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My Side of the Diamond
An extraordinary tale about the search for love from the acclaimed Costa and Carnegie winning novelist Sally Gardner.
Jazmin has been shunned ever since her best friend Becky disappeared. But Becky didn't just disappear - she jumped off a tall building and seemingly never reached the ground. It was as if she simply vanished into thin air. Did Jazmin have something to do with her disappearance? Or was it more to do with Icarus, so beguiling and strangely ever youthful, with whom Becky became suddenly besotted . . .
With detailed and intriguing black and white illustrations throughout.
Jazmin has been shunned ever since her best friend Becky disappeared. But Becky didn't just disappear - she jumped off a tall building and seemingly never reached the ground. It was as if she simply vanished into thin air. Did Jazmin have something to do with her disappearance? Or was it more to do with Icarus, so beguiling and strangely ever youthful, with whom Becky became suddenly besotted . . .
With detailed and intriguing black and white illustrations throughout.
240 pages, Unknown Binding
First published October 5, 2017
About the author
Sally Gardner
117 books644 followersAKA Wray Delaney
Sally Gardner grew up and still lives in London. Being dyslexic, she did not learn to read or write until she was fourteen and had been thrown out of several schools, labeled unteachable, and sent to a school for maladjusted children. Despite this, she gained a degree with highest honors at a leading London art college, followed by a scholarship to a theater school, and then went on to become a very successful costume designer, working on some notable productions.
After the births of twin daughters and a son, she started first to illustrate and then to write picture books and chapter books, usually with fairytale- or otherwise magical subject matter. She has been called 'an idiosyncratic genius' by London’s Sunday Times.
Sally Gardner grew up and still lives in London. Being dyslexic, she did not learn to read or write until she was fourteen and had been thrown out of several schools, labeled unteachable, and sent to a school for maladjusted children. Despite this, she gained a degree with highest honors at a leading London art college, followed by a scholarship to a theater school, and then went on to become a very successful costume designer, working on some notable productions.
After the births of twin daughters and a son, she started first to illustrate and then to write picture books and chapter books, usually with fairytale- or otherwise magical subject matter. She has been called 'an idiosyncratic genius' by London’s Sunday Times.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
October 17, 2017
"My Side of The Diamond" is going to be one of those books that will either be loved or hated.......and I'm happy to say I loved it!!
First of all, I must say how beautifully designed and printed this book is. Produced to resemble a moleskin notebook, just like the notebook Becky one of the characters writes in and with some lovely appropriate and detailed sketched pictures throughout, this book is definitely one to keep on your bookshelves.
Jazmin has been shunned ever since her best friend Becky disappeared. But Becky didn't just disappear - she jumped off a tall building and seemingly never reached the ground. It was as if she simply vanished into thin air. Did Jazmin have something to do with her disappearance? Or was it more to do with Icarus, so beguiling and strangely ever youthful, with whom Becky became suddenly besotted . . .
I was quite ambivalent at first about whether I would like this book, being tagged as part science fiction/romance and part social commentary but I was soon well into the story and found I couldn't put it down. I likened the plot to a YA version of Terminator, Men in Black and Dr Who all rolled into one with a running theme of an alien race landing on earth in order to understand love. Priceless.....and I adored it!
I could really feel the emphasis in the writing as each of the very likeable and endearing characters recounted their stories to Mr Jones in a series of interviews.
Very well written, easy to follow and understand, the author Sally Gardner has done an exceptional job with a really unique and original story, for which I'd happily recommend and read more should another follow in the series.
5 stars.
First of all, I must say how beautifully designed and printed this book is. Produced to resemble a moleskin notebook, just like the notebook Becky one of the characters writes in and with some lovely appropriate and detailed sketched pictures throughout, this book is definitely one to keep on your bookshelves.
Jazmin has been shunned ever since her best friend Becky disappeared. But Becky didn't just disappear - she jumped off a tall building and seemingly never reached the ground. It was as if she simply vanished into thin air. Did Jazmin have something to do with her disappearance? Or was it more to do with Icarus, so beguiling and strangely ever youthful, with whom Becky became suddenly besotted . . .
I was quite ambivalent at first about whether I would like this book, being tagged as part science fiction/romance and part social commentary but I was soon well into the story and found I couldn't put it down. I likened the plot to a YA version of Terminator, Men in Black and Dr Who all rolled into one with a running theme of an alien race landing on earth in order to understand love. Priceless.....and I adored it!
I could really feel the emphasis in the writing as each of the very likeable and endearing characters recounted their stories to Mr Jones in a series of interviews.
Very well written, easy to follow and understand, the author Sally Gardner has done an exceptional job with a really unique and original story, for which I'd happily recommend and read more should another follow in the series.
5 stars.
August 24, 2017
"That illustrates the mother theory perfectly," said Becky. "She is just another loser exiled from the couple kingdom. Watch how fast your paper house burns down, Mrs Burns"
* *
2 / 5
I’m not really an alien book person. This is perhaps a peculiar quirk in my reading tastes: I love YA, I love sci-fi, and I love fantasy. I love books set on other worlds, around other cultures, that feature new, imaginative, and fascinating ways of existence and belief. So I like aliens. But I do not like books about aliens; books about UFOs and strange government programmes and weird aliens impersonating humans. Which is, weirdly, exactly what My Side of the Diamond turned out to be.
Judge me, hate me, find me unforgiven. You won’t be the first. I have lived with it long enough. It changes nothing.
