All Fall Down

by Sally Nicholls

A deadly contagion races through England...

Isabel and her family have nowhere to run from a disease that has killed half of Europe. When the world she knows and loves ends for ever, her only weapon is courage.

The Black Death of 1349 was the deadliest plague in human history. All Fall Down is a powerful and inspiring story of survival in the face of real-life horror.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Young Adult, Fiction, British Literature, Novels, 14th Century

278 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2012

About the author

Sally Nicholls is a prize-winning British children's author. She was born and grew up in Stockton-on-Tees. On finishing school, Nicholls chose to travel around the world. Her first novel was Ways to Live Forever.

Reviews

[karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

1349. england.
plague.

you know what follows, right?

i myself am suffering from plaguelike symptoms right now, so this is probably going to be a crummy review, and for that i apologize, because this book really deserves a review from someone who is abler-bodied than i am right now.

i have read plenty of books about plenty of plagues, but this one was really special. most of its strength comes from the voice of the narrator; a fourteen-year-old girl whose family are villeins living in rural england when the plague hits. she has four brothers and one sister, a father, a stepmother, and a boy to whom she has been betrothed from birth.

by the end of the novel, she will have significantly less.

isabel's voice seems very authentic to me. shaped by her times, her religion, and her responsibilities to her family and "their" land, she responds to all of life's challenges with a very practical attitude. and when those challenges become unimaginable horrors, she has that peasant practicality and resoluteness that doesn't permit her to become overly sentimental or hysterical. death is no stranger to her, even before the plague. she had already lost her mother, and even under a good lowercase-l lord, the life of a peasant was difficult, with food shortages and disease, and inadequate medical care. isabel is strong without being *shudder* spunky, she is goodhearted without being treacly. she comes across as much older than her fourteen years, which considering the average life-span of an individual in the 1300's, even before the plague, should come as no surprise; most children were necessarily having to do the work of adults, working the fields, getting married and breeding earlier, just to ensure that the family and life would go on.

and the plague changes her. it changes her position in her family, it changes her religious beliefs, and as more and more men begin to die, and women are forced to fill those positions, it changes her expectations and possibilities.

and people will die. horribly. from three different plagues; the bubonic, the septicemic, and pneumatic. all of which are horrifying, and two of which are gruesome.

and yet. there are upsides? i know; it's bizarre, but when half the population of an entire continent dies off, there is more food for the survivors. and when lords die off, their villeins are no longer beholden to them, and can seek opportunities elsewhere, where they can live for themselves, not working for a master. and if i die from the plague currently assailing me, greg can have all my books.

this is one of the best plague books i have read and it gets the historical details right, and presents them in a way that is very natural-feeling, and not didactic exposition-y.


from the author's note:

Today, we are so used to wealth and security that we forget the possibility of catastrophic suffering. Like the medieval English, we view disasters such as nuclear war or global warming as things which happen to foreigners, never to us. I wanted to write a book which showed that catastrophes have happened here, and could happen again. And I wanted to show that human beings have an astonishing ability to stand in the ruins of their world and to build it up again from the ashes.

and that's why i read these books. the rebuilding, the surviving, the rallying from the wasteland. the indomitable human spirit. so, yeah, i read the YA. it might not be intellectually challenging, haters, but it is emotionally satisfying, and that is enough.

and even though this kinda stuff usually gives me the eye-rolls, i found this to be very touching:

I think about what I would have liked to have said by the graveside, if I'd been brave enough.
I love you.
There was never anyone like you in all the world.
I would have been happy, married to you. We would have made a good family.
I'll never forget you.
But the words sound cheap, and inadequate. All over England, people like Beatrice and I are standing by grave-mouths, saying the same things to those they have lost.
I love you.
I'll never forget you.
There was never anyone like you, in all the world.

see? i sort of have a heart. somewhere.

koff.

come to my blog!

[Maja (The Nocturnal Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

People often have entire lists of things they fear, but one of those fears usually stands out, stronger than all the others. For me, that’s fear of germs and infectious diseases. Deciding to read All Fall Down was a way for me to face my worst fear, and although it took me a while to get through it, in the end, I’m very glad I did.

