Not My Fault

by Cath Howe

Maya and Rose won’t talk to each other.

Even though they are sisters.

Not since the accident.

Maya is running wild, and Rose doesn’t know what to do.

Now Maya and Rose have to go away together on a week-long school journey. But will the trip – and a life-threatening adventure – fix their relationship… or break it for good?

A beautiful story of family, forgiveness, and finding out who you are, from the author of the highly-acclaimed Ella on the Outside.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fiction, Childrens, School, Friendship

272 pages, Paperback

First published May 2, 2019

About the author

Cath Howe is an author and teacher working in South West London writing for, and working with, Key Stage 2 primary age children.

Her first two books were published in 2012 by Pearson in their Bug Club, “The Curse of the Highwayman” and “The Highwayman’s Revenge”. She has won prizes for stories, poems and monologues and even written a musical. Over the past seven years, she has also led children to victory in local festivals performing her work.

Cath Howe runs workshops in schools on everything to do with writing and performing, teaches gifted writers, coaches children for auditions, develops plays and scripts for festivals; everything about being inspired and creative.

Member of SCWBI (Society of Children's Writers of the British Isles), NAWE (National Association of Writers in Education), The Society of Authors and Writer in Residence at Kingston University Writing School.

Reviews

[Ambeq Theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a good book

[Flora Hillage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weird book..... (actual rating is 4.5)

[Eve beinguniquebeingme · Rating 4 out of 5]

After an accident on a playground roundabout, sisters Rose and Maya barely talk and never nicely.



Maya went off the tracks behaving badly after her leg was injured severely caused by Rose.



Rose loves gymnastics to escape home where Maya is a black cloud.



On a school trip away, Maya's moods and actions towards her sister become even more extreme and an act of rebellion see's her facing up to her reality that her leg is causing her pain again for a reason as well as Rose coming to realise what matters, speaking up about how her sister makes her feel and what she really wants to do in life, not just be biased around by her so called best friend...



There's friendship drama, missing hamsters and tense times at sea as the group gets into danger...



This was a great book detailing how a sibling fight can be very extreme and we see from both girls how they each feel from the split POV which was great and both girls were well developed characters and we could see how the event and their points of view fitted in and how they felt to everything said about them.

[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it. It had a lot to say about family relationship, issues around guilt and bullying.

[Grace Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy yet long read - could be a lot shorter story!

[Katie H · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely my favourite book😍

[Keiwi: · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not My Fault Review 

Cath Howe


Blurb 

Maya and Rose Won't talk to each other
Even though they are sisters not since the accident 
Maya is running wild and Rose doesn't know what to do.
Now Maya and Rose have to go away together on a week-long school journey
But will the trip-and a-life threatening adventure-fix their relationship… or break it for good 



This book is one of the best books I have read. It has really surprising twists that are very unpredictable and fun. The start of the book was kind of repetitive and predictable but by the end it really starts to get dramatic and unpredictable. This book made me laugh and it was really relatable as they are on a school trip and there was a lot of activities that i have done on my overnight school trip, the book made me feel like i was there at times and it was very interesting and i really engaged with book and that was very good and enjoyable. I love this book and recommend it to people who want a kick of drama and if you're ready to face extremely unpredictable twists. This book is an absolute 5 stars and I hope you get on to reading it.

[I _teach_muggles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maya blames Rose for the accident that caused her ‘stupid leg’ and they haven’t spoken to each other since the the terrible day. Rose wants things to be back to the way they were but is at a loss as to what to do and Maya’s behaviour is out of control. With a week long school residential coming up everyone is apprehensive about it - parents, grandparents, friends and teachers. It is make or break time for the sisters. Can their sibling bond be rekindled or will it be broken forever?

