Scan barcode
tiny_mushroom's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
trynabeabookworm22's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
kira_uk's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
xabbeylongx's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Spoilers Ahead:
Another one of Jacqueline Wilson’s books I wanted to try, only this one took a turn I definitely wasn’t expecting.
We follow Phoebe as she goes through school. She’s already struggling with friends, as her best friend, Amelie, keeps on going off with a girl called Kate. When she comes home, her dad is acting weird, but he takes her and her siblings, Rebecca and Perry, out to buy a few things.
They wake up one day and find that their dad has gone. Apparently he’s gone away to film a series on a desert island, but Phoebe made it up to cope with not seeing her dad, who she’s very close to, much closer than her mother.
Their mother takes them out of school and on a holiday, to a remote cottage in the middle of nowhere. They have to walk to get to the house, and there is no hot water, Wi-Fi or signal. Everyone is outraged, and they go on a drive to try and find something to do.
They come across a railway station, and they quickly fall in love with it, to the point they go there every day. Perry, who is on the autistic spectrum, loves the trains there; Becks has a crush for the ticket inspector, Jake; and Phoebe love Mr Thomas Brown, who works at the station. Their mother often sits in the cafe with Mo, who was previously disliked by Phoebe’s mother, but they eventually grew to be great friends.
All of them are trying to cope with not seeing their father, and not knowing where he want or why he left. Their mother acts even weirder than usual, and they find out she’s lost her job. They tell her she should write stories instead of publishing them, and she tries, but she never seems to get the knack of it. One day, their mother has to go into London, and Mo offers to look after them.
Phoebe is drawing Mo when she falls asleep, and then goes to look through her magazine. She reads an article on her father, and she finds out he isn’t filming any series, and he’s actually been arrested for stealing money. It’s only 9 months, but Phoebe is heartbroken. She stops eating, and even speaking for a bit, and she goes into a dark depression. She becomes less of herself, trying to be difficult, although not really liking it about herself. She’s angry at her father, and doesn’t want to see him.
They’re at the station one day, and Perry runs along the tracks. They have 30 minutes before the train departs, and they think there is enough time to walk through it and back. They encounter a tee, and so they try to warn the train, and it almost hits Phoebe. She passes out, and hears her father’s voice before she does.
When she wakes up, she’s a hero! She saved people from being injured, and everyone is proud of her. Mr Thomas Brown takes her to see Nina, who is the owner of the cottage they stayed in, and she was an artist, and Phoebe looked up to her. They all were reunited with their dad in prison, and he’s released later on good behaviour. She knows not to look up to him, but he’s still her favourite man.
I thought this book was quite slow-paced. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed the plot, and there was a very ominous atmosphere, especially in the beginning with the man looking in their house, and also the remote-ness of the cottage, but there was a lot in there before we actually got to the problem. To be honest, a lot of it was filler, in my opinion. There was a lot that was written about, that definitely could have been cut to make a shorter story, which may have been more beneficial, personally speaking. I did like Phoebe’s imagination, I thought she was a right little character, and I do like the relationship between the siblings - it’s very realistic, and reminds me a lot of my own siblings. Perry was very well written for me, and I like that the representation was there.
One thing I didn’t like was that I think Phoebe’s mother showed a lot of favouritism. I don’t know, it struck a cord in me, and it was clear that Phoebe was a bit of a nuisance to her. I was expecting it to be part of the plot later, but I don’t think it ever tied in with anything. I felt quite sorry for Phoebe at times, and resonated with a lot of what she said.
One thing I definitely loved was the reference to the depression and trauma in Phoebe. It didn’t matter that she was young, she was going through something traumatic, and she had trouble processing it, like everyone else would. It’s definitely harder when you’re a child to deal with emotions, and I think it was displayed perfectly. I don’t think she meant to be trouble, she was just hurt and upset and angry, and then the part where she didn’t care about anything anymore - that hit me very deeply. The emotion in Phoebe was overwhelming at times, and I do love her as a character. Unfortunately, not one of my favourite books of Jacqueline Wilson’s that I read, but still a very funny read, and I definitely love Phoebe, and I’m glad she got her happy ending!
Another one of Jacqueline Wilson’s books I wanted to try, only this one took a turn I definitely wasn’t expecting.
We follow Phoebe as she goes through school. She’s already struggling with friends, as her best friend, Amelie, keeps on going off with a girl called Kate. When she comes home, her dad is acting weird, but he takes her and her siblings, Rebecca and Perry, out to buy a few things.
They wake up one day and find that their dad has gone. Apparently he’s gone away to film a series on a desert island, but Phoebe made it up to cope with not seeing her dad, who she’s very close to, much closer than her mother.
Their mother takes them out of school and on a holiday, to a remote cottage in the middle of nowhere. They have to walk to get to the house, and there is no hot water, Wi-Fi or signal. Everyone is outraged, and they go on a drive to try and find something to do.
