The View On The Way Down by Rebecca Wait

Emma used to have two older brothers, but Kit died five years ago and after his funeral Jamie left home and she hasn't seen him since.  Emma is now an overweight teenager who is being bullied at school. She doesn't know what happened to Kit or why Jamie wanted to make a new life for himself away from his family but she'd love to see him again. Her mother Rose is almost in denial to her family's problems, putting on a cheery facade and trying to create the perfect home for her husband Joe. He's easily annoyed by her though and when at home spends a lot of his time in the shed to get away from everything.

 

This is a beautifully written debut novel that deals with the difficult subjects of depression and bereavement exceptionally well. It's emotional but I never found it heavy going and I read it quickly. I hope The View On The Way Down becomes known to a wide audience and the bestseller that it undoubtedly deserves to be.

 

Rating: 5 out of 5