It didn’t start off like that. It started off with a girl, Jazmin, telling her peculiar story to a man. We are teased with a mystery: Jazmin’s best friend Becky jumped off a tower with a man, strangely called Icarus, and they both vanished before ever hitting the ground. Jazmin was scapegoated, her story laughed at in court, and her name and reputation dragged through the mud. But we aren’t there yet. Jazmin met Becky when they were both young; Jazmin stole her notebook, where she had written amazing stories about aliens in. Later, Becky’s mum pressures her into getting a publisher to sell her book, The Martian Winter, which later becomes a bestseller. Jazmin watches, distressed, as her own life falls apart between her poor, abandoning mother and being homeless, and as Becky becoming more and more withdrawn, refusing to eat.
The pair take a holiday to a small village, where Becky becomes obsessed with the story of a man called Icarus, who about twenty years ago convinced a young man, Lazarus who used to be called Luke before he rose from the dead, and Skye, the strange adopted daughter of a local artist called Phoebe, to jump from a tower. Becky goes to the prison to meet him, under the pretence of inspiration for another book, but instead of meeting a forty year old man, she meets a young seventeen year old. Who then appears in the pub, claiming to have walked through the walls of the prison to get there. Becky is instantly besotted with him.
“This house and the house in London, are built on lies,” she said. “Lies are bricks that the truth slowly moulders away until the house falls down”
It only really gets weirder and more complicated from there. We mostly hear from Jazmin, whose story crosses between her romance and sexual exploits with Becky’s half-brother Alex, and her encounters with a killer robot hybrid Doubleday, and odd masked men. But we also bounce backwards in time to hear from Rex, the brother of Lazarus, and his friend Mina, who is Alex’s mother, who knew Phoebe who’s strange daughter was Skye. There’s also the brother of Frank, who is Phoebe’s husband, who is a chimney-sweeper, and on and on go these connections, the past and present blending together.
“No,” said Becky. It was that “no” that became the lock on the door of a lie. One lie, two lies, three lies, and all truth lies ripped apart
It’s very clever, how all these people and threads interconnect, melding weird alien stuff with normal problems like Becky’s father eloping with her publisher whilst her mother breaks down and flies to India to consult a guru. Okay, maybe not normal problems, but closer to it. But whilst it’s clever, it’s also very complex and I couldn’t for the life of me keep everyone straight. I was constantly going “who the heck is Mark”, flipping forwards and backwards to the point where I had to write it down to remember.
Make no mistake, My Side of the Diamond is an excellent written and well-thought out book, it just wasn’t my kind of book. I wouldn’t have picked it up had I known it was going to feature aliens and conspiracy theories so heavily, or that it was going to be so odd. That’s the one word I would pick to describe this book: bizarre. This book is really weird and I did think it was brilliant, just not to my tastes.
My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of this book
Read this review and more on my blog: https://atlasrisingbooks.wordpress.co...
* *
2 / 5
I’m not really an alien book person. This is perhaps a peculiar quirk in my reading tastes: I love YA, I love sci-fi, and I love fantasy. I love books set on other worlds, around other cultures, that feature new, imaginative, and fascinating ways of existence and belief. So I like aliens. But I do not like books about aliens; books about UFOs and strange government programmes and weird aliens impersonating humans. Which is, weirdly, exactly what My Side of the Diamond turned out to be.
Judge me, hate me, find me unforgiven. You won’t be the first. I have lived with it long enough. It changes nothing.
It didn’t start off like that. It started off with a girl, Jazmin, telling her peculiar story to a man. We are teased with a mystery: Jazmin’s best friend Becky jumped off a tower with a man, strangely called Icarus, and they both vanished before ever hitting the ground. Jazmin was scapegoated, her story laughed at in court, and her name and reputation dragged through the mud. But we aren’t there yet. Jazmin met Becky when they were both young; Jazmin stole her notebook, where she had written amazing stories about aliens in. Later, Becky’s mum pressures her into getting a publisher to sell her book, The Martian Winter, which later becomes a bestseller. Jazmin watches, distressed, as her own life falls apart between her poor, abandoning mother and being homeless, and as Becky becoming more and more withdrawn, refusing to eat.
The pair take a holiday to a small village, where Becky becomes obsessed with the story of a man called Icarus, who about twenty years ago convinced a young man, Lazarus who used to be called Luke before he rose from the dead, and Skye, the strange adopted daughter of a local artist called Phoebe, to jump from a tower. Becky goes to the prison to meet him, under the pretence of inspiration for another book, but instead of meeting a forty year old man, she meets a young seventeen year old. Who then appears in the pub, claiming to have walked through the walls of the prison to get there. Becky is instantly besotted with him.
“This house and the house in London, are built on lies,” she said. “Lies are bricks that the truth slowly moulders away until the house falls down”
It only really gets weirder and more complicated from there. We mostly hear from Jazmin, whose story crosses between her romance and sexual exploits with Becky’s half-brother Alex, and her encounters with a killer robot hybrid Doubleday, and odd masked men. But we also bounce backwards in time to hear from Rex, the brother of Lazarus, and his friend Mina, who is Alex’s mother, who knew Phoebe who’s strange daughter was Skye. There’s also the brother of Frank, who is Phoebe’s husband, who is a chimney-sweeper, and on and on go these connections, the past and present blending together.
“No,” said Becky. It was that “no” that became the lock on the door of a lie. One lie, two lies, three lies, and all truth lies ripped apart
It’s very clever, how all these people and threads interconnect, melding weird alien stuff with normal problems like Becky’s father eloping with her publisher whilst her mother breaks down and flies to India to consult a guru. Okay, maybe not normal problems, but closer to it. But whilst it’s clever, it’s also very complex and I couldn’t for the life of me keep everyone straight. I was constantly going “who the heck is Mark”, flipping forwards and backwards to the point where I had to write it down to remember.
Make no mistake, My Side of the Diamond is an excellent written and well-thought out book, it just wasn’t my kind of book. I wouldn’t have picked it up had I known it was going to feature aliens and conspiracy theories so heavily, or that it was going to be so odd. That’s the one word I would pick to describe this book: bizarre. This book is really weird and I did think it was brilliant, just not to my tastes.
