My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece: Amazon.co.uk: Annabel Pitcher: Books

Review

This is a warm-hearted, funny tale which will by turns make your spirit soar and your heart break... Painfully honest and beautifully written, you'll devour it - and hopefully be left looking at the world a little differently. (COSMOPOLITAN )

...it was so moving, sad and yet ultimately uplifting in a way I can't possibly describe to you. It's just something you simply have to read for yourself. (MAGIC OF READING )

This is a book which could easily have sunk under the weight of sentimentality. That it doesn't, that it is an inspiring tale of resilience and kindness, is a tribute to Pitcher. This is a fine debut novel. Truthful, clear-eyed and wise. (Martin Chilton THE TELEGRAPH )

Tackling current issues, this debut is brave and significant. (DAILY EXPRESS )

You know how, every once in a while, you find a book that you know will become a class reader, found in every book cupboard, on every reading list? Well, My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece is just one of those books. It is a stunning, special read. (NATE CLASSROOM )

Heartbreaking and funny in near equal measure the story of 10-year-old Jamie's direct and wide-eyed telling of the emotional chaos he and his family live through following the death of his sister in a terrorist attack is poignant and warm hearted. Emotionally charged, this is a wonderful, touching story that never slips into worthiness. (THE OBSERVER )

I can't imagine you could read this novel and remain dry-eyed ro fail to clutch it tightly, desperate to know what happens next but almost unable to turn the page to fund out in case it's not what you hoped it would be. (CORNFLOWER BOOKS )

I loved this book! Jamie was a fantastic narrator and I felt I understood his complex problems entirely (FARM LANE BOOKS )

the story is told with warmth and humour. A tear-jerker, but without sentimentality. (THE INDEPENDENT )

The stand out title of the year, a heart-warming tale of a young boy whose elder sister has been killed in a bomb attack in London. Despite the dramatic premise, this book manages to be both solidly realistic and very funny. An exceptional debut. (Suzi Feay FINANCIAL TIMES )

... at time funny, at times unbearably sad and is at all times brutally honest. It is one tale that cannot and will not leave you unmoved, and is a truly convincing debut novel. (LIBRARY MICE )

Review

This is a warm-hearted, funny tale which will by turns make your spirit soar and your heart break... Painfully honest and beautifully written, you'll devour it - and hopefully be left looking at the world a little differently. COSMOPOLITAN ...it was so moving, sad and yet ultimately uplifting in a way I can't possibly describe to you. It's just something you simply have to read for yourself. MAGIC OF READING This is a book which could easily have sunk under the weight of sentimentality. That it doesn't, that it is an inspiring tale of resilience and kindness, is a tribute to Pitcher. This is a fine debut novel. Truthful, clear-eyed and wise. -- Martin Chilton THE TELEGRAPH Tackling current issues, this debut is brave and significant. DAILY EXPRESS You know how, every once in a while, you find a book that you know will become a class reader, found in every book cupboard, on every reading list? Well, My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece is just one of those books. It is a stunning, special read. NATE CLASSROOM Heartbreaking and funny in near equal measure the story of 10-year-old Jamie's direct and wide-eyed telling of the emotional chaos he and his family live through following the death of his sister in a terrorist attack is poignant and warm hearted. Emotionally charged, this is a wonderful, touching story that never slips into worthiness. THE OBSERVER I can't imagine you could read this novel and remain dry-eyed ro fail to clutch it tightly, desperate to know what happens next but almost unable to turn the page to fund out in case it's not what you hoped it would be. CORNFLOWER BOOKS I loved this book! Jamie was a fantastic narrator and I felt I understood his complex problems entirely FARM LANE BOOKS the story is told with warmth and humour. A tear-jerker, but without sentimentality. THE INDEPENDENT The stand out title of the year, a heart-warming tale of a young boy whose elder sister has been killed in a bomb attack in London. Despite the dramatic premise, this book manages to be both solidly realistic and very funny. An exceptional debut. -- Suzi Feay FINANCIAL TIMES 20111203 ... at time funny, at times unbearably sad and is at all times brutally honest. It is one tale that cannot and will not leave you unmoved, and is a truly convincing debut novel. LIBRARY MICE 20111129

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48 of 50 people found the following review helpful

Wonderful! 6 Feb 2011

By Nicola TOP 500 REVIEWER VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

This book is brilliant!!! It's the story of ten year old Jamie, whose family is fractured due to a terrible event that happened five years earlier, when his sister Rose was blown up by a bomb.

Jamie is a wonderful character. The book is written in the first person, and what Jamie tells us, the readers, is unintentionally funny as he takes things quite literally. But you can also feel his bewilderment and pain at what has happened to his family. He doesn't remember Rose and he doesn't understand why she seems to be all that matters to his parents, rather than him and his other sister Jas. He's also trying to fit into a new school in the Lake District, where he meets a girl who he knows he shouldn't be friends with, and incurs the wrath of the school bully.

Unusually for me, I knew as soon as I started reading this book that I would love it. It's totally uncompromising, and Jamie is quite blunt about what happened to Rose, as kids often are. It kept my interest from start to finish and I loved picking it up to read it.

This is one of the best young adult novels I have read, and it is definitely a book that adults can read and enjoy too. I look forward to seeing what Annabel Pitcher does next, as she is an author to watch in the future.

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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

Can't wait for more 9 May 2011

By Liz Kessler

Format:Hardcover

This is a brilliant, beautiful, funny, real, tender, engaging and wonderful book. On the one hand, an important and current story that reflects on some of today's biggest political issues - and on the other, this is simply a gripping, moving and beautifully written book. Just as Emma Donoghue did with Room, Annabel Pitcher has managed to get inside the head of a young boy who is experiencing events way beyond his understanding, and by drawing the reader into his world, she makes us take a fresh and insightful look not only at the events of the book itself, but at the world around us. Jamie is adorable and his story will move you in every way. I can't wait to read more from this brilliant new author!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

Heart-felt, Heart-rending story 27 April 2011

By Andrea Todd

Format:Audio CD

This is a story of how a family copes with tragedy. But told through the eyes of a 10 year old boy who finds himself in a new school with parents emotionally unavailable due to their own struggles to cope with the death of their daughter. The book is funny, sad, and inspirational, often at the same moments. Details in the book add to its realistic tone. Although written for children, I enjoyed this book as an adult as it dealt with themes of resilience and prejudice. The book is beautifully read by David Tennant whose voice conveys the heartbreak and isolation this young man feels but also the humor, friendship, and spirit that keep him going.