And if you’re not cheering him on in this dramatic and unexpected climax you clearly haven’t a heart in your chest. With shades of Charlie Bucket, Felix has won his golden ticket to compete in the quiz, with fifteen other children, for dreamed-of riches. In a droll touch, two of the final passages are articles in Blenheim’s school magazine, written by Winnie Wu, Felix’s precocious schoolmate and possible girlfriend. As a not entirely blameless victim, she gives the book welcome nuance and is arguably its most memorable (and crucial) creation. The story focuses on the life Felix, a 12-year-old boy who loves trivia, his gerbil. Though she has demons of her own – she sometimes succumbs to depressive slumps during which her and Felix’s parent– child roles are reversed – Astrid clearly loves her son, but her truculence exacerbates their problems. Susin Nielsen, youve done it again A few years ago I unabashedly gushed over her We Are All Made of Molecules so, readers, be prepared because theres a strong chance of gushing in the forecast for her latest book, No Fixed Address (a book I read in one day). Much of the dramatic tension comes from Astrid and Felix’s efforts to conceal their situation, with Nielsen skilfully unpacking their alarming vulnerability as the novel progresses. No Fixed Address was a gripping story and I was drawn in to caring for Felix from the first page. The details and pacing are solid, and the characters engage. Despite – or because of – its subject matter, this lively, humorous and hard-hitting book has the never-to-be-underestimated virtue of being hard to put down.
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