Falling Into Rarohenga

Falling into Rarohenga is an adventure fantasy novel which follows fourteen year old twin brother and sister, Tui and Kae, as they journey into Rarohenga (where the spirits of the deceased dwell) to rescue their mother.

Along the way, they face many challenges and encounter many creatures and figures from Māori legend. The story focuses on the role family plays in our lives, as well as the development of the two contrasting protagonists who discover more about each other, and themselves. The strength of the female characters also shines through the novel.

In terms of literary elements, the story is told through an alternating first person narrative, with each chapter focusing on one of the twins. The setting of Rarohenga would be an intriguing area for study, as well as the symbols, motifs and foreshadowing present in the book.

The author, Steph Matuku (Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Tama, Te Atiawa), focuses on featuring Māori children in her novels, and this book is no different. As well as this, the allusions to Māori culture and legends would be an enriching experience for the classroom, expanding students’ (and teachers’) knowledge of mātauranga Māori.

This text would work well as a Year 9 novel study, or possibly with Year 10 reluctant readers, as the chapters are short and action-packed. Be aware that there is some violence, domestic abuse and hints of masturbation (nothing explicit though).

Even if this is not a novel you use with your whole class, it would be a worthy recommendation for students’ personal reading, due to its contemporary setting, fast-paced action and likeable characters. With its positive representation of Māori characters, this book is a valuable contribution to New Zealand’s literary scene.