Firstly, thank you to Anderson Press for sending me this. Phil Earle is one of my favourite authors! This story is set in 1941 in a city during the bombing raids of World War II. City upon city are being turned to rubble and children are being evacuated to a safer place in the countryside. That is all except Joseph Palmer who arrives in the city to be taken in by a stranger. A stranger who doesn’t seem to want him or care for him. She is trying to keep her family business , a zoo, from crumbling within and its residence from starving. One such resident is Adonis, a silverback gorilla. Joseph realises that not only does the woman he now lives with holds so many secrets but that there is also something more about this gorilla than first meets the eye. This book is gripping from the very first page and was very hard to put down. The characters are real and engaging (but not always instantly likeable). The situations and issues are hard and fast but with time for the reader to try and fully comprehend what might be going on inside these character’s heads. What I liked most about this book is that it left many things unsaid and didn’t tie everything up in the end. There were still questions that were left unanswered and relationships left unexplored. This book is so powerful and evokes all the mayhem, worry and panadamodium that surrounded the blitz at its height so much that you can almost taste the acrid smoke left over by a bombing raid. Read this if you like: heart wrenching stories full of passion, stubborn but likeable characters and a book that will leave you thinking about it way after you put it down.
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I love a good fantasy. Especially when there is a cast of characters like in Evernight. The characters are loveable and believable even though they live in a fantasy land. Their plights are equally believable: Lara: an orphan forced to look for hidden gems in the sewers to make her money, Joe: a young boy who just wants to look after his ageing Granny, Double Eight: a white witch who knows that there is more to life than servitude... It is a coming of age story with courage, bravery and finally finding your place in the world. The story is quite dark (excuse the pun) in places with vivid and scary imagery. This book is not for the the faint of heart! For fans of Abi Elphinstone without a doubt! To find out more about Ross, follow him on Twitter here If you'd like a copy of Evernight, why not support a local bookshop and get your copy here
Matthew Corbin is a boy who is afraid of germs. He is afraid to go out. He is afraid to eat meals that are not sterile. He is afraid of anyone coming into his room. He is afraid of attending school. Instead he watches the world from his bedroom window which looks out onto his neighbourhood close which all have their little routines which Matthew notes down to keep his mind in order. And everything ticks along until Mr Charles from next door has his grandchildren to stay and the youngest one goes missing. Everyone is under suspicion and is suspicious. And Matthew was the last one to see him before he disappeared. Matthew has many obstacles to over come as he tries to investigate what happened and he has to enlist the help of Melody from across the road. This book was beautiful and I did shed a few tears. Not only does it explore the many hidden depths of mental health but it also tells the story of bravery, courage and having the confidence to do the things that scare you the most. I highly recommend this book and it solidifies Lisa Thompson’s status as a truly great writer who tackles issues that others would leave alone with empathy and sensitivity with a soft touch of humour. Support a local bookshop and order your copy here For more information on Lisa Thompson check out her website here
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