Name: The Boy who Fell to Earth
ISBN: 9780552776820

Kathy Lette

Meet Merlin. He's Lucy's bright, beautiful son, who just happens to be autistic. Since Merlin's father left them in the lurch, Lucy has made Merlin the centre of her world. Struggling with the joys and tribulations of raising her adorable yet challenging child, Lucy doesn't have room for any other man in her life.

The Boy who Fell to Earth

Eleanor Luhar

This is another book I was lent by my teacher, so I previously had no idea it even existed. I've never even heard of the author, Kathy Lette, but I'm glad I know of her now!

Okay, it's nearly midnight and I need to be up early so I'm going to have to keep this one rather short.

Lette writes from the point of view of Lucy, who's son has been involved in a serious car accident. She recaps her time with him, telling us her story of love, loss and difficulty.

This novel is written in an honest voice, with sarcasm and humour on every page. It tells the tale of parenting, divorce, finding and losing love, and even coping with the world's way of dealing with special needs. Like I said, it's brutally honest and does not exclude any of the less favourable thoughts or feelings.

It is quite clear that this is aimed at an older generation of readers, but I must say that I did really enjoy it, far more than I anticipated. It isn't a fantasy or an action novel, and it does have a slightly cheesy happy ending, but I do think a lot of people will be pleasantly surprised by how easy this is to read.

If I was a bit older I would probably adore this, but as it is I can't say it's quite a favourite of mine. But I'm definitely happy to have read it, so 4 stars.