Between 1348 and 1350, the Black Death killed anywhere from one third to half of European population, after wiping out tens of millions of people in Asia. In the small village Ingleforn, Isabelle was living peacefully with her father, stepmother and her siblings when the rumors of plague started trickling in. In a matter of months, England is consumed by this horrible disease and no one seems to know what causes it or how to defend from it. Isabelle’s brother Geoffrey is living in the monastery where he is most exposed and she worries about him daily, but there’s nothing to be done to ensure his safety. It doesn’t take long for the Black Death to find its way to Ingleforn, and as it spreads, death becomes everyday occurrence and all anyone can hope for is to get their last rites in time.

Sally Nicholls did an excellent job in creating the atmosphere of uncertainty and fear, that, combined with ignorance, produced both anger and malice. Gossip is spread faster than the illness, and people are targeted by fortune tellers and salesmen, selling everything from incense to fake bones of saints that are supposed to protect from the disease. Prayer is the answer to everything and those who fall ill must have been cohorting with the devil. In this world, women are outraged when they get permission to hear confessions from the ill, because if women are allowed to do what priests can, the world is surely coming to an end.

How do you keep yourself safe? That’s the next question, the one everyone wants an answer to. Surely there are medicaments and spells, surely someone, somewhere has found a way? The preachers hiss. “By loving God and begging His forgiveness. By turning from the devil and all his works.”

This isn’t a story of a noble young heroine who is fearless and brave in the face of this horrible disease. Isabelle is just as lost, scared and sometimes even selfish as anybody else would be under those circumstances. Sally Nicholls did not try to make a saint out of her, but a normal little girl, a middle child at that, in no way special or outstanding, at times terrified and at times completely numb.

Even though All Fall Down didn’t teach me anything new since we’d covered this period extensively back in high school, I’m still more aware of it now, this darkest time in human history. It’s much easier to understand tragedy through names and faces than through numbers, even if those names and faces are fictional. Millions of girls like Isabelle died and lost their families, but I’ll always think of her and her generous stepmother when someone mentions the Black Death.

A copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher, Scholastic UK, for review purposes.

Also posted at The Nocturnal Library

[Laima · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED IT!!!

An amazing novel.... a story about the Plague in England - the Black Death
All Fall Down …. By Sally Nicholls

***********************************

This review will include absolutely no spoilers! If you happen to pick up a copy please do not turn to page 273 to read the author’s historical note. This in itself is a spoiler.

The PLAGUE! Yes, the word itself is scary, but what do we really know about it? I have never studied European history, I am not an infectious disease researcher nor do I have a biology degree. This novel helped me to understand what the people of Europe in 1349 were suffering from, both physically and emotionally.

First of all, I have learned that there are 3 types of plague.

There is bubonic, pneumatic, and worst of all… septicaemic. With the latter, you go to sleep at night, normal as usual, but don’t wake up! Scary Stuff! (I won’t even describe the sores, puking blood, and other messy stuff).

This story is told from the point of view of 14 year old Isabel. She has a father, step mother, sister and many brothers. She even has a boyfriend ( par for the course for a YA novel). Isabel’s family lives in a feudal system, that is, they are not free people. They are owned and must work for their master plowing the fields. When the plague hits, half the population dies. There are few people left to work the fields and even their master dies. All of a sudden, life changes radically for Isabel. She is a free person, has very little friends and family left, and must bury her dead. However, after all of this happens, she is free! Read about what happens to Isabel! This is a wonderful story that I really enjoyed, even though the topic is very morbid.

This novel is chilling….. People thought that the world was coming to an end. Today, while we do not have the plague, we do have diseases that are difficult to treat. Cancer, Aids, C-Difficile….. to name a few. Is our world going to end soon like they believed in the 14th century? Hope not.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

To me, historical books are like wagon wheels*.

No not like an actual wheel for a wagon… um… no, I mean the biscuit. The delicious, delicious biscuit.
Let me explain. I don’t have wagon wheels very often but when I do I savour them, love them, vow to eat more of them and get marshmallow in my hair. Similarly with historical YA. I don’t read many of them but when I do I savour them, love them, vow to read more of them and get marshmallow in my hair.
Um…

I’ve spent the last few hours searching my house for a project I did in primary school about the Black Death. It was actually on the plague when it was around in 1665 which, I’m a bit reluctant to admit, I thought was the only plague. Is that a common misconception or am I just ridiculous? You see, I had it all planned out that I would end this review with a clever “Oh… I hope Sally Nicholls writes a sequel to this book, she could call it ‘Fetch the Water’ or something.” But I guess seeing as the Great Fire of London was over 300 years later… it wouldn’t really be a sequel would it? Is there a time limit for sequels?
Either way, with the risk of sounding morbid, I was obsessed and I honestly couldn’t tell you the amount of times I dragged my dad to Eyam, a village in Derbyshire where the inhabitants chose to isolate themselves to stop the plague spreading. I think I actually uttered the phrase “I wish we lived in a Plague Cottage” once before I snaffled an entire bag of Derbyshire fudge.