My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of this book
Read this review and more on my blog: https://atlasrisingbooks.wordpress.co...
January 27, 2023
İlginç bir kitaptı...
November 15, 2017
↠ 2.5 stars
The Positive: the physical format of this book is really unusual, which greatly influenced me when I picked it up - it looks and feels rather like a notebook, which is a really ingenuous and inventive idea!
The Negative: Sally Gardner's books have been a bit hit-and-miss with me. I like some, and I dislike others. 'My Side of the Diamond' was interesting because it had an unusual idea behind it, but I didn't necessarily feel it resonated with me and on the whole it isn't something I'd read again. I found it in the YA section of my local bookstore but I have been informed it is an adult read, which confused me quite a bit. Similarly, I wasn't fond of the writing style and the characters seemed a bit bland. The romance wasn't realistically developed and the plotting of the narrative was unevenly placed in some sections.
Even though I didn't like it, I'm sure I lot of people will find it enjoyable because it is bizarre and the story isn't something that's been done before!
The Positive: the physical format of this book is really unusual, which greatly influenced me when I picked it up - it looks and feels rather like a notebook, which is a really ingenuous and inventive idea!
The Negative: Sally Gardner's books have been a bit hit-and-miss with me. I like some, and I dislike others. 'My Side of the Diamond' was interesting because it had an unusual idea behind it, but I didn't necessarily feel it resonated with me and on the whole it isn't something I'd read again. I found it in the YA section of my local bookstore but I have been informed it is an adult read, which confused me quite a bit. Similarly, I wasn't fond of the writing style and the characters seemed a bit bland. The romance wasn't realistically developed and the plotting of the narrative was unevenly placed in some sections.
Even though I didn't like it, I'm sure I lot of people will find it enjoyable because it is bizarre and the story isn't something that's been done before!
October 11, 2017
If you like aliens, this is for you. To my knowledge, this is the first time that prize-winning (and excellent) author Sally Gardner has tackled the sci-fi genre, and she approaches it from a bizarre angle that does take some time to get used to. Also, the first ten or so pages were filled with random squares that had me seriously worried that my Kindle had gone into meltdown.
It hadn’t. The significance of the notepaper kind of becomes apparent later on.
The book itself takes the form of a series of interviews, conducted by a mysterious ‘Mr Jones’, whom we never hear speak. The book is made up of the testimonies of various people connected to the disappearance of one Becky Barns and the man she vanished with: a man named Icarus. Told mainly through the eyes of Becky’s friend, Jazmin, and other people connected to the case, fragments of the plot are revealed to us in increments- as well as hinting at the tragic fate of the people wrapped up in the case as the friends become embroiled in Icarus’s story, and the story of two people he is supposed to have pushed off the roof of St. Paul’s twenty years ago. But if he did, why hasn’t he aged a day?
And there are aliens. It’s introduced with almost no subtlety, and only gets weirder from there: Icarus is an alien, there are UFO-sightings, mysterious government departments and a hateful alien-cyborg hybrid who pops out of a walled-up pantry and causes havoc. As you might imagine, this was cause for more than a few raised eyebrows on my part- and takes more than a little bit of effort to swallow and get on with the story.
If you do manage to get past the unexplained- and jarring- alien element, the story is at its best when it focusses on the characters themselves. Gardner knows how to craft characters you care about- especially the prickly Jazmin, the protagonist- and gradually creates a multi-layered, fascinating plot that explores everything from what it means to be human to the feeling of love. By the end, I was welling up.
My Side of the Diamond is an odd, but ultimately touching story. If you can get past the alien element, it proves to be a heartwarming explanation of love, humanity and more besides: if sci-fi is your thing, then this will be too.
It hadn’t. The significance of the notepaper kind of becomes apparent later on.
The book itself takes the form of a series of interviews, conducted by a mysterious ‘Mr Jones’, whom we never hear speak. The book is made up of the testimonies of various people connected to the disappearance of one Becky Barns and the man she vanished with: a man named Icarus. Told mainly through the eyes of Becky’s friend, Jazmin, and other people connected to the case, fragments of the plot are revealed to us in increments- as well as hinting at the tragic fate of the people wrapped up in the case as the friends become embroiled in Icarus’s story, and the story of two people he is supposed to have pushed off the roof of St. Paul’s twenty years ago. But if he did, why hasn’t he aged a day?
And there are aliens. It’s introduced with almost no subtlety, and only gets weirder from there: Icarus is an alien, there are UFO-sightings, mysterious government departments and a hateful alien-cyborg hybrid who pops out of a walled-up pantry and causes havoc. As you might imagine, this was cause for more than a few raised eyebrows on my part- and takes more than a little bit of effort to swallow and get on with the story.
If you do manage to get past the unexplained- and jarring- alien element, the story is at its best when it focusses on the characters themselves. Gardner knows how to craft characters you care about- especially the prickly Jazmin, the protagonist- and gradually creates a multi-layered, fascinating plot that explores everything from what it means to be human to the feeling of love. By the end, I was welling up.
My Side of the Diamond is an odd, but ultimately touching story. If you can get past the alien element, it proves to be a heartwarming explanation of love, humanity and more besides: if sci-fi is your thing, then this will be too.
September 13, 2017
Many thanks to Tina from Bonnier Zaffre who sent me an ARC copy of this book!
My Side of the Diamond is presented from the point of view of several characters who provide their own take of Becky's disappearance and each narrative points, one way or another, that Jazmine should be to blame for it. In fact, the premise itself makes it seem as if Jazmine is a character you cannot trust, an unreliable narrator except by the end of the book, it feels as if that idea simply can't work anymore. Gradually, the mystery behind the result of Becky's relationship with the enticing Icarus is cleared and it's a little difficult to understand why every other character points their fingers towards Jazmine.
