Thanks to the team at Hachette and host Bree from All the Books I Can Read, I took part in a read-along over the last few weeks. The book was Lifesaving for Beginners by Ciara Geraghty.

It’s the story of parallel lives – forty-in-a-few-months Kat who has just broken up with her partner (Thomas) and almost-ten Milo, whose mum has recently died. One lives in England, one lives in Ireland but a twist of fate brings these two together.

I really liked the dual narration – two distinct voices, both perfectly executed. Kat – well, you know her – she speaks directly to the audience I imagine this book was intended for.  And Milo, with his factual, no-nonsense approach to life broke my heart (perhaps because I also have a ten-year-old son). Milo is so stoic and it’s the little details – for example having to cut his own toenails now that his mum is gone – that makes him such a lovely character.

“I go into the kitchen and put the kettle on anyway. If it were Wednesday and the ferry got cancelled, Mam would be here and we wouldn’t be eating leftover pizza and drinking Coke for our breakfast…”

“Adults always wonder how kids can eat ice cream in the wintertime, but it tastes exactly the same as it does in the summertime.” Continue reading →