Not All There

by Jane Barron de Burgh

11-year-old Claude hasn't spoken since his mother's sudden death one week ago, and it doesn't look as though that's going to change despite her return to mortality. While the family is still struggling with their grief, Claude's father and sister must call into question everything they thought they knew about death, mortality and the beyond. Mary's resurrection seems too good to be true, planting doubts in Claude's mind, is his mother really here, and for how long.

69 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 3, 2017

Reviews

[Emma book blogger Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you @zooloosBT and @makepeacelvjoy, for letting me be part if this tour and reviewing this book. Not all There is about Claude who Mum is dead, but she comes back. Claude is happy for her return, but there are some parts of the family that are not. The themes running through the book is grief, relationships, Love and death. I thought Not All there is interesting read which will leave you thinking about the characters and grief of your own after reading this book. The story is a short read but will touch you instantly and, you will be able to relate with Claude through the book. I really felt for Claude and wanted to give him big hug. Beautifully written and did make me cry in places. 4 stars.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short exploration!

This is a short, 67 page Novella

This emotional book, explores several themes with the biggest being d3ath.

We explore this theme through the eyes of a child, Claude, after the death of his mother.

The writing style was very different and not one I've come across often. It is essentially a narrator style and I felt like I was watching a movie at various points given the narration, which was different.

My heart broke for Claude, being so young and trying to navigate death. He's happy that his mother has returned after death but the rest of the family isn't so much. Watching him trying to understand what was happening was both sad and also interesting.

D3ath is usually seen from an adult's perspective in books and not a child's.

It was a very quick read and not something I would usually pick up so it was a nice change!

[Layla Penfold · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very surprised by how this book packed a punch, considering it’s 67 pages.
My heart sank reading this, can’t imagine what Claude & Patience felt. I found Patience had to grow up a lot quicker not only to process everything that happened but to help her baby brother learn to carry on with this boulder of grief on their shoulders. In all honesty, I found the dad to be quite selfish, yes i understand he was grieving, but he has two young children to consider as well. This novel is beautifully written, yet it’s so sad to feel & see the heartbreak in a child’s eyes. Some things take a lot longer to heal and to carry on living.

[Lynsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Not All There’ is a poignant and touching examination into how grief affects people in different ways. Most of us will sadly relate to this book as we all suffer the loss of loved ones and I thought that this novella was especially well done.

Claude has lost his mother and he and his family are having to cope with carrying on with their lives. But there is one major hurdle - his mum, Mary is back in the house but she is a ghost. Claude is okay with this in a way but his sister and father are more freaked out by it.

For such a short piece of fiction, it really packs a punch to your solar plexus. I remember sitting in a crowded room after my mum passed away silent and letting everything just flow around me, much like Claude. I really resonated with his story. But I also related to his sister trying to organise and be strong and his father who kind of fell apart a bit.

This was a thought provoking read and I wools definitely read more from this author. Let me know if you pick it up!

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grief is a strange thing. It affects everyone differently. Claude is clinging to his late mother. He doesn’t want her to leave him. And she doesn’t, she returns to “haunt” the family.

For this family, grief is set to divide and conquer this trio. It cast its dark shadow quickly over Claude’s father who tried to stay strong for his children but it’s not easy and Patience has to grow up to support her father. I watched as father and daughter grew closer as a unit, learning to live without Mary there to do things.

Not All There is a story where nothing much happens but as it’s more of a “character study” (as the blurb describes it), that isn’t an issue. It’s refreshing. It’s an observer’s watch over a family grieving the sudden loss of their matriarch. It’s quite thought provoking and emotional to experience this family’s grief. I felt bereft by the end.

[Bianca Duthie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short novella exploring the grief of a family after the passing of their wife and mother and how grief affects people differently.
While the main character that the tale focuses on is the young boy Claude, he never actually speaks throughout. There's dialogue from the others, but Claudes' occasional thoughts are the only thing we hear from him.
This is a delicate subject to write about, but it's well done.

