Delighted to be part of this blog tour
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| Penguin 6 February 2020 My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book and the ivitation to be part of the blog tour |
Emily just wants to keep the world away. She doesn't want anyone to know all the ways her life is messed up. Going to anger management every Saturday, talking to strangers, was not part of the plan. Jake just wants to keep his family together. Somehow, he's messed everything up. Going to anger management is now his best hope to save his marriage and bond with his six-yearold Alfie. Emily can't understand why Jake - who seems to have it all - is there. Jake can't understand why Alfie - who never likes strangers - lights up around spikey Emily. Everything they think about each other is about to change. But can they change how they feel about themselves?
What did I think about it..
When Jake and Emily meet on Saturdays at noon at an anger management group, neither of them want to be there, and they always seem to rub each other up the wrong way. However, as the course progresses and when Emily meets Jake’s six year old, autistic son, Alfie, a definite bond forms between Emily and Alfie, which completely surprises Jake as Alfie doesn’t usually connect very easily with strangers.
What then follows is the story of three very special characters whose lives intertwine in a remarkable story which looks at all the complexities of life, love, parenting, marriage, and also of caring for a child with autism, in a very readable and relatable way. The author has done a great job of highlighting the challenges faced with looking after a child with complex needs and yet does so with humour, empathy and a realistic approach to telling it exactly as it is. Both Jake and Emily’s individual stories are no less compelling and I quickly became very fond of Alfie whose sparkling personality shines through with every well written word, and yet, it was Emily, I think, who, for me, held the story together, she was feisty and funny and filled with so much angst and quirky humour, that it was really interesting to see how her character progressed throughout the whole of the story.
Recommended ✅ Absolutely. Saturdays at Noon is a commendable debut novel, which is both emotional and thought provoking in equal measure. I’m already excited to see what this emerging author writes next.
When Jake and Emily meet on Saturdays at noon at an anger management group, neither of them want to be there, and they always seem to rub each other up the wrong way. However, as the course progresses and when Emily meets Jake’s six year old, autistic son, Alfie, a definite bond forms between Emily and Alfie, which completely surprises Jake as Alfie doesn’t usually connect very easily with strangers.
What then follows is the story of three very special characters whose lives intertwine in a remarkable story which looks at all the complexities of life, love, parenting, marriage, and also of caring for a child with autism, in a very readable and relatable way. The author has done a great job of highlighting the challenges faced with looking after a child with complex needs and yet does so with humour, empathy and a realistic approach to telling it exactly as it is. Both Jake and Emily’s individual stories are no less compelling and I quickly became very fond of Alfie whose sparkling personality shines through with every well written word, and yet, it was Emily, I think, who, for me, held the story together, she was feisty and funny and filled with so much angst and quirky humour, that it was really interesting to see how her character progressed throughout the whole of the story.
Recommended ✅ Absolutely. Saturdays at Noon is a commendable debut novel, which is both emotional and thought provoking in equal measure. I’m already excited to see what this emerging author writes next.
Rachel Marks studied English at Exeter University before becoming a primary school teacher. Despite always loving to write, it wasn't until she gained a place on the 2016 Curtis Brown Creative online novel writing course that she started to believe it could be anything more than a much-loved hobby. Saturdays at Noon is her first novel.
Twitter @Rachel1Marks #SaturdaysatNoon
@PenguinUKBooks
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