What do you think?
Rate this book
As Happy as Here
A beautiful coming-of-age story about three teenage girls from very different backgrounds who find themselves sharing a hospital ward, for fans of Kate DiCamillo and Fiona Wood
Three teenage girls from very different backgrounds find themselves sharing a hospital ward. When they witness a crime in the park below their window, they bond over trying to solve the crime and each one undergoes a profound change.
A beautiful coming-of-age story about identity, expectation, class, justice, society, fairness, and, above all, kindness.
Three teenage girls from very different backgrounds find themselves sharing a hospital ward. When they witness a crime in the park below their window, they bond over trying to solve the crime and each one undergoes a profound change.
A beautiful coming-of-age story about identity, expectation, class, justice, society, fairness, and, above all, kindness.
273 pages, Paperback
First published July 23, 2019
60 people are currently reading
899 people want to read
About the author
Jane Godwin
71 books58 followersJane Godwin is the Publisher, Books for Children and Young Adults, at Penguin Books Australia. She is also a highly acclaimed author of many books for children. Her work is published internationally and she has received many commendations. The Family Tree won the 2000 Queensland Premier's Award (Children's Books); Sebby, Stee, the Garbos and Me was shortlisted for the 1999 New South Wales State Literary Award (Patricia Wrightson Prize) and was a YABBA finalist; and The True Story of Mary was shortlisted for the 2006 CBCA Book of the Year Awards, Younger Readers. In 2009 her picture book with illustrator Anna Walker, Little Cat and the Big Red Bus, was a notable book in the CBCA Awards and was also shortlisted for the Speech Pathology Australia Awards, Lower Primary division. Jane's most recent novel is Falling From Grace, and her most recent picture book is All Through the Year, illustrated by Anna Walker, due for publication in October 2010.
Jane lives in Melbourne with her family. Her hobbies seem to have fallen by the wayside a little since she has taken on the role of publisher, but from what she remembers, they were playing tennis, walking, reading (things other than manuscripts), doing cryptic crosswords, talking about the need to do gardening (and sometimes even doing it), cooking, playing piano, spending time with friends and mucking around with family which consists of partner Michael and two adolescents, Wil (19) and Lizzie (17). She still manages the cryptic crosswords, friends and family.
Jane also enjoys working creatively with school students, encouraging them to develop confidence in their own creativity, ideas and abilities.
Jane lives in Melbourne with her family. Her hobbies seem to have fallen by the wayside a little since she has taken on the role of publisher, but from what she remembers, they were playing tennis, walking, reading (things other than manuscripts), doing cryptic crosswords, talking about the need to do gardening (and sometimes even doing it), cooking, playing piano, spending time with friends and mucking around with family which consists of partner Michael and two adolescents, Wil (19) and Lizzie (17). She still manages the cryptic crosswords, friends and family.
Jane also enjoys working creatively with school students, encouraging them to develop confidence in their own creativity, ideas and abilities.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
June 5, 2024
Representation: N/A
Trigger warnings: Hospitalisation of children in the past, physical injury, blood, grief and loss depiction, death of a child and friend, car crash, cancer, medical content, surgery, near-death experiences
Score: Six and a half out of ten.
Find this review on The StoryGraph.
As Happy As Here by Jane Godwin wasn't as strong as When Rain Turns to Snow. I wanted to read this one for a while after enjoying When Rain Turns to Snow last year, but I put it off for a few months before it was time to pick it up. I glanced at the intriguing blurb, but headed in with low expectations after seeing the ratings. When I closed the final page, I thought it was okay.
It starts with a prologue with Evie seeing a car crashing into a van, with a piano falling out of it and hitting her legs, ending her dreams as a long-distance runner, then the story begins when I see two more characters hospitalised for different reasons--Lucy, who has leukaemia, and Jemma, who underwent surgery for a ruptured appendix.
