fayereadsbooks's review
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. It is a very Christmassy book and i found it perfect for ending the festive season with. My favourite characters were Jim, Rozzer and Smudge and i really grew fond of them. I loved the Christmassy element, but my favourite was the side story of prison officer Jim and all he does to help the young offenders to survive and stay away from trouble when they are released. This is an element i didn't expect to come across in this book but it was a good surprise. I would recommend this book if you want a light-hearted, festive read. There were some more serious subjects involved (unemployment, debt, family troubles, prison, young offenders, wealth gap, suicide attempt) but they weren't dealt with particularly deeply, this probably would have made it a much less light-hearted read but it could have been important to include. This book bought a tear to my eye a few times, in regards to Mrs Ledbury, Smudge and Rozzer. It made me emotional for people to be kind to characters who needed it the most.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Minor: Sexual content
unemployment, debt, family troubles with mother, prison, young offenders, wealth gap, suicide attempt, homelessness
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