I felt the story was more an outline of a string of events which were, to some extent, interesting. I found I liked the aliens and cyborgs and secret agencies ripped out of Men In Black particularly as, without a doubt, I found some parts of the story to be quite sinister. Still, very few characters and relationships we discover through the course of the book were sufficiently developed to give them some depth, to avoid them falling flat and their connections to come across as shallow. It's a shame because there were numerous opportunities for this to really be fleshed out because throughout the course of the book, I was entirely disconnected. In fact, it wasn't until near the end of the book I realized the plot was centered around a quest for the meaning of love which took me by surprise but also made it feel a little awkward, as if I missed out the point entirely and should have probably gone back to read it again in case some hints dropped along the way that I overlooked.
I did not hate the book but I didn't love it either though there are elements in it which could have stood out much more and characters which could have been promising but in the end, they weren't as memorable unfortunately.
My Side of the Diamond is presented from the point of view of several characters who provide their own take of Becky's disappearance and each narrative points, one way or another, that Jazmine should be to blame for it. In fact, the premise itself makes it seem as if Jazmine is a character you cannot trust, an unreliable narrator except by the end of the book, it feels as if that idea simply can't work anymore. Gradually, the mystery behind the result of Becky's relationship with the enticing Icarus is cleared and it's a little difficult to understand why every other character points their fingers towards Jazmine.
I felt the story was more an outline of a string of events which were, to some extent, interesting. I found I liked the aliens and cyborgs and secret agencies ripped out of Men In Black particularly as, without a doubt, I found some parts of the story to be quite sinister. Still, very few characters and relationships we discover through the course of the book were sufficiently developed to give them some depth, to avoid them falling flat and their connections to come across as shallow. It's a shame because there were numerous opportunities for this to really be fleshed out because throughout the course of the book, I was entirely disconnected. In fact, it wasn't until near the end of the book I realized the plot was centered around a quest for the meaning of love which took me by surprise but also made it feel a little awkward, as if I missed out the point entirely and should have probably gone back to read it again in case some hints dropped along the way that I overlooked.
I did not hate the book but I didn't love it either though there are elements in it which could have stood out much more and characters which could have been promising but in the end, they weren't as memorable unfortunately.
September 13, 2017
it wasn't bad, not at all. most of it just confused the hell out of me. i'm still thinking 'what the hell did i just read?!'
September 28, 2017
While the concept of this novel is wonderfully creative, I felt it was not especially well fleshed out. The romantic relationships begin so suddenly and have no depth, while the multiple narrative voices are stilted and inauthentic. I don't read a lot of YA, so my expectations may have been too high, but the best thing I can say is that it was compelling. Thanks to Goodreads for the advanced copy.
October 12, 2017
I recieved this book from Netgalley for an honest review.
This book just wasnt for me.
I will say that it was very well thought out and fantastically written. It had a very interesting writing style and I didnt know where the story was going for a long time.
But I'm not normally a lover of Alien books and this one sadly was no exception.
I did think the switch from characters could have been smoother but we still knew who was who.
Overall a very interesting read but just not my style.
This book just wasnt for me.
I will say that it was very well thought out and fantastically written. It had a very interesting writing style and I didnt know where the story was going for a long time.
But I'm not normally a lover of Alien books and this one sadly was no exception.
I did think the switch from characters could have been smoother but we still knew who was who.
Overall a very interesting read but just not my style.
September 22, 2017
This is possibly one of the most bizarre and down right weird books I think I've ever come across and while that might put a lot of people off it's actually the thing I loved the most about it. It took me a little while to figure out what the heck was going on but once I did I found it fascinating.
Where it went wrong for me was the form the story took. Rather than being in the moment it's told through a series of interviews with the various characters involved in the events. This might have been okay except for the fact you never hear the questions asked, there are a lot of different narrators telling their stories and it jumps around in time. It is very cleverly done but this reflection on events which in some cases happened many years previously left me feeling distanced from them and from the characters. For me to love a book I need the closeness and the connection and that never happened.
I was curious about what had happened and very intrigued as to who the interviewer was and why he was looking into the story but I wasn't emotionally invested. I didn't particularly like or relate to any of the characters and I didn't fully buy into the relationships between them. The romances are very sudden and I didn't feel any connection or chemistry to make them seem believable.
There were elements that fascinated me, there were parts that confused the heck out of me and there was even the odd creepy moment but unfortunately as a whole I have to say it didn't do it for me.
It hasn't put me off Gardner's writing, I love how unique her stories are, but this was a little disappointing.
I won a copy of this book from ReadersFirst. This has not influenced me review.
Where it went wrong for me was the form the story took. Rather than being in the moment it's told through a series of interviews with the various characters involved in the events. This might have been okay except for the fact you never hear the questions asked, there are a lot of different narrators telling their stories and it jumps around in time. It is very cleverly done but this reflection on events which in some cases happened many years previously left me feeling distanced from them and from the characters. For me to love a book I need the closeness and the connection and that never happened.
I was curious about what had happened and very intrigued as to who the interviewer was and why he was looking into the story but I wasn't emotionally invested. I didn't particularly like or relate to any of the characters and I didn't fully buy into the relationships between them. The romances are very sudden and I didn't feel any connection or chemistry to make them seem believable.
There were elements that fascinated me, there were parts that confused the heck out of me and there was even the odd creepy moment but unfortunately as a whole I have to say it didn't do it for me.
It hasn't put me off Gardner's writing, I love how unique her stories are, but this was a little disappointing.
I won a copy of this book from ReadersFirst. This has not influenced me review.
