Rose in the Blitz by Rebecca Stevens
| Rose in the Blitz by Rebecca Stevens | |
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| Category: Teens | |
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Reviewer: Jill Murphy
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| Summary: Lovely WWII story about moving on from grief. A supernatural element provides a lesson from the past. Moving and well told. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 256 | Date: August 2016 |
| Publisher: Chicken House | |
| ISBN: 1910655546 | |
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Rose's father died a while back. She still misses him, even though life goes on and her mother is remarrying tomorrow. Rose knows deep down that Sal is a nice guy but, but, but... a wedding? It's sent her into a spin. Sal doesn't smell right. His woolly jumpers are embarrassing. His beard is weird. Rose isn't looking forward to the wedding.
Complicating matters is Aunt Cosy, who is getting older and a little bit confused. Sometimes she's as sharp as a button but sometimes she needs looking after. And it's the night before the wedding and Rose can't sleep, so when she looks out of the window and sees Aunt Cosy wandering out of the house, she follows like a good great-niece should. Aunt Cosy heads for the Underground and gets on a train. So does Rose. And that's when everything changes...
... the next stop isn't a place. It's a time. Rose finds herself in 1940, in the London of the Blitz. And soon discovers that something awful will happen unless she can find a way to prevent it.
Oh aw. Rose in the Blitz is a lovely time-slip story. It's full of detail about London at war, from the joy of the dances to the terror of the bombing raids. It's so rich and vivid that you can really imagine yourself there. As Rose moves through the past, she learns more about her aunt's past and tries to find a way to make her future better. But she also learns a great deal about herself.
But this isn't really an historical story. It's a story about memory and about moving on from grief. Memory is fluid and strange and inexact, but it's something we hold onto for dear life. And in many ways, the memories of our loved ones become our memories too. Rose's journey into the past teaches her this and it's knowledge that will enable her to move forward in her real life of the present.
I shan't say more because I don't want to give it all way. Rose in the Blitz is a lovely, truthful story - fluid, just like our memories. I think you'll enjoy it.
If Rose in the Blitz appeals, you might also enjoy Waterslain Angels by Kevin Crossley-Holland or Ghost Chamber by Celia Rees.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Rose in the Blitz by Rebecca Stevens at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Rose in the Blitz by Rebecca Stevens at Amazon.com.
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