I was thrilled to be emailed a copy of this book last month. I read A Boy Made of Blocks about two years ago while I was pregnant with my son and I don’t know if I can blame hormones on the profound effect it had on me. I am a bit a of a geek when it comes to computer games and technology but, I’ll be honest, I have never played Minecraft. I know of it; my nephew is a huge fan and even has hoodies and T shirts. I have been shown it by many people but I just don’t get the attraction. That being said I will never play it as I know what I am like; it will become all encompassing and I won’t be able to leave it alone! I did, however, become a huge fan of the book and the relationship between father and son. Stuart was also very good at showing a realistic family relationship – it’s not all peachy and easy and particularly not with a child who has extra needs. My twin brother has special needs having been born with water on the brain and growing up with him has given me some insight into the understandings of his issues as well as the all encompassing frustrations that surround it. I really liked the fact Stuart didn’t sugar coat anything there.
Days of Wonder landed in my inbox via Netgalley and I got on with it straightaway. First tick in the box was that this was dual narrative. I don’t know what it is with books that do that but they totally take me in. It’s like the literary equivalent of breaking the fourth wall – it just appeals. Anyway, Days of Wonder tells the story of Hannah and her dad Tom. Hannah has a heart defect that is life threatening; her situation will not get better, it will only get worse. Normally these things develop later – here we’re thrown straight in. Hannah and Tom have a fab relationship that I really enjoyed reading about. Tom has put on birthday plays for Hannah every year and reading about these is just lovely. They care about each other, they love each other and they only want the best for each other. Hannah wants her dad to find love again, sending him on disastrous dates which provide a great amount of humour. We can all relate to the experiences Tom has in one way or another – dates who aren’t ready to move on or dates where anything that could go wrong does go wrong.
Tom runs the Willow Tree Theatre – a pillar of the community. When a flood causes damage that the insurance company won’t pay for after sabotage is suspected the council leap upon the opportunity to close the them down and redevelop. Once again, issues many of us will relate to as we lose important parts of our own communities due to budget cuts. Tom has a regular cast of characters that each have their own little idiosyncrasies and make up much of the humour that is in the book; a warm and friendly feel to them all. Margaret is the old lady full of tales of all the people she worked with in the past; Sally spends much time there to the chagrin of her husband; and Natasha, a character I very much related to who is the working mum who wants something that isn’t connected with being a mum! There are others and they’re all a wonderful bunch who provide much of the humour and warmth.
Hannah is a very likeable character. The problem with teenagers in books is they often have a tendency to come across as cocky, irritating or they fall in love at first sight with the wild and untamed boy. Hannah doesn’t. She reads comic books, is best friends with a pensioner and confronts her health issues head on. She’s vulnerable but never weak and it is particularly exciting to see a female character in a book who doesn’t need saving by anyone – she is independent and can handle things herself. Callum is mentioned a few times, a boy from school, and the two meet up and enjoy their time. Stuart once again avoids clichés and the instalove that has plagued literature just lately. It’s slow, it’s steady and not without its obstacles. Callum wants to write comic books but has his own demons with his depression. Again, dealt with carefully and with respect. I liked this very much.
I will be honest, I loved this book from start to finish. I knew from the word go that I would go through a whole host of emotions and I did. But I left the book feeling happy. Stuart has created well rounded characters that many of us can recognise and connect with. Hannah’s illness is not skirted around – it is presented to us in plain and clear detail. The difficulties she faces and the struggles she goes through are told with nothing held back. It is at times quite stark and bleak but something like this should be. The climax of the story is particularly emotional and details the days of wonder the title alludes to. I don’t want to give too much away but have your tissues ready.
Once again, Keith Stuart has delivered. If you’re looking for a touching, funny and well written book then get this one. I can’t recommend the previous one enough, so look forward to raving about this one too.