From the prologue alone I was hooked and couldn’t wait to find out just what happened on that fateful Friday in May. The story was so fast paced and I loved how the middle of the story took me completely by surprise and made me really evaluate how I felt about the characters. The twists kept on coming and one right at the very end of the book had me flipping back through the pages to find the scene again to re-read what happened. I really admire Kate Bradley’s writing and how she made me believe something so crucial without ever actually stating that is what happened.
I really enjoyed the differing chapter perspectives of Jenni and Destiny interspersed with other key characters along the way. 40 year old Jenni used to be in the army but retrained as a teacher. She also has Alexithymia which causes her to struggle to recognise emotions in others. Destiny is a 15 year old student, regarded as exceptional for two reasons. Firstly, due to her being the smartest child in school and secondly, for being a child in care. Social Services have labelled her as ‘unplaceable’ and she often plays truant which Jenni struggles with because she doesn’t want to see Destiny’s ability go to waste.
On that fateful Friday in May, Destiny arrives to her form class with a black eye. Upon answering her mobile phone in front of Jenni she also appears extremely fearful of the caller. Destiny then points to a van waiting outside the window and after ensuring the phone is covered with her hand says sorry to Jenni, adding as an afterthought the word run! When Jenni witnesses an attempt later that morning to abduct Destiny her concerns amplify. When social services and the police appear to be ignoring the seriousness of this, Jenni does the only thing she can think of; she takes Destiny. But will Jenni’s actions really keep Destiny safe or will she have placed herself and others in great danger?
As I was reading I found myself racing through the pages as I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next. My feelings towards Jenni and Destiny continued to alter as the story progressed and I liked being able to think back to the prologue and what its relevance was. It was very clever when this scene appeared within the story again and everything fell in to place as to whose perspective it was told from. Whilst some of the book could be emotional to read at times as it covers themes of trauma and different types of abuse, these things were crucial to the story arc and were needed for the plot’s effectiveness. I also really liked the ending of the book and felt a sense of relief and hope for what the future may hold for these characters.
I have really enjoyed this debut novel and am excited to see what Kate Bradley writes in the future!
I really enjoyed the differing chapter perspectives of Jenni and Destiny interspersed with other key characters along the way. 40 year old Jenni used to be in the army but retrained as a teacher. She also has Alexithymia which causes her to struggle to recognise emotions in others. Destiny is a 15 year old student, regarded as exceptional for two reasons. Firstly, due to her being the smartest child in school and secondly, for being a child in care. Social Services have labelled her as ‘unplaceable’ and she often plays truant which Jenni struggles with because she doesn’t want to see Destiny’s ability go to waste.
On that fateful Friday in May, Destiny arrives to her form class with a black eye. Upon answering her mobile phone in front of Jenni she also appears extremely fearful of the caller. Destiny then points to a van waiting outside the window and after ensuring the phone is covered with her hand says sorry to Jenni, adding as an afterthought the word run! When Jenni witnesses an attempt later that morning to abduct Destiny her concerns amplify. When social services and the police appear to be ignoring the seriousness of this, Jenni does the only thing she can think of; she takes Destiny. But will Jenni’s actions really keep Destiny safe or will she have placed herself and others in great danger?
As I was reading I found myself racing through the pages as I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next. My feelings towards Jenni and Destiny continued to alter as the story progressed and I liked being able to think back to the prologue and what its relevance was. It was very clever when this scene appeared within the story again and everything fell in to place as to whose perspective it was told from. Whilst some of the book could be emotional to read at times as it covers themes of trauma and different types of abuse, these things were crucial to the story arc and were needed for the plot’s effectiveness. I also really liked the ending of the book and felt a sense of relief and hope for what the future may hold for these characters.
I have really enjoyed this debut novel and am excited to see what Kate Bradley writes in the future!