Hello there friends!! I hope April is treating you well and everyone had a good Easter weekend!! We down here in New Zealand have had some rain fall in the past few weeks!! Autumn is here in full force now and winter should be upon us soon!! My next review has nothing to do with the weather, but if you continue on you will find a lovely story of a young boy growing up with a parent working in the armed forces…
Title: The Saturday Boy
Author: David Fleming
Genre: Fiction – contemporary
Publication details: Viking; London, 2013
ISBN: 9780670785513
What this book is about: Derek Lamb’s father has been sent back to fly Apache helicopters in Afghanistan for the US Army and all he has are his letters. Ninety-one of them to be exact, which he keeps in an old plastic Knight Rider lunch box. Apart from his comic books, the letters are the only things he’s read more than once. He knows exactly which ones to go to when he needs a pick-me-up or when he’s forgotten his Mom’s birthday. Each letter tells him what he needs to hear, but what he wants to hear is when his dad is coming home.
My review: A powerful book about growing up, friendship, and grief. Most chapters had me teary eyed but all in all, a great read with some great writing. I loved the complex relationship he has with his friend Budgie and the new blossoming one with the new girl Violet. Despite the bullying scenes, this book has some vivid description and good humour. The part I liked the most was how the author had brought out the character of Derek’s father from their memories and letters. A really good read!!
My rating: 4 ⭐
Miss Mahee's Library of Reads 