This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Reviewed by Cesca Major
The blurb is simple. On a still New Zealand night, a five-year old boy falls from the balcony of an isolated farmhouse. He is airlifted to hospital and remains in a coma. At first it is assumed it was an accident; a sleepwalking session gone wrong. But then the questions begin…
It was a gripping start, Finn's fall from the balcony was a shocking opening. I was instantly gripped. There was a wonderful collection of characters: Kit, the struggling artist battling with the demons of drink, Martha just trying to keep her family together, the gorgeous tear-away twins Charlie and Finn, and Sacha, the perfect fresh-faced teen. She was an interesting character – in the first part of the novel I found her a little bit too goodie two shoes, her voice was often very adult and, although she was mature, I struggled at times to believe she was a 16 year old girl, but became increasingly intrigued by the changes in her throughout the novel.
The second half of this book was a fantastic read and I found myself racing through the final pages. There are some gritty issues covered and I enjoyed learning about an unknown world through a character that was herself learning as she went along. It handles the notion of 'that would happen to them not us' perfectly. We always think bad things perhaps won't happen to our own families, or maybe if they happen they deserve it. This theme was explored thoroughly and kept me turning the pages of this read.
I enjoyed the unique setting of New Zealand. The scenes were wonderfully written. I was riding alongside Martha as she pounded over the beach on horseback, I was there when the boys were racing around exploring the expanse of green. It seemed like wonderful, clean living and it made the plot even more tantalising.
I struggled a little in the first part of this book. After a tantalising opening scene I felt that there were too many pages dedicated to the family in England before emigration. I felt that the real story hadn't begun and was definitely more engaged later in the novel. Saying that, once they were established in their new home I was eagerly turning the page to discover more. I think readers of family sagas in the mould of Jodi Picoult will thoroughly enjoy this book and I would certainly be curious to read whatever comes next from Charity Norman.
8/10