After Iris

The Diaries of Bluebell Gadsby #1

by Natasha Farrant

An unforgettable middle-grade debut that will steal your heart

Blue Gadsby’s twin sister, Iris, died three years ago and her family has never been the same. Her histrionic older sister, Flora, changes her hair color daily; her younger siblings, Jasmine and Twig, are completely obsessed with their pet rats; and both of her parents spend weeks away from home–and each other. Enter Zoran the Bosnian male au pair and Joss the troublemaking boy next door, and life for the Gadsby family takes a turn for the even more chaotic. Blue poignantly captures her family’s trials and tribulations from fragmented to fully dysfunctional to ultimately reunited, in a sequence of film transcripts and diary entries that will make you cry, laugh, and give thanks for the gift of families.

With the charm of The Penderwicks and the poignancy of When You Reach Me, Natasha Farrant's After Iris is a story that will stay with readers long after the last page.

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Young Adult, Contemporary, Fiction, Childrens, Grief

272 pages, Hardcover

First published July 2, 2013

About the author

Natasha Farrant grew up in the heart of London's French community, and currently combines writing with her career as a Literary Scout. She is the author of two successful novels for adults, Diving Into Light and Some Other Eden, both published by Transworld. She lives in West London with her husband, two daughters and a large tortoiseshell cat.

Reviews

[Michele Barnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the majority of this book although I was disappointed with the ending. It seemed to finish too quickly and neatly after all the turmoil the children had been through. The main character was very likeable and you felt her pain and loss.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a lovely, bittersweet, wonderful book! After Iris is about a big, quirky family trying hard to rebuild itself after a tragedy. Written in a lovely, warm style reminiscent of I Capture the Castle (but set in the modern day), it manages to be really funny and really heartbreaking, sometimes both at the same time.

It's been three years since 12-year-old Blue's twin sister, Iris, was killed in a terrible accident. Now, Blue feels like she's the only one who really remembers Iris. Life seems to have moved on for her other three siblings, from her dramatic older sister Flora to her rat-obsessed younger brother, Twig, and his hyper-sensitive twin Jas - but all of them are hiding their own grief as they splash out in their different ways. Unfortunately, their parents have both coped with their own grief by fleeing, one to a new job a hundred miles away, another into a workaholic lifestyle that sends her regularly jetting around the world to escape the pain of her memories. The four remaining children are left mostly in the care of an overwhelmed young au pair (a really, really fabulous character who provides some of the funniest lines in the book).

Just based on that synopsis, this could have been a depressing book, but instead it was just wonderful, full of quirky humor and fascinating family dynamics as Blue slowly but surely re-enters the world, complete with first love, baby rats (really!), family fights (and reconciliations) and new, unexpected friendships. The whole story is told in a mix of diary entries and video transcripts that works just perfectly. (And some of the video transcripts made me laugh out loud!)

I can't wait to read Natasha Farrant's next MG novel!

[cynthia ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

After Iris was a phenomenal book. I love how simple the words are yet they still express so much of the characters' emotions and personalities.

Natasha Farrant is extremely talented. In a few scenes in this book, my brain was somehow convinced that I was the main character of After Iris. The way Natasha writes dialogue and how a character acts towards Blue changes the perspective of my opinion on him/her. And they're always the same opinion Blue has. I always found myself connecting to her in a weird way that I can't quite explain in words.

---------------------------------------------

Bluebell is the name of the M.C. 3 years ago on December 3rd, her twin sister, Iris died in a car accident. Ever since then, she had never been the same person. The rest of her family changed too. Blue's parents were always fighting, which convinced her and her siblings that they were going to divorce. Their dad was often drunk and "working", while their mom was always traveling around the country. The children began to think that their father was having an affair with another woman.
A while later, a strange kid named Joss, who is around the same age as Blue, moves in next door. They become great friends, and soon Blue develops a crush on him without knowing. joss helped her become somewhat popular and make some new friends. Blue trusted him with all her heart and even told him about Iris's death.
But, Joss only saw her as a friend. He fell in love with her Blue's older sister, Flora, instead. This causes Blue's trust issues to increase. She becomes depressed, anxious of everything, and emotionally unstable. Flora and Blue started to treat each other horribly because of the immense hatred they had for each other. Blue also began to hate Joss, but somewhere deep inside of her, she still liked him.

I wish I could explain all the struggles Blue and her family went through, but there's just too many.

