Wie niet weg is

by Clare Sambrook

For anyone who has ever loved and lost.

"The grown-ups held an inquiry into how a child came to disappear, but they didn't name names like they do when children let grown-ups down. They talked about a catalogue of errors as if mistakes were something that turned up in the mail and got paid for later. I had my own ideas…"

Meet Harry Pickles, aged nine and a bit. Harry is the fastest boy runner in the world (according to Harry), first-born son of Mo and Pa, the best-looking parents in their Notting Hill Elementary School parking lot. He's leader of the gang, the gang being Harry and his pals, Peter and Piggy. He's a popular guy. Harry's life is good. At least that's the way it was before the school outing. . .

Hide & Seek is a wonderful debut novel, emotionally taut, suspenseful and compassionate story telling that will make you laugh and then stop you in your tracks. Already being compared to The Deep End of the Ocean and The Lovely Bones, Hide & Seek tells the fresh and gripping story of a family whose world is rocked by loss.

Genres: Fiction, Crime, Contemporary, Roman, Drama, Mystery, Family

239 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Julian Lees · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book about grief and loss told through the eyes of 9-year old Harry Pickles.. My favourite character: Otis. Enough said.

[Melissa Lee-Tammeus · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my second attempt at reading this book. The first attempt resulted in me getting annoyed with the clipped sentences and frustrated that nothing made sense. I just didn't have the patience to figure it out and I stopped half way through. This time around, I felt all those same things, but decided to plow through regardless. This is a great story, it really is - heartbreaking really. But the way that the dialogue is written, the way that the sentences and thought structure of the main character is all over the place makes the heaviness of the subject matter and the emotions that should go along with it kind of hard to find. Many times, I had no idea what the subject matter was and had to reread and think about what the heck was going on. The plot is terrific, but how it is relayed to the reader is just not conducive to the true emotion this deserves. I get what this author was doing and I applaud the effort, but it just didn't work as it was intended to, I don't think. Really too bad.

[Danni The Girl · Rating 1 out of 5]

The blurb intrigued me. A boy who just goes missing.
After starting and Dan goes missing I realised that i didnt like the writing style of this book.
I don't think Harry would have spoken with such vulgar words at the age of 9 and a half. He wasnt believable for me, which in turn I did not believe the story.
There was little description to paint the picture in my mind.
I just didnt connect with any characters. It didnt work. Some of this didnt make sense to me. I wanted to know what the police were doing, what was anyone doing and it didnt seem a lot.
Good idea, but bad delivery

[Rebecca O'regan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't like this at all, very disappointed. Would love to be able to gain back those hours I lost whilst reading this book!!! And read something engaging and enjoyable.

[J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

In tutto il mondo? Per davvero? In Italia e in Giappone e in Pakistan e a Wakkatoo, in tuttissimo il mondo c'erano ragazzi come me che cercavano il Daniel che avevano perso? Che lo vedevano anche se non c'era? Be', un po' mi aiutava a sentirmi meno solo.

Abbiamo perso tutti qualcosa o qualcuno nella vita. Forse una nostra dimenticanza, forse un nostro errore, o forse una libera scelta. Forse il semplice corso della vita.
Quella di Hide and Seek è la perdita di un fratello minore, di un figlio, di un bambino solare ed imprevedibile, sempre pronto a ficcarsi nei guai con la sua spropositata curiosità.
Harry nutriva sentimenti opposti per il suo fratellino Daniel. Come tra tutti i fratelli ci sono i momenti buoni e i momenti meno buoni, le litigate per le sciocchezze, le riappacificazioni forzate, le esplorazioni in giardino o al parco. Ma la storia di Harry e Dan, che sembra quella di una normalissima coppia di fratelli, va in frantumi a seguito di una gita scolastica a Legoland. Partono in due, ne torna solo uno. Harry ha perso di vista il fratellino durante una sosta in una stazione di servizio e da quel momento, dal momento in cui vede la faccia sconvolta di sua madre, Harry comprende di aver commesso l'errore più grande della sua vita, l'errore più difficile da rimediare. Solo il tempo, forse, riuscirà a colmare quel piccolo vuoto che prima Dan occupava, ma che ora sembra una voragine gigantesca pronta ad inghiottire tutti nel nulla.

