. AND THIS IS NEVER ADDRESSED. There are probably DOZENS of instances I’m still forgetting.
As I said, this book should’ve ended like Carrie. Lara should’ve snapped and gone after people. Not the children, but Pearl, Gladwyn, and Larry were all good to go.
As someone who has Autism and can’t pick up on new tasks easily or new routines, and needs time to learn the skills and needs to be shown how to do them, fuck this book. As someone who has developed a crippling fear and anxiety and distrust of people BECAUSE I was screamed at and snapped at so much as a child for the littlest most insignificant accidents (like spilling a glass of soda), fuck this book. As someone who dealt with bullying throughout early childhood that NO ONE did a damn thing about, fuck this book. And most importantly, as someone who lost her mom to cancer, just like the main character in this book did, fuck this book.
Can’t believe this shit was made into a movie.
This book had a many “firsts” for me. It was the first time I ever actually threw a book across the room. I’m serious. I’ve never done that to a book before. Not even Night Road (disgusting as that book was). Not even Eona. It’s also the first time I was seriously tempted to start ripping pages out. Don’t worry, I didn’t. But I was seriously wanting to.
Here is the plot of the book: It’s about a 12-year old girl who goes through the cripplingly traumatic experience of losing her mom to cancer, and so she is sent to go live with her father’s new family. And well, basically, she’s a bad horrible person for all of this happening.
No really. That’s it. That’s the story.
Look, it’s all well and good to have nasty, confrontational characters who makes the main character’s life hell. That’s…kind of the point of stories, to be honest. BUT!!! It also has to be addressed correctly. You can’t just have our protagonist keep taking it and taking it and never once feeling angry about it or firing back…why, she comes to ADMIRE her abuser. Seriously. Long before the abuse stops. You’ve got to stop giving me characters that don’t react realistically to certain situations. Not that I’m blaming Lara, because she’s only 12, and I just feel sorry for her. I was that easy to push around when I was 12 too. She was scared.
But even in her THOUGHTS, she admired and loved Gladwyn, and wanted her love back. And so do all the other kids. Gladwyn is always appallingly shitty to them, and you’re really trying to tell me not ONE of them ever fights back or even just is angry and hates her? They all still love her and worship her and treat her like mother of the year??? Please. It’s just not realistic. I don’t believe it for a second.
The dad, don’t even get me started on him. He actually says, “It’s been hard for Gladwyn too.” Are you KIDDING ME? He actually lets another woman tell him that his OWN CHILD doesn’t fucking matter. He actually tricked Lara into coming to live with his Hills Have Eyes family, then left and didn’t even protect her. Then when he comes back, he actually says, “I know it’s been hard for you Lara, but it’s been
And if you’re one of those people with the medieval mindset of “Abuse Only Ever Matters When It’s Physical”, don’t even waste your time with me. No. Screaming in a child’s face because they dropped a plate, and then roaring about how they “can’t do anything right” is ABUSE. Plain and fucking simple. And that word isn’t used ONCE to describe Gladwyn’s horrid behavior. It’s always watered down, minimized, NORMALIZED. That is NOT a normal reaction to have to such a silly simple accident. Being hostile and blaming towards a child for her OWN TRAGEDY SHE’S SUFFERING, and calling her a burden, is ABUSE. Making a child feel anxious to walk around in her own living quarters, is ABUSE. Threatening that she’s only going to stay there for a “period of time”, is ABUSE. Calling her things “rubbish” and scorning her over her belongings when those are the ONLY THINGS SHE HAS LEFT OF HER OLD LIFE, that may be the only things she has left to comfort her, is ABUSE. Expecting someone to immediately know how to do new things and pick up on new tasks that they’ve NEVER been taught before, is ABUSE. No matter how you slice it, this is all abuse. And should be treated as such.
