PRISONERS IN THE PALACE

By Michaela MacColl

[Blurb] London 1838. Elizabeth Hastings knows about suffering. At seventeen, she has lost her family, her home and her future. In desperation, she takes a position at Kensington Palace working for the sixteen year old Princess Victoria. But nothing is as it seems at the palace. The heir to the throne is practically a prisoner. A mother schemes against her daughter. Sir John Conroy, a man with no power or connections, is playing for the ultimate prize. And the servants - they know everything of course!

Liza's journey will take her through the bowels of the Palace and to the deepest slums of London. She'll learn about the power of the press and the attractions of one particular newspaperman. How far will Liza have to go to restore her fortune and put the Princess Victoria on the throne? Will she find independence and romance or find herself a prisoner in the palace, too?

This was a fabulous YA fiction novel, but don't be fooled, it was entriguing and exciting and I really enjoyed it. The author Micaela MacColl has read the diaries of Queen Elizabeth and established the base of her story around her journalling. The historical facts are well researched and it makes for a fabulous read. I loved the character of Liza and her courage, to stand up for her friend, the queen in waiting, and her struggle to survive on her own in this harsh city of London, in the early 1800's. This is a great read of 'faction' (half fiction, half fact).

BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP

by S.J. Watson

This was a real thriller of a story. Each morning when Christine wakes she has no idea who the man is she is sleeping next to and as the day unfolds she must try to regain her memories and come to terms with her amnesia and how that has effected her family. A very interesting concept and at times the story had me on the edge of my sleep and reading right into the night. There are twists and turns and she must decide who she can really trust. Loved it!

Blurb: 'As I sleep, my mind will erase everything I did today. I will wake up tomorrow as I did this morning. Thinking I'm still a child. Thinking I have a whole lifetime of choice ahead of me ...' Memories define us. So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep? Your name, your identity, your past, even the people you love—all forgotten overnight. And the one person you trust may only be telling you half the story. Welcome to Christine's life.

FACE TO FACE (Book 5)

by Caroline B. Cooney

An interesting concept that has been made into a film. This book is the fifth in the series and even though I haven't read the others first it didn't matter as it was easy to pick up the story to date.

Blurb: 'Janie Face to Face' is the fifth book that Caroline B. Cooney has written about the girl who discovered her face on a milk carton, leading to revelations about who she is and who her real family are. When she finally finds out she was kidnapped as a child and the people you have called Mum and Dad all your life, aren't her real parents it is devastating, and she must choose which family to spend her weekends and special occasions with. This story is about Janie finally coming to terms with what happened to her and learning to put herself first for once, instead of worrying about her parents from both sets of families. After so many years of questioning her own identity, she has now grown into a mature and responsible young woman who wants to put the past behind her and focus on her future. 

JANUARY FIRST

by Michael Schofield

[Blurb: A brilliant and harrowingly honest memoir, January First is the extraordinary story of a father's fight to save his child from an extremely severe case of mental illness in the face of overwhelming adversity. At six years old, Michael Schofield's daughter, January, was diagnosed with one of the most severe cases of child-onset schizophrenia that doctors had ever seen. January First is the story of the daily struggles and challenges they face as they do everything they can to help their daughter while trying to keep their family together. It is the inspiring tale of their resolute determination and faith]

This is a fascinating memoir from January's father who so wants to help his daughter be like any other child, who believes her behaviour is because of her very high I.Q., and doesn't want to believe there is any medical problem causing these strange behaviours. Both Michael and his wife try so many professionals and hospitals to get help but no one seems to take them seriously. They must battle daily with January to stop her hurting her baby brother and themselves and the only way to resolve this is to live separate lives. A truly heartbreaking story, with glimpses of hope, but it seems for every step forward there is two backwards. It is terrifying to think it took 6 yrs before they had a 'name' for her illness and therefore could treat it.