Not My Fault explores the tangled relationship of the two sisters following the accident where one extra push changed everything. They used to play and laugh together but then Maya was injured and blames Rose for it, and Rose feels responsible and is wracked with guilt. Forgiving somebody who has hurt us can be difficult. What happens when the person that has hurt you is your sister? Both sisters recall the event differently which is so true of traumatic experiences. We convince ourselves what we want to believe happened. The more we tell our side of the story, the more we are certain that that is what happened. What the sisters can see clearly though is the lasting effects of the incident and how they themselves have changed.

The sisters are polar opposites of each other. Rose is shy, quiet and a perfectionist. Maya is outspoken, brash, has lots of friends and is seen as a but of a trouble-maker. Maya rebelled after the accident and her way of coping with what has happened is to behave badly. Whether they were like this before the accident is anyone’s guess. The one thing that they share in common is that they are both struggling to come to terms with the after-effects of the accident and are struggling to come to terms with the new reality. Both have to navigate their own struggles. Maya’s struggle is clear and Rose has to deal with a best-friend who becomes increasingly bossy.

Told from a dual perspective, the alternate voices of Rose and Maya narrate the story and different fonts are used to reflect this. The narrative is driven by the sisters feelings towards each other and when a late night misadventure lands Maya in trouble it is Rose that comes to her and it is time for some honest truths. My feelings towards the sisters changed dramatically as the narrative unfolded. I won’t spoil too much but I went from feeling empathy to anger to frustration.

Cath Howe is a primary school teacher and this resonates in her story telling and character building. The voices of the characters and the conversations are bang on point. The experiences, trials and tribulations of the school residential are accurate too - from children sneaking sweets into their suitcases for late night snacks to the race for the back seats on the coach to the token moody teacher. Any reader who has been on a school residential will totally relate to the action and the events.

Everything about Not My Fault is totally realistic and totally believable and that for me is what makes it such an enjoyable read. It is an engaging and emotional read which deals with some difficult subjects - family, relationships and managing feelings of guilt are all complex issues and these are sensitively explored throughout the read.

Recommended for 9+.

[Sabrina (sabrinareads_) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not My Fault follows two sisters who go for a one-week trip and trying to fix their relationship after a life threatening event.

I love to read stories of family and forgiveness because it is very relatable. Sometimes it is not easy to forgive and forget the ones who have wronged us. We may feel that they are the ones who do the damage in the relationship, but we must remember that they are always two sides in a story. We must be rational in judging the situation and never take sides.

I like the theme of the story, but I don’t like the story line and characters. Maya is a rebel who doesn’t care about people around her and Rose doesn’t know how to approach Maya since the accident. Their attitude tires me and makes me want to end the story even faster. Their parents are also out of picture, since most of time they are away from home to attend the school trip. So, the book lacks some parents-daughter moments to compliment the story. I understand the author wants Maya and Rose to figure out ways to fix their relationship but the reconciliation moment is too rushed that there is nothing special behind it.

Special thanks to Pansing Books for providing me a copy of Not My Fault.

[Tracy Lander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rose and Maya Sheridan inseparable sisters, just 11 months apart in age and in the same school year. Until the accident...until Maya screamed...until Maya had to have operations on her leg...until the wheelchair...until the leg that doesn't work properly any more.


Rose and Maya are at war. Rose thinks she's the awful one and yet she has to watch out for Maya. Maya thinks Rose is a goody goody and it's all her fault that she can't do the things that everyone else can.

Then comes "the school journey" to Whitesands, an activity camp. Maya as usual is being difficult even before they leave. Then Rose says about a gym competition but it's the same time as Maya's drama group. This starts chaos at the breakfast table. They leave but again Maya is difficult. Mum tells Rose to keep an eye on her. Easier said than done! Although Rose is on the receiving end of Maya's nastiness most of the time because you can see the nice side of Maya when she is with Bonnie, who has a 1:1 helper, Miss Stewart.

At the camp things get worse and Maya is always in the centre. But Maya's leg gets worse too but she doesn't tell anyone but someone is watching and knows already. Rose is fed up with Clemmy who keeps dobbing Maya in to the teachers and telling Rose what to do. Then comes the talent show....Maya leaves the building but Bonnie follows, Maya tells her to go away but she wants to go to...they walk across the causeway to the island but Rose has seen them and goes after them. Now what will they do? How will they get off the island? Bonnie surprises them both. But can Rose and Maya surprise everyone?

