Блёстки повсюду

by Yvette Clark, Иветта Кларк, Марина Владимировна Смирнова (Translator)

Китти сидела на подоконнике в слезах и ждала, когда приедет чёрная машина, чтобы отвезти её в церковь. В этот день она потеряла самого близкого и дорогого ей человека... В худший, самый грустный день её мир рухнул, и казалось, что хорошо уже не будет никогда. Как она ошибалась…

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary, Fiction, Family, Mental Health, Death

283 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 4, 2021

About the author

Yvette Clark is a Brit by birth and a New Yorker by design. An avid reader, writer, and trampoliner, Yvette lives in Manhattan with her husband, two children, and a blue cat named Beau. She is a Writing 360 mentor @ https://www.girlswritenow.org/

GLITTER GETS EVERYWHERE is her debut novel and is available for pre-order now!

Reviews

[Erin Entrada Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a beautiful story, led by a great main character. It will make you laugh. It will make you cry. It will make you appreciate things that you have lost, and things that you haven't. Highly recommend!

[Alysa · Rating 5 out of 5]

GLITTER GETS EVERYWHERE is a beautiful exploration of finding a way forward through life-altering grief. After Kitty's mother dies following a year-long fight against cancer, Kitty, her older sister, and her father are left trying to make sense of their newly diminished family.
When we first meet Kitty she is about to turn 11, her first birthday without her mother there to celebrate her. The cards and letters mum left behind for her daughters are meant to be a comfort, but Kitty cannot find any comfort nor a way to make sense of a world without her mother in it.
When her father gets an offer to work in New York for 6 months, Kitty's world gets turned upside down once again. But this time, the changes lead to self-discovery, new friends, and growth.
I absolutely loved Kitty and her perceptive wit. The world of her friends and family are richly drawn, pulling me into their world and leaving me wishing they were real people I could spend the day with.
Clark is a master of the moving and powerful chapter button. She weaves real-life tv shows, places, and bespoke paints (read it and you'll get what I mean) in seamlessly adding to the sense that you're really peering into the lives of real people.
I was so moved by this portrait of grief, love, and family, and consider MG readers incredibly lucky to be getting this book to help guide them through whatever changes life might be throwing their way.
Thanks to the author and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read the ARC

[Kathie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Edelweiss+ and the publisher for an eARC of this book.

This 5 star read by debut author Yvette Clark is the story of Kitty, who is grieving the recent loss of her mum, and coming to terms with the changes in her life. There is so much different about her life now that her mom is gone, and Kitty wishes she didn't have to deal with any of it. To make matters worse, her father has an opportunity to relocate from their home in London to New York for a couple of months for work, and he thinks it's a great time for Kitty and her sister, Imogene, to take advantage of this opportunity. Kitty doesn't want to leave her Gran, her neighbour Mrs. Allison, her godmother Kate, her best friend Jenna, or the familiarities of home, but she is convinced to go. Kitty finds Manhattan exciting and overwhelming, and school is very different from her girls school back in England. As Kitty adjusts to a new normal without her mum, she realizes that grief follows you everywhere, but so does love.

There are so many things I loved about this story. As someone who lost her mom as an adult, I can relate to so much of what Kitty experiences, and I loved how the grieving process isn't seen as one thing but a whole range of emotions and responses. I really liked that there were so many supportive adults there for Kitty on both sides of the ocean, and that therapy is normalized and viewed in a mostly positive way. I enjoyed getting to see so much of Kitty's life in London rather than the move taking us straight to New York, so we could understand her support network at home also juxtapose her Manhattan life. I loved her relationship with Henry, who she connects with at the office of their therapists, and demonstrates how people are often drawn to strangers who have their own grieving to do. I also loved the humor in this story, especially Mrs. Allison and her dog, Sir Lancelot, and her spot on the Great British Bake-Off adds levity to the story. You might need a Kleenex ready for the letters that Kitty's mum leaves for her on her birthdays, but you'll experience a whole range of emotions throughout this story.

I look forward to handing this book to young readers, and highly recommend it for middle grade collections.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, this book! Yvette Clark's GLITTER GETS EVERYWHERE is a heartfelt, tender joy from start to finish, and I absolutely loved it. It's the story of Kitty, and her journey through grief at the loss of her mother (though Kitty would hate that I phrased it that way... as if her mum had been carelessly mislaid). Not long after her mother's death, her father takes a job assignment in New York City, and moves Kitty and her sister Imogen away from their beloved London and all the people, places, and things that tie Kitty to her mum: her gran, her best friend, her godmother, and her beloved neighbor (who is also a contestant on The Great British Bake-Off, one of my favorite minor subplots). But Kitty's time spent in New York - while not without its bumps - ends up being healing in some unexpected ways, and she manages to come out the other side of her grief through a series of new experiences and new friends.

