Published By: Firefly
Pages: 112
Released On: 26/09/2024
Age Range: 8-14
Huw always pops in to see his nan on the way home from school – she bakes him cakes and never fusses about his homework. So it’s a great shock when, one day, Nan forgets his name, and calls him Johnny – the long-unmentionable name of her late brother. As Nan slowly slips into the grip of dementia, Huw and his friends go on a quest to learn more about Johnny and what happened to him.
Exploring themes of friendship, family bonds and the history of conscientious objection in WW2, Feather is both modern and historical, as well as being relatable, particularly for children who may have grandparents with a similar dementia struggle to nan.
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and Firefly for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
This sounded so heart-breaking but so heartwarming and sadly familiar to me and I’m sure to an awful lot of older readers.
Dementia and topics like that can be really hard to write convincingly about without making it sound too patronising or too extravagant.
It is really moving. Not only the dementia side of it but also things like ill health, bad memories, war, secrets, courage. It’s got a lot in it and it is at time quite heavy, but overall I think it’s got a good balance. It’s appropriate for the age range but doesn’t dumb things down. It shows the difficulties that can come with ageing but shows readers not to be scared.
It’s a child narrator which can be hard for adults to write and read, but with Huw, he’s completely believable with his schooling and his friends etc. and he’s actually a really captivating narrator.
It is subtly done but I love the moral of being brave, about standing up for what you believe, even if that means standing up to your loved ones. I won’t spoil it, but in terms of the Nan/Johnny storyline, I wish there had been a bit more as I really wated to get my teeth into, but that would probably bore some younger readers.
There’s not a huge amount for adults, but it isn’t aimed at us. It’s perfect for younger readers who want something to get their teeth into. But from my adult point-of-view, it’s a quick book to read. I read it in less than two hours, and yet you never feel bored and nor does it feel too confusing. It’s perfectly pitched.
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