Out of the Rubble

by Sally Nicholls

It's early 1945, the War is nearly over and across the country, evacuees are returning home.

Judy is excited to be back in London, reunited with her mum. But when she arrives, she finds everything has changed. Her house has been destroyed, her mum seems distant, and her dad is still away with the army. And all around her, London is different too: there are bombsites on every corner and the danger of war still looms.

As Judy explores the city, she begins to see that the bombsites are more than just rubble. Can they help her to remember what her home used to be like? And will she ever be able to get her old life back?

With themes of loneliness, family relationships, and finding out what home really means, award-winning children's writer Sally Nicholls brings to life the experience of living through the Second World War.

124 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2022

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

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book seemed a lot bigger then it was (in a good way) and it has a nice story.

[Bengy Jake Speer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic book and a story that makes me appreciate how the war would’ve been for my ancestors. The reading is quite simple, but in a good way that opens your eyes to nature and that the power of family and friends was always very strong.

[Rose Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great quick read from Barrington Stoke. A lot of my KS3 kids like this kind of book now, with short chapters, and this one will be just the same. Nice tie in with nature too, so will appeal to those who like a ww2 story, or nature or those with empathy for the characters.

[Sonia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up *Out of the Rubble* because of its striking cover, which immediately caught my attention. The story itself is intriguing and holds great potential, but as I progressed, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing.

One major issue I encountered was that pages 109 and 110 were blank, which disrupted the reading experience. Beyond that, the narrative felt incomplete—it could have delved deeper into the characters and their journeys. The book had the foundation of a compelling story, but it needed more depth and detail to truly bring it to life.

After finishing the book, I was left with a sense of incompleteness, as if the story hadn't fully unfolded. I wish there was more to read, a continuation that would provide the closure and richness the story deserves.

Would love to hear if anyone else felt the same!

Because of this sense of incompleteness, I am rating the book 3 stars. The story was engaging, but it needed more depth and a more satisfying conclusion.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet book. I wouldn’t normally pick up a book this short but the blurb interested me. I think it is more difficult to get invested in a shorter book like this, as you get less time to learn characters’ backgrounds and to connect to them.

[Ensieh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Sally Nicholls books. This one was an easy-read, short story about a young girl who came back home after war but is struggling to find "home"; as it's written in the front cover:
^Coming home when home is gone^

[Chez · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
A short read about WW2 & Judy the evacuee returning from the country.

[Jane Blackwell Jnr · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Milly Potter]

Quick read for school - not my fave barrington stoke book!

[Josie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read and enjoyed teen Barrington Stoke books before, but this one felt incredibly childish.  You can write in a dyslexia-friendly way without talking down to your readers; unfortunately this novel didn't manage it.  There's a lot of telling instead of showing.  For a "super readable rollercoaster" it wasn't engaging.  Despite being 15, Judy comes across as very young -- she doesn't get a job or do anything useful, just wanders around bomb sites wondering why no one wants to talk about the Blitz.  Judy's mum was buried alive in their cellar when a bomb hit their house, and although she was eventually rescued, it was obviously fucking traumatic and she still has nightmares and wakes up crying (which Judy overhears).  And yet Judy still asks her, at the end of the book, "Was it awful, being trapped?"  Wow, Judy, get a fucking clue.

Also, the book felt unfinished -- right on the last page Judy wonders about her friend Alan:

She knew so little about him, she realised. Who were his family? Where was his father -- was he dead? Why did he hate the grammar school so much? Why was he so desperate to get back to the countryside?

These are all really good questions!!  Putting them together like this reinforced the fact that most characters have the bare minimum of a personality and no backstory.  I appreciate this is a novella, but there's always time to add a little depth.  There's very little plot -- Judy hangs around her old house, which is now a bomb site, and eventually goes in to retrieve a photograph album.  Her Uncle Jack grumbles about Judy and her mum living in a caravan in his back garden and I wanted to know why, if there was any backstory there or if he's just a dick, but again -- no answers.

The cover is beautiful, though, and is pretty much the whole reason I picked this book up.