Hell, Lara wasn’t even ALLOWED TO CRY OVER HER MOTHER. She was not given any options for proper grief counseling or anything. This is exactly the sort of thing that leads to SUICIDE, and I’m surprised she never tried that. People like Pearl and Gladwyn are literally the reason why suicide EXISTS. She also scorns Lara’s mother’s THINGS when they get sent down—that “rubbish” came from her DEAD MOM, you absolutely evil slimy bitch. Jesus H. Christ.
And yet, her behavior is ACCEPTED by all of the characters, never criticized. That is PRECISELY the reason why Gladwyn keeps doing it, because they are all ENABLERS.
This book is a gaslighting fest. They even try to overlap it with a side story about overcoming a school bully…I call it a poor attempt at a distraction. Gladwyn is just as bad, if not worse than, Gowd Gadry, so why am I suddenly supposed to care about how he acts??? That’s the hypocrisy of the whole supposed “anti-bullying” storyline…this is NOT an anti-bullying book. If it were, Gladwyn would be properly demonized just like Gadry, when the whole reason why Gadry is seen as the villain is because he puts his hands on Lara and intimidates. Well, GLADWYN puts her hands on her own kids at a certain point, and is constantly intimidating Lara. SO………???????? How are they any different?
It also doesn’t make sense in the context of Pearl. So, you’re just going to introduce an even worse person, just so you can start to make Pearl look better? When Pearl herself was a bully all this time? Why does Lara start to align herself with Pearl, trust her, and why does she get shocked when Pearl is bullied into telling the bully about Lara’s mom’s coin collection, when that is exactly how Pearl has been acting the entire book???
Nothing in this book makes any remote sense. Make it make sense.
You’re not fooling me.
As I predicted early on in the book, we eventually have a sob story for why Gladwyn “is the way she is”. Because you know…poor Gladwyn. Not poor Lara, who is a child who lost her family. But poor Gladwyn, a grown-ass adult who HAS her family, and whose family lets her treat them however she wants. Poor, poor, Gladwyn.
Look, I’m a sucker for redemption stories. I’m a sucker for cruel characters who end up having a softer side. And I’ll admit, I did get massive relief for Lara’s sake. But this whole thing just did not work for me, for several reasons:
-It reeked of/primarily focused on Gladwyn being the “real victim”. Not her taking accountability for her actions (she literally never even says the words “I’m sorry”). In fact, saying ‘primarily’ is even too generous. It SOLELY focuses on Gladwyn’s pain, and none on Lara’s. LARA is the supposed to be the central focus here, and LARA is the one who lost something. Not Gladwyn.
-It wasn’t even THAT sad of a sob story. Like, you could’ve at least given me something a little more crushing. Not that that would’ve excused or fixed anything anyone, but you could’ve at least TRIED.
-It came too little too late.
-Most importantly, it does not make up for the numerous instances of abuse that are firmly glossed over, shoved aside, and swept under the rug without a single comment. In fact, it actually contradicts those instances, because they were all based around the fact that Lara was even there. That she had nowhere else to go. Now, Gladwyn wants to claim, “I know firsthand that orphanages and foster homes are bad, so I don’t want you to go through that,” once LARA decides she wants to leave?
I'm sick of authors mistreating their protagonists JUST for the sake of mistreating them. Just because they're the main character, DOESN'T mean they aren't allowed to have a backbone and self-love. I could NEVER envision myself accepting any of this. I just can't relate.
There is no redemption in my eyes for Gladwyn or Pearl. The ONLY reason why Gladwyn starts to like Lara is because Lara went out of her way to save her life and to save her children’s lives when Gladwyn was neglecting them. The only reason why PEARL starts to like Lara is because she needed an older, bigger girl to shield her from the school bully, so she used her. That’s it. They only love what she can do for them, what she can PROVIDE for them…they don’t love her herself. There’s a DIFFERENCE.
