Delighted to be sharing my review on this Blog Tour
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| Quercus 5 March 2020 My thanks to the publishers for my ecopy of this book and the opportunity to be part of this book blast |
Finn and Kaz are about to meet for the first time.
Ten-year-old Finn, a quirky, sensitive boy who talks a lot and only eats at cafes with a 5-star hygiene rating, is having a tough time at school and home.
Outspoken Kaz, 59, who has an acerbic sense of humour and a heart of gold, is working at the café when Finn and his mum come in.
They don't know it yet, but the second time they meet will be a moment which changes both of their lives forever...
What did I think about it..
Quiet, sensitive Finn, and outspoken Kaz shouldn't really have anything in common and yet, the fickle finger of fate has a habit of pairing people together who under ordinary circumstances would never have met.
I think what's so beautiful about this story is the way the author gets right into the heart and mind of ten year old Finn, and describes his life in such precise detail that you feel like you are immersed right at the epicenter of all he is experiencing. I heard Finn's voice so clearly that there were times when I looked up from reading only to expect him to be in the room alongside me. Finn's a real character, brave and strong, and despite some pretty tough issues to deal with he was always true to himself.
Kaz's character is no less compelling, she's a bluff 59 year old Yorkshire woman with no airs or graces and despite the rotten hand that life has dealt her she keeps on going with that air of true grit which is so reminiscent of Northern women. So many times I found myself cheering her on, hoping that her circumstances would improve,
Told in alternate chapters the story is revealed so beautifully that my heart quite literally broke into pieces. I wanted to reach into the very fabric of the pages and wrap both Finn and Kaz in a warm comfort blanket so I could keep them safe and became so completely invested in both their characters that I actually miss them now that their story is completed, but oh, what a story it is.
Covering a whole range of tangible emotions, from grief and loss, to mental health and bullying there is never a moment when this story doesn't ring absolutely true. From the sheer unreasonableness of our benefits system, through the complicated minefield of mental health care, and into schools who sometimes don't listen when evidence of bullying is ignored for fear of offending the wrong people. It's a salutary warning that there are people like Finn and Kaz in all our modern villages, towns and cities, and we should begin to take more notice of what's going on around us.
I can't heap enough praise on One Moment, it captivated me by the strength of the writing, such a perceptive author, I'm in awe of her ability to weave a tale that has you crying big sobby tears one minute, ranting about bureaucracy the next, and then laughing out loud at the image of a life size, cardboard, Alan Titchmarsh.
If you only read one book in 2020, let it be this one as despise the tough nature of the story I know that both Finn and Kaz's story will stay with you for a very long time.
Quiet, sensitive Finn, and outspoken Kaz shouldn't really have anything in common and yet, the fickle finger of fate has a habit of pairing people together who under ordinary circumstances would never have met.
I think what's so beautiful about this story is the way the author gets right into the heart and mind of ten year old Finn, and describes his life in such precise detail that you feel like you are immersed right at the epicenter of all he is experiencing. I heard Finn's voice so clearly that there were times when I looked up from reading only to expect him to be in the room alongside me. Finn's a real character, brave and strong, and despite some pretty tough issues to deal with he was always true to himself.
Kaz's character is no less compelling, she's a bluff 59 year old Yorkshire woman with no airs or graces and despite the rotten hand that life has dealt her she keeps on going with that air of true grit which is so reminiscent of Northern women. So many times I found myself cheering her on, hoping that her circumstances would improve,
Told in alternate chapters the story is revealed so beautifully that my heart quite literally broke into pieces. I wanted to reach into the very fabric of the pages and wrap both Finn and Kaz in a warm comfort blanket so I could keep them safe and became so completely invested in both their characters that I actually miss them now that their story is completed, but oh, what a story it is.
Covering a whole range of tangible emotions, from grief and loss, to mental health and bullying there is never a moment when this story doesn't ring absolutely true. From the sheer unreasonableness of our benefits system, through the complicated minefield of mental health care, and into schools who sometimes don't listen when evidence of bullying is ignored for fear of offending the wrong people. It's a salutary warning that there are people like Finn and Kaz in all our modern villages, towns and cities, and we should begin to take more notice of what's going on around us.
I can't heap enough praise on One Moment, it captivated me by the strength of the writing, such a perceptive author, I'm in awe of her ability to weave a tale that has you crying big sobby tears one minute, ranting about bureaucracy the next, and then laughing out loud at the image of a life size, cardboard, Alan Titchmarsh.
If you only read one book in 2020, let it be this one as despise the tough nature of the story I know that both Finn and Kaz's story will stay with you for a very long time.
Linda Green is the bestselling author of eight novels. She is an award-winning journalist and has written for The Guardian, the Independent on Sunday and the Big Issue. Linda lives in West Yorkshire.
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