I don’t actually know why I told you that because like I said, All Fall Down is actually set 300 years before this time but I guess that’s the reason I picked this book up. Sometimes it’s wonderful being a bit thick because if it weren’t for my lack of historical knowledge (and my creepy morbid love of all things plaguey) then I would never have picked up this book and that would have been a terrible shame. I even learnt things, guys! I know. I know.

Like Ms Anderson Coats before her, Ms Nicholls writes such an original and fascinating story about a period that, let’s face it, doesn’t get much air time in YA fiction. But you can tell that she wrote this book not because it’s a bit different and will definitely get her a publishing deal (which she actually already had) but because she was genuinely enthralled about the era and the history. This research that must have gone into this book is absolutely remarkable. You can really tell that Ms Nicholls loved writing this book and it makes a whole world of difference when you read a book written by an author who is passionate about their subject. If you can’t imagine what Northern England would look like in the 14th Century pick up this book. If you can’t imagine what Northern England would feel like in the 14th Century, again pick up this book.

Be warned though, no details are spared. I probably don’t need to tell you that this book is extremely grim and incredibly moving.

I guess the thing that puts me off from picking up a historical book is that I sometimes find it difficult to relate to the story. The only thing I know about that period (after a cheeky look online) is facts and figures and geography. The glorious thing about this book is that Ms Nicholls breathed life into these facts and by adding a personal feel to it. It not only makes it more accessible. The characters, both main and peripheral, were so believable and, perhaps more importantly within a historical book, accurate. I completely believed in Isabel and there was never once a moment where I thought she was just a modern girl with modern problems shoved into a petticoat. I really loved Isabel. She isn’t perfect and she’s not always likeable, but she’s fourteen and the world is falling apart around her and she has to grow up, even if she doesn’t want to and she doesn’t feel ready for the responsibilities that she now faces. Isabel is frightened, alone and extremely lost… yet she continues on, regardless of everything. I guess having your loved ones dying and being buried unceremoniously in a field does that to a girl.

If reading a book about the plague is off-putting, and it is a bit grim in places, I would still wholeheartedly recommend reading this one. The characters, their relationships, the setting, the era would really take your mind off things if you’re feeling a bit squeamish.
If reading a book about the plague is getting you all giddy because you love dystopian books … well, this actually happened.
Can you get better than that? Nope.

This book was wonderful and a complete surprise.

Now how about that 300 years later sequel…?

 

*Yes, I am comparing books to wagon wheels. Have I lost my reviewer’s edge? Did I ever even have an edge?

[lucky little cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sally Nicholls anchors her historical children's-lit plague novel in homey details (chickens slept inside with families). And the barely-teen MC is likable and practical and determined to successfully farm the family land.

Still it's a plague novel, so you know what's coming.

Nicholls educates middle-grade readers about the three separate strains of the disease and how the first pandemic wave redefined Europe's feudal system.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Award winning author Sally Nicholls won me over with her wonderful debut novel, Ways To Live Forever, a poignant contemporary story which was published in 2008. She has since written Seasons of Secrets (2009), contemporary fiction with a taste of magic, and her latest, All Fall Down, is her first foray into historical fiction, set in Yorkshire during the Black Death in the mid 14th century.

At the moment so much Childrens/YA fiction is concerned with post-apocalyptic dystopias but, as Sally Nicholls points out in a note at the end of her novel, "The Black Death was the single biggest catastrophe in historical memory. The exact number of casualties is unknown, but was probably somewhere between a third and a half of Europe." This historical period certainly provides a compelling and dramatic backdrop for the story of Isabel and her family.

Our story begins in the summer of 1349 and events are narrated by fourteen year old Isabel who lives in the tiny village of Ingleforn in Yorkshire. She and her family are "villeins", tied to the land which they rent from the lord of the manor so they can't just up sticks and leave at the first sniff of pestilence. Thus, they begin a game of waiting, a tense time during which Isabel and her siblings have to grow up very quickly and cope with whatever fate hurls at them.

