AUTHOR: EMILY RAE-BRINSDEN
Author: Glenda Millard
Despite what the title of this book may suggest, it is not actually a romance novel. Rather, it is a book that focuses on a boy and his relationship with those around him when a war invades his life. Just a warning, this book does contain themes of violence, war and death so if those aren’t your favourite… be warned!
The protagonist of this novel is Skip, a name he chose for himself after running away from ‘home’—not that he felt like he had one, being in the foster system with a case worker he felt couldn’t truly support him. Skip has an intense fixation with the world around him, particularly the colours it bears, and fittingly has a great talent for art. Along the way, Skip meets Billy, a homeless man, Max, a young boy who has been separated from his mother, and Tia, a fifteen-year-old with a baby—which the group begins to call ‘Sixpence.’
This book, for me, was a nice one to read. It highlighted that relationships can still be built even in the darkest of times, and in between the story’s distressing scenes were ones that highlighted the themes of youth, togetherness and adventure. Skip’s relationships with Max, Tia, Sixpence and especially Billy brought me a great deal of comfort, and I enjoyed the different bonds he built with each of them. The language in this book was descriptive and easy to understand, conveying the emotions the characters feel in relation to the goings on of the plot.
The book isn’t especially long, and so it’s a good read if you are looking for something that you don’t have to commit a lot of time to. Rather, it is a quick insight into the wonders that can happen at the world’s worst. Plus, it’s predominantly set in an abandoned amusement park: fun, right?
- P.S. You might need some tissues with you for the ending.