One last thing: Going back to the unrealistic reactions…there’s a commentary made toward the end that the reason why Lara “gives and receives love so easily” is because she was shown love as a child. I…really don’t care how much love someone was shown or well they were treated in their childhood—it is STILL unrealistic for someone to continue to have such a loving, pure response to getting treated the way Lara was treated over and over and over. No one is that ridiculously pure. She’s still a human. She’s ALLOWED to get angry and fight back. I really don’t care how well her life was before all this—because what matters is that it’s not NOW. It’s not anymore. Her mom died. It’s almost like…it’s almost like they’re trying to say, “Lara had a good life before this, so now she DESERVES to suffer, because people should be ashamed of the fact that they have loving parents, because poor Gladwyn and others don’t.” Spare me that sickeningly stupid shit.
I didn’t care a thing for Gladwyn’s distress, because she doesn’t care about others’. I’m forced to care about her pitiful emotional state, but I’m supposed to be fine with Lara being treated like crap when she’s ALREADY gone through hell? Are you joking? This book constantly gaslights you about what’s ACTUALLY going on. Gladwyn’s never even called out on her lies. She’s one of the monstrous people in the world who thinks people who get bullied at school just need to ‘deal with it’, then turns around later and claims no one ever told her what was going on, and pretends to care only when it starts to become VERY severe. And Pearl, never takes accountability for them missing the bus. She also derides people who have a fear of water, and plays on the younger siblings’ fears of sharks in the waters. AND THIS IS NEVER ADDRESSED. There are probably DOZENS of instances I’m still forgetting.
As I said, this book should’ve ended like Carrie. Lara should’ve snapped and gone after people. Not the children, but Pearl, Gladwyn, and Larry were all good to go.
As someone who has Autism and can’t pick up on new tasks easily or new routines, and needs time to learn the skills and needs to be shown how to do them, fuck this book. As someone who has developed a crippling fear and anxiety and distrust of people BECAUSE I was screamed at and snapped at so much as a child for the littlest most insignificant accidents (like spilling a glass of soda), fuck this book. As someone who dealt with bullying throughout early childhood that NO ONE did a damn thing about, fuck this book. And most importantly, as someone who lost her mom to cancer, just like the main character in this book did, fuck this book.
Can’t believe this shit was made into a movie.
October 8, 2025
A lovely book my mum used to read to me as a child that I recently decided to read.. the story of a young girl dealing with grief and change and how an unexpected friendship with a dog helped her through some tough times
July 15, 2017
Although it is a pretty good book, it only got interesting after page 108.
August 11, 2016
Lara's mother dies and Lara is sent to live with a father she doesn't know and his new family. Her father's wife and her new sisters are not all eager to have her join the family, who are struggling to survive in a remote part of Australia. There's a terrible bully at her new school who adds to Lara's unhappiness. Then she finds a dog she names Thunderwith and at last she has something of her own.
This is one of those 1001 Children's Books that could by read and enjoyed by teens or adults. The characters are compelling and real, and there are no stereotypical good guys or bad guys in this story. We're rooting for Lara, of course, but we also grow to see and understand the world from the eyes of the stepmother and even the bully.
This is one of those 1001 Children's Books that could by read and enjoyed by teens or adults. The characters are compelling and real, and there are no stereotypical good guys or bad guys in this story. We're rooting for Lara, of course, but we also grow to see and understand the world from the eyes of the stepmother and even the bully.
December 6, 2007
Sent to me by Shannon as a present. We usually share taste in books, so when she told me this was one of her favourites, I was certain I'd love it too.
And I did. It's an incredibly charming YA story. Sweet and sad at the same time. I really enjoyed the Aboriginal folklore included in the tale. While I did occasionally feel like shaking Lara to make her see sense, in the end she always ended up doing what I thought she ought to do :)
A beautiful book I'd gladly recommend to all YA readers.
And I did. It's an incredibly charming YA story. Sweet and sad at the same time. I really enjoyed the Aboriginal folklore included in the tale. While I did occasionally feel like shaking Lara to make her see sense, in the end she always ended up doing what I thought she ought to do :)
A beautiful book I'd gladly recommend to all YA readers.
