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The Smallest Thing
The very last thing 17-year-old Emmott Syddall wants is to turn out like her dad. She’s descended from ten generations who never left their dull English village, and there’s no way she’s going to waste a perfectly good life that way. She’s moving to London and she swears she is never coming back.
But when the unexplained deaths of her neighbors force the government to quarantine the village, Em learns what it truly means to be trapped. Now, she must choose. Will she pursue her desire for freedom, at all costs, or do what’s best for the people she loves: her dad, her best friend Deb, and, to her surprise, the mysterious man in the HAZMAT suit?
Inspired by the historical story of the plague village of Eyam, this contemporary tale of friendship, community, and impossible love weaves the horrors of recent news headlines with the intimate details of how it feels to become an adult—and fall in love—in the midst of tragedy.
But when the unexplained deaths of her neighbors force the government to quarantine the village, Em learns what it truly means to be trapped. Now, she must choose. Will she pursue her desire for freedom, at all costs, or do what’s best for the people she loves: her dad, her best friend Deb, and, to her surprise, the mysterious man in the HAZMAT suit?
Inspired by the historical story of the plague village of Eyam, this contemporary tale of friendship, community, and impossible love weaves the horrors of recent news headlines with the intimate details of how it feels to become an adult—and fall in love—in the midst of tragedy.
289 pages, Paperback
First published July 18, 2017
34 people are currently reading
1580 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Manterfield
14 books154 followersI’m Lisa Manterfield and I love telling stories.
I’m a curious cat and I’m fascinated by human behavior and what makes people tick.
I love fish-out-of-water stories of ordinary people in extraordinary situations, especially if those situations delve into the unexplained.
I love digging up nuggets of history—not the vast sweeping stories of events that changed the world, but the personal stories of people making their way through life while history happened around them.
Like many of my characters, I grew up in the north of England. Although my hometown of Sheffield is a big city, I fell head-over-heels in love with the surrounding countryside and spent most of my early years outdoors.
In school, I became my county’s orienteering champion, which means I was a whizz at navigating with a map and compass, and thrashing my way through mud and brambles.
These days, you’re more likely to find me riding my bike at the beach or running (slowly) the trails near my home in California.
I’ve always loved adventure. My first expedition happened when I was two years old and I escaped through a gap in the fence around my family’s house. Ever since, I’ve loved exploring, whether that means heading into the woods for a hike, traveling to new countries, learning a new skill, or escaping into a great book.
Some of my favorite adventures include hiking the Inca Trail in Peru, climbing a via ferrata in Italy, feeding a rhinoceros at the zoo, seeing elephants in the wild, performing in a play, teaching myself to play the bagpipes, learning to cook Indian food, canoeing down a river, and bicycling around Ireland.
Despite my love of adventure, most days you’ll find me in slippers, writing.
In my house, I am the fixer of all things broken and guardian of the bathtub spiders. I’m lucky enough to share my home with my lovely husband, and Felicity, my seriously over-indulged (and very curious) cat.
I’m a curious cat and I’m fascinated by human behavior and what makes people tick.
I love fish-out-of-water stories of ordinary people in extraordinary situations, especially if those situations delve into the unexplained.
I love digging up nuggets of history—not the vast sweeping stories of events that changed the world, but the personal stories of people making their way through life while history happened around them.
Like many of my characters, I grew up in the north of England. Although my hometown of Sheffield is a big city, I fell head-over-heels in love with the surrounding countryside and spent most of my early years outdoors.
In school, I became my county’s orienteering champion, which means I was a whizz at navigating with a map and compass, and thrashing my way through mud and brambles.
These days, you’re more likely to find me riding my bike at the beach or running (slowly) the trails near my home in California.
I’ve always loved adventure. My first expedition happened when I was two years old and I escaped through a gap in the fence around my family’s house. Ever since, I’ve loved exploring, whether that means heading into the woods for a hike, traveling to new countries, learning a new skill, or escaping into a great book.
Some of my favorite adventures include hiking the Inca Trail in Peru, climbing a via ferrata in Italy, feeding a rhinoceros at the zoo, seeing elephants in the wild, performing in a play, teaching myself to play the bagpipes, learning to cook Indian food, canoeing down a river, and bicycling around Ireland.
Despite my love of adventure, most days you’ll find me in slippers, writing.
In my house, I am the fixer of all things broken and guardian of the bathtub spiders. I’m lucky enough to share my home with my lovely husband, and Felicity, my seriously over-indulged (and very curious) cat.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
July 5, 2018
OMG. I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book sooooo much that it's officially become my #4 favorite of all time. Really, it's the first time I fell deeply in love with a historical fiction and I guess it'll be my most anticipating genre from now on. ;)
Highly recommend, guys!!
*Full review's on the way*
Highly recommend, guys!!
*Full review's on the way*
June 15, 2017
People are getting sick in a tiny English village. At first it's just elderly people, but then healthy adults start coming down with it too. Neighbors begin to die, and sudden the entire village is quarantined, including 17 year old Emmott.
Emmott's weeks away from her lifelong dream of ditching her small town and heading to London with her boyfriend. She has everything planned out, and doesn't care what anyone (especially her father) thinks. But Emmott is forced to stay and watch her friends and neighbors succumb to the virus.
I really, really liked this book. I enjoy reading about fictional outbreaks/pandemics, something I suppose that stems from watching Dustin Hoffman's "Outbreak" movie when I was kid. We don't get to see the scientists racing to find a cure, or even much of the doctors and nurses helping those who are affected. But we do see how one girl's life changes as everything she knew and loved crumbles around her.
Emmott begins as a self-centered teenager who wants to get out and live her life. Even when people start getting ill, she stubbornly tries to find a way out of the quarantine zone. As the novel progresses, however, Emmott evolves as a character. Her relationship with her father also changes.
There was some insta-love with Aiden, one of the aid workers. I rolled my eyes a few times, but I could chalk it up to teenage hormones. Luckily, Aiden does prove himself in the course of this novel.
Oh, and I wish the cover were prettier! I admit that I am a sucker for beautiful covers, and this was the one deterrent from reading "The Smallest Thing" ASAP.
Emmott's weeks away from her lifelong dream of ditching her small town and heading to London with her boyfriend. She has everything planned out, and doesn't care what anyone (especially her father) thinks. But Emmott is forced to stay and watch her friends and neighbors succumb to the virus.
I really, really liked this book. I enjoy reading about fictional outbreaks/pandemics, something I suppose that stems from watching Dustin Hoffman's "Outbreak" movie when I was kid. We don't get to see the scientists racing to find a cure, or even much of the doctors and nurses helping those who are affected. But we do see how one girl's life changes as everything she knew and loved crumbles around her.
Emmott begins as a self-centered teenager who wants to get out and live her life. Even when people start getting ill, she stubbornly tries to find a way out of the quarantine zone. As the novel progresses, however, Emmott evolves as a character. Her relationship with her father also changes.
There was some insta-love with Aiden, one of the aid workers. I rolled my eyes a few times, but I could chalk it up to teenage hormones. Luckily, Aiden does prove himself in the course of this novel.
Oh, and I wish the cover were prettier! I admit that I am a sucker for beautiful covers, and this was the one deterrent from reading "The Smallest Thing" ASAP.
May 20, 2018
Rating 3.5
In the end, I really enjoyed the story, but it was a slow start, and until I got to about 60% of the way through, I didn't care much for the protagonist or what she was going through.
The main character is your typical teenage girl, who cares for no one other than herself, and for the things she wants to achieve. And then disaster strikes and she is quarantined in her small village with the rest of town, and begins to watch people die who she's known her entire life.
Not a lot happens in this book, but the author very successfully writes a selfish teenage girl, in love/lust, and with a fractious relationship with her family. The small English town sounds straight out of the set of Midsomer Murders, and the author depicts that really well.
Given all we know about ebola and the spread of the bubonic plague etc, it wasn't hard to imagine this as a reality. It's also not hard to imagine teenage girls doing stupid things.
So yes, what I'm trying to say is that I enjoyed the book. It was a slow burn. I enjoyed the last third of the book more than the first third. There aren't too many characters for your to wrap your head round. There were some good spots of tension, and a nice subplot which ran through the book.
In the end, I really enjoyed the story, but it was a slow start, and until I got to about 60% of the way through, I didn't care much for the protagonist or what she was going through.
The main character is your typical teenage girl, who cares for no one other than herself, and for the things she wants to achieve. And then disaster strikes and she is quarantined in her small village with the rest of town, and begins to watch people die who she's known her entire life.
Not a lot happens in this book, but the author very successfully writes a selfish teenage girl, in love/lust, and with a fractious relationship with her family. The small English town sounds straight out of the set of Midsomer Murders, and the author depicts that really well.
Given all we know about ebola and the spread of the bubonic plague etc, it wasn't hard to imagine this as a reality. It's also not hard to imagine teenage girls doing stupid things.
So yes, what I'm trying to say is that I enjoyed the book. It was a slow burn. I enjoyed the last third of the book more than the first third. There aren't too many characters for your to wrap your head round. There were some good spots of tension, and a nice subplot which ran through the book.
September 16, 2017
The Smallest Thing was a slow burner for me as, until a good way into the book, I struggled to engage with the main character, Emmott Sydall. I guess I just found it difficult to think back to how I was as a teenager (it was a while ago!), believing the universe revolved around me and my plans, and rebelling against any seeming constraint placed upon them.
Initially, the arrival of the mysterious illness in the village and the quarantining of its inhabitants is more irksome than anything else to Emmott. It’s just an obstacle in the way of her plans to escape what she perceives as the boredom of village life for the bright lights and excitement of London. However, the author quite cleverly shows us how Emmott develops and matures as the book progresses, as the impact of the illness becomes more significant and, especially, as it comes closer to home.
