Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Too short at 700 pages, 11 May 2008
The book is set in late 1949 (ah! I remember it well)and fourteen year old Henry lives with his mother, stepfather, little sister and his Gran. Henry knows his father died a hero and, in his eyes, 'Uncle Bill' does not match up and Gran agrees. There is conflict enough at home without the new teacher taking against him. Especially as he acts so friendly to the two boys that nobody wants to know. However, slowly Henry's eyes are opened to truth after truth till a photo that he has taken turns his world upside down.
This was one of the most gripping and enjoyable books for youngsters that I have read. To write a 700 page book for children is challenge enough. To succeed in making every one of those pages captivating is a tremendous achievement. The author populates her book with distinct and clearly defined characters which young readers will come to regard as friends - but, of course, not everyone can be depended on.
It is the gradual resolution of one mystery after another that involves both Henry and the reader in this terrific tale. The plot moves from one puzzle to the next with obvious care and simplicity so that, despite its length, the story is over all too soon.
For the younger reader, there is much social history on subtle display. How attitude have changed to divorce and unmarried mums! For the reader who remembers 1949, it is a luxurious wallow in forgotten memories such as Saturday morning picture shows, the launch of The Eagle comic and some marvelous black and white movies. For all, it is a heart warming, engrossing read.
It is ten years since the last book by Michelle Magorian. This superb book justifies the wait.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I Love This Book, 17 Feb 2009
The last time I picked up a children's book it was Inkheart (yuck!), so when I first picked this up it was with some trepidation. What I found though was a really riveting read that crosses genres and will appeal to people of many ages. The story starts off in late 1949 and moves into 1950 (befoore my time), but I have heard my parents speaking about what it was like then. Indeed my mum belonged to the ABC Cinema Club.
For those like me who weren't around then this was a time when Britain was still rationing and many places were still rubble from the bombing by the Germans. Men still had to do National Service, abortion was still illegal, and you could still be hanged for murder. Ms Magorian gives a book that is rich in detail and shows what it was like if your father was a deserter or you were born illegitimate. Illegitimacy, a common thing in our modern world was still a social stigma back then, indeed it is interesting to see how attitudes and our society has changed in such a relatively short period. This story takes place mainly in Sternsea, a fictional south coast town, but there is still some action in London, including the bomb ravaged East End.
It is hard not to give too many details away writing about this book, and it takes in many genres. Basically though the story revolves around movies and the cinema, and the families of the children who seem to be looked over by Mrs Beaumont, a kind of fairy godmother. I don't mean to imply that there is any magic in this tale, but Mrs Beaumont is quite resourceful and can usually find solutions for problems that others may miss.
Henry himself lives with his mother, step-father and half-sister Molly, along with his Gran (his first dad's mother). We follow him through his making friends to when his world falls apart, and just beyond. Taking in melodrama, mystery, crime and thriller, along with a bit of romance this story has it all. It starts off like a kitchen sink drama and gradually evolves into something much more. I'm really glad that I read this and I will definitely read it again, so if your child is reading it confiscate it or wait until they have finished it and give it a go yourself, you shouldn't be disappointed.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another classic from Magorian, 1 Feb 2009
Being a big fan of Goodnight Mr. Tom, I was interested to read Michelle Magorian's latest book. Henry is a boy fascinated by the cinema, who goes mostly to escape the absence of his war hero father. He's disgusted to be paired with the son of a deserter and an illegitimate child when he's given a school project on the cinema, but once he breaks free from the narrow-minded influence of his tyrannical granny, it turns out nothing is as it seems. It's over 700 pages long, but it flows brilliantly and it's a real page turner. I got this book for my nana, who was a kid at the same time as Henry, and she enjoyed it just as much as I did. Gripping and charming in equal quantities, and a must-read for fans of Magorian.
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