[Vikki VanSickle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blue is a typical middle grade protagonist in many ways: smart, observant, suffering from her first crush, and very relatable. But she is also an aspiring filmmaker, and many of the scenes are written as screenplays of actual events. In another author’s hands this could be fatally gimmicky, but Natasha Farrant cleverly uses the screenplays as a way for Blue to disengage with more emotional subject matter and also to provide interesting subtext for the book. I could write a whole post on how effectively this works, but instead you should read it for yourself and see what I mean.

It is tricky to pick a favourite among such a vivid group of characters, but Zoran, the Bosnian piano-prodigy turned au pair takes the cake. I love that the primary care-giver in this case is male and that not only is he good at his job, but he loves it. We need more male babysitters in children’s fiction. In a perfect fictional world he would end up with Rosalind Penderwick, gentle and caring eldest sister in The Penderwicks books, and the two of them would solve world hunger.

Now THAT is fan fiction I would read.

Fans of contemporary middle grade with a classic feel, such as Walk Two Moons, Olive’s Ocean, The Penderwicks, Hilary McKay’s Casson Family books and Wendy Mass’ books will love Blue and her unruly family.

[Iben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Åh. Lige i hjertet <3

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely middle grade book of a family coming to terms with the death of a daughter and sister. Will continue reading books in this series.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another middle grade novel about grief after the death of a loved one. Sometimes I think authors can only write 12 year olds realistically if the character is dealing with some sort of trauma, but I guess most people think middle schoolers are annoying and probably don't want to read about the more normal drama of parents not giving their kids the latest iPhone, mean teachers who make kids actually do homework, a burgeoning awareness of the opposite sex, and the day when you had one hair out of place and you felt like the whole school was laughing at you so you faked sick and went home. Non-middle school readers would just roll our eyes with a "get over it already, it's just middle school" attitude. Having a character deal with something more serious helps readers take the character more seriously, I suppose, even though I would just like to note that middle schoolers DO take all that other stuff very seriously.

The events of After Iris all take place after the death of Iris, the twin sister of the narrator, Blue. Yet, most of it is about the family dynamics with a subplot of Blue's, her sibling's, and her parents' grief over Iris's death. I enjoyed reading about the family and thought there was a good humor to the book, mostly because of its British-ness. The characters were pleasant to read about and I especially enjoyed Jas and Twig's antics. Blue was a bit of a bore but did well as a narrator and observer of her family's dysfunction. The ending was a bit too Full House/it's-a-Christmas-miracle for me, but again, that's a middle grade novel for you. I thought Joss got thrown under the bus at the end in order to force the happy ending, which I was disappointed by because I liked him in the beginning. In the end, I don't think much was actually resolved, though. There was a happy "let's all hug" moment, but the characters didn't actually deal with their feelings or any of the events that weren't a part of the climax. Now that I'm writing this review on Goodreads I see that this is the first book in a series, so that makes sense. However, I doubt I'll read the rest of the series. Blue wasn't quite compelling enough for me, and I don't know that there is enough substance for more books. Will the author keep dealing with the aftermath of Iris's death, or will she focus on something else? And here we are full circle: I'm the adult reader bored by normal day-to-day occurrences in the life of a middle schooler and wanting more trauma and drama.

I did like the film scripts sprinkled throughout, which helped to keep it a quick read. I think reading would have become tedious if all those events had been narrated by Blue. Overall this is 3.5 stars for me.

[Julie Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bluebell’s twin sister Iris died three years ago and the family has never been the same. Flora, the oldest is rebelling, Bluebell has withdrawn behind a camera, Mom works and travels all the time, Dad also travels and is secretive, and the two Babes – Twig and Jasmine barely remember. This story explores the family dynamics and especially how Bluebell (Blue) learns to go on living after Iris. There is quite a bit of drama with the older sister Flora and her boyfriend Joss who also happens to be Blue’s “crush”. Can the family reconnect and be happy once again or will they continue to drift apart?


This was a pretty interesting book. Bluebell and her family have all drifted apart after the death of Iris, Bluebell’s twin. There is rebellion, escapism, misunderstandings, fear, and anger. The author did a good job of revealing the inner turmoil of the characters and showing how a family in pain can hurt each other deeply without meaning to. This would be a good book for kids whose families have gone through emotional situations.

[Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a sweet, likeable book! I love children's books with big, eccentric families. The emotions and the sibling relationships and the dialogue are all spot-on. The parents walk the line of being too exasperating to be real, but I didn't mind it as much here. Some of the book is written in video script form, but Farrant handles the transitions so well that these segments add to the book instead of being a distraction. She even manages to make the ending - *mild spoiler alert*- come together neatly and happily without it feeling saccharine. My favorite middle grade book in a while-- thanks for the recommendation, Hannah!

