Tribute is a small, Australian township blessed with ancient mountainous rainforest, waterfalls, clean pristine rivers and a filthy secret. Six young lives are brought together by a church orphanage as wards of the state then groomed and sold off at a tender age. Other than the jungle, their only comfort is each other, and Stirrup, a brave blue cattle dog. The only family they have ever known.Led … known.
Led by Cozy, wild, defiant and found in Tribute’s rainforest as an infant, the youngsters plot the demise of their tormentor. Will the kids finally experience freedom and happiness? Or will tyranny and heartache stubbornly cling to them?
Refreshingly guttural and unashamedly Australian, Tribute’s untamed growl is bold and confronting.
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I know I have said that I read Tribute three times and am on my fourth. I will say that this fourth round was the first time I saw Tribute as it was intended. It’s a heart-wrenching story of six young children that fate brought together. The first nine pages are gritty and strongly worded. However, they are fully required for the foundation of the story and to fully understand what truly bonded these six to each other, as it did. It was that cruel twist of fate that created the friendship of brotherhood and sisterhood that had come from such hatred and destruction. Please, do get past those first nine pages.
I assure you, the book is filled with moments that you will treasure. Moments that warm your heart, moments where you chuckle, and yes, there will be moments of tears and those that you will cringe over. I can see a combination of ”The Outsiders”, touches of the “Bad Boys”, and a little bit of the bond like in “the Goonies” or perhaps “The Warriors” might be more accurate.
I saw the story on a different level this time around. I saw all the hidden little “treasures” that Robbie had us discover. As an American, it’s not something we might pick up on the first time around. Now, having been in his group, hearing the stories of life over there, seeing the countryside and creatures through the stories and images, it was a beautiful experience this time around. This story was not meant as a haunt. It was meant as a story of friendship and devotion. It’s coming of age from a standpoint of six children that felt rejection and felt as if they never fully fit into society. Robbie has you fall in love with each of them and will make you wish you could just reach out and hug them all.
Yes, the book stays with you, from the first page to the last. Like I said before, I have read it four times and I am so glad that I have.
If you have not read the book, I truly recommend that you do.
Where to start? First, I highly recommend you read this story. The comradery between the six friends (characters) is the most genuine I’ve ever read about. I adored each character. This story brought out so many emotions: Hate. Love. Sadness. Happiness. I want to say I love this story, but the subject matter is not one you should love. So, I’ll just say it’s a beautifully, well-written story. The first chapter is hard, but please continue. You’ll find a captivating story of survival. Children (orphans) from childhood to adulthood. Riveting! An absolutely amazing story.
This was such a hard story for me. This story is not for the faint hearted. At times it was emotionally draining. I took many breaks. There were tears, I wanted to slap someone and it’s heartbreaking. But there are some funny moments. The abuse broke my heart. No child should have to go through that. The writing was phenomenal. This author is an amazing story teller. I enjoyed the rollercoaster I was on. This is a must read.
This was definitely one of those books that grabs you from the beginning and no matter how much you want to give up you absolutely have to finish to know what happens. While I don’t recommend reading it while you’re at work I would 10000000% recommend reading anywhere else. It definitely makes you re-evaluate what’s important and makes you hug your loved ones closer especially the tiny humans. I honestly fell in love with the way he writes. I can’t wait to see more from him. He could very quickly become one of my favorite authors
This is a chilling and emotional book. I have to say it’s not for the faint of heart. If you’re looking for handholding, hearts and flowers….well this isn’t that book.
If you’re looking for a book that’s well written, that the characters of the story will touch your hearts and make you want to hold them and never let them go, this is THAT book.
Robert is an amazing writer. Not all will enjoy his words, but that’s ok. I’m looking forward to reading more of his work.