The Apple Tart of Hope follows the story of best friends Oscar and Meg. Oscar makes the best apple tarts in the world, and after eating these magical creations everyone realises that their life is going to be okay.
But then it all goes wrong.
Meg moves to New Zealand with her parents, and a new girl moves into her house, the house next to Oscar's. They get talking, and Paloma Killealy, along with being rather friendly, has hair 'like golden silk'. After a misunderstanding with Meg's letter, her and Oscar move further apart than the continents that divide them already and Oscar's world spirals out of control. Then a bombshell is dropped about his mother's death and he's gone. Missing. Presumed dead.
I was reluctant to start reading this book, as it seemed to be quite different and unlike most of the books I enjoy reading. Once I did start reading, however, I was hooked from beginning to end. The book was told from two different angles – Meg's and Oscar's – and it worked really well, as you grew to learn about their different characters and intentions, which made the story a lot easier to follow, and a lot more enjoyable.
I could not find many criticisms with this book and even now, only about a week after I have finished it, I can't remember any of them. And I know I sound very cynical. But it is the true and I can't deny it.
I rest my case.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to try something different, but also grippingly unputadownable. I do not think it's a real word, but hey, it's just gone Christmas. I'm allowed a little leeway, aren't I?
The book itself is a little apple tart of hope. After you've read a page, the world will look almost completely different. After a chapter, things will start to change and by the time you've read the whole book you'll realise that –
I won't spoil it. 5/5.
• Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop.
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