The premise implied these three girls would bond together, and I thought they might befriend each other, but that's not what happened. The mystery is more of a subplot and not part of the central storyline, and that only caused Evie, Lucy and Jemma to work together, not as friends, though, more like partners. However, at that point I didn't care for that anymore, nor could I connect or relate with them.
Anyway. Once the narrative sidelined that investigation, the three characters try to further develop their relationships, which wasn't that exciting, until all of them escaped the hospital. That's incredibly unlikely. Where's the security? All their parents only play a minor role and are mostly in the background, letting the nurses take care of them while they were in the infirmary.
I enjoyed When Rain Turns to Snow more since it had better characters and execution, unlike As Happy As Here. The conclusion finishes the creation on a bittersweet note as Evie and Lucy get to leave the hospital alive, but Jemma succumbed to a hit-and-run. I wanted the best case scenario where all the protagonists survive, but I didn't get that.
Trigger warnings: Hospitalisation of children in the past, physical injury, blood, grief and loss depiction, death of a child and friend, car crash, cancer, medical content, surgery, near-death experiences
Score: Six and a half out of ten.
Find this review on The StoryGraph.
As Happy As Here by Jane Godwin wasn't as strong as When Rain Turns to Snow. I wanted to read this one for a while after enjoying When Rain Turns to Snow last year, but I put it off for a few months before it was time to pick it up. I glanced at the intriguing blurb, but headed in with low expectations after seeing the ratings. When I closed the final page, I thought it was okay.
It starts with a prologue with Evie seeing a car crashing into a van, with a piano falling out of it and hitting her legs, ending her dreams as a long-distance runner, then the story begins when I see two more characters hospitalised for different reasons--Lucy, who has leukaemia, and Jemma, who underwent surgery for a ruptured appendix.
The premise implied these three girls would bond together, and I thought they might befriend each other, but that's not what happened. The mystery is more of a subplot and not part of the central storyline, and that only caused Evie, Lucy and Jemma to work together, not as friends, though, more like partners. However, at that point I didn't care for that anymore, nor could I connect or relate with them.
Anyway. Once the narrative sidelined that investigation, the three characters try to further develop their relationships, which wasn't that exciting, until all of them escaped the hospital. That's incredibly unlikely. Where's the security? All their parents only play a minor role and are mostly in the background, letting the nurses take care of them while they were in the infirmary.
I enjoyed When Rain Turns to Snow more since it had better characters and execution, unlike As Happy As Here. The conclusion finishes the creation on a bittersweet note as Evie and Lucy get to leave the hospital alive, but Jemma succumbed to a hit-and-run. I wanted the best case scenario where all the protagonists survive, but I didn't get that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2019
Authentic voice, engaging friendship story and well developed mystery element.
Just what we need for younger teens.
Just what we need for younger teens.
September 9, 2020
AMAZING YVTETTE SHOULD DEFINATELY READ IT NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT
August 10, 2019
Three teenagers, with completely different personalities find that sharing a hospital ward can be difficult then what they originally thought. However after witnessing a crime, their stay in the hospital becomes a lot harder.
Evie is a long distance runner, who faces the pressure of her family of being a successful athlete. Evie does face the negative impact of not being the ideal child that her parents want when she was in a freak road accident that has mangled her legs.
Lucy is an only child with leukaemia, who is the most important person in her father’s life. Lucy is level headed, kind and optimistic.
Jemma was one character that it takes you a while to get used to. Jemma is arrogant, blunt, rude and wouldn’t know if right from wrong if they slapped her in the face. However being a young teenager, there is that tiny excuse that her behaviour should be something to put up with because of her broken homes situation. Being 13 in this book, Jemma’s behaviour is understandable but if she was any older, not sooo muchhh.
I love that the interactions and the chapters are short at the start of the book, really highlighting the awkwardness the teenagers have with their personalities mixing. There is minimal interaction with Jemma as the others are taken back by her bluntness and need to help herself to their belongings. However, as the characters grow to interact with each other and are brought together by the crime they know about, the chapters are longer. I love this style of writing, where chapters aid and add value to the story rather than the writer continuous writing to get that ‘target’ chapter length.