October 29, 2017
By rachyrachyroo
Firstly I have to say I love the book cover with its notebook look. It feels like I'm about to read something really special!
The book starts with Jazmin telling a man called Mr Jones about her friend Becky, who apparently jumped to her death. Mr Jones then goes on to interview several other people involved.
Overall I enjoyed the book and I liked the storyline, but I did feel that there was something missing. The book is about love but I felt this could have been shown more. e.g. Becky goes to meet Icarus and suddenly she's in love with him. As the reader we don't get to hear Becky's side of this so I felt a bit disconnected from it.
I felt there were a lot of characters and found it hard to keep up sometimes and had to keep remembering who was related to who.
I really enjoyed the ending with the surprise reveal!
Disclaimer: book received for free to review.
Firstly I have to say I love the book cover with its notebook look. It feels like I'm about to read something really special!
The book starts with Jazmin telling a man called Mr Jones about her friend Becky, who apparently jumped to her death. Mr Jones then goes on to interview several other people involved.
Overall I enjoyed the book and I liked the storyline, but I did feel that there was something missing. The book is about love but I felt this could have been shown more. e.g. Becky goes to meet Icarus and suddenly she's in love with him. As the reader we don't get to hear Becky's side of this so I felt a bit disconnected from it.
I felt there were a lot of characters and found it hard to keep up sometimes and had to keep remembering who was related to who.
I really enjoyed the ending with the surprise reveal!
Disclaimer: book received for free to review.
September 16, 2017
This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
My Side of the Diamond is the latest novel by British author Sally Gardner. Employing the use of science fiction, Gardner explores the concept of love in a unique tale of a covered up alien invasion. The main characters are unfortunately caught up in the drama; however, no one will ever believe their story.
Jazmin Little’s best friend, Becky, has disappeared. Some say she was murdered, others claim she committed suicide, but what everyone agrees on is that she jumped from the top of the Shard in London, but never landed. Jazmin knows what happened but the authorities have torn her witness statement to shreds. Now everyone believes that she is the cause of Becky’s disappearance.
The reader plays an active role as the mysterious Mr. Jones who is interviewing a handful of characters involved with the mystery surrounding Becky’s fate. Jazmin and the others tell the reader, as Mr. Jones, the truth about the lead-up to the moment their lives changed forever. Jazmin explains the events that preceded Becky becoming infatuated with the enigmatic Icarus. From their first meeting, bizarre and frightening things began to occur. From Becky’s sudden recovery from anorexia as though she had just had an epiphany, to being chased by an impossible monster, the friends and their relatives are suddenly in serious danger.
Icarus claims to be an alien who has come to Earth to learn about love. Becky instantly believed him, however, Jazmin and the others remained sceptical. As they open up to Mr. Jones, they wish they could go back in time and change the way things panned out. In hindsight, they know who was good and who was bad, but at the time, it was impossible to know whom to trust.
Although the main story focuses on the relationship between Becky and Icarus and their resulting disappearance, Gardner also explores themes of social classes and friendship. Jazmin and Becky were polar opposite: Becky came from a family made of money, whereas Jazmin was lucky to have a can of baked beans for dinner. Despite this, they were best friends who did not let their backgrounds interfere with their relationship. The significance of their social class comes to light as Jazmin explains what happened at the trial after Becky’s disappearance. Being from such a low caste, it was easy for everyone to pin the blame on Jazmin.
The concept behind My Side of the Diamond is interesting, as is the method of narrating the story, however, it lacks any emotional connection. Mr. Jones, although having no dialogue of his own, comes across as an impassive character, and that is how I felt whilst reading the book. None of the characters were particularly relatable and it was difficult to care about what happened to them. Their circumstances were creepy, but also far-fetched and hard to comprehend.
Although Sally Gardner’s ideas are good, My Side of the Diamond is a disappointment, especially coming from a prize-winning author.
My Side of the Diamond is the latest novel by British author Sally Gardner. Employing the use of science fiction, Gardner explores the concept of love in a unique tale of a covered up alien invasion. The main characters are unfortunately caught up in the drama; however, no one will ever believe their story.
Jazmin Little’s best friend, Becky, has disappeared. Some say she was murdered, others claim she committed suicide, but what everyone agrees on is that she jumped from the top of the Shard in London, but never landed. Jazmin knows what happened but the authorities have torn her witness statement to shreds. Now everyone believes that she is the cause of Becky’s disappearance.
The reader plays an active role as the mysterious Mr. Jones who is interviewing a handful of characters involved with the mystery surrounding Becky’s fate. Jazmin and the others tell the reader, as Mr. Jones, the truth about the lead-up to the moment their lives changed forever. Jazmin explains the events that preceded Becky becoming infatuated with the enigmatic Icarus. From their first meeting, bizarre and frightening things began to occur. From Becky’s sudden recovery from anorexia as though she had just had an epiphany, to being chased by an impossible monster, the friends and their relatives are suddenly in serious danger.
Icarus claims to be an alien who has come to Earth to learn about love. Becky instantly believed him, however, Jazmin and the others remained sceptical. As they open up to Mr. Jones, they wish they could go back in time and change the way things panned out. In hindsight, they know who was good and who was bad, but at the time, it was impossible to know whom to trust.
Although the main story focuses on the relationship between Becky and Icarus and their resulting disappearance, Gardner also explores themes of social classes and friendship. Jazmin and Becky were polar opposite: Becky came from a family made of money, whereas Jazmin was lucky to have a can of baked beans for dinner. Despite this, they were best friends who did not let their backgrounds interfere with their relationship. The significance of their social class comes to light as Jazmin explains what happened at the trial after Becky’s disappearance. Being from such a low caste, it was easy for everyone to pin the blame on Jazmin.