As the illness makes its seemingly inexorable progress, it’s fear that is now the primary emotion provoking unrest and suspicion amongst the villagers and threatening the once solid community spirit of the village. A quiet village that used to welcome only day trippers is transformed into a place of isolation tents, military barricades and workers in HAZMAT suits.
Given the restrictions and the decontamination protocols that the inhabitants are urged to adopt, Emmott finds it difficult to understand her Dad’s need to continue his outreach work in the community, concerned about the risk to which it exposes them. Only towards the end of the book does Emmott come to appreciate how much a simple act – the smallest thing, in fact – can mean to another person at a time of crisis. Her friendship – and perhaps something more – with Aiden, one of the medical staff helping the stricken villagers, provides an example of self-sacrifice that will leave a lasting impression on Emmott and sustain her through the ordeal.
The book is inspired by the so-called ‘plague village’ of Eyam where in 1665, in response to an outbreak of the plague, the villagers voluntarily cut themselves off from the outside world in order to prevent the spread of the disease. As well as being based in Eyam, The Smallest Thing is peppered with references to locations in the actual village, such as Cucklett Delf, and to its real life inhabitants such as Emmott Syddall and Reverend Mompesson. Where it departs is that, in the modern day story, it is outside forces in the form of the authorities who impose the quarantine on the village rather than the villagers choosing to do so themselves.
I found the details of the isolation and containment procedures really convincing and the information about how a virus of this kind would spread, peak and then burn out was fascinating, if chilling. It certainly brought home how devastating an outbreak of an illness for which there is no known cure could be, triggering thoughts of the recent Ebola epidemic in West Africa.
I received a review copy courtesy of the author and Xpresso Tours in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Initially, the arrival of the mysterious illness in the village and the quarantining of its inhabitants is more irksome than anything else to Emmott. It’s just an obstacle in the way of her plans to escape what she perceives as the boredom of village life for the bright lights and excitement of London. However, the author quite cleverly shows us how Emmott develops and matures as the book progresses, as the impact of the illness becomes more significant and, especially, as it comes closer to home.
As the illness makes its seemingly inexorable progress, it’s fear that is now the primary emotion provoking unrest and suspicion amongst the villagers and threatening the once solid community spirit of the village. A quiet village that used to welcome only day trippers is transformed into a place of isolation tents, military barricades and workers in HAZMAT suits.
Given the restrictions and the decontamination protocols that the inhabitants are urged to adopt, Emmott finds it difficult to understand her Dad’s need to continue his outreach work in the community, concerned about the risk to which it exposes them. Only towards the end of the book does Emmott come to appreciate how much a simple act – the smallest thing, in fact – can mean to another person at a time of crisis. Her friendship – and perhaps something more – with Aiden, one of the medical staff helping the stricken villagers, provides an example of self-sacrifice that will leave a lasting impression on Emmott and sustain her through the ordeal.
The book is inspired by the so-called ‘plague village’ of Eyam where in 1665, in response to an outbreak of the plague, the villagers voluntarily cut themselves off from the outside world in order to prevent the spread of the disease. As well as being based in Eyam, The Smallest Thing is peppered with references to locations in the actual village, such as Cucklett Delf, and to its real life inhabitants such as Emmott Syddall and Reverend Mompesson. Where it departs is that, in the modern day story, it is outside forces in the form of the authorities who impose the quarantine on the village rather than the villagers choosing to do so themselves.
I found the details of the isolation and containment procedures really convincing and the information about how a virus of this kind would spread, peak and then burn out was fascinating, if chilling. It certainly brought home how devastating an outbreak of an illness for which there is no known cure could be, triggering thoughts of the recent Ebola epidemic in West Africa.
I received a review copy courtesy of the author and Xpresso Tours in return for an honest and unbiased review.
March 4, 2018
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I read majority of this book in one sitting. It was gripping and heart breaking. Inspired by historical events of the Village of Eyam, it really makes you feel and connect to these characters, as though the story is work of Fiction, the events have been and can be very real in this world.
I found the writing style intriguing and thoroughly enjoyed Emmotts story, though I did cry like a baby towards the end.
This was my first read by Lisa Manterfield, I found it easier to read and the story flowed from chapter to chapter, it won’t be my last!
I read majority of this book in one sitting. It was gripping and heart breaking. Inspired by historical events of the Village of Eyam, it really makes you feel and connect to these characters, as though the story is work of Fiction, the events have been and can be very real in this world.
I found the writing style intriguing and thoroughly enjoyed Emmotts story, though I did cry like a baby towards the end.
This was my first read by Lisa Manterfield, I found it easier to read and the story flowed from chapter to chapter, it won’t be my last!
July 18, 2017
irst the boring bit: I was given the opportunity to review Lisa Manterfield’s new novel,
The Smallest Thing
, prior to its release. I received a complimentary early review copy from the publisher for review purposes. No other compensation has been received or implied for this review, nor was I given guidance about review content. All the opinions expressed here are my own.Now the fun bit: Lisa Manterfield's second novel is a winner. The Smallest Thing is the engaging and wonderfully written story of Emmott Syddall, a seventeen-year-old English girl whose bucolic Derbyshire village is afflicted with a mysterious, deadly pandemic.
Already struggling against what she perceives are the claustrophobic constraints of growing up in a tiny hamlet where everyone knows everyone else's business, Em is forced to confront her fears, her future, her ethics, and the secrets of her fractured family when the village of Eyam is quarantined by the government. You don't have to know the history of Eyam to enjoy the story, but a little knowledge of Eyam's medieval plague history will add richness and depth to this captivating, modern retelling of the tale.
The church in Eyam, UK - © Alan Fleming [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia CommonsReaders who enjoyed Ms. Manterfield's first novel, A Strange Companion, will recognize her graceful and effortless writing style, which reaches out to the reader and invites them to walk with Em as she tries to make sense of the chaotic world collapsing around her. Even better, this second novel is deeper, broader in scope, and more complex than the first.
Everything in Em's life is fair game: her relationships with her parents, her desperate desire for freedom and a big city life in London, the achingly beautiful bond she shares with her best friend and partner-in-crime Deb, and the bliss, betrayal, heartbreak, and ecstasy of love. Em's emotional conflicts are captured with poignancy, gentle (and sometimes dark) humor, and psychological truth. Truly outstanding work.
From the book jacket:
The very last thing 17-year-old Emmott Syddall wants is to turn out like her dad. She’s descended from ten generations who never left their dull English village, and there’s no way she’s going to waste a perfectly good life that way. She’s moving to London and she swears she is never coming back.
But when the unexplained deaths of her neighbors force the government to quarantine the village, Em learns what it truly means to be trapped. Now, she must choose. Will she pursue her desire for freedom, at all costs, or do what’s best for the people she loves: her dad, her best friend Deb, and, to her surprise, the mysterious man in the HAZMAT suit?
Inspired by the historical story of the plague village of Eyam, this contemporary tale of friendship, community, and impossible love weaves the horrors of recent news headlines with the intimate details of how it feels to become an adult—and fall in love—in the midst of tragedy.
As I read the novel, I found myself constantly wondering how things could possibly get worse for Em (they somehow always did), and how she was going to get herself out of the predicaments she kept getting herself into. It was a wonderful way to spend several hours of my weekend.
A wonderful second novel, The Smallest Thing is a gripping read and a delicious mix of suspense, laughter, loss, and redemption. It's an excellent book and I highly recommend it.
The Smallest Thing can be ordered in both paperback and digital format here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07144H7PJ.
More information about Lisa Manterfield and her work can be found at her website: http://lisamanterfield.com.
September 10, 2017
The science nerd in me has always been fascinated by plagues. So when I caught wind that Lisa Manterfield's The Smallest Thing was inspired by the plague that wrecked havoc on Eyam, I was intrigued. I was curious to see how she gave this historical story a modern twist through the eyes of modern day teenager. The end result? I wasn't disappointed one bit. Harrowing, intense, and compelling, The Smallest Thing is a book focuses not only on how tragedy effects us inside and out but also on how hope and humanity are possibility two of the most important qualities to possess.
The Smallest Thing introduces us to Emmott Syddall, a 17-year-old who can't wait to escape her suffocating and dull small hometown. Emmott dreams of a big, rewarding life in London, laced onto the arm of her boyfriend Ro. The only person standing in her way? Her father. He doesn't want her to leave, especially with a boy like Ro. Emmott, however, is determined. She has her bags packed and ready to go. However, her plans are soon ruined when her town's residents start dying left and right. At first everyone thinks it's a rare occurrence - most of them are old - however as the deaths start pilling up and the people dying keep getting younger and healthier, everyone knows that something is amiss. Soon the government comes in, quarantining the entire town, leaving Emmott completely stuck in the one place she dislikes the most...Emmott knows she has to leave, has to escape, especially before this illness, this plague hits her, but will she make it out in time and unscathed?
Emmott is a character I think any one - old or young - can easily relate to, because we've all been there before, wanting to get out of the town we've always known, knowing that the only way to spread our wings is to go into the unknown.
As someone who's grew up in a small town with the same people day-in-and-day-out, I, for one, found it incredibly easy to relate to Em. I easily understood her frustrations, her desire for new and unknown, and the chance to do just that with someone think she's loves.
I especially admired her determination regarding this - she's one girl who knows what she wants and will do anything to get there. Over the course of the book, however, we see a new Em in some respects - she goes from someone who's so quick to leave to someone who begins to wonder how she can leave the people she loves the most - her dad, her best friend, even the boy she just meet - behind when their respective futures are so incredibly up in the air. She also begins to see people, especially her dad, in a new light - seeing that maybe a strong, tight community isn't the worst thing, and that her dad, bless his heart, is the town spokesperson because, really, he doesn't now how not to be one.
