© 2020 Jane Godwin
Hmmm. I was trying to work out why I did not particularly
warm to this novel. In a nutshell, I’d say it’s because one of the driving
conflicts centers around a neglected 5-month-old baby who is sporting both a
temperature and a mystery cough. I think I was so fixated on the welfare of the
baby that much of the ‘beautiful and timely coming of age’ story went out the
window with the bath water! The good news is, the writer is not pitching the
story to my 50-something age group. Huzzah!
Still, I can’t muster up enthusiasm for this book. It was too ‘soap opera’ for me. Not that I watch them, but if you enjoy ‘Home and Away’ or ‘Neighbours’, you’ll love this book. No loose ends. A tidy and overly dramatic story for 13-year-old girls.
‘Hi. Did you get some
sleep?’
‘I’m scared I’ll squash
her if I fall asleep,’ he says, holding Mercy gently in his arms.
‘Let’s not wake her
up,’ I whisper. The night is so still, so
quiet, the sound would really travel.
But too late, she’s
going to start crying again.
I give Reed the
bottle. ‘It’s too hot for her,’ he says.
‘I didn’t know she’d
be drinking it right away.’ He could have said thank you for getting it! No one
appreciates what I’m doing for them. I go to the tap in the garden. Dark, icy
water runs over my hands as I top up the bottle. I’m sure a bit of tap water
won’t hurt her.
‘Feel her forehead,’
whispers Reed when I come back in.
My hand covers her
whole forehead because she’s so tiny. ‘It’s hot.’ (pp.132-3)
See what I mean. And don’t get me started on the fact that the baby’s nappy hasn’t been changed in 24 hours! I realise I’ve said nothing about the characters or plot. You can join the dots. Knock yourself out. I’ll end on this from page 233 where the protagonist’s brother has been accused of cyber-bullying:
In the picture, Harry’s
hand is on Amber’s thigh. She’s wearing denim shorts. I remember that she’d
been to Queensland and still had a tan.
‘I mean it’s just my
personal opinion-‘ begins Sadie.
‘I am sick of your
personal opinion!’ I shout without thinking. ‘She sat on his knee. So what! My
brother’s got nothing to do with Rate Year Eight, so find out who it is and get
them to take it down…Stop spreading
rumours about my brother!’ I yell at them all.
‘Omigod,’ Poppy
whispers, ‘what is wrong with you?’
Miss ^__^
