Sometimes, as a grown-up, you can read a children's book and be totally captivated. This is what happened when I read Sarah Moore Fitzgerald's Back to Blackbrick.
Teenager Cosmo's life has been a bit of a rough ride so far - his brother died in a tragic accident, his mum has gone to work in Australia and the kids at school give him a hard time. He's happy enough living with his grandparents but when his grandad starts losing his mind, it's going to be the last straw that broke the camel's back and Cosmo goes all out to keep his grandad's memory intact and preserve his own fragile happiness.
Despite his best attempts, Grandad Kevin spirals deeper into Alzheimer's until one day, in a rare moment of clarity, he gives Cosmo a mysterious key, sends him to the South Gates of Blackbrick and says he'll meet him there. He's true to his word, but Cosmo meets his 16-year-old grandad and discovers a lifetime of memories that he can help to perpetuate back in the real world.
It's a lovely book, combining a touching look at what it's like to lose a loved one to Alzheimer's, along with an exciting story of times gone by with a supernatural twist. I was totally hooked and raced through it in two days. Now I'll pass it on to the girls because I think they'll both really enjoy reading it too.
Sarah Moore Fitzgerald has just released her second book, The Apple Tart of Hope, which sounds equally intriguing.
star rating : 5/5
RRP : £6.99
- Paperback: 240 pages
- Publisher: Orion Childrens (16 Jan 2014)
- Language: Unknown
- ISBN-10: 1444007092
- ISBN-13: 978-1444007091
- Product Dimensions: 1.8 x 13.2 x 19.8 cm
Disclosure : We received a review copy of the book.
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