How it was written felt very boring and made it hard to focus. It felt a little all over the place.
2.5 stars.

This coming of age book is stunning. Author Leslie Rollins has captured the young boy George, with all his talent, dreams, and his life in England so vividly. The dialogue, the love of family, the years at boarding school are at times entertaining, at times piercing, and always haunting. In George, she has created a character, who as he grows and finds his place in the world, must deal with brutal and painful feelings. This inner story of a boy who becomes a young man, and his quest to live and pursue his passion, will linger with you. While this was at times hard for me to read, I am in awe 0f the author’s ability to create such feelings with mere words. And the cover captures the haunting life of George as he searches for his passions and ife.

This was an interesting and ok read for me. It was well written and I am sure there are others who enjoyed it more. I thought it was a little slow paced at times but the storyline was good.
Many thanks to Wishing Star Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

It is rare that I read a novel like this one. I tend to stray away from coming of age novels, or even books that focus all on one character and it eventually becomes a saga of that one person. That’s not my thing.

Anyway, I also tend to steer clear of books with a historical fiction atmosphere. It’s another one of those things, like romance, that just doesn’t work for me.

So, I felt like I had to add that as background to this review. The writing is phenomenal. It’s almost lyrical and really transports the reader into the story. But, like I said, this is just not my kind of read. It’s not the stuff I get excited for. But, if this is your kind of book, I think you will enjoy it quite a bit.

One thing is certain: anyone who reads this book will empathize with George and even better, some will read on wishing him the very best in his life-and isn't that what we all strive for as humans? The very best of all that we involve ourselves in?
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.

I found this quite slow to begin with which made it a difficult read to get into, but once it picked up it was an utterly compelling read. I found the description and topic of abuse to be challenging but fictional or otherwise, it’s an important topic and should be talked about- which I thought the author did in a very compassionate and heartbreaking way. I had not read anything by this author before but, having read this, I am inclined to read more of their work.

Heartbreaking, fast-paced novel on how one event in your life can lead to a future of uncertain decisions.

I felt compelled to give the main character a hug as he carried a heavy burden from his childhood up to the beginning of his adult life. Throughout the book, I loved how the writing really grasped George's struggle throughout childhood and teenage years and I was truly taken aback about how accurate quick decisions were taken throughout teenage years.

What made this novel heartbreaking was how the reader was coerced to feel that, although what happened to him was something very wrong, the reader was persuaded, from George's point of view that it was normal.

I have to admit that halfway through the book, the character seemed to take on a slower pace, which nearly led me to put the book down altogether at one point. But as I kept reading, it started to build again and ended in another heartbreaking moment.

A lovely read, a novel which resonates with society today and gives us an insight, a much-needed view and perspective into the mind of a teenager.

The beginning was slow and hard to keep up with, but it grows on you and although you may not like it so much, it keeps you interested in reading it till the end. It is a bit weird, and somewhat disturbing, but it's not a bad book. Different - yes, a bit confusing - yes, but not bad. I do wish it ended differently, but I do understand why the author decided to go this way. Anyhow, an interesting read.

Thank you NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It was told in an interesting and continually engaging way by the author (of whom I have not read a novel before but will certainly do so again in the future on the basis of this novel!). Great imagery, structure and characters. Thank you!

Although the author writes atmospherically and draws the reader into the characters and the story, I found this a deeply disturbing novel due to the explicit scenes of child abuse. It came across as all the more disturbing, due to the protagonist’s blithe attitude to the events, and the lack of judgement by the author.
The subject matter and the writing style kept me from enjoying this book, and I felt it to be an inappropriate choice of purchase for any local library.

Fleshed-out characters, vivid and deeply detailed. The story is fast paced, full of twists, heartbreaks and wonderful imagery of 1960s England; Rollins' writing style brings Georges' endeavours to life.