Archive | May 2021

Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Majorian

May12

Beautiful But Heart Breaking

Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian is a heart breaking but beautiful children’s historical novel set during World War II.

William, a tiny scrap of a boy, is evacuated to the country to stay with Mr Tom, an older man who has kept his own company since his wife and son died years earlier. Both are broken souls in need of love and care.

Mr Tom’s heart is softened by William whose spirit has been broken, along with his body, by his mum. “He was such a bad boy, he knew that… She [Mum] only gave him soft beatings.” William has grown to expect cruelty from everyone. He believes he deserves it. The reader’s heart breaks. His mother has brought William up on a twisted form of religion. “Mum told him that whenever he was good she liked him but when he was bad, she didn’t. Neither did God … It was very lonely being bad.”

It is heart breaking to see the shell of a boy who believes he is bad. It is beautiful to watch him bud and blossom under the love and care of Mr Tom. Together, as their lives open up, they begin to let others in. The whole village is blessed by knowing them.

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Aftermath by Terri Blackstock

May11

Thrilling

Aftermath by Terri Blackstock is an exciting Christian contemporary crime suspense that will have you glued from the start.

The action surrounds a terrorist attack. The reader ‘sees’ the events through the eyes of a victim, a man who has been set up, and his long-term friend and lawyer. The reader has varying emotional responses as the chapters alternate.

There is the theme of survivor’s guilt which then exacerbates a pre-existing condition of OCD. The world seems to be closing in and crushing a life under a series of ‘what-if’s’ and ‘why didn’t I?’

Another life has been floundering since the loss of parents when he was just six years old. No one believed in him until he met the nine year old girl living next door to his aunt when he was thirteen years old. A deep friendship began but still he felt unworthy.

And the third main character is still recovering from a disastrous marriage and the loss of her drug-addicted husband. Everyone is fighting a battle no one else knows about.

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The Players by Darren O’Sullivan

May10

Shockingly Good

The Players by Darren O’Sullivan is a gripping psychological suspense that will hook you in from the start.

This is a terrifying read because it could be real. As Darren O’Sullivan ramps up the action, the reader’s heart-rate rises. The Players is shockingly good. I immersed myself so deeply in the action that I literally yelled out ‘No!’ at one point.

There is a monster running amok in Peterborough who holds all the cards with the police seemingly powerless. “He was a monster hiding in plain sight, a monster that looked just like them, that sounded just like them.” Evil does have a face but it is a face just like you or me. It is a face that blends in and that is a terrifying thought.

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The Life Of The Peculiar Madeira Wood by Gracie Glick

May6

Really Fun

The Life of The Peculiar Madeira Wood by Gracie Glick is a delightfully fun contemporary novel just perfect for ages eight and over. Whatever your age this is a wonderful feel-good novel that will transport you back through the years to memories of your school days. It is a novel full of adventure due to Madeira’s over active imagination and full of kindness due to her big heart. It is amusing too and I did laugh out loud at times.

Madeira Wood is an eleven year old girl with a big heart and big opinions. She notices the lost and the hurting, and is always motivated by kindness. The reader is immersed into her world – real and imagined.

There are nuggets of godly wisdom peppered throughout, with life lessons for us all.

There is an openness to the story which enhances our feelings of gratitude for the peek into the life of Madeira Wood.

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