When Shadows Fall (paperback)

When Shadows Fall (paperback)

By Author / Illustrator

Sita Brahmachari, Natalie Sirett

Genre

Personal Growth

Age range(s)

14+

Publisher

Little Tiger Press Group

ISBN

9781788954365

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

12-05-2022

Synopsis

Kai, Orla and Zak grew up together, their days spent on the patch of wilderness in between their homes, a small green space in a sprawling grey city. Music, laughter and friendship bind them together and they have big plans for their future - until Kai's family suffers a huge loss.

Trying to cope with his own grief, as well as watching it tear his family apart, Kai is drawn into a new and more dangerous crowd, until his dreams for the future are a distant memory. Excluded from school and retreating from his loved ones, it seems as though his path is set, his story foretold. Orla, Zak and new classmate Om are determined to help him find his way back. But are they too late?

A heart-breaking and poignant novel from award-winning author Sita Brahmachari, for fans of THE BLACK FLAMINGO, AND THE STARS WERE BURNING BRIGHTLY and POET X.

PRAISE FOR WHEN SHADOWS FALL:  The Times' Best Books for Children 2021.  "How quickly teenagers fall apart - and how fast they can heal. This is the hopeful message from Sita Brahmachari, a writer who mixes verse and prose to tell stories that stick." - Alex O'Connell, The Times.  "When Shadows Fall is an invitation to join a community at the heart of which is the tale of a young man gripped by tragedy and trauma. The book offers hope though mutual support and a focus in figuring out what really matters... I was moved and uplifted." - Michael Rosen.   "Full of empathy and hope ... Kai's story is a must read for teens to explore how easily things can fall apart but also how we can heal." - A. M. Dassu, author of Boy, Everywhere.

Reviews

Lucy

Kai, Orla and Zak grew up together, their days spent on the patch of wilderness in between their homes; a small green space in a sprawling, grey city. Music, laughter and friendship bind them together and they have big plans for their future - until Kai's family suffers a huge loss. Trying to cope with his own grief, as well as watching it tear his family apart, Kai is drawn into a more dangerous crowd, until his dreams for the future are a distant memory. Excluded from school and retreating from his loved ones, it seems as though his path is set, his story foretold. Orla, Zak and classmate Om are determined to help him find his way back. But are they too late?


When Shadows Fall is so beautiful, so lyrical, so moving and so utterly heartbreaking. It's taken me a while to actually process Kai's story as I felt the intense grief and loss as he felt he could no longer cope. First and foremost this is Kai's story but it's also seen, in part, through the eyes of his friends Orla and Om, both of whom watch Kai fall apart and feel powerless to put him back together again.


It's a story of friendships, of growing apart and growing back together again. It's a story of the healing power of nature. It's a story of the beauty of nature but also the devastating sadness of nature too. It's about ravens. It's about building and rebuilding. About legacies and memories. About families. About communities. About how best to cope. About loss. About how to express yourself.


It's about everything packed into one book and that one book is quite possibly the most powerful book I have ever read. If you only read one book this year, make it this one.


384 pages / Reviewed by Lucy Georgeson, school librarian

Suggested Reading Age 14+

 

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