THE WOODY CREEK SERIES

by Joy Dettman

Following on from the fantastic 'Pearl in a Cage' is...
 Book 2 'Thorn on the rose', Book 3 'Moth to a flame', Book 4 'Wind in the wires' and Book 5 'Ripples on a pond'

THORN ON THE ROSE
Blurb:  It is 1939 and Jenny Morrison, distraught and just fifteen years of age, has fled the tiny logging community of Woody Creek for a new life in the big smoke. But four months later she is back – wiser, with an expensive new wardrobe, and bearijng another dark secret...She takes refuge with Gertrude, her dependable granny and Woody Creek's indomitable midwife, and settles into a routine in the ever-expanding and chaotic household. But can she ever put the trauma of her past behind her and realise her dream of becoming a famous singer? Or is she doomed to follow in the footsteps of her tragic and mysterious mother?
                                                 



 MOTH TO THE FLAME
Blurb: The year is 1946. The war ended five months ago. Jim Hooper, Jenny Morrison's only love, was lost to that war. And if not for Jenny, he would never have gone."An eye for an eye," Vern Hooper says. An unforgiving man, Vern wants custody of Jenny's son, his only grandson, and is quietly planning his day in court.
Then Jenny's father Archie Foote swoops back into town. Archie offers Jenny a tantalising chance at fame and fortune; one way or another he is determined to play a part in her life. Is Jenny's luck about to change, or is she drawn to trouble like a moth is drawn to the flame?

 WIND IN THE WIRES
 Blurb: The wind is whispering in Woody Creek... Change is in the air It's 1958 and Woody Creek is being dragged – kicking and screaming – into the swinging sixties. Jenny's daughters, Cara and Georgie, are now young women. They have inherited their mother's hands, but that is where their similarity ends. Raised separately, they have never met. A mistake from Cara's teenage years looms over her future, but she believes emphatically in the white wedding and happily ever after myth. Georgie has seen enough of marriage and motherhood. She plans to live her life as her grandmother did, independent of a man. But life for the Morrison girls has never been easy, and once the sisters are in each other's lives, long-buried secrets are bound to be unearthed, the dramatic consequences of which no-one could have predicted...

RIPPLES ON A POND
Blurb: Woody Creek is gearing up for its centenary celebrations – but for many of its townspeople, it's just another reminder of the old days, when life was more simple, before so-called progress, technology and a growing population roared through the town, altering everything in its wake. Not for Georgie though. Long encumbered by responsibility for her half-sister Margot, she's looking towards the future and more changes. Not having managed to move on from running Charlie's grocery store yet, as the clock ticks over to 1970, she's determined that the time has come.  She's not the only one of Jenny's children who's grown up and is moving on. As a six year old, little Jimmy Morrison was stolen from Woody Creek by his grandfather, and is now further away than ever from his estranged birth mother and sisters. Having inherited an estate in the United Kingdom, he's determined to make a new life for himself. If only he could shake off his one terrible attachment to Australia... For Cara, Woody Creek has been the source of the most devastating news of her life, and a terrible mistake that cannot be undone. She's vowed never to step foot into the place again. But the old timber town has a way of getting under people's skins. And as it draws the much loved cast of Woody Creek characters back into its grip, confessions, discoveries and truths seem set to explode in the most dramatic of showdowns...

Wow, I really loved each of these books and each one left you hanging on for the next. After book 4 I just had to find out what happened and the book had only been published in March, so I download the next one to my kindle as quickly as possible. (Gotta love a kindle) Very addictive! Not quite finished yet....

BACK TO BLACKBRICK

by Sarah Moore Fitzgerald

[Blurb: Cosmo's brother Brian died when he was ten years old. His mum hides her grief by working all the hours God sends and Cosmo lives with his grandparents. They've been carefree days as Granddad buys him a horse called John and teaches him all he knows about horses. But the good times have to come to an end and although he doesn't want to admit it, Cosmo knows his Granddad is losing his mind. So on one of the rare occasions when Granddad seems to recognise him, Cosmo is bemused that he gives him a key to Blackbrick Abbey and urges him to go there. Cosmo shrugs it off, but gradually Blackbrick draws him in...

Cosmo arrives there, scared and lonely, and is dropped off at the crumbling gates of a huge house. As he goes in, the gates close, and when he turns to look, they're rusty and padlocked as if they haven't been opened in years. Cosmo finds himself face to face with his grandfather as a young man, and questions begin to form in his mind: can Cosmo change the course of his family's future?]

What an interesting concept for a story. When Cosmo receives a key from his grandfather, whose memory is failing, he follows his wishes and goes to Blackberry Abbey. Here he discovers his grandfather at age 16. An interesting time travelling story. Very easy to read but a little odd in some parts. I must say I was expecting a little more from the blurb on the back. It was touching, however, that Cosmo loved his grandfather so much he was trying to mend his memory, so he wouldn't be put in a home.

