The Guardian children’s book club sent me this book to read and review as an advanced proof copy; I was one of the first people in the whole world to read it and I felt very privileged. I read it on the day it came out.
It is about a teenage boy who is washed up on the banks of the River Thames by St Paul’s Cathedral without any knowledge of who he is or how he got there. It is a matter of life and death – literally!
It’s a thriller and most of the chapters, much to my dislike, are left on a cliffhanger. There are some scary bits and some sad bits and some bits where you just don’t know what’s going on.
The end is left on a cliffhanger ready for the start of the next book – even more to my dislike!
But I didn’t dislike the book. I was desperate to read it every night. It had good descriptions, especially of the archives in St Paul’s. The only character who was fully described was the boy from the Thames. It made me feel like I was there and I felt empathy for the characters.
Recommended reading age: 10 years and above. You will like this book if you like massive twists.
- Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop
