A sad and beautiful well crafted tale of family, love, mental illness and a child’s bond with her mother. Through the eyes of a little girl, we see how she understands the world around her and how she tries to find out the truth about her brothers death to help her mama get better and come home. Definitely emotional and eye opening to see how children perceive what’s happening in their lives. Really well written and intriguing.

I really enjoyed this book and liked the fact that it was told from a child's perspective. Not many books are told from the child so that was intriguing and held my attention through out the book. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for something different.

This was a good read. I wasn’t sure about it at first with the perspective being told from a child. However, once I got into it I couldn’t put it down.

Aoife is six years old and has an invisible friend, Teddy, who is a bear.
She is able to talk to her imaginary friend as she negotiates through life after her mother's emotional breakdown.
While her mother is hospitalized, her Uncle Donny comes to stay with her.
Aoife feels that the only way her mama will get better and come home from the hospital is if she can find out the truth about her older brother Theo's murder.
We are able to glimpse at life through the eyes of a child and her perspective.
With the help of her best friend Hannah, and her make believe friend Teddy, Aoife examines clues that she comes across, to find out what really happened to her brother.
This sweet, authentic look at mental health issues and family ties charmed me.
The story captured the feel of Aoife's youthful innocence and had me cheering for her success in reuniting with her mama.
Thank you to Crooked Lane Books for the e-ARC via NetGalley.

This was an interesting book. Told from 6 year old Aoife's point of view, we learn about her mother's mental illness, the struggles of her family, and the loss of her brother. Aoife isn't exactly an unreliable narrator, but definitely one with limited understanding, which makes the story all that more interesting.

Because the story is told from a child's point of view, the narrative is honest, innocent, and can often make interesting leaps. Aoife knows that her brother is dead, does not question her mother's strange behaviour, and has an imaginary friend.

Nellums does a great job of getting into the head of a six year old. The writing feels authentic and not at all condescending. I found myself drawn into this girl's world, trying to solve the mystery with her. As an adult reader we can see how Aoife is interpreting or misinterpreting some of the adult behaviour and this definetly adds to the tension and suspense of the book. We, like Aoife, just want to find out what really happened to her brother.


Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the review copy.

I absolutely loved this book! I can’t believe it is a debut novel. I look forward to anything and everything else this author writes.

It’s told from the point of view of a six year old girl named Aoife (pronounced ee-fah.) We meet Aoife when her Uncle Donny comes to pick her up at the hospital. Her mom had a breakdown in the middle of the street, running from her car and has been hospitalized.

Aoife lives with her mom. She doesn’t know her dad, her mom says she came from a cabbage patch. She barely remembers her older brother Theo, who is dead.

With the help of her real friend, Hannah, and her imaginary friend, Teddy, Aoife sets out to find out what happened to her brother. Aoife believes that if she solves what happened to Theo that her mother will get better and come home.

Absolutely beautifully written novel. Aoife tells the story in the innocence and refreshing bluntness of a child. There were plenty of twists and turns and things were not at all as they seemed.

I couldn’t put this book down, it was a mystery wrapped up in a lovely story.

I received an ARC of the book.

Great read. The author wrote a story that was interesting and moved at a pace that kept me engaged. The characters were easy to invest in.

All That's Bright and Gone is a unique and charming début by Eliza Nellums, and from the first few words it held my attention.

Told through the eyes of a six year old little girl named Aoife (pronounced Ee-fah), it was soul-stirring to be able to see matters through the perspective of a young girl.

Aoife's brother Theo is dead, her mum, Siobhan, often becomes confused, and her best friend is an imaginary bear, called Teddy, that can grow to any size and also gets little Aoife into trouble on a regular basis. Aoife has another friend, Hannah, who lives next door and is two years older than herself.

One day, Aoife's mum gets taken away, and Aoife is left in the care of her Uncle Donovan (Donny). Aoife knows that she needs to figure out who killed her brother so that her mum can come back home. She enlists the help of Hannah and together, they make a list of suspects and witnesses and write down clues. Hannah’s father is a detective, and Hannah has aspirations of being one herself, already believing in her own sleuthing skills. However, things are not straightforward, and there are a few twists, jostles and turns along the way.

I was utterly charmed by this story, and the characterisation skills of Eliza Nellums were second to none. She did an amazing job relaying a child’s voice and thought processes. Reading All That's Bright and Gone from a six-year-old’s perspective added honesty, innocence and confusion about everything that goes on in the world. Little Aoife really left a mark on me and I delighted in her expressions and mannerisms, many of which made me smile, and I found that I wanted to protect her. Uncle Donovan made the perfect stand-in parent and did all he could to help her understand what was happening.

This was a tender, special and beautifully written début that touched compassionately on topics such as faith in others, mental illness, religious faith, the importance of family, and the bond between mothers and daughters.

A perfect, mesmerising, coming-of-age story full of poignancy, Eliza Nellums is one to watch.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my request, from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

Title: All That’s Bright and Gone
Author: Eliza Nellums
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4 out of 5

There’s a lot that six-year-old Aoife doesn’t know. She doesn’t know why it’s not okay to talk to her friend Teddy around other people—Mama says he’s imaginary, but he’s not. She doesn’t know why Momma stopped the car in the middle of an intersection crying and screaming and talking to Aoife’s brother Theo—he’s dead, even Aoife knows that. She doesn’t know if Momma will be home from the hospital in time for the Fourth of July fireworks. But Aoife does know that if she can figure out who killed Theo, Momma will come home.

Uncle Donny takes Aoife home and says he’ll stay with her until Momma comes home, but she’s not sure she believes him. She has to figure out who killed Theo, but no one will even talk to her about him, so the only help she has is her eight-year-old neighbor. And Teddy—but sometimes he’s more interested in getting Aoife in trouble than anything. Finding out who killed Theo will bring Momma home, so Aoife is determined—even if she has to do it all by herself.

All That’s Bright and Gone was an interesting read. I’m not sure I’ve read anything from a six-year-old’s point-of-view, so that was novel. And Aoife is definitely special. The way she sees the world is both charming and terrifying, but her determination to save her family is inspiring. I actually saw things as Aoife saw them—not an adult looking through a child’s eyes—and the writing brought her world to life.

Eliza Nellums Lives in Washington D.C. All That’s Bright and Gone is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of Crooked Lane Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

I'll start by saying that I admire anyone who can very, very convincingly and successfully write anything from a child's perspective! I honestly think that was one of the most brilliant parts of this book, it was very well done. Although I enjoyed that aspect, I'm struggling with how I feel overall. The overarching religious theme felt like it didn't fit in very well, and the ending felt extremely rushed. The entire book we're searching for an answer and then all of a sudden we have and that's it, "the end".

Despite this, I found myself FLYING through this one and did enjoy it!

If you could be six again, what do you think your worldview would be like, when it comes to religion, things that your family tells you and the unsaid expectations of society, whether it is to have a slim body or a family with both the parents? Aoife lives with her mom but an accident separates them, leading Aoife to live with her Uncle Donny. Aoife believes that her brother, Theo, died many years ago but her mom is still struggling to deal with his loss. When her mom moves into a mental health facility, the six-year old makes it her mission to solve the mystery of her brother's death, with the hopes that this will bring her mom back home. Aoife has a very active imagination and this is further fuelled by her neighbour, Hannah, who is a bit of a detective.

Written mostly through the eyes of little Aoife with some narration in the form of letters from her mom, All that's bright and gone is a story about believing in what parents tell us and doing the best a child can to see her guardian again. The book also touches on the tendency of adults to underestimate the child. Aoife is intelligent and remembers things that can be of help to her family, but they do not ask her, nor explain Theo's disappearance to her well. I really enjoyed Uncle Donny's character and without him, this book would not have been as good as it was. He brings a voice of reason to the whole narrative.

Overall, I liked this book. There are lots of references to the Saints and teachings of Christianity, since Aoife grows up in that religious setting, going to church every Sunday and attending bible studies. She believes in these messages without a shred of doubt, because her mom believes it too. As much as I enjoyed reading this understanding of religion from the eyes of a child, I think it was a little too much for my tastes. It did blend into the story well and helped Aoife throughout her quest.

I am thankful to the author and publisher for making this book available to be via NetGalley, a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. Stay tuned for more thoughts about the book and author interview in the coming week!

All That's Bright and Gone
by Eliza Nellums
What an interesting story unique in how it is told from 6 year old Aoifes view point. Aoife knows her brother The is dead, everybody knows this but she doesn't understand what happened to him and she wants that mystery solved. With the help of her invisible friend Teddy (who she knows she isn't supposed to be talking to) and her friend next door neighbor Hannah they begin to ask questions and find out what really happened to Theo all while trying to deal with her mom having a breakdown in the middle of the intersection of the mall and being taken to the hospital to be fixed so she is less confused. Excellent storyline and characters! Thank you Netgalley and the Publishers Crooked Lane for letting me read this and leave my honest opinion.