PEARL IN A CAGE

By Joy Dettman

Blurb: On a balmy midsummer's evening in 1923, a young woman foreign, dishevelled and heavily pregnant is found unconscious just off the railway tracks in the tiny logging community of Woody Creek. The town midwife, Gertrude Foote, is roused from her bed when the woman is brought to her door. Try as she might, Gertrude is unable to save her, but the baby lives. Gertrude's daughter Amber who has recently lost a son in childbirth and her husband Norman take the child in.

I've been wanting to read on of Joy's books for a while as I keep seeing them, but they look so big and  my reading time is limited, however I decided to give it a go. I wasn't disappointed. I loved it so much that when I had finished, and realised it was the first book in a series 'The Woody Creek' series I just had to download the next book immediately to my kindle.

The writing was so good, I just felt like I was living in the town and knew all the characters so well. I really felt for Jenny having to live with such a cruel mother and sister and kept wanting her Granny, Gertrude, to tell her the truth, but no, that wasn't to be...well not yet anyway, who knows what is in store in the next few books, I believe there are 5 or 6 in the series. I can't wait!

THE SEEING

by Diana Hendry

[Blurb: 1953. When wild, dangerous, break-all-the-rules Natalie arrives in the quiet town of Norton, thirteen-year-old Lizzie is drawn irresistibly to the new girl from the wrong side of the tracks. Desperate for Natalie's friendship and respect, Lizzie soon discovers a side of the town - and of herself - that she had never imagined.

As the girls grow closer, Natalie and her strange, eerie brother, Philip, reveal a shocking secret. For Philip has a second sight, and all around them he sees evil - 'left-over Nazis' lying in wait until the time is right for revenge. Natalie and Philip believe it's up to them to root these people out of Norton.

Lizzie is swept up in what starts as a thrilling game - but the consequences of Philip's 'gift' quickly spiral into disaster.

A chilling, powerful tale from Whitbread Award-winner Diana Hendry.]

This was a chilling tale! It was strange right from the start. Reading the first few pages (the Prologue) I had no idea what the setting was and when I finished the book I actually went back and read it again... now I knew what it all meant!

When Lizzie pals up with a very strange girl from school, Natalie, and her brother, Phillip, she will have no idea how her life will change. According to Natalie, Philip has an eerie secret... he sees things. Nazi's, who are sleepers in their village. To win Natalie's friendship Lizzie goes along with the secret mission to seek out all those Phillip points the finger at and they must try to run them out of town. 

Natalie and her brother live in the poor end of town and her mother is incapable of looking after them. Lizzie lives on the right side of town and has a very different home life to her two friends. 

This story is gripping, I couldn't put it down, and at the end quite disturbing. It certainly wasn't a 'feel good' read but it was very interesting.

ALICE BLISS

by Laura Harrington

[Blurb: When Alice Bliss learns that her father, Matt, is being deployed to Iraq, she's heartbroken. Alice idolizes her father, loves working beside him in their garden, accompanying him on the occasional roofing job, playing baseball. When he ships out, Alice is faced with finding a way to fill the emptiness he has left behind.

Matt will miss seeing his daughter blossom from a tomboy into a full-blown teenager. Alice will learn to drive, join the track team, go to her first dance, and fall in love, all while trying to be strong for her mother, Angie, and take care of her precocious little sister, Ellie. But the smell of Matt is starting to fade from his blue shirt that Alice wears everyday, and the phone calls are never long enough.

Alice Bliss is a profoundly moving coming-of-age novel about love and its many variations--the support of a small town looking after its own; love between an absent father and his daughter; the complicated love between an adolescent girl and her mother; and an exploration of new love with the boy-next-door. These characters' struggles amidst uncertain times echo our own, lending the novel an immediacy and poignancy that is both relevant and real. At once universal and very personal, Alice Bliss is a transforming story about those who are left at home during wartime, and a teenage girl bravely facing the future.]

Unfortunately I only got half way through this book. It started of well, and I was at first interested in Alice and her relationship with her father, who had been sent to fight in Iraq, however it didn't hold my attention after half way through, and I decided to move onto the next book in my huge pile to read.

POET'S COTTAGE

by Josephine Pennicott

Once I picked up this book and began reading I could not put it down. Full of intrigue, mystery, murder, fantasy, and a bit of romance thrown in. I read it in a day and loved every minute of it until the last chapter or so when it left me slightly disappointed. I thought I'd worked out the truth of who really killed Pearl, then changed my mind several times throughout the book, only to find out I got it wrong.