They come across a railway station, and they quickly fall in love with it, to the point they go there every day. Perry, who is on the autistic spectrum, loves the trains there; Becks has a crush for the ticket inspector, Jake; and Phoebe love Mr Thomas Brown, who works at the station. Their mother often sits in the cafe with Mo, who was previously disliked by Phoebe’s mother, but they eventually grew to be great friends.
All of them are trying to cope with not seeing their father, and not knowing where he want or why he left. Their mother acts even weirder than usual, and they find out she’s lost her job. They tell her she should write stories instead of publishing them, and she tries, but she never seems to get the knack of it. One day, their mother has to go into London, and Mo offers to look after them.
Phoebe is drawing Mo when she falls asleep, and then goes to look through her magazine. She reads an article on her father, and she finds out he isn’t filming any series, and he’s actually been arrested for stealing money. It’s only 9 months, but Phoebe is heartbroken. She stops eating, and even speaking for a bit, and she goes into a dark depression. She becomes less of herself, trying to be difficult, although not really liking it about herself. She’s angry at her father, and doesn’t want to see him.
They’re at the station one day, and Perry runs along the tracks. They have 30 minutes before the train departs, and they think there is enough time to walk through it and back. They encounter a tee, and so they try to warn the train, and it almost hits Phoebe. She passes out, and hears her father’s voice before she does.
When she wakes up, she’s a hero! She saved people from being injured, and everyone is proud of her. Mr Thomas Brown takes her to see Nina, who is the owner of the cottage they stayed in, and she was an artist, and Phoebe looked up to her. They all were reunited with their dad in prison, and he’s released later on good behaviour. She knows not to look up to him, but he’s still her favourite man.
I thought this book was quite slow-paced. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed the plot, and there was a very ominous atmosphere, especially in the beginning with the man looking in their house, and also the remote-ness of the cottage, but there was a lot in there before we actually got to the problem. To be honest, a lot of it was filler, in my opinion. There was a lot that was written about, that definitely could have been cut to make a shorter story, which may have been more beneficial, personally speaking. I did like Phoebe’s imagination, I thought she was a right little character, and I do like the relationship between the siblings - it’s very realistic, and reminds me a lot of my own siblings. Perry was very well written for me, and I like that the representation was there.
One thing I didn’t like was that I think Phoebe’s mother showed a lot of favouritism. I don’t know, it struck a cord in me, and it was clear that Phoebe was a bit of a nuisance to her. I was expecting it to be part of the plot later, but I don’t think it ever tied in with anything. I felt quite sorry for Phoebe at times, and resonated with a lot of what she said.
One thing I definitely loved was the reference to the depression and trauma in Phoebe. It didn’t matter that she was young, she was going through something traumatic, and she had trouble processing it, like everyone else would. It’s definitely harder when you’re a child to deal with emotions, and I think it was displayed perfectly. I don’t think she meant to be trouble, she was just hurt and upset and angry, and then the part where she didn’t care about anything anymore - that hit me very deeply. The emotion in Phoebe was overwhelming at times, and I do love her as a character. Unfortunately, not one of my favourite books of Jacqueline Wilson’s that I read, but still a very funny read, and I definitely love Phoebe, and I’m glad she got her happy ending!
bluewithstars's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
I could not put this down! I haven't read a book by J Wilson or a long time and I must admit I wasn't sure about this, but it is brilliant. I was worried adult me wouldn't enjoy as much and I really did. Excellent real characters and no shying away from real life. I particularly liked Perry.
hmorgz11's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
jjoany's review against another edition
5.0
As a child, I grew up not only devouring Jacqueline Wilson books, but also watching 2 different adaptations of “The Railway Children”, (and eventually reading the book), and also frequently visiting The Bluebell Railway in Sussex, with my dad who is a railway enthusiast. So, I came to this modern retelling of the E. Nesbit classic with a wealth of knowledge and experience of the author and subject matter. There has been a surge in retellings of the classics recently and to do so well is a hard task. However, Jacqueline Wilson, a master storyteller, manages to pay homage to the original with skill, whilst also writing a modern book, relevant to modern audiences. The railway is still at the heart of the novel, as is a change in family circumstances, and a hair-raising moment in a railway tunnel also still features (and those familiar with the original source will spot many more comparisons). However, Phoebe and her family live very purposefully in our century, and when mum informs them that their dad will not be around for a while, Phoebe, Becks and Perry (who is autistic) are taken away to stay in a dilapidated cottage rental in the remote countryside. Through the nearby steam railway, the family find new friends, adventures and Phoebe finally works out the truth about what has happened to her beloved father. A heart-warming read, written with all of Jacqueline Wilson’s typical sensitivity when dealing with difficult subject matter, whilst maintaining some spirit of the original. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book.
youreadyoulearn's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
mollymoo1234's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
ladele3's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25