The concept behind My Side of the Diamond is interesting, as is the method of narrating the story, however, it lacks any emotional connection. Mr. Jones, although having no dialogue of his own, comes across as an impassive character, and that is how I felt whilst reading the book. None of the characters were particularly relatable and it was difficult to care about what happened to them. Their circumstances were creepy, but also far-fetched and hard to comprehend.
Although Sally Gardner’s ideas are good, My Side of the Diamond is a disappointment, especially coming from a prize-winning author.
October 4, 2017
Hard to define, it's sci-fi, romance, mystery
Very different to Gardner's previous work, though I suppose there are some similarities to Maggot Moon. This will not appeal widely, being confusing at times - I spent a lot of the time reading it wondering where the author was taking me.
Told via several narrators, we build up a picture of a past disappearance, but the fantastical elements mean we are not sure if it was a death, a murder or just someone vanishing into thin air. Jazmin misses her best friend, and the book takes us with her as fantastical elements swirl around the plot seeming bizarre until they come together and make some sort of sense at the end, revealing what happened to Becky.
It's unusual, though this usually doesn't faze me, but I didn't take to the genre/plot. I didn't feel like giving up on it, I was intrigued enough to get to the end, but I finished and didn't feel particularly satisfied.
This is one I'd only recommend to very particular teen readers, most will find it a little too 'out there', it is smart and well-written with several identifiable voices, but is not going to keep the attention of the majority of 12-16 year olds.
With thanks to Netgalley for the advance reading copy.
Very different to Gardner's previous work, though I suppose there are some similarities to Maggot Moon. This will not appeal widely, being confusing at times - I spent a lot of the time reading it wondering where the author was taking me.
Told via several narrators, we build up a picture of a past disappearance, but the fantastical elements mean we are not sure if it was a death, a murder or just someone vanishing into thin air. Jazmin misses her best friend, and the book takes us with her as fantastical elements swirl around the plot seeming bizarre until they come together and make some sort of sense at the end, revealing what happened to Becky.
It's unusual, though this usually doesn't faze me, but I didn't take to the genre/plot. I didn't feel like giving up on it, I was intrigued enough to get to the end, but I finished and didn't feel particularly satisfied.
This is one I'd only recommend to very particular teen readers, most will find it a little too 'out there', it is smart and well-written with several identifiable voices, but is not going to keep the attention of the majority of 12-16 year olds.
With thanks to Netgalley for the advance reading copy.
November 26, 2017
I got an arc of this a couple months ago, and this was such a quick and easy read, I flew through it, it was exciting and intriguing, I throughly enjoyed it!
October 2, 2017
My Side of the Diamond is a story told from different narratives that build together to form a science fiction story all about love. The book illustrates all types of love, from maternal, paternal and love of a best friend and soul mate.
Jazmin's best friend Becky has jumped off the Shard and never hit the ground. Jazmin has taken the blame for this and tells her story to Mr Jones. However things are not always that straight forward. The story reveals UFO landings, transformation stones that bring back the dead and horrifying monsters made of flesh and wires.
The mysterious Mr Jones sets about interviewing all the family and friends and the story unfolds through their narratives. It stretches back many years but they all have one thing in common Icarus, a beautiful stranger who never ages and has eyes that hypnotise you. Prison is unable to hold him as he can walk through steel and everyone he meets fall in love with him.
A lot of fun, if a little complicated at times, I would recommend it for young adults or teenagers.
Jazmin's best friend Becky has jumped off the Shard and never hit the ground. Jazmin has taken the blame for this and tells her story to Mr Jones. However things are not always that straight forward. The story reveals UFO landings, transformation stones that bring back the dead and horrifying monsters made of flesh and wires.
The mysterious Mr Jones sets about interviewing all the family and friends and the story unfolds through their narratives. It stretches back many years but they all have one thing in common Icarus, a beautiful stranger who never ages and has eyes that hypnotise you. Prison is unable to hold him as he can walk through steel and everyone he meets fall in love with him.
A lot of fun, if a little complicated at times, I would recommend it for young adults or teenagers.
September 21, 2017
Quirky, touching, genre crossing, funny, heart breaking with an ending that surprises but is entirely story appropriate. This latest novel for young adults by Sally Gardner,' My Side of the Diamond' from Hot Key, is hard to categorise. It is a love story, a thriller, a diary of self discovery, with some sci fi thrown in. It takes you by surprise but holds your attention. It is a tribute to Gardner's great writing talents that the bits that at first might seem unbelievable are so skilfully woven into the narrative that you the reader accept them and want to keep reading. Who wouldn't like to meet their own Icarus? (a great name for this character). Told in flashback, as though being interviewed by an anonymous Mr Jones, and from multiple viewpoints, this is not the easiest of formats to read but Gardner cleverly gives enough character clues that the reader can always work out who is speaking about which part of the story. This is a neat trick. Paths connect and characters destinies overlap criss crossing throughout the story; until all is shown how it fits together at the end. Jazmin is a hugely relatable and likeable lead character, who has had a tough ride in life but never gives up on life, love and her best friend Becky, even though she's literally disappeared. Did she jump? Was she pushed? Or is there more to this vanishing act? Well of course there is. I received a copy via Net galley to read and review.
February 3, 2018
2.5 stars.
Very clever but ultimately quite an incoherent read.
The book is presented beautifully and I love other books by this author, so I was quick to pick this up when I saw it in my local library. I had no idea what to expect going in, but I was hoping for magical realism. Instead, it was an original, yet bizarre mix of science fiction and contemporary YA.
What I liked: presentation, Jaz's character and the realistic portrayal of friendship, unique ideas, they way lots of seemingly unrelated characters were tied into the web.
Even better if: Science fiction melded poorly with the real world - I wanted more of an explanation! Love interest seemed shallow.