In questo romanzo d'esordio Clare Sambrook da voce e vita a Harry, un ragazzino di soli nove anni che è costretto a maturare ed invecchiare rapidamente a seguito del tragico evento che ha segnato le vite della sua famiglia. La caratterizzazione è impressionante, i dettagli realistici e vivi, la narrazione efficace - forse con uno stampo troppo giornalistico, ma, perdoniamola, è quello il vero lavoro della Sambrook.
Una lettura appassionante e al contempo delicata che si propone di analizzare intelligentemente la distruzione della quotidianità di una famiglia a seguito di una brusca separazione, e poi la lenta ripresa, ma mai la completa dimenticanza.


P.S: Lo stile di scrittura mi ha fatto impazzire. E' un vero peccato che la Sambrook non abbia lavorato ad altri romanzi.

[Julie H. Ernstein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Told from the perspective of Harry Pickles, aged 9 and a bit, Hide & Seek is the account of the bad year in which Harry's younger brother Dan went missing from a rest stop during the end-of-term school outing. It's a heartbreaking read--told from the perspective of a lonely boy witnessing an astounding array of collateral damage. His parents' marriage suffers, his friendships falter, his mother's grasp on reality crumbles, he inexpertly tries to decipher the mystifying world of adult nuance and inept expressions of sympathy--all of which is overlain by his own guilt for not having paid more attention on the bus ride home.

On the plus side, it appears that the missing Dan's invisible friend Biffo has taken Harry under his wing. Likewise, Harry's uncle Otis is able to talk honestly with Harry about the likelihood of Dan's recovery and share openly in Harry's grief.

There is some fun kid logic/reasoning here, and it makes the storyline all the more bittersweet. The seemingly random juxtaposition between Harry's interior fantasy world and the actual world may prove a bit confusing to some readers, but are appropriate to the fashion in which a 9 year old is likely to process some overwhelming emotions in the absence of strong parents on which to lean. Thankfully, Aunt Joan, Uncle Otis, and Biffo are there for him. With their help, we know Harry will make it out the other side emotionally and psychologically whole--even if there is always a Dan-sized hole in his and our hearts.

[Shimelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one of those books that I really, really wanted to love but it just didn't happen. A story of a lost little boy, told through the eyes of his slightly older brother has all the works to be emotional and endearing. There are angles that are so unique from a child's point of view, like the emotions of the parents as the narrator observes their breakdown into reality, and at times I think Sambrook got it spot on. Too often, though, I found she didn't give the young narrator enough credit. This is not the independent voice of Extremely Loud...and it's not the beauty of The Curious Incident. It's almost as if she's tried too hard to make this narrator be just a normal boy.

Thing is, if you lose your little brother, you're not going to be just a normal boy.

It's not hard work and it was a quick read on a plane, but it just didn't pay off quite as much as I would have liked, considering the premise.

[Caitriona O'Riordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a lot of things I could say about this book. But then I don't want to spoil the ending. What I will say is that I am now determind to name my first son Daniel. This book will break you're heart. It will make you look at life with a whole new view point, it also makes you see past a hollywood ending.

A lot of people read to picture themselves in the characters lives, this book is not for you. This book is for the person who doesn't want a happy ending, but a realistic journey. I could not recommend more.

It is a book that although you are only observing, you still care and are effected by the ending. The attention to detail makes it all the more effective and the use of humor brings to light the normality of the situation in the moderen day.

So there you go, I have completley spoiled the ending, but it eill be one hell of a journey.

[Madeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very, very sad. The story is told through the eyes of Harry Pickles, a nine-year-old boy whose little brother vanishes during a school trip. The family's ensuing search, which grows more and more hopeless as the months drag on, is soon replaced by heartbreaking grief, all described through the eyes of Harry. The story does have moments of humor, but for the most part, it's very similar to The Lovely Bones - a tragic, but accurate portrayal of a family's dealings with tradegy and grief.