I loved seeing this change in Emmott, seeing her go from this one way of thinking type of person to someone who sees the whole word in a 3D view...it brought incredible growth for her character and it was a rewarding process to see. However, I will admit my heart ached incredibly bad when it took bad situations turned worse to really drive certain points home.
As for the plot, I thought Lisa did a fantastic job of creating the plague related storyline as well as ultimately making this book a coming-of-age at its heart. While I don't know everything there is to known about plagues, I feel that Lisa did an accurate job of portraying once, especially regarding the timelines given as well as the tent system set up. She also did a great job of using the plague to build up this uncertain yet addictive quality to the story lines...I was always dying to know what would happen next, especially in regard to when the plague would end. What I also enjoyed about the The Smallest Thing, was that it didn't include much romance (I know that's a surprise right?!). It left more time for character development and growth as well as for plot development, and the story truly managed to benefit from it. I loved seeing Em become this kick-a$$ main character, who doesn't necessarily need a man to reach her dreams.
The ending, though, broke my heart into a million pieces. Some parts of me was expecting Lisa to go to certain places there, but still, I was 100% shook when my predictions did come true. However, it really managed to drive certain points home and make this story incredibly worth reading.
In all, The Smallest Thing is an compelling look at how one plague can change one girl's life. I highly suggest this one to those who love character driven stories with the addition of some suspense and drama.
Grade: B+
The Smallest Thing introduces us to Emmott Syddall, a 17-year-old who can't wait to escape her suffocating and dull small hometown. Emmott dreams of a big, rewarding life in London, laced onto the arm of her boyfriend Ro. The only person standing in her way? Her father. He doesn't want her to leave, especially with a boy like Ro. Emmott, however, is determined. She has her bags packed and ready to go. However, her plans are soon ruined when her town's residents start dying left and right. At first everyone thinks it's a rare occurrence - most of them are old - however as the deaths start pilling up and the people dying keep getting younger and healthier, everyone knows that something is amiss. Soon the government comes in, quarantining the entire town, leaving Emmott completely stuck in the one place she dislikes the most...Emmott knows she has to leave, has to escape, especially before this illness, this plague hits her, but will she make it out in time and unscathed?
Emmott is a character I think any one - old or young - can easily relate to, because we've all been there before, wanting to get out of the town we've always known, knowing that the only way to spread our wings is to go into the unknown.
As someone who's grew up in a small town with the same people day-in-and-day-out, I, for one, found it incredibly easy to relate to Em. I easily understood her frustrations, her desire for new and unknown, and the chance to do just that with someone think she's loves.
I especially admired her determination regarding this - she's one girl who knows what she wants and will do anything to get there. Over the course of the book, however, we see a new Em in some respects - she goes from someone who's so quick to leave to someone who begins to wonder how she can leave the people she loves the most - her dad, her best friend, even the boy she just meet - behind when their respective futures are so incredibly up in the air. She also begins to see people, especially her dad, in a new light - seeing that maybe a strong, tight community isn't the worst thing, and that her dad, bless his heart, is the town spokesperson because, really, he doesn't now how not to be one.
I loved seeing this change in Emmott, seeing her go from this one way of thinking type of person to someone who sees the whole word in a 3D view...it brought incredible growth for her character and it was a rewarding process to see. However, I will admit my heart ached incredibly bad when it took bad situations turned worse to really drive certain points home.
As for the plot, I thought Lisa did a fantastic job of creating the plague related storyline as well as ultimately making this book a coming-of-age at its heart. While I don't know everything there is to known about plagues, I feel that Lisa did an accurate job of portraying once, especially regarding the timelines given as well as the tent system set up. She also did a great job of using the plague to build up this uncertain yet addictive quality to the story lines...I was always dying to know what would happen next, especially in regard to when the plague would end. What I also enjoyed about the The Smallest Thing, was that it didn't include much romance (I know that's a surprise right?!). It left more time for character development and growth as well as for plot development, and the story truly managed to benefit from it. I loved seeing Em become this kick-a$$ main character, who doesn't necessarily need a man to reach her dreams.
The ending, though, broke my heart into a million pieces. Some parts of me was expecting Lisa to go to certain places there, but still, I was 100% shook when my predictions did come true. However, it really managed to drive certain points home and make this story incredibly worth reading.
In all, The Smallest Thing is an compelling look at how one plague can change one girl's life. I highly suggest this one to those who love character driven stories with the addition of some suspense and drama.
Grade: B+
February 18, 2018
I was lucky enough to be sent a copy of “The Smallest Thing” by Lisa Manterfield in exchange for an honest review on Goodreads and Barnes and Noble
*
This book follows a girl named Emmot who lives in a small, quiet village in England.
However, she wants to leave and go to London for the peaceful and monotonous live her family and neighbors have is not what she desires for herself.
But then, her neighbors start dying and the government is forced to quarantine the small village
Once again, Emmott feels trapped. And she has to decide if she will endure the quarantine and support her family and friends or if she will try to escape following her original plan.
*
This book felt a little bit slow paced and dragged at some points but I now think that it helped my understand the way the population in that village was feeling regarding at time passing by slow and how they felt they had been trapped there forever
*
The writing was easy, and flowing and the author wrote a couple of phrases that actually stayed in my mind for days:
“I’m not prepared to sit around while life, or in this case, death, happens to me. dad isn’t going to like this one bit, but my life isn’t his to squander. As far as I know, we only get one life, and I’m going to do whatever I can to preserve mine”
It was a struggle to connect with Em (the main character) because I found her a bit selfish but overall, I like her because, in that situation I might have reacted the same way. She is determined and brave and free. Nothing can stop or trap her.
*
Regarding the romantic plot in this story, I think it was a bit rushed and insta love but overall, Aiden (a guy in a hazmat suit who was there to help the villagers) ended up proving himself a good friend and something more to Em.
*
The messages I took from the book are powerful and I’m truly glad I got to read this.
Even the most simple and small act can mean the world to someone in a moment of crisis
*
This book follows a girl named Emmot who lives in a small, quiet village in England.
However, she wants to leave and go to London for the peaceful and monotonous live her family and neighbors have is not what she desires for herself.
But then, her neighbors start dying and the government is forced to quarantine the small village
Once again, Emmott feels trapped. And she has to decide if she will endure the quarantine and support her family and friends or if she will try to escape following her original plan.
*
This book felt a little bit slow paced and dragged at some points but I now think that it helped my understand the way the population in that village was feeling regarding at time passing by slow and how they felt they had been trapped there forever
*
The writing was easy, and flowing and the author wrote a couple of phrases that actually stayed in my mind for days:
“I’m not prepared to sit around while life, or in this case, death, happens to me. dad isn’t going to like this one bit, but my life isn’t his to squander. As far as I know, we only get one life, and I’m going to do whatever I can to preserve mine”
It was a struggle to connect with Em (the main character) because I found her a bit selfish but overall, I like her because, in that situation I might have reacted the same way. She is determined and brave and free. Nothing can stop or trap her.
*
Regarding the romantic plot in this story, I think it was a bit rushed and insta love but overall, Aiden (a guy in a hazmat suit who was there to help the villagers) ended up proving himself a good friend and something more to Em.
*
The messages I took from the book are powerful and I’m truly glad I got to read this.
Even the most simple and small act can mean the world to someone in a moment of crisis
January 5, 2020
Emmott has always dreamed of leaving her dreary village life and moving to London. Now this dream looks like it is about to come true, she has a job and flat lined up and she has even persuaded her boyfriend Ro to go with her. But before she manages to get out, the village is put under quarantine with a mysterious new disease and her new life slips further and further out of reach.
I couldn't warm to Emmott, she starts off as a bratty, self-absorbed teenager and though she probably does have a reason for being this way, we don't really get to see it develop. It took me a while to get into the story but I did want to find out what the mysterious virus was and if Emmott and her father would survive. I must admit I had a few problems with this book, for example a few times it seemed to be leading up to a clue or a big reveal and then nothing happened. But ultimately I did feel invested and it was well worth the read.
I couldn't warm to Emmott, she starts off as a bratty, self-absorbed teenager and though she probably does have a reason for being this way, we don't really get to see it develop. It took me a while to get into the story but I did want to find out what the mysterious virus was and if Emmott and her father would survive. I must admit I had a few problems with this book, for example a few times it seemed to be leading up to a clue or a big reveal and then nothing happened. But ultimately I did feel invested and it was well worth the read.
July 9, 2017
Oh lordy this is one powerful book for sure. This book had me in tears at least 6 different times throughout it. This a very strong story, it pulls you into the main character and grows making you love so many different characters.
Emmott is such an amazing strong rebellious and loving character. These are all qualities she doesnt see herself as having. All she wants to do is run away from this little village everyone stays in forever.
But then the whole town is quarantined and everyone starts dying, the man she loves betrays her,and her dad becomes ill. She meets aidan one of the guys in the hazmat suits and he befriends her being there for her, trying to help her, breaking the rules.
Aidan oh Aidan what a wonderful caring character, he also sounds absolutely delicious for a guy hiding in a hazmat suit. haha. He quickly becomed emmott's rock. I just love him. He is a perfect match for Emmott and exactly what she needs in her life.
Ro is definitely the character you love to hate. Because I seriously want to kill him multiples times. When he betrays emmott I just want to strangle him and torture him for eternity.He is the worst sort of character. But every book needs a bad guy and he is definitely that. I didnt like him at the beginning of the book either when the author first introduced him.
This is one amazing author and after looking at some of her other titles i am very curious to read some of them they look great.
5 stars if i could give it more I definitely would.
Emmott is such an amazing strong rebellious and loving character. These are all qualities she doesnt see herself as having. All she wants to do is run away from this little village everyone stays in forever.