The story draws us in immediately when Sadie and her teenage daughter, Betty, have inherited her grandmother's cottage in Tasmania. This beautiful little cottage, Poet's Cottage, has always had writers living in it, and Sadie, who is also a writer, sets out to find out more about her grandmother Pearl's life, whilst living in this small village during the 1930's, and the truth behind her vicious murder, which she will make into a book. She uncovers facts about her grandmother she was not aware of  and which are very different to how her mother portrays her. Pearl Tatlow, was an eccentric Children's book author  who was very glamorous but lived a very risque life, which didn't please the town folk. 

When Pearl was suddenly and viciously murdered, it sent the town spinning with rumours and the murderer was never found. Her two daughters, one being Sadie's mother, were in the yard playing when it happened. Saidies' aunt, Thomasina,  unfortunately found her mother's body and said that a devil had killed her. This was because it was believed that Pearl kept a Tasmanian Devil in the cellar to scare the children.

The switch from present day to 1930's was intriguing, particularly as the house was said to now be haunted and Sadie and her daughter had experienced some unusual things going on within the house. They must decide if they should stay and uncover the truth or flee back to Sydney. Having just read Kate Morton's newest book The Secret Keeper it reminded me a little of that story however not quite as good. Having said that, I do recommend it and loved the setting as I've actually had holidays in that part of Tassie and loved it.

PARVANA'S PROMISE

by Deborah Ellis

This story is a sequel to Parvana and Parvana's Journey, where we find 15 yr old Parvana in a bombed out school, and taken by American troops who think she is a terrorist. When questioned she refuses to talk and this annoys the American's. They interrogate her and keep her in a cell until she tells them why she was there, but she is determined above all else to stand her ground.

Little by little we find the story unfolding as to why she was in the school. Obviously it has been bombed but each time I thought I knew the answer the story revealed something else happened. This school was a place for girls to learn to read and write along with many other useful skills, and is the passion of Parvana and her mother. It is difficult being a women in Afghanistan and there are many forces suppressing their independence and safety. 

I read this book in one sitting and enjoyed it very much. Although fiction, this story could be that of any number of girls living in this war torn country. Deborah Ellis has a beautiful way of allowing you to feel the emotion and frustration in the story. I felt I was walking in the shoes of Parvana and felt helpless to help her and her friends. A great YA novel.

OH DEAR SILVIA

By Dawn French

What an interesting read and an unusual setting. Silvia Shute has fallen from a balcony and is in hospital in a coma. She has led, what seems to be, a selfish life... or has she?

After many years of marriage she has left her husband, cut herself off from her children and only grand child and has taken up a relationship with another women. Now in a coma, just lying there, she is unable to spit venomous words to her family and friends that have come to rally around her in her time of need. Each one has their individual time with her and although at first they speak words of encouragement and try to bring her out of her coma, little by little, true feelings come out and they can't resist telling her what they really think of her, particularly while she is 'out of action'. 

But maybe there is more to Sylvia than everyone thinks. Each chapter is describing what is going on behind the closed door while each character has their time with Sylvia. At times it is quite funny, particularly what bizarre antics her sister gets up to to bring her back to reality. As you read further in this book it unravels more mysteries and everything will fall into place in a very unexpected way. Well worth a read. Thanks Dani for the Chrissy gift!

FLOWERS OF BAGHDAD

By Bruce Lyman

This was a very touching book which I couldn't put down once I started it. It's a heart-wrenching glimpse into life in war torn Baghdad after Suddan has been executed and American soldiers are patrolling this once beautiful and bustling city. Bruce Lyman's writing is wonderful and I found myself caught up in the lives of two men, Aadil and Malik, and their families, . Two very different men but both wanting peace and to return to a happy life free from fear and pain. The fear is tangible and with you every minute of the day, always looking over your shoulder for something out of the ordinary, for fear of being killed. Malik's neighbour simply takes his garbage out to the street and is killed by a single bullet to the head in front of his young son. 
Business is almost non-existent in Malik's little shop, where he sells shirts, and the street has been damaged badly by bombings, but he still has hope... hope that one day Baghdad will return to its beauty and his family will once again have money for food and can live normal carefree lives.
Little do these two men know that their lives will be entwined in in a strange and frightening way. Each chapter in the book is told by Aadil, and Malik. There were many passages I read, then re-read, as they described with such emotion the life of the Iraqi people's existence. The writing is beautiful and poetic and as I got to know each men I longed to be able to help them and free them from such violence and loss. It's a book about friendship, faith and hope. Malik believes we are all 'flowers' in God's garden. I feel so blessed to be living in a country that is free from such pain and suffering. Reading this book will surely touch your heart and realise we all just want the same for our families.

