Description
Book SynopsisA Richard and Judy Book Club Pick.
Compelling, compassionate and powerful, Rhiannon Navin's Only Child will stay with you long after you've turned the final page.
We all went to school that Tuesday like normal. Not all of us came home.
When the unthinkable happens, six-year-old Zach is at school. Huddled in a cloakroom with his classmates and teacher, he is too young to understand that life will never be the same again.
Afterwards, the once close-knit community is left reeling. Zach's dad retreats. His mum sets out to seek revenge. Zach, scared, lost and confused, disappears into his super-secret hideout to try to make sense of things. Nothing feels right – until he listens to his heart . . .
But can he remind the grown-ups how to love again?
'Captivating . . . Will appeal to fans of Room, The Lovely Bones and The Fault in Our Stars' – Independent
Trade ReviewCaptivating . . . Will appeal to fans of
Room,
The Lovely Bones and
The Fault in Our Stars * Independent *
Authentic and moving * Irish Times *
Grab hold of the tissues for a heartbreaking read that's full of compassion and insight * Woman & Home *
An emotional, heart-wrenching read for fans of
We Need To Talk About Kevin * The Pool *
Heart-wrenching and intelligent, and so very moving and insightful about a family in crisis -- Kate Eberlen, author of
Miss YouPowerful . . . Will appeal to fans of Emma Donoghue's
Room * Good Housekeeping *
Completely felled me . . . Brilliantly heartbreaking -- Lucy Diamond
Sinks its hooks into you from the very first sentence * Marie Claire (US) *
An amazing voice . . . Powerful and wise and healing -- Rachael Lucas, author of
Wildflower BayDevastating. Unsentimental. Honest. Beautiful. Everyone should read -- Penny Hancock, author of
TidelineZach, at only 6 years old, understands more about the human heart than the broken adults around him. His hope and optimism . . . will have every reader cheering him on, and believing in happy endings even in the face of tragedy -- Washington Post
An astonishing debut * Publishers Weekly *
Powerful . . . A careful examination of the way one boy and his parents, and their community, struggle to survive — and stay together — after the worst has happened * USA Today *
Told in the surprisingly mature voice of an unforgettable little boy, this tender novel about healing and family will tug at your heartstrings * Sunday Post *
Outstanding -- Harlan Coben
Heart-wrenching . . . [An] important and timely book * Booklist *
Innocence trumps violence -- Sloane Crosley,
Vanity FairLike Emma Donoghue's
Room, Navin's debut takes the risk of narrating a modern tragedy in the voice of a very young player . . . A powerful exercise in empathy and perspective * Kirkus *
Hotly anticipated * Glamour *
Through Zach’s eyes, we watch a mother become consumed by her anger, and a father begin to retreat . . . Zach embarks on a mission to ease his parents’ sadness, though the reader knows that only time can do that . . . Sweetly rendered * NY Times *
Heartbreaking * The Sun Chronicle *