But then the whole town is quarantined and everyone starts dying, the man she loves betrays her,and her dad becomes ill. She meets aidan one of the guys in the hazmat suits and he befriends her being there for her, trying to help her, breaking the rules.
Aidan oh Aidan what a wonderful caring character, he also sounds absolutely delicious for a guy hiding in a hazmat suit. haha. He quickly becomed emmott's rock. I just love him. He is a perfect match for Emmott and exactly what she needs in her life.
Ro is definitely the character you love to hate. Because I seriously want to kill him multiples times. When he betrays emmott I just want to strangle him and torture him for eternity.He is the worst sort of character. But every book needs a bad guy and he is definitely that. I didnt like him at the beginning of the book either when the author first introduced him.
This is one amazing author and after looking at some of her other titles i am very curious to read some of them they look great.
5 stars if i could give it more I definitely would.
June 27, 2017
The premise of this book is very good. There is so much an author can do with a quarrantined village and a mystery illness.
But I have to admit that I did not like the main character. She was immature, spoilt and very disrespectful towards her parents. I also did not like the fact that she tried to justify her behaviour and judements. What I do have to say is that Emmott grew as a character and her bratty self was soon left behind as the reality of her situation set in.
Lisa Manterfield portrayed the stressess and horror of living in a forced quarantine situation very well.
I am of two minds in recommending this book. On the one hand, the premise is excellent, but ... well, in the end you have to decide for yourself.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.
But I have to admit that I did not like the main character. She was immature, spoilt and very disrespectful towards her parents. I also did not like the fact that she tried to justify her behaviour and judements. What I do have to say is that Emmott grew as a character and her bratty self was soon left behind as the reality of her situation set in.
Lisa Manterfield portrayed the stressess and horror of living in a forced quarantine situation very well.
I am of two minds in recommending this book. On the one hand, the premise is excellent, but ... well, in the end you have to decide for yourself.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.
Want to read
September 24, 2019ARCs are available here: [closed - other review opportunities found here]
August 8, 2017
I give the book 4.5/5 Big Ben Towers.
I have been MIA for about three weeks. I have another endeavor which I'm trying really hard to work out. I am currently home away from home and I am hoping that this is going to be the break that I have been waiting for. I am praying that the Lord will have mercy on me and finally grant me this fervent wish. I have asked the help of all my prayer warriors and from all the angels and saints in heaven to help pray for me also.
One other reason which contributed to my being MIA from the blogging and the book world is that some keys on my laptop (technically my brother's which I borrowed) are not working. And they turned out to be the most used keys. What a pain it is! I have to resort to using the on-screen keyboard which is not as easy as the usual. I think it would take me a very long time to finish this review. So, I might as well get on it.
Oh, did I mention that this review was supposed to be due the first day of August? Yes! I am way past the very dead deadline. I have sent an email to ebooksforreview.com of my challenge. And this has been truly testing my patience and resourcefulness.
Like the story, we would never know how the smallest thing could affect or alter an aspect of our life. Just like the on-going challenge I am experiencing. I never thought that I would ever have this kind of problem and it affects me greatly because the laptop is my partner in this blogging and book reviewing lifestyle. I felt handicapped by this. The Smallest Thing is about a 17-year old girl who can't wait to leave her small town and live and breathe London. Until, a series of deaths in the neighborhood lead to more complications and heartbreaks. If you ask me, what happened in this book was not really a small thing. It was very huge and had affected the life of the main character Emmott and her small town deeply, that made her grow into a mature and selfless woman.
I can relate to Emmott very closely. I think we have been all under a similar situation where we made plans for our future and have painstakingly and religiously took care of the details but then by some fortuitous event abruptly change all those plans. And all those other backup plans we prepared for such eventuality don't even apply. And the most heartbreaking thing of all, is we are forced to change the direction we are heading. We are not only forced to alter our plans but scrapped it all and do something else. The exact opposite. Even, start over. And much to our surprise and relief, everything works out in the end.
The story is very realistic. It truthfully mirrors real-life. Like how diamonds are made, we too have to undergo a similar process of polishing by going through high pressure and extreme temperatures to bring out our shine and be the best of what we are. We become strong because we have been tested and have survived situations we thought we could never get out alive. And like in the story, the simplest gestures often mean a whole lot to others. Yes, a random act of kindness goes a long way. It gives hope to some. And for some people, they just need the tiniest spark.
My only wish was that it ended with a clear note on Aiden. He was key to the change in Emmott's character so it's just fair that his character should deserve a better picture of how he turned out in the end of the story.
I give the book 4.5/5 Big Ben Towers. This is a very unassuming book but it packs a punch. It may say small but it would fill your heart with overwhelming emotions. Emmott started out as a typical teenager who can't wait to spread her wings and be her own person, like we were all were. Then, ends up doing the opposite because it was the right and the best thing to do. The situation demanded that she think beyond herself and she rose up to the challenge.
I don't have much to offer--a friendly face, a kind word, and a simple human touch, the smallest thing--but it's better than nothing.
- Lisa Manterfield, The Smallest Thing -
Thank you again, Kathy of ebooksforreview.com for the copy. Sorry for the delayed post.
I have been MIA for about three weeks. I have another endeavor which I'm trying really hard to work out. I am currently home away from home and I am hoping that this is going to be the break that I have been waiting for. I am praying that the Lord will have mercy on me and finally grant me this fervent wish. I have asked the help of all my prayer warriors and from all the angels and saints in heaven to help pray for me also.
One other reason which contributed to my being MIA from the blogging and the book world is that some keys on my laptop (technically my brother's which I borrowed) are not working. And they turned out to be the most used keys. What a pain it is! I have to resort to using the on-screen keyboard which is not as easy as the usual. I think it would take me a very long time to finish this review. So, I might as well get on it.
Oh, did I mention that this review was supposed to be due the first day of August? Yes! I am way past the very dead deadline. I have sent an email to ebooksforreview.com of my challenge. And this has been truly testing my patience and resourcefulness.
Like the story, we would never know how the smallest thing could affect or alter an aspect of our life. Just like the on-going challenge I am experiencing. I never thought that I would ever have this kind of problem and it affects me greatly because the laptop is my partner in this blogging and book reviewing lifestyle. I felt handicapped by this. The Smallest Thing is about a 17-year old girl who can't wait to leave her small town and live and breathe London. Until, a series of deaths in the neighborhood lead to more complications and heartbreaks. If you ask me, what happened in this book was not really a small thing. It was very huge and had affected the life of the main character Emmott and her small town deeply, that made her grow into a mature and selfless woman.
I can relate to Emmott very closely. I think we have been all under a similar situation where we made plans for our future and have painstakingly and religiously took care of the details but then by some fortuitous event abruptly change all those plans. And all those other backup plans we prepared for such eventuality don't even apply. And the most heartbreaking thing of all, is we are forced to change the direction we are heading. We are not only forced to alter our plans but scrapped it all and do something else. The exact opposite. Even, start over. And much to our surprise and relief, everything works out in the end.
The story is very realistic. It truthfully mirrors real-life. Like how diamonds are made, we too have to undergo a similar process of polishing by going through high pressure and extreme temperatures to bring out our shine and be the best of what we are. We become strong because we have been tested and have survived situations we thought we could never get out alive. And like in the story, the simplest gestures often mean a whole lot to others. Yes, a random act of kindness goes a long way. It gives hope to some. And for some people, they just need the tiniest spark.
My only wish was that it ended with a clear note on Aiden. He was key to the change in Emmott's character so it's just fair that his character should deserve a better picture of how he turned out in the end of the story.
I give the book 4.5/5 Big Ben Towers. This is a very unassuming book but it packs a punch. It may say small but it would fill your heart with overwhelming emotions. Emmott started out as a typical teenager who can't wait to spread her wings and be her own person, like we were all were. Then, ends up doing the opposite because it was the right and the best thing to do. The situation demanded that she think beyond herself and she rose up to the challenge.
I don't have much to offer--a friendly face, a kind word, and a simple human touch, the smallest thing--but it's better than nothing.
- Lisa Manterfield, The Smallest Thing -
Thank you again, Kathy of ebooksforreview.com for the copy. Sorry for the delayed post.
September 20, 2019
What makes a village? In its simplest form, it is a community of families who work with each other to survive. If that doesn’t happen, what kind of village would that be? Manterfield brings some pretty powerful fears to life with this story, but the fear is credible which makes it even more terrifying. When someone you love has been infected with a deadly virus, your choices are every bit crucial to their survival and comfort as well as your own. How could you possibly ever make that decision?
Emmott Syddall has a cozy life in her little village, but it is not enough. She wants to move to London and she has it set in her mind that she will never look back. Her family has decided to split ways for the holiday, leaving her and her father in the village while her mother and sister go to visit family. That was possibly the worst and best mistake ever imaginable. When neighbors and lifelong friends become sick and start dying from a mysterious illness, Emmott and her father are struck with a grim fate ahead. Before they are able to understand what has fully happened, they are quarantined by this team of hazmat suited men and women to contain whatever it is that is spreading rampant in their village. That means everything that they’ve ever had will be taken away from them, including quite possibly their life. Emmott and her father form a stronger bond in these months than she has ever had with him before as they struggle to ease their community’s fears while trying not to catch the virus themselves. Only one glimmer of hope remains in the darkest times of their life, a love so powerful blooms between Emmott and one of the Red Cross aid workers that may never get to see the light of day.