[Robin Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man, this was delightful. I love the Gadsby family, and I adore Blue's narration. This is a world I want to dive into - it's hilarious and just wonderful. (10+)

*Please note: this review is meant as a recommendation only. Please do not use it in any marketing material, online or in print, without asking permission from me first. Thank you!*

[Karyn Silverman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Upper middle grade. I adored this -- I cried, I laughed, and I was very pleasantly reminded of the Cassons, for whom I have an outsize love. I have no idea if this works for the target audience, but it definitely worked for me, in spades.

[Kirsty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really sweet little read.

[Andrea Trenary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dollar Tree find. Quick easy read, didn't realize til I was well into it that it's the first in a series, I'm not sure whether I will continue it or not.

[Libby May · Rating 4 out of 5]

...Joss totally had me fooled...

...I still like him though....

....very awful....

Anyway. I half liked half hated this book. It was ok. Acceptable. There were a lot big mess of topics that were touched and then just left at that. I didn't really find the ending all that satisfactory.

I can't decide if I want to read the next book or not. But anyway. I'm sort of glad I read this one.

[lucky little cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

For Anglophile middle grade readers (& up). As other readers have noted, some similarities to Hilary McKay's glorious Casson family series in tone and topic. With two parents who have strayed off instead of just one, though.

[Wolfie Smoke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun. Funny. Lovable. Should be a classic.

Would recommend for older kids because there are a few topics that aren't too bad but you may not want to explain it to little ones.

[Malene · Rating 4 out of 5]

After Iris er en skøn bog, der som I nok kan regne ud, handler om livet efter Iris' død.
Bluebell, eller Blue, lever efterhånden bag sit kamera - det eneste sted, hvor hun føler sig nogenlunde sikker. Hendes familie er ikke altid enig med hende i, hvornår det er passende at filme, men hun gør det ikke kun af interesse, hun gør det også for at se livet fra en anden vinkel, end hendes egen.
Hele hendes familie er ved at falde fra hinanden og med to forældre, der ikke har overskud til at leve et normalt familieliv - af frygt for virkelig at indse, hvor tomt det er uden Iris - og med fire efterladte børn, der ikke kun mærke sorgen af tabet af deres søster, men også manglen af deres forældre, der efterhånden føles som et kæmpe svigt.
Denne bog viser lige præcis, hvilke følelser der kan komme hos en familie der har lidt et så stort tab, men ikke formår at holde sammen. Svigt, frygt, følelsen af at være tilsidesat, følelsen af ikke at passe ind, misforståelser og dét, at de faktisk såre hinanden, uden egentligt at ville det.
Bogen var en følelsesmæssig rutsjebane på så mange måder, for selvom det var en bog der ofte fik mig til at fælde en tåre (eller ti), er det også en bog med en del humor. Joss den nye dreng inde ved siden af, formår at puste en form for liv i familien igen, selvom han nok ikke gør det på den mest fornuftige måde. Han er nemlig lidt af en ballademager, men med nok energi til at få børnene til at leve lidt igen.
Zoran - den nye barnepige forældrene har hyret, da de ikke mener børnene kan klare sig selv, når de er så længe væk på arbejde længere - viser en omsorg, børnene har higet efter, uden at vide det. Ganske vist gør de modstand i starten, for hvem tror forældrene lige de er, sådan at tro, de ved hvad er bedst for dem? Men forældrenes fravær, bliver ikke opgjort, men gjort lettere ved Zorans nærvær.

Denne fine lille farverige bog, er virkelig en dyb historie, der i den grad gjorde indtryk på mig.
Der var så mange gode beskrivelser, på de følelser familien går igennem og de gik direkte i hjertet.
Jeg synes virkelig, at det var en smuk bog, omend en bog lidt for sig selv.
Forfatteren har virkelig formået at sætte ord på så meget og det har lykkedes hende, at skrive en bog, der ikke kun sætter ord på de ting der sker, men også at vise, at stykkerne sagtens kan sættes sammen - at en ødelagt familie, sagtens kan repareres. At livet går videre og at det er helt okay.

Jeg nød hvert sekund af bogen og den er virkelig anbefalelsesværdig. Især til de der selv har mistet, de der mangler at få sat ord på nogle af de følelser de har og de der simpelthen bare vil få tag, på nogle af de tabuer der er, i forhold til døden og til de næres liv efterfølgende.