[Kingfan30 · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one just didn't work for me. The topic should have been gripping, but it all felt disjointed. I understand that it's written from the point of view of a 9 year old, but at times I couldn't work out what was real and what was going on inside his head. I did feel sad how his friends slowly deserted him and it's not the first time I've heard of boxing being used to let out anger.

[Pauline Armstrong · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite well-paced and easy to read. Sombre topic, but some surprising humorous asides kept a good balance......

[Moran · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really bad. No idea why I read it.

[Chloe :) · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be told in the point of view of a nine-year-old, a lot of his inner monologue seemed to be inappropriate for a child his age. If he had been a bit older, it would have made sense.
Speaking of, none of this book made sense. The premise was really interesting, but Harry had zero clue about what was going on. It wasn't until the lest chapter or so that he becomes aware of most things dealing with his brother's case.
Overall, it was a wonderful idea, but had weak executionm

[Bookguide · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harry Pickles is a 9-year-old boy whose younger brother, Dan, goes missing on the school trip. The entire family is thrown into despair, hanging on to the hope that one day, against all the odds, he will return. The novel is told from the point of view of Harry, a child who feels guilty for not keeping an eye on his brother as he'd promised. At school he becomes an outsider as his old friends don't know how to deal with the loss. He is thrown into the company of the new boy with his big house, glamorous SAS father and ideas of revenge, sure that the bus driver had abducted Dan. Harry's parents are devastated and while his father throws himself into work, his mother spirals into a deep depression, leaving Harry to cope on his own, with the help of Dan's invisible friend, Biffo. Does Biffo's transfer to Harry mean that the younger boy is dead, or is he a telepathic link, showing he's still alive? Could there still be hope? Meanwhile, Harry's Auntie Joan and her new husband Otis support him and try to give him some sense of normality as his parents are too absorbed in the loss of Dan. Will Dan ever return or will the entire family be destroyed by their grief?

Told in the voice of Harry (sometimes rather forced, I felt), this was a real page-turner. Don't expect it to be a detective novel; this is all about the practical and emotional consequences of the disappearance of a child. The police investigation is not described at all, and it seems unlikely that there would not have been more psychological help for Harry. I fell in love with Otis and, to a lesser extent, Jean. If it hadn't been for them, things would have been so much worse. The story also shows the impact of such a loss on the siblings and the way they are treated by others who are unable to find how to approach another child who has suffered such a loss; 9-year-old boys aren't renowned for their emotional depth. If a child loses a parent or grandparent, that can be understood; make a drawing to say you're sorry and move on. If a child loses a brother or sister, there but for the grace of God go I; the child becomes an oddball with a caustic public secret. Fortunately the book is told with a light touch as terrible emotions and reactions are told with the misinterpretations and incomprehension of a young child, with a boy's delight in toilet humour and bodily functions.

When I picked up this book, I thought it was aimed at young teenagers, but I think in retrospect, older teenagers and adults would appreciate it more, in spite of the simple style. It was a fast read with a psychological depth to it that would be beyond most younger readers without adult guidance. A class read, perhaps? Madeleine McKann was on the news again last night; the damage of a snatched child echoes down the years and never fades.

Recommended if you enjoyed Carry Me Down by M.J. Hyland.

[Buchdoktor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harry Pickles Klasse und die seines kleinen Bruders Dan hatten einen Schulausflug ins Legoland Windsor unternommen. Als die Schüler am Abend von ihren Eltern vom Bus abgeholt werden, ist Dan verschwunden. Der 9-jährige Harry wird von Schuldgefühlen geplagt, weil er nicht besser auf Dan aufgepasst hat. Harrys Eltern vergraben sich in ihrem Kummer, lassen Harry völlig allein mit seinen Problemen. Schlimmer noch: Harry hört, dass seine Mutter sich ein weiteres Kind wünscht, weil Harry ihr nicht genug sei. Dieses Gespräch wird nicht das einzige bleiben, das nicht für Harrys Ohren bestimmt ist und die furchtbare Situation weiter auf die Spitze treibt. Schließlich wird Harrys Mutter schwer psychisch krank. Die einzigen Menschen, die sich bisher halbwegs normal benommen haben und nicht nur heimlich über Harry redeten, sondern mit ihm, sind Joan und Otis. Harrys Tante Joan ist mit Otis, einem Feuerwehrmann aus Jamaica verheiratet. Beide kümmern sich nun um Harry.