I have loved the Cath Howe books, each thinking carefully about friendships and how they work. These were donated to my school by an ex-pupil.

[Amy (Golden Books Girl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of two sisters involved in a tragic accident- Maya, who was injured, and Rose, who feels responsible for what happened- as they go on a school residential trip together. It`s very much character-led rather than plot driven and so it was important that Maya and Rose were complex and interesting, which I definitely think they were. I loved the exploration of their relationship too, and really appreciated the way in which the dual narrative ensures we fully understand and empathise with both points of view, and it made me really root for a reconciliation as well. I particularly liked Maya as I related to her a lot, as while my health condition is very different there were some parts of her experiences that definitely resonated a lot. There is also a great ensemble of secondary characters- my particular favourite of whom was Bonnie- who form a very realistic-feeling class. A thoughtful, interesting contemporary. 4.5/5

[Jenny Caddick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not My Fault is an excellent story of sibling rivalry with a different twist. One sister has been injured in an accident that the other sister feels responsible for and the reader is dropped into the aftermath of this event from the start of the story The setting of a school residential trip takes us through the guilt,blame and jealousy that now dominates their strained relationship. Both sisters have their own voice in the story with it's dual narrative voice so the reader sees directly into each girl's private thoughts and pain and yet also sees the surface face they project to each other. It's a tense and emotional read in which the reader has utter empathy for both sisters and the hurt and pain they feel and also inflict on each other . The residential trip proves the perfect backdrop to test the sisters resilience and ability to pull together when risks are taken and there is real danger to them both. A great story with well written ,powerful characters .

[Rebecca R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maya and Rose are sisters, but that’s about all they have in common. Rose is neat, diligent, and a star gymnast, but is also secretly eaten up with guilt about Maya’s accident. Maya is charismatic, chaotic, and driven to self-destructive behaviour by physical pain and anger about her accident. Maya and Rose are not talking to each other, but a school residential trip to Wales will be the catalyst that makes or breaks their relationship. The story is told from both of their perspectives and beautifully illustrates the ways that siblings can know each other so well, but also completely misunderstand each other.

Sometimes it’s harder to forgive your family than anyone else, but Not My Fault is a prescription for sibling empathy. Highly recommended.

[Kirsten Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dual narrative following two sisters.
I liked the subtle difference in font to help me work out which sisters chapter I was reading. Both characters are flawed which makes for an interesting dilemma as you assume that one sister will be the always perfect one and the other will be the trouble maker.

These two sisters seem like polar opposites but though the writing you can see that what you see isn't always the full story. I did enjoy this story telling and felt it's very reflective of real life. It's easy to sit and look upon how others have it perfect - without realising how they really feel or the full story.

Aimed at upper primary and above I would guess, with themes of family, guilt, bullying and the importance of communicating too.

[WyrmbergSabrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

As sweet and nice as this is, I'm just not the age group for it.
Following two sisters on school camp who have stopped talking to each other because of an accident. The tale bounces between both pints of view, which gives the reader both sides of their feelings.
It's quick to read, a straightforward plot and the two characters are both not perfect so neither one is really in the right. But I did find myself leaning towards one sister more than another for various reasons.
But the ending was sweet, with new friendships made in the process.
A good read for 11/12 years old about family and friendships, and the importance of talking.

[Lanchi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nó như 1 quyển sách về chị em khi chỉ vì lúc ng chị lỡ làm gãy chân ng em và bị em giận và đột nhiên hiểu các suy nghĩ của ng chị muốn hoà với em nhưng khi thấy em chọc mình và khi bị cô la , ng em đã nhìn vào ng chị ghét và có cảm giác như ng em đang càng ghét mình. Vậy mà cuối cùng thì cũng làm hoà với nhau được. Nên mình nghĩ đôi lúc chị em cũng sẽ vậy trong cuộc sống. -_-

Nên , mình nghĩ nó rất hay và có nhiều cảm xúc sau khi tác giả của nó đã ghi ra nó và rất xứng đáng đc 5 sao. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Camilla Chester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by Cath Howe.