Kitty's voice sings on every page. She is funny and sad and wry and honest and ever so unique. I wish I could quote from an ARC, because there were quotable moments everywhere. The secondary characters are all so fully realized, and one of the things I loved most about this remarkable novel is that Clark somehow manages to turn both London and New York, themselves, into characters. I found myself pining for both places over the course of this delightful 300 pages. The grief process is handled so delicately and with such gentle humor, from managing the first day back at school after Kitty's mum's funeral to the fact that she tells people her mum died of breast cancer (lung cancer is associated with too many assumptions) to the meaning behind the novel's title, which I won't give away here because it is all too perfect.

I absolutely adored this book from start to finish. Kitty's heart is right there on the page, and readers will fall in love with her, root for her, and cry with her. I've already pre-ordered my copy, and intend to recommend it to anyone I know who is looking for a middle grade read with depth and heart. Many, many thanks to the author, and to Harper Collins for the advanced copy.

[Christyne Morrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I started reading GLITTER GETS EVERYWHERE, I began making a mental note of all the compelling details that stood out to me - like the intricate description of Farrow & Ball paint colors (yes, I looked them up afterward), the MC’s imagined comic book character, Ponytail Girl, who fights crime with scrunches, the Great British Baking Show references, etc. But eventually I lost track because there were so many gorgeous, rich, relatable details sprinkled throughout this poignant book that I couldn’t remember them all. This is the story of Kitty, whose mother has died of cancer, who then moves from London to New York City. It’s about grief and family and moving on - familiar themes, but told through such finely drawn characters and moments that it feels as though you’re experiencing all of these things in real-time, right alongside Kitty. Expect tears, laughter, hope, and then more tears (but happy ones!). And pay attention to the last line of the first chapter. 😉

[Afoma (Reading Middle Grade) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glitter Gets Everywhere is an excellent middle grade novel about the grief of losing a parent in death and how that grief never really goes away. Yet, the book maintains an impressive levity by including joyful adults in Kitty’s life, a realistic sister relationship, an exciting cross-continental move, and a new friendship that widens Kitty’s lens on life. This is a sweet debut that I would totally recommend.

Read my full review on the blog.

Many thanks to the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Payal Doshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

There just aren't enough wonderful things I can say about this book. It's a story about loss and grief but told in the most poignant, realistic, humorous, relatable, and heartwarming way. There are very few books that I have read where every single character, main, secondary, or tertiary, has left an impact in my heart and that is the case with Glitter Gets Everywhere. From the meaning of the title to all the little nuances about grief, loss, and family, this book pulled at every heartstring of mine. Yes, I was a sobbing mess when I read the letters Kitty's mom had left to read on each birthday. But as much as this story is about dealing with the loss of a mother, Clark through the lens of Kitty takes us on a slice of life adventure exploring the feeling of hope that comes with change (although it may seem reluctant at first), the importance of family and the love that binds us, the excitement of new friendships and new relationships, and the acceptance that change is the only constant. Oh, and it has taught me to see paint colors and paint names in a whole new light! I cannot recommend this book enough. It is a book that will be enjoyed by middle schoolers and adults alike. And it is a must-read!

[Lorelei Savaryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of those stories I slowed down towards the end, because I didn't want it to finish. I loved Kitty and her family and friends, as well as the dual continent setting. Kitty is a very brave girl, and the author did such a wonderful job writing Kitty's experiences as she navigates the process of grief. It's an authentic-feeling story, that doesn't wrap up neatly in ribbons and bows, but it does end with hope and optimism for the future, which felt exactly right. Many thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for review.

[vanessa enserro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this fantastic book about tween Kitty and her family. It is such a lovely read! I can’t wait until the hard copy is out! Kitty is such a relatable character, and her family are so jolly! I love the detail of her neighbour going onto the Great British Bake Off!

[Zoya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is truly amazing.
The characters are so likeable, relatable and well-written. The plot is amazing and gripping. The writing is absolutely stunning.
This needs a sequel!!