Aofies brother Theo is dead.sometimes her mom forgets he's dead and talks to him. Aofies mom is put in hospital and she is off to find out what happened to Theo. And if her mom was involved.

A poignant and emotional book, full of twists and turns.
I found the plot full of twists and turns, engrossing and enjoyable.
I liked how well the writer developed the MC voice and how well she writes.
It was an excellent and fast read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

All That's Bright and Gone is told from the eyes of a precious six-year-old girl named Aoife (pronounced EE-fah) and the writing of this book is told in a childlike manner and was a quick and easy read. We first meet Aoife at the hospital where her mother is being institutionalized following a mental breakdown and her Uncle comes to take care of her. Aoife is a particularly imaginative little girl with an imaginary friend named Teddy. She doesn't understand why her mother can't come home from the hospital and thinks that if she solves the mystery of her brother Theo's murder that her mom will come home. We also come to understand through things she says that her home life hasn't been the best.. This book made me feel incredibly sad for Aoife as she tries to make sense of her situation in her own way. This book was a 3.5 star read for me. Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is one of the only murder mysteries that I've ever read that makes you care so deeply about the characters and their lives. It is as much a coming of age and family novel as it is mystery. In fact that is far more interesting than the murder. This is one that will stay with me.

3.5 stars

You can read all of my reviews at https://www.NerdGirlLovesBooks.com.

The story is told by six-year-old Aoife. No one can see her best friend Teddy, and her mama says it's rude to talk to people that no one else can see. Teddy is always with her and helps her navigate life. One day on their way to the mall, her mama starts talking to her older brother Theo. Aoife is confused. No one ever talks about it, but her older brother Theo died a long time ago. Her neighbor friend says Theo was murdered. She's eight, so Aoife figures she knows what she's talking about. Her mama has a breakdown and is hospitalized. Aoife's Uncle Donnie comes to take care of her. Aoife is convinced that if she solves what happened to Theo, her mama will get better and come home.

Reading a book from the perspective of a six-year-old is an interesting change. The book is well written and the story moves along at a good pace. The author does a good job of depicting how perceptive children can be to things going around them, but also how damaging and scary things can be when they aren't provided enough information to understand what is happening in their family. While adults think that they are protecting children from bad things that happen, often what young children think is going on is scarier than the truth.

This book is sad and heartbreaking, but also hopeful. It is written well and the characters compelling. I recommend you read this book.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and Eliza Nellums for the opportunity to read this wonderful debut novel - I'm looking forward to reading more from this author! 4.5 stars!

Aoife is 6 years old living with her mom who is struggling to take care of her. When her mom gets out of her car in the middle of the road screaming at Aoife's brother, Theo, who Aoife knows is dead, her mom is taken to a hospital and Aoife's Uncle Donny comes to her house to take care of her. Written entirely from Aoife's point of view, we see Aoife with her imaginary bear friend, Teddy, trying to make sense of the adult things that are going on around her. Aoife feels that if she can solve the mystery of what happened to her brother, her mom will be able to come home. She enlists the help of her friend next door to find clues into the mystery.

I love how Aoife's Catholic upbringing and education about prayer and saints brings her such peace as she struggles to make sense of her world. The author did a fabulous job of incorporating the thoughts and vocabulary of a 6-year-old into this story. Great read!

A lovely story that will make you fall in love with its six-year-old narrator.

Aiofe was having a normal day until she wasn't. Now her mama is in the hospital, her uncle is looking after her, and no one will tell her the truth about anything. She knows it has something to do with the murder of her brother a few years ago, and she's convinced if she can solve it, everything will be okay again.

Some of Aiofe's observations about her friends and especially the grown-ups in her life are both hilarious and poignant. Eliza Nellums is a name to watch.

If you're skeptical about a mystery narrated by a 6 year old- put that aside and try this soft and intriguing tale of Aoife who is trying to find out what happened to her brother so that her mother can come home. Aoife's life has blown into pieces. Her mom is in the hospital, she's living with her uncle Donny, and her best friend Teddy isn't has helpful as he could be. Luckily, there's her neighbor Hannah. This will make you think about how you talk to children. Nellums has done a nice job of portraying what a six year old hears and understands when adults talk to them (or try to talk to them) about mental illness, death, and other difficult subjects. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This has a big heart.