I don't know what book these Australian reviewers have read but The Gathering by Isobelle Carmody has been one of my favorite books since 1994. I have read the book at least eight or nine times. I am 18 years old and i still love this book. It has a wonderfully gripping story line and the characters are multidimentional and intriguing. Ofcourse it's not the best book in the whole world but it deserves nothing less than four stars. I've read everything from Anne Rice to Francesca Lia Block to Virgil and Shakespeare. And this book goes on the shelf of reread again and again. It's just a sweet story that has many deep meanings that everyone should read no matter their age.