Fantastisk, sød og sørgelig historie!

[Rikke Simonsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Denne bog er en af de herligste bøger, som jeg har læst længe. Den er så sjov, så hjerteknusende og dog også så livsbekræftende på den gode måde. Man følger Blue, som delvist optager sin hverdag på video og samtidig skriver dagbog om det der foregår. Så bogen er en blanding af noget visuelt beskrivende på den ene måde og noget mere begribeligt, når Blue så fortæller om sine dages forløb.

Bogen handler både om det at være familie, at være datter/søster, men også om venskab og om tab. Den kredser rundt om et par tabuer som "vi taler ikke om døde mennesker" eller "der er intet galt i vores familie" og selvom forfatteren ikke bevidst tvinger sin læser til at græde, så kunne jeg virkelig ikke lade være med at fælde et par tårer indimellem. Den er så rammende og SÅ smuk. Men samtidig var der også tidspunkter, hvor jeg næsten lå i min seng og skreg af grin - for verden bliver ikke kun grå, når vores elskede forlader os - der kan også dukke små regnbuer op indimellem.

"Jeg sagde engang til bedstemor, at det ikke var retfærdigt, at Iris var så meget modigere end mig, men bedstemor sagde, at der er forskel på at være modig og ikke være bange. Iris var ikke bange, fordi hun aldrig tænkte på konsekvenserne af de ting, hun gjorde. "Men dig, Blue, du tænker på, hvad der ville ske, hvis du faldt ned fra træet. Den dag du endelig klatrer helt op i toppen, vil du være meget mere modig, end hun er." - citat side 131.

"Minus Iris" er en skøn og smuk ungdomsbog og jeg kan hjerteligt anbefale den, især hvis man selv ved, hvordan en familie kan ændre sig efter tabet af ens kære. Men den er også så hverdagsagtig og sjov - og som sagt, så viser den at verden ikke kun skal ses på som enten negativ eller positiv, men at den kan være begge dele, hvis man holder øjnene åbne.

[Hannah Cobb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bluebell sees the world through the lens of a camera. Instead of keeping a journal, she records a screenplay of her eccentric family's daily life. Bluebell's family is charming and funny--her young siblings Jasmine and Twig are obsessed with their pet rats, while her older sister Flora dyes her hair and acts out in an obvious plea for attention. But beneath the surface of all the amusing big-family anecdotes, like the dirty dishes everyone refuses to touch and the rat multiplication taking place in the back yard (the pet store promised that both rats were female, but we all know how that goes...) is a web of fractures caused by the pain of Iris's death. Iris was Bluebell's twin sister. Without her bolder, funnier twin to lead her into trouble--and get her out of it again--Bluebell feels lost. When her absentee parents hire Zoran, a graduate student trying his hand at being an au pair, Bluebell begins to have hope that her family will be put together again--if new trials like the new boy next door don't ruin everything first.
This book reminded me strongly of Hilary McKay's Saffy's Angel series--which is a good thing, since I adore McKay's Casson family. Like the Cassons (who were all named after paint colors), the Gadsby children are burdened with flower names. Bluebell's very tween shyness and angst, her tentative first romance, her irritation and affection for her family, are all real and skillfully crafted. Farrant does a wonderful job blending humor and childish drama with the serious grief of a shattered family.
This is a great read for anyone in the middle school crowd looking for realistic fiction, or for slightly younger readers growing up out of authors like Jerry Spinelli or Hilary McCay.

[John]

I had given this book to my 12 year old granddaughter. Then she said she thought I would like it. SO how could I not accept this invitation???
It was a pleasant read, and I wasn't bored. We had some conversation about it after I had read it. Joy.

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

One Sentence Review: Never goes where you expect it to and fun from start to finish, the parents in this books are THE WORST!!!!

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A emotional, funny, nice read. I don't really like the film diary chapters, I prefer when a real person is narrating, but it's overall a nice read. Totally five-star. ;)

[daj.nura.w.ksiazki · Rating 5 out of 5]

,,Czas po Iris" to historia wielodzietnej rodziny mierzącej się ze stratą. Opowiedziana jest z perspektywy siostry bliźniaczki tytułowej Iris, Bluebell. Trzynastolatka próbuje poradzić sobie z bólem po utracie siostry na swój własny sposób - zatraca się w dokumentowaniu codzienności za pomocą pamiętnika i kamery. Mimo młodego wieku potrafi bardzo trafnie uchwycić codzienne życie rodzinne, rozterki miłosne starszej siostry oraz problemy związane z częstą nieobecnością rodziców.

