Kaitangata Twitch by Margaret Mahy

Kaitangata Twitch (Allen & Unwin, 2005)

New Zealander Margaret Mahy is a prolific children's writer who has won many awards. Kaitangata Twitch is another of her stories but perhaps not her best.
   The story is about Meredith Gallagher who is a dreamer and a sleep walker. There's Maori blood in her veins and she has a strong attachment to the little island of Kaitangita where the Maori people once practiced cannibalism. Meredith thinks the island is talking to her and when its wilderness is threatened by an unscrupulous developer Meredith and her family are compelled to fight for its preservation.
   This story was adapted for the screen and was recently shown as a miniseries on ABC TV. I never managed to see the series but I suspect it may have worked better than the book. I felt quite let down at the end of the story. The supernatural threat never seemed to be realised or was only alluded to, resulting in an anti-climax.
   I liked the way she drew her charcters though. Meredith and her family were very real and I think Mahy depicts the day to day interactions of her charcters beautifully.
   I think this book is a good one for junior readers because it's spooky but not so terrifying it will give you nightmares.