Interesting but this was not a new favourite. I know lots of people who loved it though so would recommend giving it a go!
Very clever but ultimately quite an incoherent read.
The book is presented beautifully and I love other books by this author, so I was quick to pick this up when I saw it in my local library. I had no idea what to expect going in, but I was hoping for magical realism. Instead, it was an original, yet bizarre mix of science fiction and contemporary YA.
What I liked: presentation, Jaz's character and the realistic portrayal of friendship, unique ideas, they way lots of seemingly unrelated characters were tied into the web.
Even better if: Science fiction melded poorly with the real world - I wanted more of an explanation! Love interest seemed shallow.
Interesting but this was not a new favourite. I know lots of people who loved it though so would recommend giving it a go!
February 19, 2021
Bakırköy’de buz gibi havada kitabı okumaya başladığımda 20-30 sayfayı hangi arada okuduğumu anlayamayıp konuya ve kitaba çok yükselmiştim. Ta ki konunun altındaki fantastik nedeni öğrenene kadar... Keşke bu neden daha yaratıcı olsaydı. Olmasa bile keşke başka bir sebebe bağlansaydı. Bu sebep bana çok yapay geldi ve hiç sevmedim. 2.5’tan 3’ü sadece kapağa ve konuya veriyorum.
March 2, 2019
I picked this up as it’s on the 2019 Carnegie Longlist. It features aliens and mysterious events so isn’t typically the kind of book I’d go for.
Jazmine is trying to come to terms with the disappearance of her best friend, Becky. There’s no trace of her, but we learn she jumped off a tower and disappeared.
We dip into the past and present to try to learn the circumstances of what’s going on. We’re introduced to the friends, learn about their relationships and their keen interest in two other characters who seemingly disappeared after jumping from a tower.
This is not a particularly taxing read, and the story is not necessarily credible. However, it explores some interesting questions about humanity and what makes us as we are.
I’ll be interested to see if this makes the shortlisted titles.
Jazmine is trying to come to terms with the disappearance of her best friend, Becky. There’s no trace of her, but we learn she jumped off a tower and disappeared.
We dip into the past and present to try to learn the circumstances of what’s going on. We’re introduced to the friends, learn about their relationships and their keen interest in two other characters who seemingly disappeared after jumping from a tower.
This is not a particularly taxing read, and the story is not necessarily credible. However, it explores some interesting questions about humanity and what makes us as we are.
I’ll be interested to see if this makes the shortlisted titles.
September 18, 2017
Actual rating - 4.5/5 stars. This was an intriguing story that I flew through.. What I felt started off as a crime, thriller, mystery - turned out to be something completely different!!! It had a futuristic Frankenstien vibe to this story. The characters' voices were projected quite well throughout the story - even if some of the dialogue got a little annoying, I still found myself turning the page wanting to know what happens next and where all of this "mess" was coming from. I can definitely see a sequel coming out of this one!! The plot was pretty cool.. Special thanks to Allen and Unwin Publishers for sending me an Advanced Review Copy in exchange for my honest review..
September 5, 2017
(Proof received for free, this does not affect my opinion.) I delved into this book without reading the short description so I had no idea what I was getting into. Let me start by saying this: this is one weird little book. When I finished it, I honestly didn’t know if I adored or hated the story and I have honestly NEVER felt this way. I had the most the-fuck-did-I-just-read feeling, but somehow in the best way possible? The mystery is written in a very compelling way and I couldn’t put it down until I knew what had happened, but it was so freaking weird! (You can see, I’m very articulate in describing this one…)
October 16, 2017
I received a free copy of this book through ReadersFirst in return for an honest review.
Well that was weird.
My Side of the Diamond is a YA book about a girl called Jazmin whose best friend walked off a tower with a boy called Icarus but whose body was never found. It's an intriguing premise and the first few chapters made me curious but it just got so weird.
In a way the writing kind of reminded me of Jacqueline Wilson but with aliens and secret organisations. Serious issues were tackled like death, grief and eating disorders but they felt like nothing. And I'm not saying that JW or Sally Gardner are bad writers for this but it makes it read like its been written for young teens. Again, not a problem, it's good to see new stuff out there for young teens but it does mean that I reckon I would have enjoyed it more had I been younger.
There are a lot of twists in this book but not much action and that led to a lot of questions and me going hmm. The good thing is that it was compelling enough to read in a single day but I didn't really enjoy it.
The best thing about this book is probably how it looks. I love the feel of the front cover and the strap that make it look like a notebook and there's illustrations inside to give you a better idea of some of the things mentioned. It's probably worry checking out just to see the pretty.
Overall this book wasn't for me but I have a feeling that for some young teens it'll be an interesting introduction to sci-fi novels.
Well that was weird.
My Side of the Diamond is a YA book about a girl called Jazmin whose best friend walked off a tower with a boy called Icarus but whose body was never found. It's an intriguing premise and the first few chapters made me curious but it just got so weird.
In a way the writing kind of reminded me of Jacqueline Wilson but with aliens and secret organisations. Serious issues were tackled like death, grief and eating disorders but they felt like nothing. And I'm not saying that JW or Sally Gardner are bad writers for this but it makes it read like its been written for young teens. Again, not a problem, it's good to see new stuff out there for young teens but it does mean that I reckon I would have enjoyed it more had I been younger.
There are a lot of twists in this book but not much action and that led to a lot of questions and me going hmm. The good thing is that it was compelling enough to read in a single day but I didn't really enjoy it.
The best thing about this book is probably how it looks. I love the feel of the front cover and the strap that make it look like a notebook and there's illustrations inside to give you a better idea of some of the things mentioned. It's probably worry checking out just to see the pretty.
Overall this book wasn't for me but I have a feeling that for some young teens it'll be an interesting introduction to sci-fi novels.