Overall I enjoyed the story and the ending was brilliant and needed to happen. Godwin is an author that I will need to keep an eye on and see what else she has published!
Evie is a long distance runner, who faces the pressure of her family of being a successful athlete. Evie does face the negative impact of not being the ideal child that her parents want when she was in a freak road accident that has mangled her legs.
Lucy is an only child with leukaemia, who is the most important person in her father’s life. Lucy is level headed, kind and optimistic.
Jemma was one character that it takes you a while to get used to. Jemma is arrogant, blunt, rude and wouldn’t know if right from wrong if they slapped her in the face. However being a young teenager, there is that tiny excuse that her behaviour should be something to put up with because of her broken homes situation. Being 13 in this book, Jemma’s behaviour is understandable but if she was any older, not sooo muchhh.
I love that the interactions and the chapters are short at the start of the book, really highlighting the awkwardness the teenagers have with their personalities mixing. There is minimal interaction with Jemma as the others are taken back by her bluntness and need to help herself to their belongings. However, as the characters grow to interact with each other and are brought together by the crime they know about, the chapters are longer. I love this style of writing, where chapters aid and add value to the story rather than the writer continuous writing to get that ‘target’ chapter length.
Overall I enjoyed the story and the ending was brilliant and needed to happen. Godwin is an author that I will need to keep an eye on and see what else she has published!
November 5, 2019
Trigger warnings: car accident resulting in hospitalisation, cancer, theft,
There are so few books with a 12-14 year old intended audience and I was desperately hoping that this would be great. And in some ways it was - there are developing friendships, first periods, parental dramas, and plenty of action. But there was something about it that didn't quite work for me and I can't pinpoint what it was. Maybe it was that Jemma was indescribably unlikeable for the majority of the story. Maybe it was that I wanted a little more on the friendship front. Maybe it was that I Kind of wanted it to be a first person narrative and it wasn't. I don't quite know.
Don't get me wrong, the mystery was enjoyable and I liked that it was something the girls could plausibly solve themselves. I liked that it was a story about a group of girls thrown together, who would have ordinarily not been friends. And I did enjoy the writing. So... *shrug*??
There are so few books with a 12-14 year old intended audience and I was desperately hoping that this would be great. And in some ways it was - there are developing friendships, first periods, parental dramas, and plenty of action. But there was something about it that didn't quite work for me and I can't pinpoint what it was. Maybe it was that Jemma was indescribably unlikeable for the majority of the story. Maybe it was that I wanted a little more on the friendship front. Maybe it was that I Kind of wanted it to be a first person narrative and it wasn't. I don't quite know.
Don't get me wrong, the mystery was enjoyable and I liked that it was something the girls could plausibly solve themselves. I liked that it was a story about a group of girls thrown together, who would have ordinarily not been friends. And I did enjoy the writing. So... *shrug*??
July 28, 2024
The book all the girls in my Year 6 class are reading at the moment and I can understand why. Fantastic book about friendship with a mystery element. Connects to the importance of empathy and not knowing what other people are going through, the importance of kindness and life! A bit of a tear jerker and definitely mature themes.
I can’t wait to talk to the class about it.
I can’t wait to talk to the class about it.
Read
May 28, 2024I really enjoyed this book, it was a good balance of friendship and mystery.
June 8, 2019
Three teenage girls from very different backgrounds find themselves sharing a hospital ward. When they witness a crime in the park below their window, they bond over trying to solve the crime and each one undergoes a profound change.
This is a book that I wish I'd read growing up. It is a lovely, coming-of-age story of three young girls who find themselves in a hospital room together. Then they witness a crime. As they band together to solve the crime, they learn to overcome each others differences and challenges to help each other grow and blossom. Such a lovely, unique voice with a hint of mystery!
This is a book that I wish I'd read growing up. It is a lovely, coming-of-age story of three young girls who find themselves in a hospital room together. Then they witness a crime. As they band together to solve the crime, they learn to overcome each others differences and challenges to help each other grow and blossom. Such a lovely, unique voice with a hint of mystery!