June 18, 2012
Thunderwith is a well written yet boring book. The book is featured on a troubled teenager who lives with her family and is teased constantly at school. She has no real freinds untill she finds the neighbours dog "Thunderwith". She forms a strong friendship with the dog, and ends with the friendship being brutally recked by the school bully. This book is alright, but in my opinion is a boring book due to uninteresting plot.
May 31, 2012
this book was a very interesting piece of chemistry, there was a clear sence of exploration as every turn off the page was a new and interesting idea, the love combined between the two most valid customers is a strong camotion of love, the protagonist is excluded from life but this animal thunderwith saved her emotionl life and made the story worth while.
July 29, 2012
OMG i loved this book!!! i actually saw the australian movie of this book- the echo of thunder- before i even knew about it. I absolutely fell in love with the movie so i knew id love the book! i loved it even more! so well written and i loved all of the characters. i got so attached with them all. Definately a must read!!! and of course the follow up, Chrysalis!!!
November 24, 2018
I loved this book in my early teens. The main character goes through losing her .other to cancer and adjusting to a step family. She has bullies at school. Set in Australia with a dog as her companion.
Was extremely helpful to me as a teen as I dealt with my parents divorce and remarriage, family members passing away etc. Prefect for young women dealing with family issues
Was extremely helpful to me as a teen as I dealt with my parents divorce and remarriage, family members passing away etc. Prefect for young women dealing with family issues
August 18, 2012
I thought this book was a great book, it was filled with action, it was compelling and most of all it was filled with emotion.... The only downside would be that it was a little slow at the start but otherwise it was a fantastic read!
May 17, 2013
A really lovely novel for early teens. I read this in one sitting and got all teary a few times. A story about coping with grief, dealing with school bullying and the love of a beautiful dog. Great characters, including an inspiring Indigenous Storyteller role-model.
December 5, 2017
This is my sister's favourite book. In fact, it was the first book she actually read on her own in grade 6. She'd never been a good reader before that.
Both of us have read this book multiple times over the years and it can still make me shed a tear.
Both of us have read this book multiple times over the years and it can still make me shed a tear.
March 31, 2009
yeah read this book about 7 times
Read
October 17, 2010its was great!
May 22, 2012
single handedly the best book ever written in the history of western history, second to journey to eureka
July 30, 2012
well written book, but a very boring plot
September 6, 2012
It is a very good book and wonderfully written!
May 23, 2016
Did not enjoy, wouldn't have finished it if school hadn't made me.
June 27, 2021
This Australian young adult's novel ticks a lot of boxes that one would expect for consideration as a worthy text. A teenager going through personal trials...check. A family situation that is non-traditional...check. Indigenous perspectives...check. A dog...check. Reflections on nature and the Australian bush...check. Hathorn has brought together these and other disparate elements that will find favour for 'Thunderwith' as a quality novel for students to read at school and at home, or perhaps their parents. Thankfully the novel is not just an assemblage of these constructs. It is a very genuine and at times moving story that will appeal to many of its readers.
For the most part Hathorn's narrative is a bit of a trial; not because it is badly written or that her characters are unlikeable. That her protagonist Lara has to deal with so many emotional torments becomes at times too overwhelming, and the author doesn't give the reader much space to find relief from her sad narrative. When the indigenous storyteller Neil appears in the story Hathorn provides the necessary relief as well as some welcome First Nation culture. However for the bulk of the story Lara's tale is one of unrelenting oppression and struggle. Even the interspersing of appearances from the eponymous dingo dog does little to lift the veil of unhappiness over the bulk of the text.
If one can get through that aspect of the novel there is plenty to reward the reader. Hathorn has a talent for describing the bush of the mid north coast of NSW, and she also has a capacity for communicating how wondrous words and poetry can be. 'Thunderwith' also does a very decent job of detailing how mixed families struggle with the personal conflicts and emotional issues that occur in such scenarios. The relationship between Lara and her step-mother Gladwyn might have echoes of Grimm's evil stepmothers, yet there are hints here and there of the complexity of character and relationships that the author is trying to explore in the book.