Manterfield has a superb story-line, filled with creativity, historical elements, and originality. The concepts are not foreign to many readers as we’ve read in school and throughout history of plagues and viruses that decimate villages and towns over short periods of time. The pace is quick and steady from the beginning and carries through the entirety of the story. Manterfield provides an urgency to the lives of these main characters while an unexplained illness wreaks havoc across their small stretch of community. There is a lot of emotional turmoil throughout this story, allowing the reader to sympathize with the characters. Sanderson’s narration of the audiobook brings life to the story and draws the reader in. If you are interested in young adult fiction with a touch of historical element, this may be a perfect fit. Fair warning, once you plunge into this novel, you’ll be hooked until the very end.
An audiobook was provided to Turning Another Page by Audiobookworm Promotions and in no way affects the honesty of this review. We provide a five-star rating to The Smallest Things by Lisa Manterfield.
Emmott Syddall has a cozy life in her little village, but it is not enough. She wants to move to London and she has it set in her mind that she will never look back. Her family has decided to split ways for the holiday, leaving her and her father in the village while her mother and sister go to visit family. That was possibly the worst and best mistake ever imaginable. When neighbors and lifelong friends become sick and start dying from a mysterious illness, Emmott and her father are struck with a grim fate ahead. Before they are able to understand what has fully happened, they are quarantined by this team of hazmat suited men and women to contain whatever it is that is spreading rampant in their village. That means everything that they’ve ever had will be taken away from them, including quite possibly their life. Emmott and her father form a stronger bond in these months than she has ever had with him before as they struggle to ease their community’s fears while trying not to catch the virus themselves. Only one glimmer of hope remains in the darkest times of their life, a love so powerful blooms between Emmott and one of the Red Cross aid workers that may never get to see the light of day.
Manterfield has a superb story-line, filled with creativity, historical elements, and originality. The concepts are not foreign to many readers as we’ve read in school and throughout history of plagues and viruses that decimate villages and towns over short periods of time. The pace is quick and steady from the beginning and carries through the entirety of the story. Manterfield provides an urgency to the lives of these main characters while an unexplained illness wreaks havoc across their small stretch of community. There is a lot of emotional turmoil throughout this story, allowing the reader to sympathize with the characters. Sanderson’s narration of the audiobook brings life to the story and draws the reader in. If you are interested in young adult fiction with a touch of historical element, this may be a perfect fit. Fair warning, once you plunge into this novel, you’ll be hooked until the very end.
An audiobook was provided to Turning Another Page by Audiobookworm Promotions and in no way affects the honesty of this review. We provide a five-star rating to The Smallest Things by Lisa Manterfield.
August 23, 2017
When I read the blurb for this book I was immediately intrigued. I do love a good apocalyptic read. And this one did not disappoint. What I enjoyed most was depths this author dove to. She concentrated a lot on the emotional side of being quarantined and not so much the death and disease. At least that is what I came away with. Also, there were a few aspects I never would have thought about when it comes to being closed off from the rest of the world. And it really made me think about that need for skin to skin contact in any way, shape or form. I would probably be the same...craving some kind of interaction. I am a hugger by nature and to have that withheld would be a huge distress to me.
Over the course of the story, I found myself liking Emmott at times and then thinking she was selfish. But when I finished the book, I realized she was only human. We will a lot of times have selfish thoughts and wants when our back is against the wall, only to turn around and think of others and putting their needs before our own. So until I am in her predicament, I can’t say I wouldn’t react the way she did each and every time.
THE SMALLEST THING really was a great read. I found out in the end that it was based off a true story. So after I finished I got to do some googling and learned quite a bit more. Very, very interesting stuff.
My only problem, and not enough to rate this book below 5 stars, was the ending. My inner person needed more...more explanation...more “it’s going to be ok” with a dash of happily ever after...just more. But even with wanting more, I was satisfied enough. 5 Stars!!
Over the course of the story, I found myself liking Emmott at times and then thinking she was selfish. But when I finished the book, I realized she was only human. We will a lot of times have selfish thoughts and wants when our back is against the wall, only to turn around and think of others and putting their needs before our own. So until I am in her predicament, I can’t say I wouldn’t react the way she did each and every time.
THE SMALLEST THING really was a great read. I found out in the end that it was based off a true story. So after I finished I got to do some googling and learned quite a bit more. Very, very interesting stuff.
My only problem, and not enough to rate this book below 5 stars, was the ending. My inner person needed more...more explanation...more “it’s going to be ok” with a dash of happily ever after...just more. But even with wanting more, I was satisfied enough. 5 Stars!!
August 30, 2017
The Smallest Thing is a really good story. It had my attention locked from start. The writing is just wonderful, and the overall mystery regarding what was causing members of the village to fall sick, some dying soon after, had me intrigued.
I liked that this was inspired by a real life event, one that I had no idea about until reading the blurb, but I'm glad the author was able to deliver the story in such a way that I actually felt like I was there in every moment, experiencing this devastation.
What I also liked is how there were other aspects to the story and it wasn't just about the plague. Emmott's character, for instance, was coming-of-age and she wanted to get out into the world and live her life her way. She had these big plans and dreamed of leaving the village, as opposed to remaining "stuck" there like her father and ancestors. Emmott dreaded living under her father's strictness, which was understandable, because he often came off so hard and inconsiderate toward his daughter, many times saying things that hurt her feelings or made her feel ignored. Their relationship, or lack thereof, was definitely tense for the most part. In one particular scene, he yelled at Emmott for being with a certain character that I never liked from the get-go, but the way he handled it was so heartbreaking, especially as a father. I guess he didn't know better, and Emmott's mother wasn't exactly there either. She was another story all to herself and while some details were revealed about her and the marital issues with Emmott's father, I was okay with her not being in the village while everything was taking place because then too much would be going on.
Going back to Emmott's character, I must say that I did find her to be selfish and impulsive at times, wanting to disregard rules and risk spreading the plague elsewhere, but then I would remind myself that this was a teen girl just starting to figure out her life, and had to quickly learn to cope in an adult way if she was going to be able to survive. Not sure how I'd fare in a similar situation but I feel like Emmott did her best, especially toward the end of the story. And I liked how in the midst of the plague and with the entire village being placed in quarantine, Emmott was able to bond with someone who genuinely cared for her, even if for every encounter an hazmat suit was always between them. I found that to be quite interesting in itself, and it offered a bit of sweetness in such a sad time.
Again, great story with remarkable writing. And although the ending broke my heart, I almost expected that to happen and I'm okay with the way things turned out. This is my first time reading a book by Lisa Manterfield and I must say I'm impressed by her storytelling. I'll definitely be checking out her other releases.
I liked that this was inspired by a real life event, one that I had no idea about until reading the blurb, but I'm glad the author was able to deliver the story in such a way that I actually felt like I was there in every moment, experiencing this devastation.
What I also liked is how there were other aspects to the story and it wasn't just about the plague. Emmott's character, for instance, was coming-of-age and she wanted to get out into the world and live her life her way. She had these big plans and dreamed of leaving the village, as opposed to remaining "stuck" there like her father and ancestors. Emmott dreaded living under her father's strictness, which was understandable, because he often came off so hard and inconsiderate toward his daughter, many times saying things that hurt her feelings or made her feel ignored. Their relationship, or lack thereof, was definitely tense for the most part. In one particular scene, he yelled at Emmott for being with a certain character that I never liked from the get-go, but the way he handled it was so heartbreaking, especially as a father. I guess he didn't know better, and Emmott's mother wasn't exactly there either. She was another story all to herself and while some details were revealed about her and the marital issues with Emmott's father, I was okay with her not being in the village while everything was taking place because then too much would be going on.
Going back to Emmott's character, I must say that I did find her to be selfish and impulsive at times, wanting to disregard rules and risk spreading the plague elsewhere, but then I would remind myself that this was a teen girl just starting to figure out her life, and had to quickly learn to cope in an adult way if she was going to be able to survive. Not sure how I'd fare in a similar situation but I feel like Emmott did her best, especially toward the end of the story. And I liked how in the midst of the plague and with the entire village being placed in quarantine, Emmott was able to bond with someone who genuinely cared for her, even if for every encounter an hazmat suit was always between them. I found that to be quite interesting in itself, and it offered a bit of sweetness in such a sad time.
Again, great story with remarkable writing. And although the ending broke my heart, I almost expected that to happen and I'm okay with the way things turned out. This is my first time reading a book by Lisa Manterfield and I must say I'm impressed by her storytelling. I'll definitely be checking out her other releases.
July 27, 2017
The smallest thing was a very interesting book. I loved the concept: what will the impact be when a plague brakes out in the village. The characters were very dimensional. There was a strong friendship between female characters. In the beginning the main character Emmott is a bit selfish and sometimes mean, but facing this situation she realizes what is important and what not. The writing style was average, it was not bad, but also not incredible beautiful. There were a few typing errors. For example: mr.Glovers when they are talking about an elderly lady. The ending was a disappointment, it felt anticlimax and in my mind I was still waiting for this big thing to happen.
*I received a free ebook in exchange for an honest review*
*I received a free ebook in exchange for an honest review*
August 26, 2017
*Disclaimer: I read several early drafts of this book. My review below is of the published version.
Stayed up late two nights in a row reading this beautifully written page-turner. Love the twist on history, the updating of the setting and circumstances, the well-crafted storytelling.
My only "negative" (and this in no way takes away from my 5-star rating) is that I wasn't ready to let these characters go. I wanted more time with Emmott (great life-experience-driven development from angsty teen who just wants to escape to compassionate adult), Aiden (Yum. Anyone else casting the movie in their imaginations? Hope there is one!), and the quirky small village neighbors.
Stayed up late two nights in a row reading this beautifully written page-turner. Love the twist on history, the updating of the setting and circumstances, the well-crafted storytelling.
My only "negative" (and this in no way takes away from my 5-star rating) is that I wasn't ready to let these characters go. I wanted more time with Emmott (great life-experience-driven development from angsty teen who just wants to escape to compassionate adult), Aiden (Yum. Anyone else casting the movie in their imaginations? Hope there is one!), and the quirky small village neighbors.
