So, I picked up this book after it h
ad been staring at me on the shelf for weeks. It's a teen novel, written by Sally Gardner who also wrote the critically acclaimed 'Maggot Moon'.
This book was recommended to m by a friend who had read and loved the story. She explained to me that the tale involves 17 year old AJ who lives in London under challenging circumstances. He left school with one GCSE, an A* in English and a whole host of Dicken's knowledge. His mum gets him an interview for a job at a prestigious law firm where he finds a key with his name on it...
The key opens a door onto 1800s London and it holds yet more mystery.
I loved this book, it's full of adventure, murder, mystery, well written characters and cracking dialogue. It's about belonging, and whether there are things that we have lost in modern life. Is the past a better place to be?
Another reason I liked this book was its relevance. It is very much a stand up for young people who leave school without a nike backpack full of GCSEs. It speaks out for the underdog.
What I want to find next is a similar story with a girl protagonist.
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