If one sticks with the book there is a very satisfying and beautiful conclusion to the story, and it might be handy to have a tissue or two on hand for it (no spoilers). Hathorn's prose makes sure that one 'gets' the full force of what she is trying to convey up to and including the end, and it is highly readable. Younger readers may struggle but older teenagers and adults should have no trouble.
In conclusion, 'Thunderwith' is a very good example of modern Australian children's fiction that will appeal to many who read it, no matter their age. The dominant thread of emotional turmoil in the book's narrative may be a bit hard to deal with, but overall readers will be rewarded by engaging with Hathorn's fiction.
For the most part Hathorn's narrative is a bit of a trial; not because it is badly written or that her characters are unlikeable. That her protagonist Lara has to deal with so many emotional torments becomes at times too overwhelming, and the author doesn't give the reader much space to find relief from her sad narrative. When the indigenous storyteller Neil appears in the story Hathorn provides the necessary relief as well as some welcome First Nation culture. However for the bulk of the story Lara's tale is one of unrelenting oppression and struggle. Even the interspersing of appearances from the eponymous dingo dog does little to lift the veil of unhappiness over the bulk of the text.
If one can get through that aspect of the novel there is plenty to reward the reader. Hathorn has a talent for describing the bush of the mid north coast of NSW, and she also has a capacity for communicating how wondrous words and poetry can be. 'Thunderwith' also does a very decent job of detailing how mixed families struggle with the personal conflicts and emotional issues that occur in such scenarios. The relationship between Lara and her step-mother Gladwyn might have echoes of Grimm's evil stepmothers, yet there are hints here and there of the complexity of character and relationships that the author is trying to explore in the book.
If one sticks with the book there is a very satisfying and beautiful conclusion to the story, and it might be handy to have a tissue or two on hand for it (no spoilers). Hathorn's prose makes sure that one 'gets' the full force of what she is trying to convey up to and including the end, and it is highly readable. Younger readers may struggle but older teenagers and adults should have no trouble.
In conclusion, 'Thunderwith' is a very good example of modern Australian children's fiction that will appeal to many who read it, no matter their age. The dominant thread of emotional turmoil in the book's narrative may be a bit hard to deal with, but overall readers will be rewarded by engaging with Hathorn's fiction.
June 23, 2020
I picked up this book by mistake, confusing Libby Hathorn with another author I had enjoyed during childhood, but it turned out to be a fortuitous error! Not that thought that at first. Reading the synopsis, my first reaction was not another tale with an awful stepmother along with it being a strange title for a novel. But Thunderwith turned out to be just the right name, and Gladwyn, Lara’s stepmother, to be much more complex than the evil stepmother. And as I read, I began to warm more and more to many of the characters in the book - with the exception of Gowd Gadrey, the ‘butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth’ bully. My body would tense every time he intruded his presence, so expertly was he portrayed by Hathorn. This discomfort was always alleviated by the appearance of Neil with his Dreamtime stories and wise counsel. And of course, there was Thunderwith, loyal, accepting, non-judgemental and dependable.
Heart-piercing and heartwarming. Despairing and hopeful. Despondent and joyful. All these words are accurate descriptors of this powerful Australian story. You will not regret a minute spent reading this wonderful tale.
Heart-piercing and heartwarming. Despairing and hopeful. Despondent and joyful. All these words are accurate descriptors of this powerful Australian story. You will not regret a minute spent reading this wonderful tale.
July 15, 2017
This book had a great story and is an empowering read for teenagers. After the dead of her mother, Lara finds herself living on a farm with four half siblings, an unfriendly stepmother and her father. Dad is unaware of the bullying at school; she spends her free time in the library and in the company of Neil Symons. He travels the country school, explaining the Australian Aboriginal culture to students. The author is very good at understanding the emotions of young adults and children; the writing is beautiful and brought me to tears
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews