aue
- (verb) to cry, howl, groan, wail, bawl.
- (interjection) expression of astonishment or distress.
Taukiri was born into sorrow. Aue can be heard in the sound of the sea he loves and hates, and in the music he draws out of the guitar that was his father’s. It spills out of the gang violence that killed his father and sent his mother into hiding, and the shame he feels about abandoning his eight-year-old brother to a violent home.
But Taukiri’s brother, Arama, is braver than he looks, and he has a friend, and his friend has a dog, and the three of them together might just be strong enough to turn back the tide of sadness.
This bestselling multi-award-winning novel is both raw and sublime, introducing a compelling new voice in New Zealand fiction.
Read some great reviews from our Preview readers here:
Aue by Becky Manawatu takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster of laughs, tears, shock and hope. I couldn’t put the book down and despite finishing it in a matter of days, it left a powerful impression. Based on the South Island of New Zealand, the novel follows central characters Arama, Taukiri and Jade as they experience transformative events of neglect, gang and domestic violence, murder and suicide. Early on, Arama (Ari) is left by his older brother Taukiri to live with his aunt & uncle raising questions about family loyalty and the strength of their brotherly bond. He befriends rebellious Beth who helps him find the bravery to confront his demons in a climactic ending that had me holding my breathe. Not for the faint hearted, it was a privilege to read this novel. Written with such sophistication and a sense of lived experience, I was saddened to discover in the Acknowledgements that it was born from personal tragedy. I look forward to future works by this brave and talented author. Rebecca, NSW, 5 Stars
From the start I was intrigued by this book simply because of the title. Aue which translates to wail or moan. It wasn’t a word i had heard of before but as I read the book it became one of many as the book featured many native Maori language words. I really enjoyed the diverse range of characters, I would say my favourite character was the young girl Beth just because she sounded very old soul to me & I could relate to her. It dealt with a lot of important topics in society today & my favourite thing is that it was set in New Zealand which looks like a beautiful place to reside. All in all i thoroughly enjoyed Aue and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a gritty read. Shannan, NSW, 5 Stars
Becky Manawatu has written a book I won’t forget. I thoroughly enjoyed her beautiful prose, which was both lyrical, yet understated and to the point. There are some heavy themes here, including gang culture, domestic violence and addiction. I felt like I was right alongside the characters, and immediately invested in their plight. I just wanted to give Ari a big hug! ‘Aue’ is not the type of book I would typically read, which combined with Becky’s writing style, was a breath of fresh air to my usual reading habits. It’s impossible not to become emotional when reading certain passages of this book. I haven’t read a book so raw, and unflinching, which has occupied my mind for days since finishing. I loved it. I’m looking forward to reading more of Becky’s work! Rowan, TAS, 5 Stars
A powerful, raw, gritty and emotional journey of a book. Made me so sad but was so beautifully written and though some words were hard to understand if you are not of the culture, it takes nothing away from the story which was heartbreaking but also had a hint of humour and hope to balance it out. I hope this is made into a movie, I would love to see young Ari bought to life. It’s been a long time since I’ve wanted to dive into the story and hug a character as much as I did with him. Rachel, QLD, 5 Stars
Tauakiri’s mother runs away from her family. He is responsible for his little brother Arama, but decides to take his father’s guitar and leave his little brother with their aunt and Uncle. It is an abusive household but Arama makes friends with the girl next door and her dog. Together they are a formidable trio. This book is about families. How different they are and the love that they always have for each other. Liz, VIC, 5 Stars
Wow. Just wow. I absolutely loved this book. I was hooked from the moment I picked it up and finished it in 3 days. I loved the characters, who were beautifully flawed people trying to cope with often tragic circumstances. The author’s writing style is seductive and forces you to keep turning pages. There is a little jumping around in the timeline but, unlike many other books, this actually improves the story rather than just being hard to follow. My only wish is that I knew more Maori culture and language to fully appreciate all the references made. I definitely recommend this book – its the best book I’ve read in the last 12 months. Clare, NSW, 5 Stars
This is both a heartbreaking and hopeful read. It is an important story that deals with the effects of intergenerational trauma caused by gang and domestic violence, but it also highlights the importance of family and the unbreakable bonds that we share with our family members. The structure of the book reflects the many layers and voices to the story and the writing style allows the reader to connect with the characters, particularly as their backstories unfold. It is a book that kept me intrigued right until the end and the characters have stayed with me well after finishing it. I am grateful to have discovered this author through this Preview and will keep a look out for their future work. Holly, WA, 4 Stars
Auē had me gripped right from the beginning – a dark & sometimes distressing story filled with glimmers of hope told beautifully through the different characters who all had their own stories to tell yet all perfectly intertwined. I love that this book made me think, kept me entertained, filled my heart with sadness and also gave me joy. I had a soft spot for Ari from the start – a gentle, broken kid who finds his strength. An incredibly clever, well written book that will stay with me for a long time. Bianca, NSW, 4 Stars