April 20, 2021
I loved this book soooooo much, though I was really surprised when Jemma died!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 15, 2023
read this in the fifth grade, loved it, maybe shed a few tears, need to check it out to give it a final review
August 24, 2020
I really enjoyed this story of three young girls, all from different situations, who probably would never have met had they not been brought together when they share a hospital room. There is a bit of mystery in the novel and a twist I didn't see coming, but, for me, it's the insights into family relationships and friendships which were the most compelling. A great read.
November 26, 2020
2.5??
I went to the library on a whim and picked up this book. Despite my rating, I finished the story in one day which is strange for me nowadays. It helped me get out of this reading slump. I enjoyed some of the concepts presented, but I was disappointed with the endings for one of the characters; it was a bit bleak. That's all I have for now.
I went to the library on a whim and picked up this book. Despite my rating, I finished the story in one day which is strange for me nowadays. It helped me get out of this reading slump. I enjoyed some of the concepts presented, but I was disappointed with the endings for one of the characters; it was a bit bleak. That's all I have for now.
January 22, 2025
1-Star Review: As Happy as Here by Jane Gowin
As Happy as Here is a disappointing read that fails to live up to its premise. Despite a promising start, the book quickly becomes a slog, bogged down by shallow characters and an underwhelming plot.
The protagonist, Jemma, is frustratingly annoying, and her journey toward happiness is neither convincing nor engaging. The relationships between Jemma, Evie, and Lucy lack any real depth, making it difficult to care about their struggles or their development. The dialogue is flat, and the emotional beats feel forced, leaving the reader detached and uninterested.
another reason is because of the unnecessary conflict between the two girls, Evie and Lucy. The “beef” between them felt forced and completely out of place, adding nothing meaningful to the story. Instead of creating tension that would drive character growth or plot development, their animosity felt contrived and overblown. It seemed like a cheap attempt to introduce drama where there was none needed.
As Happy as Here is a disappointing read that fails to live up to its premise. Despite a promising start, the book quickly becomes a slog, bogged down by shallow characters and an underwhelming plot.
The protagonist, Jemma, is frustratingly annoying, and her journey toward happiness is neither convincing nor engaging. The relationships between Jemma, Evie, and Lucy lack any real depth, making it difficult to care about their struggles or their development. The dialogue is flat, and the emotional beats feel forced, leaving the reader detached and uninterested.
another reason is because of the unnecessary conflict between the two girls, Evie and Lucy. The “beef” between them felt forced and completely out of place, adding nothing meaningful to the story. Instead of creating tension that would drive character growth or plot development, their animosity felt contrived and overblown. It seemed like a cheap attempt to introduce drama where there was none needed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 25, 2021
This book was too amazing, it made a big picture in my mind and made me sucked into the book. When I read this book, time flied so fast. Jemma's personality really made this book more amazing, because of the way it affected other characters. And Evie! There's so much good things about her. And the start! It felt like I was there with the accident and everything. Amazing book, Jane.
March 8, 2025
I like it but definitely weeped a bit while going through the sad yet delightful chapters of three different girls who have
Different traits but have respect in one another.
Different traits but have respect in one another.
January 26, 2022
Loved the book and thought of the book. It must of been good if it acually made me feel angry. A sad bit at the end but good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2019
A powerful, moving story of friendship set in a hospital ward, where three very different girls bond over solving a mystery. The fast-paced final chapters took my breath away.
September 20, 2025
⭐ 5 Stars
I did a re-read of this AMAZING book and I was quite shocked about how little I actually remembered about this book. The whole unconventional friendship aspect was really sweet to see, especially with how differing each of their personalities were compared to one another. I loved seeing them, Evie especially, face her mental challenges and properly heal after such a traumatic accident. I honestly forgot about the whole mystery subplot, but ended up loving it. I didn’t really think the book needed that element per se, but it made the book’s plot more unique and interesting.
