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kriscent's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
This was a very cute book. I loved the inclusivity of it. I seldom see anything written about anyone that is handicapped or suffering from medical issues without there being some catch or joke made about it. I really liked how the book planned out and the pacing was just about perfect. The romance was adorable and though the plot was a little confusing at times I still enjoyed the read.
kcfromaustcrime's review
5.0
Adeline yearns for family, but for many years, since the death of her parents when she was a teenager, the closest she's gotten is her assistance dog, Coco. Adeline can also see ghosts. She has seen them all her life, off to the side as she goes about her days, never interacting, but always there. So you can imagine how shocked she is when a ghost speaks to her in the supermarket. And then a particularly malevolent one attacks here in her own home. Adeline also suffers severe epileptic seizures and her reactions to things around her, and people's reactions to her are often tempered by the seizures, which can be extreme, and unexpected by all, except her beloved companion Coco.
But things in her life definitely take a turn after the ghosts start to interact with her, from the reaching out by a blind woman in the park, to the use of service dogs and a childhood friend who it turns out always wanted a closer relationship, creating some lovely hopeful, touching light where there's darkness, hanging like a heavy cloud over the city of Wellington, seemingly centred around Adeline and her home.
I've been lucky enough to read quite a few of Helen Vivienne Fletcher's YA styled novels now and I have to say she's become a firm favourite YA author. All of her stories revolve around the "other" and the way that difference can be particularly empowering. The depictions of other often include the supernatural or the offbeat but at the core there's always a real life difference to consider. None of them are preachy or overt in their messaging, all of them are perfect, for young girls in particular, who feel like they don't fit in (although boys would get a lot from these stories as well). Each one of them has been perfectly crafted, short and rich with detail, experience, emotion and opportunities for connection and FAMILIARS AND FOES follows that pattern perfectly.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/familiars-and-foes-helen-vivienne-fletcher
But things in her life definitely take a turn after the ghosts start to interact with her, from the reaching out by a blind woman in the park, to the use of service dogs and a childhood friend who it turns out always wanted a closer relationship, creating some lovely hopeful, touching light where there's darkness, hanging like a heavy cloud over the city of Wellington, seemingly centred around Adeline and her home.
I've been lucky enough to read quite a few of Helen Vivienne Fletcher's YA styled novels now and I have to say she's become a firm favourite YA author. All of her stories revolve around the "other" and the way that difference can be particularly empowering. The depictions of other often include the supernatural or the offbeat but at the core there's always a real life difference to consider. None of them are preachy or overt in their messaging, all of them are perfect, for young girls in particular, who feel like they don't fit in (although boys would get a lot from these stories as well). Each one of them has been perfectly crafted, short and rich with detail, experience, emotion and opportunities for connection and FAMILIARS AND FOES follows that pattern perfectly.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/familiars-and-foes-helen-vivienne-fletcher
barbarahowe's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Adeline can see ghosts. She has watched them all her life, but has never interacted with them. So it comes as a shock when one speaks to her in the supermarket. That one, at least, seems harmless. A more malevolent spirit attacks her in her home. The situation escalates as that ghost draws power from other people in Wellington, casting a pall over the city.
With the help of friends both old and new, including another woman who helps her discover her powers as a witch, Adeline digs into her family history to uncover an old, and still unresolved, tragedy.
There’s a lot to like about this story: glimpses into the lives of two women—one blind, one with epilepsy—with service dogs/familiars, the cohesion of a “found” family, and a romance involving one of my favourite tropes (old friends to lovers).
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