by Chris d’Lacey and Linda Newberry
This is a good book – engrossing from the start and I ended up doing nothing but reading (when really I should have been writing!) the whole day till I’d finished it.
Annabelle and Guy begin e-mailing each other as suggested by their parents. The book is actually told entirely in e-mails; d’lacy writing Annabelle’s part and Newberry going Guy’s. I’ve seen this format a few times now, but it was probably original when it was written, and it works really well for this book.
The story deals with the death of Guy’s father impressively, without making a big soppy issue of it, but allowing plenty of empathy for the character. A recommended read for anyone who’s lost a relative as I’m sure the story will help a bit, just like it did for Guy.
But the reason why I had to read from start to finish in one day is the mystery and suspense involving the past and their parents. I had to find out exactly what was going on. The end tied it all up nicely, but it was a bit of a let down after all that excitement.
Hopefully this book will also give younger readers a bit of an insight into complicated adult relationships and realise that even Mums and Dads aren’t perfect! The highs and lows of Annabelle’s and Guy’s relationship was good as well.
Overall it was a lovely lighthearted romantic story and fun to read. (Actually the language, espcially of Annabelle, was similar to Georgia Nicolson’s confessions in the Louise Rennison novels.)