🏵️💐

Ta książka mocno chwyciła mnie za serducho. Napisana jest niby prostym i lekkim językiem, ale emocje zrozpaczonych i zagubionych członków rodziny Gadsbych są wyczuwalne niemal na każdej stronie.

Jest to słodko-gorzka powieść, w której codzienne życie rodzinne jest bardzo niecodzienne. Można tu znaleźć wiele zabawnych incydentów, ponieważ Bluebell i jej rodzeństwo mają głowy pełne pomysłów. Trudno jednak czytało mi się o tym, jak spragnione miłości dzieci są notorycznie pozostawiane w domu pod opieką wynajętego au pair (mimo że był naprawdę wspaniałą osobą). Ta powieść pokazuje, że każdy tak naprawdę inaczej radzi sobie ze stratą i że nie zawsze pozostaje to bez wpływu na bliskie osoby.

Bardzo cieszę się, że sięgnęłam po tę książkę i już nie mogę się doczekać aż poznam dalsze losy Bluebell i jej bliskich 🌼

[Aimee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Middle grade novel about a family that loses a child, told from the perspective of Blue, a pre-teen who expresses herself through film. Blue's twin, Iris, dies three years before the beginning of the novel, but the family is still learning to cope with her loss. The book isn't depressing- for the most part, it is funny, as everyone seems to cope with drama filled chaotic bids for attention and self expression.

In general, it wasn't a bad read. I do think that it isn't a very likely tale- it just isn't that believable. One scene in particular bothers me. Blue has a best friend that she has a falling out with after Iris's death. To seek revenge after her friend's numerous cruel pranks, she brings her pet rats to school to terrify and mortify her friend- who is terribly afraid of rats. The friend wets her pants in front of her classmates. Somehow, after this really cruel revenge-seeking plot, the two rekindle their friendship- an outcome that I find unlikely at best. The book glorifies the prank, something else that I find problematic- kids are cruel enough to each other without us adults encouraging it.

[Leah Sivak · Rating 5 out of 5]

After Iris is a book about a family whose seemingly broken because the children's parents haven't been home for months because of work. In the story the main character is Blue, or Bluebell. Blue is one of the middle children of her family. She used to have a twin sister, Iris. Blue’s siblings are Flora, Twig, and Jasmine, also referred to as Jas. Flora is an older teenager and Twig and Jas are younger twins about 8-10 years old. Zoran is the “caretaker” because the parents aren’t ever home much and the kids need an adult to look after them. Iris, Blue’s sister, was an impulsive person and loved animals, that unfortunately, had been hit by a van. Natasha Farrant will help you understand how important it is to have a family and that it’s okay to have an imperfect family. After Iris would be a great book for 7th-9th graders, but there are a few mature topics. This book will make you laugh, cry, and smile. Natasha Farrant did very well in bringing a book about the hardships in life for a fictional family, to life!

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't decide whether to give this three or four stars. I really like big, happy family books - and even though the family isn't happy through a lot of this one, they end up there in the end, and I liked that. It was hopeful and full of love and light, and the characters were fun and real and memorable. I especially liked Zoran. I am so excited to find out that there are sequels! I plan to read them.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this one quickly because I just had to know what happened with this quirky, troubled family. I wasn't disappointed. The story is told through a series a diary entries and transcripts of video taken by protagonist Blue. The diary is great, but I found the video transcripts more of an interruption than anything else. I get that filming was Blue's thing, but I honestly think the same plot points could have been described just as well through her diary entries.

[Isabelle | Nine Tale Vixen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Gadsbys are fascinatingly dysfunctional, kind of a Leaving the Bellweathers kind of quirky. Blue is definitely easy to relate to; Twig and Jas are so cute; Flora was a pretty believable teenager. Zoran is a terrific big brother, and Jake seems like a great friend for Blue. The tone was complex but not heavy, poignant but age-appropriate.

[Rachel Dorsett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am adult who likes to read books for teens, because they are easy to read and are normally a lot cleaner than a lot of adult fiction. I enjoyed this book because it was honest, engaging and relatable. The ending comes together a little too quickly for my taste, but didn’t leave me feeling completely disappointed either.

[Emily G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just an all-round gorgeous book! Love the switching between diary entries and camera-view; gorgeous characters that are beautifully developed and loveable but still have plenty of places to go in the sequels; just the right amount of drama and tension, set to the backdrop of a very relatable, day-to-day family life.
Loved this one, excited to pick up the next!