auē 1. (verb) to cry, howl, groan, wail, bawl. 2. (interjection) expression of astonishment or distress. The title of this novel perfectly captures the heart of this story. I found it beautifully written but absolutely devastating. I think it’s important to note that this is not a happy story and readers should prepare themselves for that. I can’t say that I enjoyed this book as there were so many times when I had to force myself to keep reading purely because the story line was so heart-breaking, however, I do believe its an important story to read. TW: animal abuse, domestic violence, gang violence, drug use. Rachelle, TAS, 4 Stars
This is my first experience with a New Zealand novel and a big congratulations to Becky Manawatu for writing a beautiful sad and loving family story. It has won a number of awards and for a first novel, wow, this novel really does deliver. I needed a Maori dictionary to read some of the sentences and words but other than that this was a fairly easy and loving read. The gang violence, rape and murder was a bit too much for me and I have been haunted for days that this is how men treat women. I hope more of these novels can help educated and help people escape these toxic bitter relationships. Preeya, QLD, 4 Stars
AUĒ is a book that suits its title. Meaning an expression of astonishment or distress, AUĒ is a story full of sorrow, violence and abusive relationships. However, it is also a story of strong, loving bonds, particularly those between brothers Taukiri and Arama who must learn to navigate life apart. When violence tears their family apart, Taukiri leaves Arama with their aunt and her abusive husband. While Taukiri tries to make his own way in the world and experiences violence, Arama learns how to cope with the abuse in his new home by making friends with neighbour Beth and her dog, Lupo. Set in New Zealand, this novel is rich in references to Māori culture and language. While the meaning of the words was usually made clear by the context, there were times when a glossary would have been useful for readers who haven’t had much exposure to this language before. Audiobook would be a great choice to get the most from this rich, engaging and evocative story which, at its heart, is about family bonds. Liz, WA, 4 Stars
This book, Aue, is the literary equivalent of the 1990’s movie Once Were Warriors. Immersed in the Maori culture and language, it resonates with the grit and struggle that the gang subculture embodies. The journeys of the main characters are full of darkness and determination, pitfalls and progress – staggering and scrambling toward their destinations. The thing that holds it all together – a bandaid or two. Lee, ACT, 4 Stars
Thank you for the opportunity to review Auē by Becky Manawatu. This book took me a little while to settle into as it switched between characters each chapter and it took its time developing characters. But it was worth the wait! Each character in the book is complex with their own story to tell. But all are interwoven with a dark and painful history that is still impacting Taukiri and Ari in the present day. The story has been told in such a way that you can really connect with each character and feel their emotions. I felt like I was holding my breath at certain points waiting to see what was going to happen next. This is not a book to read a couple of pages before bed each night. I really got into it when I could sit down and read it for an hour at a time. Then I couldn’t put it down and had it finished in half a day! I am looking forward to reading the next book by this talented author. Michelle, TAS, 4 Stars
Thanks to Better Reading for an advance copy. I was excited to get this as I have read little New Zealand fiction. There are some dark themes in here, drugs, domestic violence and racism. You do need to keep your wits about you as the POV and the time frames change, and keep working out who is who. I loved Ari, Beth and Tauk, and felt sad for so many of the adults. Lyn, VIC, 4 Stars
I really wanted to love this book. I knew as soon as I started it that the rawness of it and the style of writing was going to appeal to me. The main characters were well rounded and easy to picture but their connections and the events in the book got more and more confusing as I continued. There just seemed to be too many minor characters that didn’t make sense. I finished the book not really understanding how it all fit together unfortunately. Steph, NSW, 3 Stars
Unfortunately I’ve had to DNF this book at about 1/4 of the way through. While the writing was immensely moving and hauntingly beautiful, the book was ultimately too violent and sad for me to continue. In the very first chapter, there was a scene that left me feeling sick to my stomach (and that was like page 4!!)! I think i may have been able to handle it better if, like most traumatic books I’ve read, it eased into the violence and anguish. I’m grateful to Better Reading for giving me early access to this book in Australia, I just was not prepared for the intensity of this read. Cassie, SA, 3 Stars
I found reading Aue was like walking through mud with gumboots on. A sad story of a boy, his life is a struggle full of violence and many struggles that most of us will never know. I love everything about New Zealand but sadly not in the case of Aue. Sally, VIC, 3 Stars
This is a well written book but not for the faint hearted. It is a very gritty account of an extended family involved with drugs, violence and murder but also central to the story was how it affected 2 young children. I found difficulty following the story because of the Māori idioms which made it difficult for the story to flow for me. However if one understood these words it would be easier. Gloria, SA, 3 Stars
Taukiri and Arama are left to deal with their emotions after the death of their parents. Taukiri abandons his eight-year-old brother, Arama in a violent home with their Aunty and Uncle. Arama is brave and with his friend, Beth and her dog tries to overcome the loss and sadness. Becky Manawatu writes with raw, emotionally charged and thought provoking tenderness bringing the words on the pages to life while pulling at the heart stings. The honest novel is brutal, heart-wrenching and yet heart-warming all rolled into a cleverly written see-saw of emotions. Arrisarne, VIC, 3 Stars
This book started off so sad and depressing I almost couldn’t go on, and it got more upsetting as I read on but I continued, I wanted to see how all the characters were connected. I can’t say I really enjoyed it but it did get me in and I couldn’t wait to see what the outcome to the story was. One of the saddest and upsetting books I have ever read. Michelle, VIC, 2 Stars
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