[Melissa Dassori · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful debut! I love how Yvette Clark introduced Kitty and her story on their home turf in London, where we got to know all the fully-realized characters who are dear to her before she moved with her widowed father and everything-seems-perfect-for-her sister to New York -- perfect except for the shadow of their mom's death. Kitty's a realistic and endearing narrator wrestling with her grief but with ample moments of warmth and humor to make this a page-turner. I think a whole range of kids will enjoy this book, particularly upper middle grade readers who will see their middle school experiences reflected in the story, as well as the push toward independence happening at that age while still rooted in family. The character descriptions, use of color, cultural references and language all drew me in -- I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy.

[Bunty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yvette Clark's charming first novel, Glitter Gets Everywhere, had me laughing and crying in equal measure. The story is told through the eyes of Kitty, a girl from North London who is trying to make sense of life, family and friendships after the death of her mum. Kitty is helped on her journey by a comedic and endearing bunch of characters on both sides of the Atlantic including a blue haired boy in New York and a fat, farty dog in London.

This book washed over me like a wonderfully warm blanket and I didn't want it to finish. Kitty is an adorable heroine who is able to show her vulnerable side whilst also being brave and funny (often without realising it!). It is impossible to read this book without becoming one of Kitty's friends and sharing her love of paint colours, New York and her mum.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

With thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for an early copy in return for an honest review.

As someone who really likes books with a strong sense of setting, I appreciated how well I felt transported to NYC and London through the pages of the story. I also have several students who will appreciate the baking aspect with the subplot about The Great British Bake Off.

As we follow Kitty's family from London to New York we get a firsthand look at the grief their family is experiencing and how they are handling this grief. I though the analogy of grief to glitter was excellent and really made a lot of sense. I love the use of Farrow & Ball colors in the book and would highly recommend bookmarking their site while you read so you can take a peek at the colors referenced during the story.

[Daniela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to get an advanced Reader's Copy of Glitter Gets Everywhere and am so thrilled that I did. Glitter Gets Everywhere is Yvette Clark's debut novel about a girl named Kitty and how she navigates the tragic loss of her mother. We join Kitty as she processes her grief as a tween girl also having to manage relationships, school and a move to NYC with her father and sister. Kitty is equal parts creative, romantic, and emotional in this story that will forever change how you look at colors, loss, love and most importantly living life. Anyone who has loved and loss or even just loved will become smitten with Kitty and the characters she meets along the way. You will be left better off having met her. I cannot wait to be able to share this book with my family and friends.

[Blodeuedd Finland · Rating 3 out of 5]

A novel about a tween going though stages of grief. I do like books that deal with real things when it comes to YA, or well this must be MG.

Kitty lost her mother, and now they are moving from London to New York. She is trying to deal with a new city, new friends, and trying to go on without her mum. Real, sad,but s much more. Family life. Worry about her father will find someone new. He first crush, and falling in love with a new city.

I liked Kitty, she was just a normal kid, doing normal things, in a not so normal time of her life.

I enjoyed it, not much more to say. Grief like glitter gets everywhere.

Good narrator, she had great voices for kids and adults. I felt very at home with her style.

[Terry Jennings · Rating 5 out of 5]

How can you be expected to continue on when you’ve just lost your mother? But that’s exactly what Kitty must do—navigate a whole new life made worse because her father asks her to move from London to New York and where he might be even looking for a replacement even though it’s only been months since her mother died.
Glitter Gets Everywhere has a charming cast of characters, and is a beautiful exploration of how a child can cope with the unthinkable. Beautifully written. I loved the idea that Kitty’s mother, who was sick for a year, left her presents and letters to be read after she was gone.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the opportunity to read an advance copy of Glitter Gets Everywhere by Yvette Clark and I loved it. Eleven year old Kitty is coping with the death of her mother, a surprise move to NYC and all the angst of being a tween. With the help of annual birthday letters written by her mother Laura before her death, Kitty navigates life with grace and humor. I can't wait to give this heartwarming book to my daughter and nieces to read.

[Book Bee NYC · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED Glitter Gets Everywhere, a novel about Kitty, a tween-aged girl who moves from London to New York City with her dad and older sister. It was so fun to spend time in London with Kitty (who has a neighbor who goes on THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE-OFF!) and then see New York City through her eyes. The book packs a big emotional wallop but also offers a lot of truly funny humor; anyone who loves Rebecca Stead or Jo Knowles will be excited to find this book.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for any age, this was a wonderful book about grief and moving on. I really liked the characters and the sweet moments, and overall it was really just a beautiful little story. I wasn’t particularly fond of the way it ended... it seemed a bit quick and I would have liked to see a bit more of the internal conflict, but other than that I really enjoyed it. I would highly recommend this book.

