I use the holidays to read as much as I can and my
favourite two books from our last break were very different from each other.
Both were amazing and I would highly recommend them!
After
the fire by Will Hill is about a 17 year old girl, Moonbeam, caught
up in the aftermath of a deadly shootout between the FBI and the religious cult
that she has been a part of almost all of her life. The book goes back and
forth between ‘Before’ describing her life in The Base and ‘After’ as she
grapples with modern life in her daily sessions with a child psychologist and
an FBI agent who wants to know more. She is carrying a huge secret relating to
the fire and doesn’t know whether she can trust these ‘outsiders’ who Father
John had always described as monsters. Her resilience, sheer bravery and
ability to think for herself made her a brilliant main character and although I
thought I vaguely knew her huge secret, I was willing her to unburden herself
and trust Doctor Robert Hernandez. It was so good that as soon as I had
finished it, I turned to the front of the book and started again, wanting to
read it now knowing what she knew!
The
Lustre of Lost Things by Sophie Chen Keller was completely different.
Walter is a boy who suffers from a communication disorder which means he
struggles to speak. The story is about him and his overweight golden retriever,
Milton, on a quest to find the lost magic book which brings his Mum’s cake shop
literally to life (loved the dancing eclairs!) l really enjoyed the mix of magic and down to
earth New York realism. Walter’s journey through the city following clues and
gaining in his confidence is heart-warming as are the variety of people he
meets and helps on the way. It is a story of how amazing human nature is and a
boy understanding himself better.
Mrs Godden