Told in the present tense, this is a gripping, vivid tale which will appeal to a range of ages especially those who appreciate interesting, believable characters and writing which immerses you right in 1349, capturing the idiosyncrasies of village life and the burgeoning fear which takes root in the hearts and minds of the villagers. Will caring for friends who have lost family to the plague end up endangering your own family? How quickly can mistrust and deceit thrive in this atmosphere of malevolence and decay?

A lot happens, we get to know many different characters and we experience a variety of settings, town and country, abbey and village church but Sally Nicholls demonstrates such an ease in her writing that the reader never feels rushed or manipulated. An excellent historical novel with a lot of human heart, highly recommended for readers of all ages and one which will appeal to anyone who enjoyed Pat Walsh's Crowfield series

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read even though the topic of the book was less than pleasant.

Sally had amazing insight to write this novel from the perspective of Isabel given that the book took place during the 1300's and was during the plague. Her thoughts and level of understanding of how the characters would feel in this given situation was most remarkable. I could not imagine going through what the characters endured in this novel. My god a number of cases of the flu these days is a cause for alert and concern!

[Geoffrey Gudgion · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was recommended to this book by a fellow author, who knew that my work-in-progress includes scenes from the 14th century. It is probably aimed more at the Young Adult or teen market, so I may not be best place to review it, but with that proviso:

All Fall Down is a meticulously researched work; the level of detail about peasant life immediately prior to, and during, the Black Death is exemplary. Sally Nicholls manages to put the reader right into the mind of a teenage girl living through those catastrophic times. The characterisation is good; the key players are well drawn and believable, with touching moments of courage in adversity. It is also very well written; some passages inspired me to go back and re-read them purely for the beauty of the prose. However, as history tells us, the pestilence was inflicted indiscriminately, so the plot tension seemed mainly to be wondering which of those characters would survive. If the plot had been as strong as the writing and the scene-setting, I'd have scored it higher.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why do I think I love books about the plague? This was very well done, there's no doubting that...but I think it should go on the 'don't read with pms' shelf. I loved the main character and would have been happy to continue listening to everything that happened after the last chapter. I will look for other work by Sally Nicholls.

[CatNg ChoiEn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This gave me actual fear and chills down my spine. An awesome read for sure.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fourteen-year-old Isabel lives in a small village in England that has recently suffered from bad weather and food shortages. When the villagers hear news of a strange new disease, they are concerned by how fast it is spreading through the country. This plague strikes everyone equally, whether they are young or old, weak or strong. Nearly half the population of England dies. Many people believe the end of the world has come. Those that survive are left struggling to rebuild their homes and lives. If you read a lot of dystopian novels set in a bleak possible future, this plot probably sounds somewhat familiar. But All Fall Down is set in 1349, when a devastating pandemic of bubonic plague killed between one-third and one-half of Europe's population, changing that society forever.

When the story opens, Isabel is content with her life. She loves her father, stepmother, and five siblings. It is already planned that when she is older, she will marry Robin, a boy she grew up with in the village, who is one of her best friends. Like most Medieval peasants, she's never travelled away from her village. Her family is not truly free, as they must work for the local lord, Sir Edmund. But Isabel knows no other life, and doesn't want anything to change. This made her character seem very realistic, since that's likely how a real girl back then would have thought. She doesn't want to rise above her station in life. She's just an ordinary person with an ordinary life that is completely turned upside down by tragedy.

As the story progresses, Isabel can do nothing but watch as many of her family and friends are killed by the plague. She and some of those she cares about survive, entirely by chance, but are left to figure out how to go on living in a very changed world. The ending was realistic, but honestly (and this is just a personal preference) I wish it had been slightly happier. It was hopeful and not entirely grim, but it didn't end the way I really hoped it would, and I can't say more than that without it being a huge spoiler. But that doesn't reflect on the quality of the writing at all, and I think that this is a story that will appeal to readers who don't normally read historical fiction, since it reads a lot like a dystopian novel. But instead of speculating about possible future disasters and how humanity might react and find a way to survive, the author tells the story of a real disaster which decimated the population of countless countries and caused enormous and permanent social changes.