[Laurie]

I was lucky to get to read this one early, and the main character charmed me from the first page. I loved being transported to London and New York City with her! This tender, witty debut made me cry, laugh, and think deeply. Glitter Is Everywhere sparkles with insights about the beautiful, complicated ways people move forward after a heartbreaking loss.

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glitter Gets Everywhere is a heartfelt hug of a book about 11-year-old Kitty, a British girl dealing with her mother’s death. Getting uprooted to live in New York City for a few months further upends her life, but she slowly figures out how to find happiness and hope while keeping her mother’s memory alive. A beautifully told story of grief and healing, with many moments of sly wit and humor.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore Kitty's story--it's full of charm, heart, color, and humor. I read this in one night, thanks to netgalley for an early review copy. I wish Kitty's journey would keep going--I could stay with these characters for a long time!

[Lindsey Stoddard]

I loved Kitty and the cast of characters that surrounds her as she makes her way through this first year after a big loss.

[Bethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars. Love this perfect book for tweens! Kitty is having a hard time dealing with the death of her mother, especially when her father decide to move them from London to NYC for a few months for his job. Grief is like glitter, gets everywhere and you can’t get it all up is a great analogy. Lots of Britishisms but they use cookies instead of biscuits? Cute bra shopping scene. Sometimes Kitty and Imogene seem older than their ages of 11 and 13 years. Not sure you really would let kids of these ages ride the subway by themselves, however. You know how I love a British narrator and Morag Simms Is outstanding on audio.

[Jenthe · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lovely middle-grade about dealing with grief and big changes in life, the kind of calm slice-of-life contemporary story I enjoy. The settings of London and New York also play a big role which I like. I've accidentally listened to both of Yvette Clark's books this month and really enjoyed them, I hope she publishes more in the future.

[Reem Faruqi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet and heartfelt book. I loved Kitty's family dynamic (the banter with dad, Imogen, Kitty and his skinny jeans LOL), attentive and kind Henry, NYC and Britain! and the baking show characters were great!

The story is one that I didn't want to end. I also adored the glitter analogy!

[Raven 🖤 · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.75

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was exceptional.

*slams finger aggressively on 5 stars* WHY. CAN. THERE. NOT. BE. A. 10. STAR. OPTION?!?!?

Goodreads, please!!!

[Jenny Mattern · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kitty is struggling to come to terms with her mom's death when her dad announces they will be moving to New York City from their home in London. Her older sister seems excited at the prospect of an adventure, but Kitty worries her memories of her mom won't be able to follow her. Glitter Gets Everywhere is a beautiful story of one girl's journey through grief. I found myself grieving right along with Kitty, but there were also laugh-out-loud moments, and times I wanted to stand up and cheer for this strong, funny, oh-so-real main character. I highly recommend this beautiful book!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

At only ten years old, London-born Kitty Wentworth experiences the unthinkable; her mother loses a battle with lung cancer, and Kitty and her family find themselves emotionally adrift. When Kitty’s dad gets an offer to spend a few months in New York City for his job, her family has the opportunity to experience life from a new perspective. Kitty’s older sister Imogen is thrilled about the possibility New York City holds, but Kitty is reluctant to leave her old life behind. Thousands of miles from the home Kitty has always known, she makes new friends and begins to repair some of the holes her grief has left behind.

Spanning about a year and a half of Kitty’s life, readers experience the profound emotions that come from the loss of a parent. Grief, anger, apathy, and joy are all found in the pages of this story, presented in ways that are at once familiar and tangible for the reader. Though Kitty’s mother dies before the story begins, the letters she writes and memories recollected by Kitty and her family make her mother’s character feel real within the narrative. She continues to touch the lives of Kitty’s family through reminders of her existence and intentionally crafted letters and gifts.

Early on in the story, Kitty is introduced to “grief glitter,” the idea that no matter how much one attempts to clean it up, grief can resurface forever. As the title suggests, glitter really does get everywhere, and Kitty is occasionally surprised by discovering memories of her mother—or grief glitter—in unexpected places. Time, tears, and a sprinkling of joy help Kitty move through her sadness and into her new life without her mother.

Captivated by the paint colors created by a company called Farrow & Ball, Kitty often describes her surroundings using the hues on her paint chart. This thread carries through the story, adding a layer of visual intrigue and creativity to Kitty’s environment. Expertly delivered, this story shows the complex realities of one child’s life after her mother’s death. Kitty matures through the experience, becoming stronger and more self reliant while preserving her mother’s memory. Readers of all ages will connect with Kitty’s story and find resilience and comfort in the pages of this book.