*SPOILERS FROM NOW ONWARDS:*
“Jemma died at 4.58 the next morning.”
This quote had me balling, the confrontation of jemma’s death and how unexpected but familiar it felt was so heart-breaking and shattering. I personally think that even if Jemma was rude at first she didn’t deserve it, especially with how optimistic she was feeling during her last days at the hospital.
I did a re-read of this AMAZING book and I was quite shocked about how little I actually remembered about this book. The whole unconventional friendship aspect was really sweet to see, especially with how differing each of their personalities were compared to one another. I loved seeing them, Evie especially, face her mental challenges and properly heal after such a traumatic accident. I honestly forgot about the whole mystery subplot, but ended up loving it. I didn’t really think the book needed that element per se, but it made the book’s plot more unique and interesting.
*SPOILERS FROM NOW ONWARDS:*
“Jemma died at 4.58 the next morning.”
This quote had me balling, the confrontation of jemma’s death and how unexpected but familiar it felt was so heart-breaking and shattering. I personally think that even if Jemma was rude at first she didn’t deserve it, especially with how optimistic she was feeling during her last days at the hospital.
August 7, 2019
“Maybe what mattered now wasn’t why things had happened, but what Evie would do now that they had.”
A champion long-distance runner, Evie never thought she'd spend much time in hospital. But when a freak road accident mangles her legs, she becomes accustomed to the inpatient life. Sharing a ward with Lucy, who has leukaemia, and Jemma, whose appendix burst, the three girls do their best to stay entertained while they heal. But when they witness a mysterious incident outside their window, they get sucked into a sticky situation.
I honestly don't have many thoughts on this one so I'm just going to do some dot points:
- I didn't realise the characters were only 13-years-old. Evie and Lucy were okay but Jemma was your typical frustrating teenager.
- Lucy was my favourite - she's very level-headed and sensible and has unusual interests.
- I wish one of them had a disability or chronic illness rather than just another cancer character. The hospital setting would've been the perfect opportunity to show a character with an illness or condition that doesn't get represented as often.
- I hated how Jemma's story ended. She was a foster kid and caught up with some pretty unpleasant people but she doesn't get any personal growth or a positive change in her circumstances. I'm sick of hopeless stories about foster kids - when are they going to get some happy endings?
I think I would've enjoyed this if I were a lot younger but I'm past stories like this now.
Warnings: Medical squick, bullying, references to child neglect.
September 10, 2020
There is a serious twist near the end that i'm still recovering from!! I was on an insane rollercoaster of emotion, this book!! WOW, 10/10 do recommend to anyone into any kind of book, I think this covers all of the boxes!!
October 1, 2023
I flew through the first half because it just tells you about each day and how the girls spend it in hospital (repetitive). It started to get interesting around chapter 27 then when it got to chapter 29 it jumped to a shocking part of the story and I went back a few pages because I thought I missed something. Chapter 32 Jemma was pronounced dead.
I thought it was very Y/A at the start but after chapter 29 I started to enjoy the book so yeah the ending was ok but I didn’t like the lead up and the plot.
Very easy read.
This review is solely for myself so I can look back on it :)
I thought it was very Y/A at the start but after chapter 29 I started to enjoy the book so yeah the ending was ok but I didn’t like the lead up and the plot.
Very easy read.
This review is solely for myself so I can look back on it :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2019
I wanted to read this recommended book for interest and so I would know the content for the school library. By 1/3 in I read it in one sitting until it was finished. There's certainly enough to get readers engaged and thinking. The characters have depth, feel real and believable. It deals with friendships & family relationships too in a gentle way throughout the book. When I finished I wanted more, I will be looking for other Jane Godwin books.
May 17, 2019
A lovely coming-of-age story for younger secondary students. A exploration of friendship, belonging and acceptance by three girls who find themselves in a hospital ward together with a bit of a mystery to solve.
