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A review by portybelle
Mary's the Name by Ross Sayers
5.0
Well what is there to say about wee Mary? I just loved her and I loved this book. The story is told entirely from her eight-year old point of view which gives it a conversational, confiding feel. Mary lives with her beloved Granpa Arthur who works in a betting office. She has lived with him since her parents were killed in a car crash when she was very small and they are everything to each other. There is a robbery at the betting office and shortly afterwards, Mary and her Granpa go to stay in the the beautiful island of Skye. Through overheard conversations, Mary begins to realise that perhaps her Granpa was involved in some way and that perhaps they are in danger.
I think that Ross Sayers has done a brilliant job of capturing his young protagonist's voice and you can read more about that in his guest post below. A lot of the humour in the book comes from Mary's very literal understanding - or misunderstanding - of what the adults around her are saying. I liked the way the author used italics when Mary was using words she'd obviously heard adults using but didn't quite understand herself. Her youthful naivety is very sweet, such as when she hears the automated train station announcer: "A posh lady over the speakers told us the next train was on its way....There was a little gap before she said 7.34 and Aberdeen like she was checking her jotter to make sure she said the right thing." The use of dialect for Mary's speech and also for the other characters added a real authenticity to the dialogue.
Mary's the Name will have you wanting to give Mary a cuddle as she goes through the confusion of being dropped by the girl she thought was her friend. I was so pleased when she found a new friend, Grace, in Skye and enjoyed the escapades they got up to. The strong bond between Mary and her Granpa was clear to see though I was beginning to wonder just what he had got them into!
Oh and that bet at the end? (read it to find out) - I'm willing to bet she collects on it! Mary's the Name had me smiling a lot but also left me with a lump in my throat. A wonderfully witty and warm debut by a fresh new voice in Scottish fiction, a real pleasure to read. Ross Sayers is certainly an author to watch in future.
I think that Ross Sayers has done a brilliant job of capturing his young protagonist's voice and you can read more about that in his guest post below. A lot of the humour in the book comes from Mary's very literal understanding - or misunderstanding - of what the adults around her are saying. I liked the way the author used italics when Mary was using words she'd obviously heard adults using but didn't quite understand herself. Her youthful naivety is very sweet, such as when she hears the automated train station announcer: "A posh lady over the speakers told us the next train was on its way....There was a little gap before she said 7.34 and Aberdeen like she was checking her jotter to make sure she said the right thing." The use of dialect for Mary's speech and also for the other characters added a real authenticity to the dialogue.
Mary's the Name will have you wanting to give Mary a cuddle as she goes through the confusion of being dropped by the girl she thought was her friend. I was so pleased when she found a new friend, Grace, in Skye and enjoyed the escapades they got up to. The strong bond between Mary and her Granpa was clear to see though I was beginning to wonder just what he had got them into!
Oh and that bet at the end? (read it to find out) - I'm willing to bet she collects on it! Mary's the Name had me smiling a lot but also left me with a lump in my throat. A wonderfully witty and warm debut by a fresh new voice in Scottish fiction, a real pleasure to read. Ross Sayers is certainly an author to watch in future.