Tells the story of Maya - said like Fire (otherwise you're talking about someone else) and Rose - estranged twins of very different characters, forced to confront their relationship when on a school residential.

A very character driven book and beautifully done.

If I'm being utterly honest I didn't love it as much as I loved Ella on the Outside - but to be fair that book would be pretty impossible to beat IMHO.

[Katy Picken · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read aimed at 10-12 year olds, centred around the broken relationship of two sisters very close in age. Told alternately from both points of view, you get to see how much they are both hurting, and how they want to make things right without a clue of how to go about it. Interesting view of a school residential from the children's point of view, though I did feel for the poor teachers! I enjoyed it.

[Isabella Campling · Rating 4 out of 5]

As my 10 year old self read this book during silent reading in year 6 i loved it . Being the youngest in the house with 2 older sisters who i struggled to get on with . This book really made me realise how important sisters can be . I remember reading this constantly as it never disappoints. I'm now 13 and still thinking of re- reading . Id like to classify this as one of the books i wish i could read for the first time again.

[Samantha Pope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story focusing on the dynamics between two sisters, very close in age, after a tragic accident drives a wedge between them. While Maya is the injured party, Rose suffers mentally from a sense of guilt. Until the end, Maya coms across mainly as dislikeable and I feel hat the story could have been more effective if we could have had some sympathy for her. A good read, though.

[St Michael's Primary Oxford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story focusing on the dynamics between two sisters, very close in age, after a tragic accident drives a wedge between them. While Maya is the injured party, Rose suffers mentally from a sense of guilt. Until the end, Maya coms across mainly as dislikeable and I feel hat the story could have been more effective if we could have had some sympathy for her. A good read, though.

[17bushellk003 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a bout two sisters who wont talk to each other.They go away on a school trip hoping it will fix their relationship after a serious event .it includes forgiveness friendship family and bullying .I liked hethheme of the book but I didnt really like how any of the characters are portrayed

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this a lot more than I did (having heard good things about this author before), but I just did not like the characters AT ALL. With the short chapters, the writing also didn't feel smooth, but jolted and inconsistent. Not a great read, for me, but one some younger readers may enjoy.

[BookLoverLily · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good, so good! 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩😺🤩😺🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
Maya and her goody-good shoes sister,Rose never talk to each other ever since the accident. The accident:
Maya shouts ‘faster!faster!’ on the roundabout. Rose gives it a extra push! Maya is on the ground like a strange puppet. I recommend this book to all ages. (Lily, aged 9 loves it! 😍😊)

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of 2 sisters who just can not see eye to eye. One who lives in jealousy and one who lives in guilt. They don’t talk to each other until something goes wrong on a school trip. Good storytelling, loved the double perspective and a gorgeous cover/interior design!

[Rebecca Nelson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Easy read, skimmed a lot. Good for year 4/5 perhaps. Not particularly grilling but does have friendship and sibling issues that could be explored. Potential emotional, mental health and disability issues could be discussed.

[christine toomer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story took a while to get going but my daughter enjoyed the battle between two sisters (she can relate). Reading this brought up a lot of interesting discussions between myself and my daughter. It was good to see where her mind was about the characters as the plot progresses.

[Bronwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though I may be a tad too old, I loved this book so much, I loved the relationship between the sisters and the swap - narration. It was a charming story.

[Mrs Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I loved how it moved between the two sisters and how they viewed everything. Shows that what we see and feel isn’t always correct. Definitely a good read.

[Megan Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up in a small bookshop on my holiday, I'm obviously way too old for this book but it didnt stop me enjoying it. A lovely little story that I know a 10-13 year old would love