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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
A couple of 10-year-olds go in search for God as a way to find their missing neighbor.
Turns out each neighbor is a little whack-a-doodle with a crazy big secret.
The reader finds out who done it, but there is not any sort of resolution at the end of the novel. Also, there was so much going on that when the little girls found Jesus on a stain on a drain pipe, the meaning escaped me.
Still a good read though.
Turns out each neighbor is a little whack-a-doodle with a crazy big secret.
The reader finds out who done it, but there is not any sort of resolution at the end of the novel. Also, there was so much going on that when the little girls found Jesus on a stain on a drain pipe, the meaning escaped me.
Still a good read though.
Amazing debut novel. Depictions of human frailty abound in this book. When Margaret Creasy disappears, cracks in the veneer of respectability of this mid-70's British neighbourhood appear. Ten year old Gracie and her friend Tilly decide to try and find out what happened to Mrs Creasy and stir up old sins in the process. The nature of shame and the desire to belong drive the narrative in a subtle, descriptive story which engages, provokes and entertains.
A book of exquisite prose; I love descriptions such as Grace's father walking across a car park 'with his thoughts pushed deep into his pockets', and this book is littered with such wonderful verbal illustrations of the characters' moods.
I think this is one of the most captivating books I have read in a long time. Perhaps that is aided by the fact that I was a young child in 1976, and remember Angel Delight very well - I'm almost craving it, along with the frequently-mentioned custard creams!
Sadly, I feel some reviewers have completely missed the point of the book - how we like to cast people as goats or sheep, forming judgements without really exploring the truth. My impressions on reaching the end of the book are that those who appear to be sheep may be goats in hiding, while those who are cast as goats can often really be sheep.
I think this is one of the most captivating books I have read in a long time. Perhaps that is aided by the fact that I was a young child in 1976, and remember Angel Delight very well - I'm almost craving it, along with the frequently-mentioned custard creams!
Sadly, I feel some reviewers have completely missed the point of the book - how we like to cast people as goats or sheep, forming judgements without really exploring the truth. My impressions on reaching the end of the book are that those who appear to be sheep may be goats in hiding, while those who are cast as goats can often really be sheep.
Boring, nothing said, muddled writing styles and 'plots' (not that there were any); why on earth did Jesus in the drainpipe take up so much room? Poor old Mr Bishop! Supposed to be from a child's point of view but most of it was not them narrating.And you never found out why Mrs Creasy left. I can only congratulate myself that I stuck it out till then end otherwise it would have had 1 star.
An impressive first novel with lots of colorful characters! Some profound ideas sprinkled throughout with an ending that left you pondering. The book reminded me a lot of To Kill a Mockingbird - the 2 young protagonists who explain/reveal what is happening, the distrust among the adult residents of a provincial area, and a (perhaps) misunderstood shut in.
A lovely enjoyable tale. It made me nostalgic for my youth, and Angel Delight.
The author really grasped how people's real lives differ from the lives people think they lead.
I grew up on a similar street, we all knew, or thought we knew everyone's business, but can you ever really know a person?
The author really grasped how people's real lives differ from the lives people think they lead.
I grew up on a similar street, we all knew, or thought we knew everyone's business, but can you ever really know a person?
3.5 stars. I enjoyed this book, especially the chapters told from the perspective of Grace, a young girl who, along with her friend Tilly spend the hot summer of 1976 searching their street for God and their missing neighbour Mrs. Creasy. As the mystery unfolds, the secrets of the avenue's residents bubble to the surface while Grace and Tilly learn some lessons about friendship. A good read to close out the summer.
This book wonderfully filled a reading hole. A lovely light read that’s gripping enough to keep turning the pages. Themes include interplay between individuality of identity and community. Commentary on faith and belief (in E.g. religion, people, nature, truth) and the transience and inconsistency of human integrity (or something).
I'd give this book 3 1/2 stars if that were an option. I enjoyed it very much although I did have a bit of trouble keeping characters straight until the end.
This British book is about 10 year old Grace and her summer spent trying to solve the mystery of the neighbor who has gone missing. Like any neighborhood, there is a cast of characters, wildly incorrect stories told & retold and people just trying to get through life. Grace spends her summer trying to find god in the hopes of finding the missing neighbor (although I still didn't connect the finding god with finding the missing neighbor).
What bothered me about this book was the ending. I didn't get it at all. How did it just end like it did? Didn't make any sense. I feel like I missed something major.
This British book is about 10 year old Grace and her summer spent trying to solve the mystery of the neighbor who has gone missing. Like any neighborhood, there is a cast of characters, wildly incorrect stories told & retold and people just trying to get through life. Grace spends her summer trying to find god in the hopes of finding the missing neighbor (although I still didn't connect the finding god with finding the missing neighbor).
What bothered me about this book was the ending. I didn't get it at all. How did it just end like it did? Didn't make any sense. I feel like I missed something major.
I found this, to my delight, in an independent bookstore in paperback. It is the perfect weekend read about a small suburban community and their secrets. Two observant ten year old girls, Grace and Tillie, go searching for God when a neighbor disappears, what they see and learn about their neighbors is disquieting to say the least.