When I was given a copy of Tracey-Anne Forbes new novel Saving Ginia – a Verse Novel I will admit to approaching it with some trepidation. Verse novels are a difficult form to master; so often they end up as unfortunate hybrids, neither fish nor fowl. They can be too long and banal for poetry fans or too 'lyrical' and short on true narrative for fans of the novel. However, when the author is able to marry both the poetic form and the narrative you find yourself reading something special. This was the case with the novel by Forbes. She wove a particularly difficult path by incorporating real poems within the verse novel form. The narrative in the novel is strong. It draws you in as all good stories should and it effortlessly keeps you turning the pages to see 'what happens'. It reads, in part, like a mystery that you need to uncover. But importantly, Forbes manages to keep faith with the novel without sacrificing any of the music of the verse form. Reading a verse novel can be hard work without much reward. This was not the case with Saving Ginia - it was, not just an entertaining read, but a rewarding one. So much so that I've read it twice.. - Catherine Bauer, Research Librarian, University of Queensland