GCBA Shortlist, Book #1: 'Blood Family' by Anne Fine

(For information on what the Grampian Children's Book Award is and why I am spending time reading and reviewing books aimed at 12-14 year olds, check out my previous post here! )


So, the first book I picked up was by a familiar author to me, Anne Fine. I read her work quite a lot when I was much younger.

This novel is about the life of a young boy named Eddie/Edward, who's mum is domestically abused and his life after being taken away from the home and into foster and then adoptive care.

The book is written from the perspective of several different characters, with the perspective changing to someone different for each chapter, although the perspective of Eddie himself is used most often. This is a technique I first came across in Sophie McKenzie's book 'Blood Ties' and went on to use once in my own writing. Over the years, I have noticed it used as a literary technique far more frequently.

I thought the concept of the novel was excellent and not over complicated, as multiple narrators can cause. It had me gripped from the start, I only began reading on Friday night and was finished by this morning. This was partly due to the fact that the language was easy for someone used to reading adult literature, but not any disrespect to the quality of writing, which was excellent.

Characterisation was well formed, and I took a particular shining to a couple of character's including Eddie's foster mum Linda and his adoptive sister Alice.

As well as each chapter being told from a different character's point of view, a positive of the layout was the short chapters! A very common occurrence in junior fiction, but not in senior/adult fiction as much. I love short chapters because you can squeeze one in in a very short space of time without having to stop in the middle of a chapter!

The book was also split into sections, I think there were 5 in total. The first two sections were my favourite, followed by the final section. Sections 3 and 4 were not my favourite due to the fact that the storyline tuned to a direction I really hoped it wouldn't, but, admittedly, some action had to occur or the book would have lead nowhere.

I would say, if I was going to give one piece of critique, that the 'event' which caused to character's emotions to change and events to turn, happened almost too quickly and without much emphasis until later. But otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Overall, a great read- for any age to be honest. Sometimes nice having an excuse to go back and see what's new in  the junior fiction world, and I've always loved being told what to read too!

I retuned the book to my school library this morning and swapped it for another of the shortlist to keep over Christmas... but it looks awfully scary! Suppose there's only one way to find out! (maybe not right before bed!)