[Greenglasses · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING BOOK

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't too bad. I actually originally believed it was an apocalyptic story, so I was quite surprised when it wasn't. However, the black death has always morbidly interested me, so I was interested to see how the story went. I did like the plot and the concept but to be honest at times the modern narrative made it difficult to remember that the story was in the middle ages. I also felt that none of the deaths were hard hitting. one, there were so many, but I don't dispute that, its kinda necessary in a story about the plague. But Isabel barely seemed to notice all the people who were dying. I could understand this in a war story. But Isabel has grown up in a small town and seems to know everyone - I'd think their deaths would, if not have an impact, at least upset her. She barely seemed upset at Alice, Richard, Amabel, her father - instead caring about Geoffrey, who made it into the story once. (Don't even get me started on Robin). And two, every death was near the end of a chapter, but in the short space between the death and the end, there seemed to be some sort of action happening that completely took away the impact of the death. Take Robin. He dies, completely out of the blue, just when they think they're safe. This is sad. But then Isabel pretty much accepts his death and leaves the barn, just at the end of the chapter and the reader feels literally 1% of the impact of Robin's death.

So basically, I liked the plot and premise but the theme of death barely seemed to impact the characters.

[Brin Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating story – Black Death hits village north of York in 1349, when half Europe has already died, told through present tense pov of a fourteen year old girl.
I read this pretty well at one sitting, so it was thoroughly gripping and has fascinating subject matter.
Picky picky me:
Typos – surprising number of;
Voice slightly too contemporary – though that’s not quite fair, as I really don’t want to be reading Chaucerian English, and where do you draw the line?
The plot development when they went to York with merchant Thomas – this was oddly tacked-on and didn’t really fit with anything that had happened up till then. What the hell was Thomas even doing in their village?
The book describes changes the Black Death left in its aftermath – more land available, labour could command better rates, women were doing jobs previously the preserve of men – but Isabel the hardworking farmer, with a source of wealth in Thomas’s valuables, apparently simply hands them over to her main chance brother Richard and goes to work for him for free. Wot a let down – what happened to her potential, to doing her own thing?
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY
The story was breathtaking, gripping in a horrible yet relentless and unputdownable way for maybe the first 75%. And Isabel is a great character. And the writing style (despite modernistic whinge) is fluid, concise and highly engaging. Overall, a fascinating, well-written and powerful read.
For more of brin's reviews go to:
http://www.brinmurray.com/

[yexxo · Rating 4 out of 5]

1349 - die Pest hat den europäischen Kontinent fest im Griff, Millionen Menschen sterben. Auch das Dorf, in dem die 14jährige Isabel mit ihrer Familie lebt, bleibt davon nicht verschont und schon muss auch sie im direkten Umfeld ihrer Bekannten, Freunde und Verwandten die ersten Toten beklagen.
Es ist eine unglaublich düstere und streckenweise sehr hoffnungslose Lektüre, man wird von dem grenzenlosen Grauen das in dieser Zeit herrschte, förmlich hineingezogen in dieses Buch (vielleicht sollte man es als Erwachsene/r mit jugendlichen LeserInnen gemeinsam lesen). Die Hauptperson Isabel ist für ihr Alter und die damalige Zeit sicherlich überdurchschnittlich reflektiert, vielleicht schon fast etwas zu viel. Denn obwohl mir die Schrecken dieser Pestzeit deutlich vor Augen traten, hatte ich dennoch nur selten das Gefühl, mich im Mittelalter zu befinden. Theoretisch hätte sich das Ganze auch vor 150 Jahren in einem hinterwäldlerischen Dorf ereignen können. Doch die Gedanken Isabels machen dafür deutlich klar, wie schwach es um Nächstenliebe und Empathiefähigkeit gerade in Notzeiten gestellt ist. Fast jede/r ist sich selbst dann am nächsten und nur Wenige noch halten die Fahne der Barmherzigkeit und Menschenliebe empor. Für Isabel selbst wird diese Zeit zu einer Auseinandersetzung mit sich selbst - was und wer ihr wichtig ist und wie weit sie dafür bereit ist zu gehen. Und dass es sich lohnt, für das Leben zu kämpfen.
Spannend - auch für Erwachsene!

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great introductory novel based on the arrival of the Black Death of 1349 to a village near York - probably suitable for 10+ and YA. To be more accurate it is about people experiencing the Black Death rather than passage of the sickness itself or medieval England. The latter merely forms a backdrop for catastrophe on an apocalyptic scale.

Isobel and her family, Ned, Meg, Alice and her father watch as the plague approaches their village, helpless despite the knowledge of impending disater. Nichols creates engaging and believable relationships between most of the characters and highlights the complexity of choices well for a younger audience. There is a lot of death here, inevitably, but Nichols presents the story as a novel of survival not just apocalypse.