July 2, 2018
The cover of this book is stunning, it is unlike your average book as it was made to look like a moleskin notebook just like Becky had. This was a cute touch i thought.
The story sounded promising after i read the blurb but i found as i was reading it, the way it was written in certain parts felt rushed so i got confused quite a lot as to who was speaking or what was going on so i lost interest and even debated reading it from the begining again to try and understand it better.
I perservered and finished the book. I did enjoy the story generally once i understood what was going on but i felt disappointed because i wasn't absorbed into the story as i usually am with such good storylines.
The story sounded promising after i read the blurb but i found as i was reading it, the way it was written in certain parts felt rushed so i got confused quite a lot as to who was speaking or what was going on so i lost interest and even debated reading it from the begining again to try and understand it better.
I perservered and finished the book. I did enjoy the story generally once i understood what was going on but i felt disappointed because i wasn't absorbed into the story as i usually am with such good storylines.
January 15, 2018
This book is terrible. The writing is terrible. The themes are terrible. After a while I thought maybe this book was aimed at children because of its childlike depiction of love but then it has mature themes so you can even give this good for nothing book to a kid. The only good thing about this book is that it has a nice cover so it'll look good on my shelf as it collects dust.
August 9, 2017
It started a bit slow but soon picked up. I've never read a book like this, it was interesting. I found the book enjoyable and had me guessing. The ending was unexpected, but I think it was the perfect way to end the book.
December 13, 2020
so it took me about a month to read this and i still have no idea what is happening, something to do with love, aliens and a couple that jumped off of a building. that is honestly all i can remember. i really enjoyed sally gardners tinder book but this one just confused me
June 16, 2021
Well, the book cover is a plus point because when you hold it, it really feels like notebook that Becky was using with small boxes in each pages for you to write.
Overall, its romannce/sci-fi which I dont really get at first but eventually will at the end. Not such a big fan. Not my style.
Overall, its romannce/sci-fi which I dont really get at first but eventually will at the end. Not such a big fan. Not my style.
August 23, 2023
The story was intriguing but the execution was subpar. I didn't enjoy the writing style at all. It was somehow really hard to keep my focus. The relationships between the characters didn't really make sense. I appreciate it for the story, I just wish it was tackled another way.
January 29, 2020
Very hard to follow along which made getting through the book a real challenge. Was left very confused at the end which was disappointing
November 5, 2017
My Side of the Diamond follows Jazmin as she reiterates the story of how her best friend Becky died. She didn't just die though, she vanished. Just like magic, as Becky jumped from St Pauls Cathedral but her body never hit the ground. The same thing happened years earlier to Skye and Lazarus, but nothing was ever solved.
I went into this book knowing nothing as my ARC copy didn't have a synopsis and I accidentally sent the publishers note back to my mums house inside the other book I received. This is probably both a good and a bad thing. The good thing was that I was so intrigued about what this book was about. The bad thing is that I was totally not ready to be reading about aliens. This completely threw me and I feel like I need to reread to understand what was going on a bit more. It's been a few weeks since I finished and I'm still not fully sure what was going on.
My Side of the Diamond is short but also quite mysterious. I finished reading it in one evening because I wanted to find out who Icarus is and what happened to Skye and Lazarus. Plus, of course, what happened to Becky. Throughout there's dropped hints as to what happened or what will happen as the characters are talking about their past. There's multiple narrators and My Side of the Diamond is written as if they're talking to the interviewer, Mr Jones.
I found Jazmin, the main narrator quite irritating at times. I understand she's young but at times she just seemed unable to sympathise or empthasise with Becky's anxiety and eating disorder. This just made me think she was a horrible person and I preferred reading the other narrators more even though they contributed less. She was also shoe-horned into a very unbelievable romance which just got in the way of the plot.
I enjoyed the plot of the book. There's aliens, secret agents going after the aliens, and also some kind of evil robot which enjoys murderous rampages. There's not much action and a lot of the book is taken up of talking but it's still very fast-paced. If I was in a 'Let's read about aliens' mood then I think I would have enjoyed this My Side of the Diamond even more.
I received My Side of the Diamond by Sally Gardner from the publisher, Hot Key Books. This is an unbiased and honest review.
I went into this book knowing nothing as my ARC copy didn't have a synopsis and I accidentally sent the publishers note back to my mums house inside the other book I received. This is probably both a good and a bad thing. The good thing was that I was so intrigued about what this book was about. The bad thing is that I was totally not ready to be reading about aliens. This completely threw me and I feel like I need to reread to understand what was going on a bit more. It's been a few weeks since I finished and I'm still not fully sure what was going on.
My Side of the Diamond is short but also quite mysterious. I finished reading it in one evening because I wanted to find out who Icarus is and what happened to Skye and Lazarus. Plus, of course, what happened to Becky. Throughout there's dropped hints as to what happened or what will happen as the characters are talking about their past. There's multiple narrators and My Side of the Diamond is written as if they're talking to the interviewer, Mr Jones.
I found Jazmin, the main narrator quite irritating at times. I understand she's young but at times she just seemed unable to sympathise or empthasise with Becky's anxiety and eating disorder. This just made me think she was a horrible person and I preferred reading the other narrators more even though they contributed less. She was also shoe-horned into a very unbelievable romance which just got in the way of the plot.
I enjoyed the plot of the book. There's aliens, secret agents going after the aliens, and also some kind of evil robot which enjoys murderous rampages. There's not much action and a lot of the book is taken up of talking but it's still very fast-paced. If I was in a 'Let's read about aliens' mood then I think I would have enjoyed this My Side of the Diamond even more.
I received My Side of the Diamond by Sally Gardner from the publisher, Hot Key Books. This is an unbiased and honest review.
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