September 15, 2019
I liked the idea of this story but could not get behind the main character and her selfish attitude and odd instalove. Also I listened to the audiobook and I was not a big fan of the narrator, I may have enjoyed this more if I had read the book instead.
I'm sure others will love this mysterious virus outbreak story, it just was not for me.
I'm sure others will love this mysterious virus outbreak story, it just was not for me.
July 12, 2017
*I received a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
I loved this story! It was a very entertaining and engaging read, even for a 30 year old married woman with two kids. ;) It has a little bit of everything: drama, romance, dark humor...I love a good epidemic story, and this is definitely one of them. If you know a teen/young adult who loves to read, I highly recommend suggesting this title to him/her!
I loved this story! It was a very entertaining and engaging read, even for a 30 year old married woman with two kids. ;) It has a little bit of everything: drama, romance, dark humor...I love a good epidemic story, and this is definitely one of them. If you know a teen/young adult who loves to read, I highly recommend suggesting this title to him/her!
July 19, 2017
I have to admit that I enjoyed The Smallest Thing. Let me also admit that I didn’t like the main character, Emmott, at first. Actually for quite a while. Emmott is very, very concerned with…Emmott. The author did an excellent job of portraying how a small village in England opens up, welcomes and actually loves everyone, even if it seems like meddling. I myself came from a small town and I’m still feeling the effects of this…loving…myself. Good, quick read.
4 ½ Stars. Behind-closed-doors lovin’ with one fairly suggestive daydream scene.
4 ½ Stars. Behind-closed-doors lovin’ with one fairly suggestive daydream scene.
May 3, 2018
Emmott is 17 years old doesn't want to turn out like her father or the other ten generations who never left their village and there's no way she is going to waste her life. She's lined up a part-time job in London and has persuaded her musician boyfriend Ro, to go with her. Nothing is going to stop her and she swears she will never come back. But then her neighbors and friends start to die and no one knows why, the government is forced to come in and quarantine the village. A mystery I love these kind of books to read so I want to thank you Lisa Mansfield for choosing me to read this book and signing it.
February 1, 2019
Not the type of book that I would usually read, but it had me hooked from the start. I couldn’t put it down, and it’s been a while since I finished a book in a day
October 5, 2019
It wasn’t all that I hoped for but it wasn’t all bad either. I love stories that feature some biological threat that means people are quarantined. Whether that’s some 17th century plague ship or a modern tiny village in the UK, it’s a theme that draws me in right away. I love seeing how people’s initial reactions to somewhat unexpected or mysterious deaths pile up and then the government comes in and things get even more crazy. I especially enjoy a lengthy quarantine where people have to make do with each other under less than ideal circumstances. This book has all that – but it also has Emmott as our main character.
Emmott is 17 and eager to start her life elsewhere but her plans have been greatly disrupted by this pesky plague! How dare her father and the government keep her from living her life! They are so inconsiderate! Ugh! Emmott was a bit of a selfish pill to start with and she matured only a little throughout this book. I was very frustrated with her and I didn’t enjoy riding around in her self-centered head for this story.
Em and her best friend Deb seem to have the same attitude about how horrible their lives have become and it was frustrating. I know this situation sucks and it is scary not knowing who will come out of it alive. I tried to be sympathetic with the main characters. Yet I was frustrated that several of the characters felt that the government wasn’t on their side. Really? Like all the medical assistance and food, keeping the lights, internet, and water on aren’t helpful? The government did step in and help. It’s not their fault that they didn’t have the all the answers up front. It wasn’t just one or two characters that felt the government was an enemy – like every character felt the government wasn’t helping them out even when they clearly were. So, that aspect of the story fell flat for me.
There’s also some silly love story. Em and Roland have been an item for a while and there’s tentative plans to run off to London together before this whole mess. When the virus hits and the village goes on lock down, Em initially makes plans to escape and continue on with her life like she couldn’t possibly spread this virus to thousands of others. She enlists Ro to help her, but things don’t go as planned. She spends the rest of the book thinking he’s a coward and not her friend at all – again her selfish nature is showing. But not to worry ��� in steps Aiden! He’s a health worker in a big yellow bio suit and right off the two have some flirty banter. It was silly but it grows into a friendship and later into something deeper. So I grew to like their blossoming relationship, tho I think Em is still too emotionally immature for Aiden.
There is some great bonding time between Em and her dad. Em’s mom and little sister were off on holiday when this went down, so the family is separated but still in touch via phone. Em and her dad haven’t been close for years but I really liked how they got to know each other better through this ordeal. That was the best part of the story really.
All told, I would have liked this story a lot better if Em wasn’t so selfish for 95% of the book. Perhaps if it was old through multiple characters, that would have been good. 3.5/5 stars.
The Narration: Charlie Sanderson did a really great job with the narration. She has a perfect teen girl voice for Emmott and her male voices were believable. I liked her smart girl voice for Deb and also her mom voice for Em’s mom. The pacing was perfect and there were no technical issues with the recording. 5/5 stars.
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Lisa Manterfield. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
Emmott is 17 and eager to start her life elsewhere but her plans have been greatly disrupted by this pesky plague! How dare her father and the government keep her from living her life! They are so inconsiderate! Ugh! Emmott was a bit of a selfish pill to start with and she matured only a little throughout this book. I was very frustrated with her and I didn’t enjoy riding around in her self-centered head for this story.
Em and her best friend Deb seem to have the same attitude about how horrible their lives have become and it was frustrating. I know this situation sucks and it is scary not knowing who will come out of it alive. I tried to be sympathetic with the main characters. Yet I was frustrated that several of the characters felt that the government wasn’t on their side. Really? Like all the medical assistance and food, keeping the lights, internet, and water on aren’t helpful? The government did step in and help. It’s not their fault that they didn’t have the all the answers up front. It wasn’t just one or two characters that felt the government was an enemy – like every character felt the government wasn’t helping them out even when they clearly were. So, that aspect of the story fell flat for me.
There’s also some silly love story. Em and Roland have been an item for a while and there’s tentative plans to run off to London together before this whole mess. When the virus hits and the village goes on lock down, Em initially makes plans to escape and continue on with her life like she couldn’t possibly spread this virus to thousands of others. She enlists Ro to help her, but things don’t go as planned. She spends the rest of the book thinking he’s a coward and not her friend at all – again her selfish nature is showing. But not to worry ��� in steps Aiden! He’s a health worker in a big yellow bio suit and right off the two have some flirty banter. It was silly but it grows into a friendship and later into something deeper. So I grew to like their blossoming relationship, tho I think Em is still too emotionally immature for Aiden.
There is some great bonding time between Em and her dad. Em’s mom and little sister were off on holiday when this went down, so the family is separated but still in touch via phone. Em and her dad haven’t been close for years but I really liked how they got to know each other better through this ordeal. That was the best part of the story really.
All told, I would have liked this story a lot better if Em wasn’t so selfish for 95% of the book. Perhaps if it was old through multiple characters, that would have been good. 3.5/5 stars.
The Narration: Charlie Sanderson did a really great job with the narration. She has a perfect teen girl voice for Emmott and her male voices were believable. I liked her smart girl voice for Deb and also her mom voice for Em’s mom. The pacing was perfect and there were no technical issues with the recording. 5/5 stars.
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Lisa Manterfield. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
October 9, 2019
A thank you to the publisher-- I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Smallest Thing by Lisa Manterfield is a YA novel about Emmott Sydall, a 17-year-old who lives in a small English village and wants to run away with her boyfriend to London, but is forced to stay in her town because of dramatic events. This story is very loosely based on occurrences in the town of Eyam during the Bubonic plague-- the town quarantined itself to save neighboring towns from infection and hundreds of residents died. However, this book is set in modern times.
The book is written with Emmott as the narrator in present tense. We move through the events as she experiences them over the course of about two months, the chapters being selected days during this time. Without including spoilers, we see Emmott interact with her boyfriend Ro, her father, her best friend Deb, a possible new love interest, and various neighbors. It's a story of growing up and realizing what matters most.
It's a charming little book and although I think it reads a little younger than the age group it's intended for, it was pleasant. It felt very English because of the language and I really loved that part. It was like I got to watch a Lifetime movie from Britain, which is something I'd love to do!
Now, the critique... (I'm taking a class on narrators now so forgive me but I can't get past my hyperfocus on narration!) The problem I had with it was that Emmott (kind of a cringey name for a female but it's based on a real person by that name, so...) goes through the events in real time, so we as readers are along for the ride... and frankly it's exhausting. She narrates her own thoughts constantly instead of revealing them through dialogue or other characters, and I struggled to stick with her analysis. It's so weird, but we never get to really see into Emmott's character, even though we spend so much time listening to her thoughts. She calls herself a rebel, but I don't think that we ever really get there. I think that sometimes authors forget that the reader can glean information about the characters without having everything spelled out. {Myself as a fake editor: I wonder if Emmott would be better off narrating about this time in her life as she looks back on it as an adult. Maybe that way, her blossoming into maturity would make more sense. Because in hindsight it's much easier to see why things happened the way they did. It can be difficult to see the wisdom behind an immediate crisis situation as it unfolds.}
I really enjoyed Lisa Manterfield's other work A Strange Companion much more, but I'm grateful for the free copy of this one! Thank you!
The Smallest Thing by Lisa Manterfield is a YA novel about Emmott Sydall, a 17-year-old who lives in a small English village and wants to run away with her boyfriend to London, but is forced to stay in her town because of dramatic events. This story is very loosely based on occurrences in the town of Eyam during the Bubonic plague-- the town quarantined itself to save neighboring towns from infection and hundreds of residents died. However, this book is set in modern times.