„Das hätten sie mir ruhig vorher sagen können“, dass Daniel im ganzen Land gesucht wurde, dass Harrys Eltern im Fernsehen um Mithilfe beider Suche nach dem 5-jährigen Daniel gebeten hatten, findet Harry. Seine Eltern waren unfähig, mit ihm zu sprechen, unfähig professionelle Hilfe zu suchen und haben auch ihrem Sohn diese Chance verbaut.

Clare Sambrook beschreibt mit groteskem englischen Humor ein für jede Familie furchtbares Ereignis aus der Perspektive eines 9-Jährigen. Für sein Alter wirkt Harry ungewöhnlich kindlich; seine drastische Ausdrucksweise bildet einen makabren Gegensatz dazu. Möglich, dass dies die einzige ihm mögliche Art ist, den Verlust zu verarbeiten. Ob Sambrooks Sprache den Ereignissen angemessen ist, darüber kann man geteilter Meinung sein.

[Karschtl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Das Cover lässt eigentlich einen Roman der leicht-beschwingten Sorte vermuten. Der Klappentext weist aber schon auf das Gegenteil hin. Es geht hier um die Geschichte einer Familie, deren kleiner Sohn bei einem Schulausflug plötzlich spurlos verschwindet.

Erzählt wird das Ganze vom älteren Bruder, der beim Ausflug dabei war und sich nun verantwortlich fühlt, nicht gut genug auf seinen Bruder aufgepasst zu haben. Gleichzeitig ist er aber auch sauer auf seine Eltern (im Besonderen auf seine Mutter), die sich nun so verhalten als hätten sie gar kein Kind mehr und ihn völlig links liegen lassen weil sie zu sehr mit der Trauer um den kleinen Dan beschäftigt sind. Mehrmals würde Harry am liebsten laut rausschreien "Hey, ich bin auch noch da!" Das tut schon weh.
Andererseits kann ich mir gar nicht vorstellen, wie es der Mutter gehen muss nach einem solchen Verlust, und ich hoffe sehr dass ich es auch nie muss.

Da die Geschichte ausschließlich der point of view von Harry ist, erfahren wir auch nie was wirklich mit Dan passiert ist. Das ist zwar eine logische Konsequenz der Erzählweise, lässt mich als Leser aber etwas unbefriedigt zurück.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately I didn't find this book as thrilling as I had originally believed I would be. Although I can credit this book to contain originality and a unique story line, the execution is what really led me to disappointment. While I enjoyed the childish humor and jokes of a young boy, the sentence structure is difficult to ignore. Writing in the perspective of a young boy is difficult and confusing enough, but often the switch between Harry's imagination and reality were difficult to distinguish. The book does shed some light on a real-world problem however, and for that I completely respect her writing this book. This book is truly heartbreaking but Clare Sambrook provides some comic relief through the eyes of 9-year old Harry, however I wish I had been more pulled in to this book as it progressed because I found it hard to pay attention to.

[Josie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The double bluff at the beginning really hit me. You think, oh, it was just a way of introducing a story about something completely different, and then bam, it happens again for real.

That said, the whole way through the book I thought I had the ending figured out, and... I didn't. I thought there'd be a miraculous ending, not the hopeful/almost-happy one we got. I think if I'd been more willing to accept that things wouldn't necessarily turn out all right then I would have been more moved by the story, but my relentless optimism (read: denial) made it less touching because I kept thinking, but it'll be okay in the end.

I admit I'm not a fan of books that go into such, um, unnecessary detail about certain bodily parts/functions... But I think the honesty worked.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! The premise - dealing with the mysterious disappearance and loss of a child - is not perhaps the most original, but this book's execution, telling the story from the eyes of the child's nine-year-old brother, certainly gave this book a unique feel. Though sad, the book still had moments of humour. A child narrator, when done right (as this one was) makes for a wonderful book. It was very British, with several turns of phrase that may leave an American reader a bit lost at times. However, this was very strong for a debut novel and I will definitely keep an eye out for any other books by this author!