My reservation would be about Thomas' element of the story though in the context of a younger person's novel I guess it works. So probably a 4.5*.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third YA novel by Sally Nicholls that I've read, and must say she grows in strength with every one. She has a wonderfully drawn young heroine in Isabel, facing the spread of the Black Death from her small Yorkshire village, watching the destruction of life as she knows it and holding her family together. This is history brought to life at its very best, the horrors unflinchingly described through Isabel's eyes. Against the background of death and destruction, the story is strong and very well written - there are a number of turns and twists that keep the pages turning and several points that bring a tear to the eye (and, amazingly, sometimes a smile to the lips). A wonderful introduction to this dreadful part of history for the young audience it's aimed at, but an engrossing read for the older reader too.

[Candy Wood]

The choice of a first-person, present-tense narrator, 14-year-old Isabel, helps make this a powerful story of the 1349 plague in the north of England. She conveys information--the feudal system that ties her family to the land, what they eat, drink, wear, and do all day--in a matter-of-fact tone. Her attitudes are appropriate for her time. Even though her brother, training to be a priest, reads her a text written by a French woman, she can’t believe that women could ever do men’s work like baking or hearing confessions of the dying. The plague meant that women had to assume such roles, and Isabel’s life bears that out. Her world is not a clean, theme-park middle ages, either, and the physical effects of death are always present. Isabel realizes that living can be harder than dying, but hers is indeed a story of survival, not always in predictable ways.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The medieval period is just so depressing to read about isn't it? I give the author four stars for making me interested in one the very few historical periods I tend not to "like" to read about. It started off a little slow, with 14 year old Isabel coming off much like the 11 year old protagonist of Nicholls' first work "Ways to Live Forever." Luckily it picked up and Isobel became her own character - stubborn, loving, and conflicted. She responds pretty realistically to what follows after the Black Death comes to her medieval village. "All Fall Down" might be a bit too sad to pick up again but I don't regret reading it and would recommend it to others interested in a good fictionalization of the Middle Ages.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I seem to be obsessed by anything 'Black Death' related. - This is a beautifully written though heartbreaking story of a village dealing with the plague. I read it in one sitting and was constantly filled with a sense of dread - knowing how devestating it was going to get - as well as a sense of relief that I do not have to live in a time of such loss and sorrow. This will certainly leave the reader grateful for the love in their lives. The perfect historical novel for younger readers.

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a children's book - possibly 9 + - concerning the Black Death of 1348. It follows one girl, her family and community.

This is an excellent introduction for children to this episode of history and while it certainly doesnt skate over the issues it does approach the subject with care and dignity.

The story also shows the social and moral impact that this devastating event had on England, from harvesting to worship.

I recommend this.

[delimatulis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, it was a very delightful read! I had a wonderful journey flippin' through the pages *twirls around* I really like the setting and how informed I became of the Black Death. Amazing. However, sometimes I got kind of annoyed with the main character and there were some errors in the book towards the end..? or was it just me? I guess the author was excited to wrap things up hehe

[Robin Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerfully evoked and very immediate historical novel, this is assured and extremely enjoyable, and it cleverly brings home the reality of the Black Death in a way that will connect to readers (like myself) more used to thinking about the end of the world as something that will happen in the future.

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed the book, which was enjoyable(in a weird way), heart wrenching, believable and realistic, it was difficult to read through the many typing errors and missing punctuation in one chapter, and a missing word here and there. Other than this, I very much would recommend the book.

[Ruth Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a vivid and compelling portrayal of this period in history - a must read for teens studying the medieval period, really bringing the horrors of this particular period to life. Doesn't flinch from the gory stuff. We witness Isobel developing her instincts to survive and this is an optimistic outcome of her harrowing story.

[Prin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting read, offers an insightful view of the black plague. The characters are memorable and the plot is heartbreaking (naturally).

[May · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a wonderful story about survival, courage and, ultimately, life. This is, by far, my favourite Sally Nicholls novel, and is perhaps her best!

[Deborah · Rating 2 out of 5]

One-dimensional characters, not enough plot variation. A book about the Black Plague but I was hoping there would be more to it. There wasn't...

[Hana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A completely outstanding book! It's so descriptive and it creates a clear image of what is happening in your head! Definitely recommend this book!

[Zuzanna Zajac · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this for school and it was actually really interesting!! There was some parts that seemed a bit unnecessary but wtv. Ending was kinda bland tho 乁⁠(⁠ ⁠⁰͡⁠ ⁠Ĺ̯⁠ ⁠⁰͡⁠ ⁠)⁠ ⁠ㄏ