The book is written with Emmott as the narrator in present tense. We move through the events as she experiences them over the course of about two months, the chapters being selected days during this time. Without including spoilers, we see Emmott interact with her boyfriend Ro, her father, her best friend Deb, a possible new love interest, and various neighbors. It's a story of growing up and realizing what matters most.
It's a charming little book and although I think it reads a little younger than the age group it's intended for, it was pleasant. It felt very English because of the language and I really loved that part. It was like I got to watch a Lifetime movie from Britain, which is something I'd love to do!
Now, the critique... (I'm taking a class on narrators now so forgive me but I can't get past my hyperfocus on narration!) The problem I had with it was that Emmott (kind of a cringey name for a female but it's based on a real person by that name, so...) goes through the events in real time, so we as readers are along for the ride... and frankly it's exhausting. She narrates her own thoughts constantly instead of revealing them through dialogue or other characters, and I struggled to stick with her analysis. It's so weird, but we never get to really see into Emmott's character, even though we spend so much time listening to her thoughts. She calls herself a rebel, but I don't think that we ever really get there. I think that sometimes authors forget that the reader can glean information about the characters without having everything spelled out. {Myself as a fake editor: I wonder if Emmott would be better off narrating about this time in her life as she looks back on it as an adult. Maybe that way, her blossoming into maturity would make more sense. Because in hindsight it's much easier to see why things happened the way they did. It can be difficult to see the wisdom behind an immediate crisis situation as it unfolds.}
I really enjoyed Lisa Manterfield's other work A Strange Companion much more, but I'm grateful for the free copy of this one! Thank you!
June 23, 2017
I have to say, in all honesty, when I started reading this book, I was only a few chapters in & I was seriously contemplating chucking it out/deleting it from my reading pile. The main character was so rude to her father as well as being, for want of a better term, hypocritical in her outlook. Another thing was that, although it is listed as a "clean" novel, there were still sexual interactions referred to (although not in explicit detail) & one crude term/swearword used. All of this I found off-putting since it was NOT what I was expecting. Having said that, I decided to persevere for a few more chapters.
Overall, I am glad that I did - since it turned out, for me at least, to be quite a moving & emotional story. I hated, I loved, I laughed, I cried.
I enjoyed, in retrospect, the way the author featured the different changes & effects adversity has on friendships & relationships. The friendships that are born & solidified despite the trials & emotional upheaval experienced when faced with challenges that seem too difficult to bear. Tears. Love. Loss. Hope.
Be warned that this is not what I would classify as an easy, lazy day read. As with any novel that is based on real life/historical events - you can expect it to strike a cord. To bring to life the fears & joys of those who know this story, though not through the pages of a book.
So although I may never pick this novel up again, I am glad that I read it through to the end.
I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Overall, I am glad that I did - since it turned out, for me at least, to be quite a moving & emotional story. I hated, I loved, I laughed, I cried.
I enjoyed, in retrospect, the way the author featured the different changes & effects adversity has on friendships & relationships. The friendships that are born & solidified despite the trials & emotional upheaval experienced when faced with challenges that seem too difficult to bear. Tears. Love. Loss. Hope.
Be warned that this is not what I would classify as an easy, lazy day read. As with any novel that is based on real life/historical events - you can expect it to strike a cord. To bring to life the fears & joys of those who know this story, though not through the pages of a book.
So although I may never pick this novel up again, I am glad that I read it through to the end.
I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
July 18, 2017
I really enjoyed Manterfield's debut novel A Strange Companion but this second release is going to be very hard to beat.
I received and voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher. While this might not have been something I would typically pick, I was soon hooked. With life & death stakes and a gutsy protagonist (albeit with plenty of room to grow), there's an escalating sense of doom as fatal illness inches closer to the people Emmott loves. Her existing relationships unravel but others bloom in this unlikely context. By the last third of the book, I didn't want to put it down.
The plot highlights a fascinating moral conundrum and one that book clubs would enjoy discussing: to flee and risk infecting others, or do the right thing and stay in the path of danger? The links to the history of the real village of Eyam intrigued me and add an extra layer of meaning to the story.
I could easily see this novel being adapted for the big screen and if so would be a well-deserved trip up the red carpet for Manterfield. Sincerely recommended.
I received and voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher. While this might not have been something I would typically pick, I was soon hooked. With life & death stakes and a gutsy protagonist (albeit with plenty of room to grow), there's an escalating sense of doom as fatal illness inches closer to the people Emmott loves. Her existing relationships unravel but others bloom in this unlikely context. By the last third of the book, I didn't want to put it down.
The plot highlights a fascinating moral conundrum and one that book clubs would enjoy discussing: to flee and risk infecting others, or do the right thing and stay in the path of danger? The links to the history of the real village of Eyam intrigued me and add an extra layer of meaning to the story.
I could easily see this novel being adapted for the big screen and if so would be a well-deserved trip up the red carpet for Manterfield. Sincerely recommended.
September 21, 2019
The Smallest Thing by Lisa Manterfield is my first encounter with this author. It will not be my last. I did not want to stop listening to this book. The Smallest Thing is a gripping read with a mix of suspense, laughter, loss, and redemption. The story is well written and the characters are well developed. This is a great story about a young girl who wants to live a life outside of the legacy that generations of her family have forged, and coming into her own and becoming her best self even in the most unfortunate circumstances. This is a great story about a young girl who wants to live a life outside of the legacy that generations of her family have forged, and coming into her own and becoming her best self even in the most unfortunate circumstances. I listened to the Audiobook. Charlie Sanderson is a terrific narrator and voice performer. She brings these characters to life, gives each their own voice and personality. She sets the perfect tone for the story and does an awesome job projecting the emotion of the characters into her performance. She is an entertaining storyteller and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for great listen🎧! This is an excellent book and I recommend it.
July 23, 2017
I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
You know how sometimes you pick up a book and even though the premise sounds interesting, you're kind of expecting it not to be good? It's nothing against the book, but maybe you're just concerned with if this plot is going to stay interesting, or where it can actually go? I was that way with this book, but I was really happy to be proven wrong.
The Smallest Thing by Lisa Manterfield is the story of the village of Eyam and one Emmott Syddall, a 17 year old girl that desperately wants to leave her village. In fact, she has the plans to go with her boyfriend Ro, until a virus starts to affect the villagers. Suddenly, Eyam is quarantined while this virus ravages the village and instead of trying to start a new life, Emmott is just concerned with staying alive.
Like I said, I wasn't expecting much from this book, but that's a recipe for finding a lot to love. So, let's start with the things I really liked about this book, the first being the characters and the way the develop. At the beginning of the novel, Emmott is exactly who you expect a 17 year old girl to be: desperate for more, a little reckless, and focused on having fun. She and her father clash often, since her dad loves the tiny village they live in and doesn't understand what Emmott doesn't love about it. Emmott's mom and younger sister Alice are visiting her aunt in another part of England throughout the novel, so the focus is really on the relationship between Emmott and her father, which is a relationship I don't think we see enough of in YA.
The thing I really liked in this book was that all the characters, from the most minor to the main, seemed like real people. Emmott at the beginning of the novel is a real 17 year old girl- to the point where I kind of disliked her, even though I understood her. The choices that Emmott makes are, although often bad choices, ones that I can see someone in her situation making. This realism is what attracted me to the characters, even if I didn't always like them. Emmott's father John loves taking care of the community, and won't stop even when the virus is at it's worst. He's more concerned with others than with himself, and it's frustrating even when you understand it. Every character and all of their decisions make so much sense and are so realistic that you can't help but love it.
Another thing that I really loved about this novel was the relationship that formed between Emmott and Aiden, a worker with the health department. It added a nice little lightness to this novel that really needed it with such a serious topic. Aiden is super dreamy, even though we don't know what he looks like through most of the novel (since he's in a hazmat suit.) He's so sweet and level-headed, which was exactly what Emmott and the reader needed all throughout the novel. And the ending, while a bit heartbreaking, is EXACTLY what I wanted from their relationship. It's evolution and the way that it grows throughout the novel is realistic and makes your heart melt in the best way.
I also really loved how this book ended. I'm going to talk about some spoilers here, so if you haven't read this book yet, skip this part!
The final thing I loved about this book was that it was based on real, historical events. The village of Eyam exists, and during the black plague, it decided to quarantine itself to stop the spread of the disease. This decision saved thousands of lives, but the village ultimately lost hundreds of people. Some of those who were lost were John and Emmott Syddall. Yes, they were real people. Most of the characters in this book are based on real people from history. I loved the fact that this was based on something real that I had no idea about, and that there was a little blurb about it in the back about it. I just thought that added a nice, neat touch to this novel.
Now, unfortunately, we come to the things I didn't like about this novel. There's only one thing I didn't like, and that was the pacing. In the beginning and towards the end of this novel, it seemed like there was SO MUCH happening. Things were changing quickly, and you never knew what was going to happen next. But in the middle... not so much. There was a whole chunk of this book where it felt like not a lot was happening. I felt like this novel could have been 50 to 100 pages less and it wouldn't have suffered for it. That could just be my personal preference however.
Ultimately, I felt that this book was realistic in terms of plot, character, and relationships and was executed well. I would highly recommend The Smallest Thing to anyone, even if they are skeptical about it.
You know how sometimes you pick up a book and even though the premise sounds interesting, you're kind of expecting it not to be good? It's nothing against the book, but maybe you're just concerned with if this plot is going to stay interesting, or where it can actually go? I was that way with this book, but I was really happy to be proven wrong.