[David Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read 'Hide and Seek' after meeting Clare Sambrook at a Society of Authors talk. I was engaged by the book and its central character Harry Pickles, through whom the story is told. As a writer who has tried to capture the voice of a nine-year-old child to tell a coherent story, I know just how difficult it is. I don't think I always managed it in my short stories, and I don't think Clare does entirely either, but she gets very close - the misses are not so distracting as to break off the engagement. I would recommend the book, but only for readers who are not looking for happy ever after.

Reviewer David Williams has a regular writer's blog http://writerinthenorth.blogspot.com

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this and gave it to my son (who was 10 at the time) to read. He enjoyed it too, although we did have to explain some bits to him! I think it works well on two levels - both as an adults book and as a children's book so long as someone is available to support that reading and answer questions. It opened up some interesting conversations about understanding the behaviour of adults and children, and also about feelings and how they might be expressed, which I think is useful for small boys.

[Nikki · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wasn't impressed by this book. I tried to get into it, but about a third of the way through I just gave up reading. It tells a story from the perspective of a nine year old and tries to use the same narration as Lovely Bones, but it fails horribly. There were too many characters introduced at once and not fleshed out to make you give a damn about what was happening to them. I read it with a frown on my face going "eh?" and rereading to see if I could figure it out what was happening.

I'd recommend Lovely Bones over this any day of the week.

[April Hochstrasser · Rating 3 out of 5]

An emotionally charged theme as a younger brother is missing from his family and the older brother blames himself for not watching out for him better. As the nine-year old goes through the next few years, he has to rebuild a life that has a big hole in it, his missing brother. Mom and dad are absorbed in the tragedy and he is left to try to be happy without their full support and only half of his own. The author could have edited some of the more tedious details but on the whole it was worth reading.

[Kirsty Darbyshire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this, though it's really quite disturbing. The background of the story is that a child goes missing, but the story is told from the point of view of a nine year old boy. Reading it while the Madeleine McCann case was in the news (a coincidence that I only realised after I started reading it btw - I've had it out of the library for a while and if I'd thought a bit rather than just picking up the next book in the pile I might not have read it) made it seem a bit odd, and kind of unrealistic too. But you have to remember that a nine year old narrator isn't omniscient.

[Samra Muslim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a good read on many levels ... for starters, it tell you a story of what a family goes through if they loose a loved one suddenly. Then the story narrator is a 9-year boy - so the entire situation is presented from a child's eye (and is therefore more emotionally connecting) and lastly it is a simple story! However, there are some problems too ... it drags to the point of being boring and I understand it is written from a child's perspective - but the narration is confusing to follow at times!!

[MrsJLee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book quite difficult to understand at points and quite confusing. I persevered and am glad I did as the second half of the book wasn't that bad and the 'child voice writing' seemed to tame somewhat. I found myself questioning sometimes, whether a 9 year old would think that 'babyish', yet at other times seemed to use words or phrases an adult would use. I wouldn't rush to read another like it to be honest but it was an ok read. Initially I had in my head 2 stars but the second half was more 3 stars for me.

[Lanier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eerie, witty, frightening, and very off-putting. A different form of "horror" comes to a normal suburban English household after a boy disappears during a school outing. Big brother, Harry, may have murder on his mind, yet mother-dearest has far worse, perhaps. When all Hell breaks loose, it seems little Harry may be the sanest person in this wrecked family?

[Roseanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this in approximately 2006 whilst living in Bairnsdale, Vic. Aust. and loved it. couldn't remember the name and i wanted to read it again (an indication of how much i loved it, because I never do that)

Was delighted to spot it at the Perth library this week in an mp3 format. Brought it home and listened to it in a couple of hours. (11 hrs narating time)

[Miss Book · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't hate but definetely didn't love it.I just felt really weird at points reading this book.It's supposed to be kinda dark and twisted,but because the main character (who is also the narrator)was 9,it turned out to be very confusing.I would say it gets better towards the end,but still it was just meh for me.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those adult books that tells a story from the point of view of a child. Cool. I like that genre. I'm not sure that it WORKS in this novel, but the voice is really engaging and the story is seriously tragic.