[Claire Cobb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sad and heartfelt novella about a family who are grieving the loss of a mother and wife when her ghost comes back. I loved how this story was told. It was such an honest opinion of how we deal with the loss of a family member and how hard it is to let go.

[Sonja Charters · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Claude's mother dies, the family has to come to terms with her loss - but this proves to be pretty tricky when Mary returns to their lives as a ghost.

Claude is enjoying having his mother back, but his sister Patience and father John are struggling with her presence for different reasons.

I really feel for Claude as he's really trying to come to terms with what's happened. The loss, the return and the behaviours of the rest of the family are all confusing to him - he's lost his mum, but also lost the attention of his father too.

We follow the family as each of them tries to navigate their grief in their own ways.
This really highlights the importance of understanding how others are affected by a death in the family.
Certainly a close family member, like this and the fact that children are involved.

I loved that this was told from Claude's pov throughout - yet in the story, Claude doesn't actually speak at all.
This allows us a great insight into his thoughts and feelings that the other characters aren't aware of and are too consumed in their own thoughts to check in on him and see how he's been affected.

This was a short and super quick read - but it packs so much into the storyline.
An interesting and thought-provoking look at grief and one that everyone should read.

[Dee Groocock · Rating 3 out of 5]

Claude’s mum has died and the family are grieving for their loss.

What isn’t helping their loss (although Claude is liking it), their mum has come back as a ghost to be with them.

Claude’s dad and sister don’t want her there, they need to grieve and move on.

Claude’s sister is like her mum, in that she looks after him and sees him, whereas his dad pretty much looks through him.

This was an interesting take on death and grief. I felt for Claude, he’s a quiet and unnoticed child who is missing his mum desperately.

My thanks to Zooloo’s Book Tours and the author for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[kirsty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book that is really short but touched me on so many levels that I didn't expect it too, having recently only gone through a bereavement myself last year when I lost my Grandfather who was one of my favourite people in the whole world, as well as helping children through that bereavement. This was such a powerful and poignant read that really resonated with me.

The book follows Claude who loses his mother leaving the family to come to terms with the loss and start rebuilding their lives without her, however that isn't easy because she is a ghost that they can all see, someone who is sort of there, but sort of not, and while Claude is happy that she is still there, the other members of the family are not so happy with it.

This is such a hard topic to write about but the author did such a good job and handled it so sensitively. It was such an interesting read, more so by the fact that the work is primarily about Claude and yet apart from the thoughts in his head we never actually hear him speak, other characters share dialogue on the page but all we get are his thoughts and that was powerful.

I loved it and would love to read more by the author

[Lynda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short novella highlighting how different people deal with grief. Written from Claude’s perspective, a very quiet child whose mother always made an effort to include him. His father however just ignores him.

Briefly, Mary has died. Her husband, 17 year old daughter Patience and young son Claude are all grieving. But then Mary comes back, or at least her ghost comes back. Claude is happy to see his mother again, but her husband and Patience want her to go, and leave them alone with their grief.

It’s interesting to see how three members of the same family deal with their loss. Claude doesn’t speak throughout the book, his sister tries to look after him, fetching tea and cake at the wake, but he doesn’t say a word. A very quick read but thought provoking.

[Pauline Render · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Claude’s mother Mary dies, a huge void is left as the family try to come to terms with the fact she’s no longer there. But when she returns as a ghost, you witness through the voice of another, how his father John, his sister Patience and Claude himself deal with their grief in different ways. This is a beautifully written book, which, in a way challenges the thoughts of what would you do if a loved one comes back.

[Emma]

Not All There is an exploration of grief, through the eyes of a child. Claude’s mother dies - but she’s still there. In his memories of her, her voice, her things around the house. It feels as though she is still there - but she isn���t. Claude feels her memory fading away - until she’s gone.
This was such a quick read, and despite not being my normal type of book, I enjoyed this!

[J.M. Langan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been lucky enough to read the new revised version of this novella, which is out on the 22nd of March. It is a beautiful, heartfelt examination of grief through the eyes of a child. Its unusual approach will both surprise you and touch your soul. Not one to miss.

[Staceywh_17 · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐.5