A STRAIGHT LINE TO MY HEART

by Bill Condon

This is just a nice little story about a girl named Tiff who has finally finished school and is about to move into the next phase of her life, in her small town of Gungee. We find her in the local library reading Wuthering Heights. I love her motto "If you can't get a boy, get a book". She is interrupted by a nice boy, a footballer, who also has a love of books but offends her when all he seems to be interested in is how many raffle tickets she will buy. She later gets to know him a whole lot better!

Tiff's life hasn't been easy with her mother not long after she was born and being abandoned by others however she now lives with her surrogate grandfather Reggie and his son Bull. She has a real connection with these two and they have been her comfort over the years, unfortunately Reggie's health is declining. Tiff is given some work experience at a local newspaper as she thinks she may want to be a journalist. Tiff is a lovely down to earth girl and finds she can get through whatever challenges are thrown at her. Her best friend Kayla is a great support and they have plans to travel to Surfer's Paradise together. 

Dramas happen throughout her story and you will have a few tears towards the end. This book is about the love of reading, resilience and relationships with a touch of humour thrown in.

THE BELOVED

by Annah Faulkner

I really, really loved this beautiful book. From the first page it had me and it only took a day or so to finish it... that's how much I loved it! Roberta, a young girl contracts polio and is confined to hospital for months, then forced to wear a calliper and boot. This is devastating to Roberta and her family but when she is given a set of paints she realises how much she loves art and how talented she is. She is 'special' for sure as she can see colours hovering over people she meets. Some are angry colours others are full of love and she of course paints them, but her style is very different from the 'norm' and through a set of circumstances her mother forbids her to pain any more. This is who Roberta is.... she must paint... it's what she was born to do. 

In Australia she is bullied at school, because of her gympy leg, but her life changes when her family move to New Guinea. There is so much colour there she must continue her passion.  Because I love to draw and paint I really felt the frustration Roberta felt from being banned to paint. When she discovers secrets in her mother's life her whole world is turned upside down and I wanted the story to go on and on.I won't give you any more of the story because there many highs and lows that come her way.

This story is so beautifully written. I felt like I was with little Roberta as she grew up, peering into her life, feeling her pain. It felt so real that I thought it must have been an autobiography but this was Annah Faulkner's first novel. I can't believe it!

PENNIES FOR HITLER

by Jackie French

This book is about how hatred can be contagious but it is also about how love and kindness can be equally contagious. Through all the destruction and hatred brought about by Hitler and the Nazis during WWII there were still wonderful and courageous people helping those in need.

The story begins with Georg enjoying his life growing up in Germany with his loving family. All this changes in a split second when his father is accused of being a Jew and is thrown to his death from a university window by his students, and Georg and his mother, having just witnessed this, must flee for their lives. 

He escapes from Germany inside a suitcase and is helped to travel to London to live with his aunt, leaving his mother behind. After a while London is bombed and he is no longer safe living there so his aunt sends him to Australia to live with foster parents.

He must pretend to be an English boy named George and cover up his German identity, as Australians are at war with Germany. He eventually settles into his new life in Australia and living in the country but his thoughts are never too far away from his mother and what has become of her. When the Japanese declare war on Australia and start bombing Darwin and Sydney his life is once again in turmoil.

Jackie French has once again written a fabulous historical novel, which is very thought provoking and touching. This story is not a sequel to Hitler's daughter but it shows great insight into being a child of war. I really loved it.

PLAIN TRUTH

by Jodi Picoult


This was a #1 best seller and it was very gripping and full of suspense. It reminded me of a movie with Harrison Ford which I can't remember the name of but it was similar in that he had to live with the Amish for a period of time. Jodie Picoult really does give you a fantastic insight into the Amish life, both from within and outside the faith. They have their own way to deal with sin, grievances, love and discipline, and it is not what the outside world can understand easily.