The Smallest Thing by Lisa Manterfield is the story of the village of Eyam and one Emmott Syddall, a 17 year old girl that desperately wants to leave her village. In fact, she has the plans to go with her boyfriend Ro, until a virus starts to affect the villagers. Suddenly, Eyam is quarantined while this virus ravages the village and instead of trying to start a new life, Emmott is just concerned with staying alive.
Like I said, I wasn't expecting much from this book, but that's a recipe for finding a lot to love. So, let's start with the things I really liked about this book, the first being the characters and the way the develop. At the beginning of the novel, Emmott is exactly who you expect a 17 year old girl to be: desperate for more, a little reckless, and focused on having fun. She and her father clash often, since her dad loves the tiny village they live in and doesn't understand what Emmott doesn't love about it. Emmott's mom and younger sister Alice are visiting her aunt in another part of England throughout the novel, so the focus is really on the relationship between Emmott and her father, which is a relationship I don't think we see enough of in YA.
The thing I really liked in this book was that all the characters, from the most minor to the main, seemed like real people. Emmott at the beginning of the novel is a real 17 year old girl- to the point where I kind of disliked her, even though I understood her. The choices that Emmott makes are, although often bad choices, ones that I can see someone in her situation making. This realism is what attracted me to the characters, even if I didn't always like them. Emmott's father John loves taking care of the community, and won't stop even when the virus is at it's worst. He's more concerned with others than with himself, and it's frustrating even when you understand it. Every character and all of their decisions make so much sense and are so realistic that you can't help but love it.
Another thing that I really loved about this novel was the relationship that formed between Emmott and Aiden, a worker with the health department. It added a nice little lightness to this novel that really needed it with such a serious topic. Aiden is super dreamy, even though we don't know what he looks like through most of the novel (since he's in a hazmat suit.) He's so sweet and level-headed, which was exactly what Emmott and the reader needed all throughout the novel. And the ending, while a bit heartbreaking, is EXACTLY what I wanted from their relationship. It's evolution and the way that it grows throughout the novel is realistic and makes your heart melt in the best way.
I also really loved how this book ended. I'm going to talk about some spoilers here, so if you haven't read this book yet, skip this part!
The final thing I loved about this book was that it was based on real, historical events. The village of Eyam exists, and during the black plague, it decided to quarantine itself to stop the spread of the disease. This decision saved thousands of lives, but the village ultimately lost hundreds of people. Some of those who were lost were John and Emmott Syddall. Yes, they were real people. Most of the characters in this book are based on real people from history. I loved the fact that this was based on something real that I had no idea about, and that there was a little blurb about it in the back about it. I just thought that added a nice, neat touch to this novel.
Now, unfortunately, we come to the things I didn't like about this novel. There's only one thing I didn't like, and that was the pacing. In the beginning and towards the end of this novel, it seemed like there was SO MUCH happening. Things were changing quickly, and you never knew what was going to happen next. But in the middle... not so much. There was a whole chunk of this book where it felt like not a lot was happening. I felt like this novel could have been 50 to 100 pages less and it wouldn't have suffered for it. That could just be my personal preference however.
Ultimately, I felt that this book was realistic in terms of plot, character, and relationships and was executed well. I would highly recommend The Smallest Thing to anyone, even if they are skeptical about it.
September 17, 2017
***This book was reviewed via XPresso Blog Tours
Emmott Syddall wants nothing more than to leave the tiny English village of Eyam, that has been home to countless generations of her family. She's desperate to escape to London, with her boyfriend Ro, though Ro seems more reluctant to leave. Emmott’s father wants her to stay, eventually taking over the family tour business. Before she can leave, however, disaster strikes in the form of a deadly plague, and the quarantine that follows. Trapped in Eyam, Emmott, and her fellow villagers struggle to survive. This is a trying time, bringing out the true nature of each person. For Emmott's, it is a time of intense growth, as the dross in her life is burned away in the fires of plague. Through it all, Emmott loses people to betrayal and death alike, but she finds herself, and her true calling, and a new friend and ally in the young Red Cross relief worker named Aiden.
I enjoy stories of pandemics and epidemics. These are among the most terrifying of the 'man Vs nature’ category. These stories speak to our deep, ancestral memory of the great slate-wipers, and the fear and knowledge that they will happen again. The reminder that humans really aren't top of the chain, and that death is random, an implacable reality that can strike any of us, at any time. There is no true villain, for virii simply do what they do. There’s no malice involved.
Manterfield captured the feelings of despair, fear, and rage quarantine can engender. The still-healthy are trapped with the sick and dying, forced to watch loved ones suffer and die, all the while knowing they could be next. They are watched over by dread spectres, people in Haz-Mat suits, designed to protect them. Just seeing these suits often creates such feelings of fear because you know it means *something bad has happened*. It might not be contagion, but it's never a good sign. That fear is captured here. These people in their suits are as terrifying to the Eyam residents as their predecessors were to plague victims. Plague doctors’ get-ups were designed to block contagion as well, though the full grasp of transmission was lacking then. (I find them quite innovative for the times).
(Insert plague Dr)
I loved how the reader's emotions were drawn out via comparisons, such as death being an off switch on a remote whose batteries are then removed and thrown away, and through beautiful description.
‘The camera pans across the rows of stone cottages, the vivid hanging baskets, the church, the bus shelter, the school, and the tea rooms, but slashes of cold, hard metal interrupt the scene with the sterile invasive colors of Armageddon.’
Emmott’s thoughts on organised religion mirror mine… I hate the phrase “God called them back” when referring to deceased. She summed up my feelings nicely. Was God bored? Death and it's randomness sucks. Don't give me platitudes. I loved how Emmott's relationship with Aiden developed. The eyes are the window to the soul, it's said, and powerful conveyors of emotion and intimacy. When that is all you can see of a person's face (or body), you get to know them for what their soul reflects without opinion being tainted by their looks.
Oh, squee! The modern plague doctors have a computer called 'Sherlock’.
My only qualms were how childish and selfish Emmott came across at times. Much of this can be explained by how young, and relatively sheltered she was, so even that did add to authenticity. That she tempered that, and had such profound growth over the course of the story made it easier to deal with, though at times during the first third of the book I really wanted to thwack her.
I appreciated that this was the author's re-imagining of a historical true story, updated for the modern times. She explains a bit about historic Eyam, and how those people *chose* to impose quarantine upon themselves to stop their pocket of Bubonic Plague from spreading. That is an amazing level of foresight and bravery. It made me interested in learning more of historic Eyam, and curious as to what prompted the author to chose it as a focus.
📚📚📚📚📚 Highly recommended, especially if you enjoy man vs nature stories.
Emmott Syddall wants nothing more than to leave the tiny English village of Eyam, that has been home to countless generations of her family. She's desperate to escape to London, with her boyfriend Ro, though Ro seems more reluctant to leave. Emmott’s father wants her to stay, eventually taking over the family tour business. Before she can leave, however, disaster strikes in the form of a deadly plague, and the quarantine that follows. Trapped in Eyam, Emmott, and her fellow villagers struggle to survive. This is a trying time, bringing out the true nature of each person. For Emmott's, it is a time of intense growth, as the dross in her life is burned away in the fires of plague. Through it all, Emmott loses people to betrayal and death alike, but she finds herself, and her true calling, and a new friend and ally in the young Red Cross relief worker named Aiden.
I enjoy stories of pandemics and epidemics. These are among the most terrifying of the 'man Vs nature’ category. These stories speak to our deep, ancestral memory of the great slate-wipers, and the fear and knowledge that they will happen again. The reminder that humans really aren't top of the chain, and that death is random, an implacable reality that can strike any of us, at any time. There is no true villain, for virii simply do what they do. There’s no malice involved.
Manterfield captured the feelings of despair, fear, and rage quarantine can engender. The still-healthy are trapped with the sick and dying, forced to watch loved ones suffer and die, all the while knowing they could be next. They are watched over by dread spectres, people in Haz-Mat suits, designed to protect them. Just seeing these suits often creates such feelings of fear because you know it means *something bad has happened*. It might not be contagion, but it's never a good sign. That fear is captured here. These people in their suits are as terrifying to the Eyam residents as their predecessors were to plague victims. Plague doctors’ get-ups were designed to block contagion as well, though the full grasp of transmission was lacking then. (I find them quite innovative for the times).
(Insert plague Dr)
I loved how the reader's emotions were drawn out via comparisons, such as death being an off switch on a remote whose batteries are then removed and thrown away, and through beautiful description.
‘The camera pans across the rows of stone cottages, the vivid hanging baskets, the church, the bus shelter, the school, and the tea rooms, but slashes of cold, hard metal interrupt the scene with the sterile invasive colors of Armageddon.’
Emmott’s thoughts on organised religion mirror mine… I hate the phrase “God called them back” when referring to deceased. She summed up my feelings nicely. Was God bored? Death and it's randomness sucks. Don't give me platitudes. I loved how Emmott's relationship with Aiden developed. The eyes are the window to the soul, it's said, and powerful conveyors of emotion and intimacy. When that is all you can see of a person's face (or body), you get to know them for what their soul reflects without opinion being tainted by their looks.
Oh, squee! The modern plague doctors have a computer called 'Sherlock’.
My only qualms were how childish and selfish Emmott came across at times. Much of this can be explained by how young, and relatively sheltered she was, so even that did add to authenticity. That she tempered that, and had such profound growth over the course of the story made it easier to deal with, though at times during the first third of the book I really wanted to thwack her.
I appreciated that this was the author's re-imagining of a historical true story, updated for the modern times. She explains a bit about historic Eyam, and how those people *chose* to impose quarantine upon themselves to stop their pocket of Bubonic Plague from spreading. That is an amazing level of foresight and bravery. It made me interested in learning more of historic Eyam, and curious as to what prompted the author to chose it as a focus.
📚📚📚📚📚 Highly recommended, especially if you enjoy man vs nature stories.
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