Being a combination of conventional diary entries and transcripts of videos shot by the author on the camera she was given for her 13th birthday, and beginning at the end of summer.
Bluebell Gadsby is 13 but that's the least of her problems. Both her parents seem more interested in their careers than the family, leaving Blue and her three siblings as well as their three pet rats (who may or may not be pregnant), in the care of Zoran the au pair. The enigmatic Joss moves in next door and Blue thinks she might be falling in love, until he takes out her older sister Flora instead (who, incidentally, is trying to make a statement by dying her hair bright pink but no one takes the blindest bit of notice). Blue thinks and feels very deeply about life but can't really talk to anyone about it, because no one in the Gadsby family wants to address the real problem - that Blue's twin sister, Iris, died a year ago, and they are all just trying to hide their grief in busyness...
So Blue turns to her diary and her unique way of seeing the world through her camcorder to express herself. A tender, funny, smart and ultimately heartwarming story.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Bluebell herself is wonderful - trying her hardest to keep things going in a somewhat madcap family - and I found Flora, her older sister, and boy next door Joss to be realistic. As for Bosnian au pair Zoran, kind, caring and funny, he steals nearly every scene he's in! Her parents, on the other hand, and former friend Dodi, felt relatively weak. Despite this drawback, Farrant's easy to read writing style - including transcripts of videos Bluebell films, which really add to the story - a good plot, and some hilarious scenes mean that it's well worth checking out. I'll look forward to reading the next in the series!
Recommended to young to mid teens.
Hitting just the right note between funny and sad has always been a testing literary exercise, one which has often separated good writers from those not so good.
Natasha Farrant can count herself amongst the gifted writers who can do it... and with style.
The Diaries of Bluebell Gadsby: After Iris, her bittersweet teen novel about a family trying and failing to cope with a terrible tragedy, is so perfectly pitched that you will be laughing behind the hand that only seconds ago wiped away a surreptitious tear.
Farrant's inspired use of an original combination of video transcripts and diary musings captures all the repressed grief and denial of the Gadsby family as they each play out their pain through histrionics, eccentric obsessions and outbursts of pent-up anger.
High on raw emotion, poignant observation and moments of sheer laugh-out-loud farce, After Iris is the first of what promises to be a brilliant new series about the adventures and misadventures of the luscious and lovable Gadsby family.
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Being a combination of conventional diary entries and transcripts of videos shot by the author on the camera she was given for her 13th birthday, and beginning at the end of summer. Bluebell Gadsby is 13 but that's the least of her problems. Both her parents seem more interested in their careers than the family, leaving Blue and her three siblings as well as their three pet rats (who may or may not be pregnant), in the care of Zoran the au pair. The enigmatic Joss moves in next door and Blue thinks she might be falling in love, until he takes out her older sister Flora instead (who, incidentally, is trying to make a statement by dying her hair bright pink but no one takes the blindest bit of notice). Blue thinks and feels very deeply about life but can't really talk to anyone about it, because no one in the Gadsby family wants to address the real problem - that Blue's twin sister, Iris, died a year ago, and they are all just trying to hide their grief in busyness.So Blue turns to her diary and her unique way of seeing the world through her camcorder to express herself. A tender, funny, smart and ultimately heartwarming story. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Seller Inventory # GOR005040444
Book Description Condition: Very Good. This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. . Seller Inventory # 7719-9780571278213
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