When Olive's older sister, Sukie, disappears in a London air raid, Olive discovers a strange coded message in Sukie's coat and realises her sister is involved in something dangerous. This mystery hooked me into the book right away - I had lots of theories and I desperately wanted to know if any of them were right.
Olive and her brother, Cliff, are subsequently evacuated to a Devon seaside town. All the while, Olive is trying to decode Sukie's message. As the book progresses, lots of other mysteries emerge - why has Ephraim the lighthouse keeper got so much food in a time of rationing? Why aren't Olive and Cliff allowed in Queenie's cellar? Everyone seems to have secrets and Olive (and we the readers) want to know what they are!
This book explores important issues that are as relevant today as they were during the Second World War. It would be a great book for anyone interested in the historical period, and is also perfect for anyone thinking about issues of displacement and persecution. But, at its heart, it's a mystery novel and anyone who loves a bit of intrigue would enjoy this story. I'm proud to say one of my theories was right - although there lots of things I got wrong. See if you can do any better!
Goldfish boy is, at its heart, a mystery-detective story, with the slant that 12-year-old Matthew, the narrator, has OCD. While his condition is a complete mystery to everyone around him, the author has done such a good job of getting inside his head, that his behaviour makes complete sense to us, the readers.
Matthew spends all his time in his highly-disinfectanted bedroom, watching the outside world go by. So, when 15-month-old Teddy Dawson goes missing from the garden next door, Matthew is the perfect person to work out what happened to him. Matthew knows the quirks and habits of all his neighbours so well that he has a good idea of who might have taken Teddy. There's just one problem - several of the neighbours could've done it. And, as Matthew hates leaving his sterile room, he is forced to rely on the slightly weird Melody Bird to do his footwork in the outside world. As the story progresses, reclusive Matthew is forced to reconsider his ideas about friendship and to face up to his guilty secret that is at the heart of his fear of germs.
I loved the mystery element of this book but, even more, I loved the empathetic portrayal of a boy with OCD. Getting under his skin was fascinating and gave me new insight into the condition. This would be a great book for anyone who loves a good mystery (eg fans of Robin Stevens, Sophie Cleverly etc) but also a brilliant read for anyone wanting a better understanding of mental health conditions.