November 20, 2025
i had to physically take breaks from this book because the characters were so annoying
November 18, 2019
Using a beautifully expert writing voice, Godwin brought to life three unique young teenagers who felt real and raw. One way or another I connected or felt empathy for each of them and this was the reason I was so willingly drawn into their story.
I loved Evie and Lucy but Jemma was probably the hardest character for me to connect with. She had an unfortunate history and tendency to take her sadness and anger out on others in a way that was often cruel. Though I could understand the events that made her the way she was, she was difficult to bear at times.
However, though the events of the story occurred over a short amount of time, readers can see each character evolve and grow.
The story is set on its path when the girls witness an event connected to a crime outside their ward window. A crime they are inevitably drawn into as the girls attempt to navigate an issue beyond their control and understanding.
The mystery was complex and layered and would no doubt be surprising and exciting for younger readers, though I myself was able to follow it fairly easily as I'm not the target audience.
Godwin set the scene perfectly. The ward was described as a world of its own, operating far removed from everything else, where the girls had only themselves and the one frame of the outside world, the window where the beginning of the mystery was witnessed.
It was a kind of illusion and it was heartbreakingly shattered at the end of the novel when the characters found themselves once again thrown into the real world. One that felt dangerous, unfair and unjust.
I was grateful for the way Godwin dealt with heavy issues and did by no means shy away from them despite being aimed at a younger audience.
Overall, through complex characters and an engaging mystery, As Happy As Here emphasised important messages about friendship, perseverance, and learning to live and be happy in the moment.
I loved Evie and Lucy but Jemma was probably the hardest character for me to connect with. She had an unfortunate history and tendency to take her sadness and anger out on others in a way that was often cruel. Though I could understand the events that made her the way she was, she was difficult to bear at times.
However, though the events of the story occurred over a short amount of time, readers can see each character evolve and grow.
The story is set on its path when the girls witness an event connected to a crime outside their ward window. A crime they are inevitably drawn into as the girls attempt to navigate an issue beyond their control and understanding.
The mystery was complex and layered and would no doubt be surprising and exciting for younger readers, though I myself was able to follow it fairly easily as I'm not the target audience.
Godwin set the scene perfectly. The ward was described as a world of its own, operating far removed from everything else, where the girls had only themselves and the one frame of the outside world, the window where the beginning of the mystery was witnessed.
It was a kind of illusion and it was heartbreakingly shattered at the end of the novel when the characters found themselves once again thrown into the real world. One that felt dangerous, unfair and unjust.
I was grateful for the way Godwin dealt with heavy issues and did by no means shy away from them despite being aimed at a younger audience.
Overall, through complex characters and an engaging mystery, As Happy As Here emphasised important messages about friendship, perseverance, and learning to live and be happy in the moment.
October 5, 2020
3.5 stars
"Three teenage girls from very different backgrounds find themselves sharing a hospital ward. When they witness a crime in the park below their window, they bond over trying to solve the crime and each one undergoes a profound change."
I was asked to read this novel by our school librarian to see if it would be appropriate for upper primary school students and it was! A fun, easy to read middle school/YA novel that I know some of my students will love! As for me, I enjoyed it but found there was something missing that I just can’t put my finger on. I wish there was more to the story of Jemma. As a teacher I certainly get why Jemma was the way she was, I didn’t see her as the unlikable character with an attitude but as a scared and lost young girl from a broken home, dealing with a lot more than she should have to. I’m not sure what, but I just wished there was something more to her, something more to her story development.
For me, the highlight was how Jane did a beautiful job of weaving in the different family relationships and dynamics throughout the story. It is a great reminder that someone’s life can look very different from the outside. I love that this book addresses some pretty heavy issues in a way that is accessible for younger readers.
"Three teenage girls from very different backgrounds find themselves sharing a hospital ward. When they witness a crime in the park below their window, they bond over trying to solve the crime and each one undergoes a profound change."
