Restless: A Novella

by Jak Harrison

1851 – London, the city is buzzing with excitement; in Hyde Park a huge glass building has been built to house the greatest exhibition of all time. Prince Albert has brought together the best innovators from across the empire to showcase their craftsmanship and ingenuity. On display is the fabulous Koh-I-Nor diamond, a gift to Queen Victoria. Keen to visit the display is a wealthy young man, Henry – who is visiting the exhibition with his grandmother. Attempting to ‘fit in’, is a young woman from the east end of the city, where poverty, violence and neglect are common place. This young woman is called Hope, and under duress she has been tasked with delivering a blackmail note to Henry. What ensues changes both their lives forever…

196 pages, Paperback

Published December 19, 2017

Reviews

[Karen Cairns-Hardy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first Novella by author Jak Harrison. It is unusually a historical fiction for young adults so if you fancy reading something completely different then I am happy to recommend this book. You can really feel yourself being pulled into the bottom depths of London through the comprehensive descriptions of sights and sounds and smells that Jak manages to portray on the page. You are taken on a journey through every level of London society and spit back out on the other side.
My actual star rating is 4.5 because this book is so different I found it hard to measure up against other books for this age group.
I would also like to thank Jak Harrison for hand delivering a signed copy to me complete with bookmark.

[Chris Vick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great historical middle grade

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Completely gripping and wonderful read. The characters are immediately likeable, each with their own unique tone and dialogue, and the Victorian London setting is brilliantly written.

[Caroline Pover · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the paperback edition of this book, which is by an independent author, who clearly put in a lot of effort to ensure it is of professional quality — the cover is beautifully designed, and it has been very well proofread and edited.

Despite the fact that the book is aimed at young adults, this almost-fifty-year-old reader really enjoyed it. The writing is very descriptive, and you easily find yourself transported into the streets of Victorian London. I usually find it irritating when if I am reading an accent, especially for entire chapters, but I liked flitting between the two voices of the main characters.

I think this would be a great book for any teenager interested in Victorian Britain, and would be a great part of any school curriculum that covers that era. There is so much in the book that readers could discuss together, and also discuss in relation to today — class differences, the role of police in society, poverty, mental health treatment, women's lives, to name a few.

[Mac Luxe · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could give this book a 6 star review, I would.
'Restless' is an exciting book which I struggled to put down. The author ensures you are truly submerged into the story with the use of detailed settings and true to the time language - this really helps you engage with the characters as they embark on their adventure through Victorian London. Whilst being historically informative, 'Restless' grips you from the first chapter, and it just keeps getting better throughout!!