In this book a young Amish girl, Katie, is accused of murdering her newborn baby however she refuses to admit she was even pregnant or gave birth. Ellie Hathaway is a lawyer from the city that volunteers to defend this girl and is forced to live with the family when the judge makes her custodian. The two women form a bond as Ellie tries to get the truth from this confused Amish girl.


There are twists and turns right to the end as the truth is finally unravelled bit by bit. Will the jury give Katie life in prison for murdering her baby? You will have to read this psychological drama to find out. But be warned... it's hard to put this book down once you've started.

Girl in Translation

by Jean Kwok


What a heartfelt story of a little girl, Kimberly Chang, and her mother immigrating from Hong Kong to America. The writer made me  feel like I was living side by side with the characters and feeling their triumphs and frustrations.


Now living in a broken down, rat and cochroach infested flat in Brooklyn, they must survive with very little possessions or money. Kimberly's mother knows no English and is forced, by her sister of all people, to work in a factory sweatshop with very little pay for extremely long hours. 


Kimberly must slip into a completely different world that she is used to and go to school, speaking and understanding very little English. Although she was a very talented student in Hong Kong, here she must face many challenges and find acceptance into society if she is to get a good education and save herself and her mother from terrible circumstances.


This story seems more than fiction to me... it seemed like it was based on a true story, possibly that of the author herself, and is a very touching read from the eyes of a little girl. It was interesting how the author noted that Kimberly, with her broken English, didn't pick up every word or phrase people were saying to her and often didn't understand the context. It was very challenging as she became the 'adult' at times. Helping her mother in the sweatshop after school and working until late into the night, and keeping up her school work was certainly challenging.


Well worth a read.

THE MEMORY CAGE

THE MEMORY CAGE   by Ruth Eastham   (YA fiction)

This is a very powerful and emotional story dealing with war, Alzheimer’s and family secrets. It is beautifully written and the compassion Alex shows for his Grandfather is beautiful. The story tells of Alex who was adopted at the age of 6 from a refugee camp in Bosnia and is now a teenager. His parents and younger brother are all dead and he is haunted by memories of not being able to save his younger brother from drowning. He is adopted into the Smith family, lives in Doverham, England and adores his adopted Grandfather, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s and is about to be put into a home.

He is desperate to help his Grandfather to remember the past so he doesn’t have to be put in an aged home, but as Alex delves into the past and tries to create a scrapbook of his life, secrets are discovered that have been hidden away for many years. With the town losing so many of their young men in the war some people don’t want the past dug up. Remembering the past is not want Alex wants for himself either as it is too hurtful and he tries to cut all memories of Bosnia from his life. The story concludes with a dramatic incident that had me in tears. Secrets are revealed and lies uncovered to culminate in a truly wonderful ending.

PAN'S WHISPER

PAN'S WHISPER  by Sue Lawson  (YA fiction)

Yes, you’d be right in thinking Pan is rebellious, troublesome and damaged. The story opens with Pan arriving at a foster home with her case worker, Gemma, where her foster parents, Rose and Ian, along with their two other foster children, Olivia and Nat, welcome her into their home. Pan however is sure she won’t be here for long and plans to escape at the earliest possible moment.

Pan struggles to fit into a nice loving family with rules, a new school and deal with the loneliness she feels, which she blames her mother and half sister for. She has a lot of issues bottled up inside, some memories she can’t quite remember, but why? Rose gives Pan the opportunity to write to her sister but she refuses at first as she is still angry with her being in this situation… living in Leggoland! As time goes by she does decide to write to her sister, Morgan, and gradually as she is unraveling her thoughts and memories she begins to remember and write more.

Hunter, one of the boys in Pan’s class, befriends her and eventually she opens up to him about her problems. He seems to be the only one to understand. He too has had to deal with family issues and if anyone can help her, Hunter can. Pan is paranoid and only thinking about herself and her issues, however she soon decides she has been selfish and does need help from others. As she opens up, deeper relationships are formed with those around her.

A small book packed with punch. This is a gripping story and is cleverly written by another  Australian writer. The book is divided into three thoughts, with the chapters being narrated by Pan, followed by the letters she has written to Morgan, (each one questioning what has happened in the past), then this is followed by what was really happening at each occasion, (what Morgan was going through and how she had protected Pan throughout her childhood). I started to imagine I knew how this story would end… one of two ways. I was wrong… there was another! The writer sure had my emotions wrapped around her little finger and throughout this compelling story until the end, when in the final chapter I let it all go and just bawled… yep embarrassing I know!