I was asked to read this novel by our school librarian to see if it would be appropriate for upper primary school students and it was! A fun, easy to read middle school/YA novel that I know some of my students will love! As for me, I enjoyed it but found there was something missing that I just can’t put my finger on. I wish there was more to the story of Jemma. As a teacher I certainly get why Jemma was the way she was, I didn’t see her as the unlikable character with an attitude but as a scared and lost young girl from a broken home, dealing with a lot more than she should have to. I’m not sure what, but I just wished there was something more to her, something more to her story development.
For me, the highlight was how Jane did a beautiful job of weaving in the different family relationships and dynamics throughout the story. It is a great reminder that someone’s life can look very different from the outside. I love that this book addresses some pretty heavy issues in a way that is accessible for younger readers.
April 6, 2020
When I began reading this novel, I soon realised that it was intended for a little bit of a younger audience than myself, however, regardless, I continued reading the novel because I found the characters quite likeable and the storyline interesting.
The novel follows three girls, all trapped within the walls of a hospital ward, sharing the same current life (life in a hospital) however, all having very different life experiences from all different paths of life.
The girls form the basis of a friendship and come across something odd from their window: a crime? - they think.
You follow their journey as they try to solve the puzzle they saw that day but also, you follow their individual journeys, not only due to them being in the hospital but revelations in their personal life.
The novel, although I found was a little one-dimensional in the beginning, did pick up some speed towards the latter end, and a tear-jerker like no other!
Overall, I did think this was for a younger audience however, I did still enjoyed it and had quite a resonant quality about it.
The novel follows three girls, all trapped within the walls of a hospital ward, sharing the same current life (life in a hospital) however, all having very different life experiences from all different paths of life.
The girls form the basis of a friendship and come across something odd from their window: a crime? - they think.
You follow their journey as they try to solve the puzzle they saw that day but also, you follow their individual journeys, not only due to them being in the hospital but revelations in their personal life.
The novel, although I found was a little one-dimensional in the beginning, did pick up some speed towards the latter end, and a tear-jerker like no other!
Overall, I did think this was for a younger audience however, I did still enjoyed it and had quite a resonant quality about it.
March 10, 2025
(late review because i read this for the first time when i was like 10) this book has always been one of my favs!!! i have met jane godwin twice and i am so thankful because she is so fantastic and kind! her stories and writing are beautiful and i am always blown away. this book especially is very nostalgic and comforting, which i think is a big element for me.
the story for this book was truly so beautiful, and this was the first books that i cried to. the characters felt so real, and all of their stories were so well thought through. there’s not much else to say! just to read it now!!!
jane, you always make me smile and cry, and i love you 😘
the story for this book was truly so beautiful, and this was the first books that i cried to. the characters felt so real, and all of their stories were so well thought through. there’s not much else to say! just to read it now!!!
jane, you always make me smile and cry, and i love you 😘
January 7, 2020
just finished this, will probably edit and write. a longer review but for now, i can easily say that this book is nothing short of incredible. incredible writing, incredible characters, incredible plot, incredible author, incredible everything.
such a gorgeous story with beautiful meanings laced into it, i loved this book so much. the characters were definitely my favourite part of the book.
the end left me shocked and without words, it was beautiful and i think that it was the only way the book could have ended, it was a perfect, but sad ending.
such a gorgeous story with beautiful meanings laced into it, i loved this book so much. the characters were definitely my favourite part of the book.
the end left me shocked and without words, it was beautiful and i think that it was the only way the book could have ended, it was a perfect, but sad ending.
February 27, 2020
As happy as here was great book!!
It was really moving. And made me think about some things that I may be scared of and notice that, people all throughout the world have to deal with something they don’t like everyday of their life so just two pricks is nothing compared to what some people go through each day.
This book almost brought me to tears!
And this now one of my top favourite books I’ve read!
It was really moving. And made me think about some things that I may be scared of and notice that, people all throughout the world have to deal with something they don’t like everyday of their life so just two pricks is nothing compared to what some people go through each day.
This book almost brought me to tears!
And this now one of my top favourite books I’ve read!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews