A review by gschwabauer
Binny for Shortbook 1 by Hilary McKay

5.0

Re-reading this book for the third time, all I really wanted was to step through the pages and live in a little seaside town, to stand by the ocean as the wind whips up droplets of water and to ride out on a seal boat and to go biking up the craggy coast and to roast marshmallows over a backyard fire surrounded by overgrown green and to scrub down the floorboards of an ancient house and then sleep in the room I'd been scrubbing. The details are just so vivid. McKay's voice, as always, is flawless, and her characters come alive. (James wins the aware for Best Younger Sibling In Literature.)

The odd little non-linear sections add to the story rather than detracting. The emotions of the conclusion work on me every single time. Part of me misses being eleven years old and having a friend-enemy like Gareth. Plus, the entire chicken subplot is just so dang funny.