The Rain by Virginia Bergin

The Rain
by Virginia Bergin

Ruby is at a friend's house having a party and getting along rather nicely with Caspar in their hot tub outside. Her friend's parents suddenly call them inside sounding very panicky and worried. They've been hearing warnings on the radio of something terrible in the rain - and there are stormclouds up above. Sure enough, the rain comes hammering down, and it's only then that Caspar realises he's left something outside. He makes a quick dash for it and then races back in. Within seconds he is clawing at his face and body and there is blood everywhere. The mother decides to drive him to the hospital - the car has been safely parked under cover. Ruby goes with them only to find the roads jam packed with other afflicted people in cars either trying to escape or going to the hospital. Ruby is taken back to her house where she is quarantined by her mother and her stepdad, Simon. They don't want any harm to come to Ruby's baby brother, Henry. Over the next couple of days, the worst things imaginable happen to Ruby and she decides to somehow get to London to find her real dad - if he is still alive. On her journey, Ruby has to grow up fast, prove herself brave and determined, but above all, she has to survive.

I really loved this book. Once the action starts - which it does very quickly - it is very hard to put down. The panic and thoughts and feelings of Ruby seem very realistic. I liked all the characters, especially the geeky Darius Spratt, and the connection between the two at the pool and one of the camps was quite moving. Usually, when I've finished a book, it's a case of 'That was good - next!' but with this one, well let's just say, it stays with you.

The Good Luck of Right Now! by Matthew Quick

The Good Luck of Right Now!
by Matthew Quick

The last book I read by Matthew Quick (also probably more famous for his book 'The Silver Linings Playbook' which was made into an award-winning film) was the young adult novel Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock, which I think I actually preferred to this adult novel 'The Good Luck of Right Now!'. This book is very sad in a poignant, tragic way.

The story is about 39-yr-old Bartholomew Neil, who has a learning difficulty. He still lives with his mum, that is until she dies from cancer, and suddenly Bartholomew has to survive in a world of the unknown. He and his mother were always very religious and attended Mass every week. They had become very close to Father McNamee, who decides to move in with Bartholomew to take care of him. He organises a counsellor, Wendy, for Bartholomew, who also refers him to group therapy with another man, Max, who suffers from tourettes. It just so happens that Max's sister, Elizabeth, is a young girl that Bartholomew has taken a liking to in the local library, but she also has had a troubled past and is in need of help.

The four of them - Bartholomew, Father McNamee, Max and Elizabeth - decide to take a trip to Canada. Father McNamee wants to introduce Bartholomew to his biological father, whom Bartholomew thought had been killed by the Ku Klux Klan when he was little. And Max wants to visit Cat Parliament (Max has been suffering from grief since the loss of his cat Alice). The trip turns out to be a life-changing experience for all of them, but in different ways.

The chapters are set out as letters to Richard Gere, as Bartholomew's mum was a big fan of his and began to call Bartholomew 'Richard' towards the end of her life which he pretended was a game. After her death, Bartholomew hears Richard's voice giving him advice, so uses Richard as a sort of counsellor to describe all his fears and worries to. It turns out that Richard will mean more to Bartholomew than he can ever imagine.

Picture Me Gone by Meg Rosoff

Picture Me Gone
by Meg Rosoff

Meg Rosoff is one of my many favourite authors. One of her books 'How I Live Now' is soon to be a film (out 27th September 2013). My personal favourites are 'What I Was' and 'Just in Case'. Until now. 'Picture Me Gone' is about 12-yr-old Mila, who sets out on a trip to America with her father to try to find his friend, Matthew, who left the family home one day and didn't return, leaving his wife, baby son, and dog behind. Mila uses her special gift of being able to 'read' people - their thoughts, feelings and memories - to try to solve the mystery. What she uncovers are friendships, secrets, lies, tragedy, and a situation that is just too incomprehensible for a 12-yr-old girl.

I was drawn into this book immediately - I knew by the second chapter that this would be my favourite. I nearly cried when I read how sad Honey the dog was, how she was disliked by Suzanne the wife, how she missed her master - "loneliness flows off her in waves"..."this is not a happy house". Thankfully Mila and her father take Honey with them on the search for Matthew which is a relief for us all.

This is a fantastic book of discovery. Mila is a very mature young girl - perhaps being an only child has helped her understand the intricacies of adult relationships and behaviour, which also helps her piece together the mystery.

Meg has the brilliant ability of capturing and describing every emotion, every subtle bit of body language, every part of a conversation, so you can vividly imagine each and every character she introduces into the story. I loved loved loved it.

The Borrower by Rebecca Makkai

The Borrower
by Rebecca Makkai


Lucy is a librarian in Missouri, and 10-yr old Ian Drake is a regular visitor and borrower. His parents start to disagree with his (and Lucy's) choice of reading material. Lucy then discovers that they have enrolled Ian in anti-gay classes (not that he is, just to make sure he won't be). Ian wants to run away, and he starts out on his plan by spending the night (unnoticed) in the library. Lucy finds herself part of his plan when she discovers him there the next morning, and drives him out of town, not knowing where they're going. So begins a journey of lies but also of finding oneself, and discovering an awareness of other people's feelings. At what point, if at all, should Lucy convince Ian that he must return home to his overbearing parents?

Very americanised, I must admit I only enjoyed about the last half.