The Light in Everything by Katya Balen, illustrated by Sydney Smith, Bloomsbury Publishing (AUS), ISBN 9781526622983
REVIEWED BY MILAN, 10, NSW.
Milan reviewed his own copy of this title.
The Light In Everything is a very intriguing fictional novel written by Katya Balen. The story is set in a seaside cottage. Here we meet Zofia and her dad, Marek, as well as Tom and his mum, Fiona. Each chapter switches perspectives between Zofia and Tom. Their personalities are the polar opposite of each other. Tom is a shy, timid boy who has trouble trusting others due to a traumatic experience with his father. Zofia, on the other hand, is an energetic, confident girl who has a close relationship with her dad and finds it difficult to share his attention. As the story progresses, Marek and Fiona fall in love and the families move in together which poses many challenges. The four of them quickly discover their differences and this causes tension in their relationships. Later, Fiona and Marek have a baby who is born with complications which forces Tom and Zofia to spend more time together.
Overall this was a very engaging book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I really liked the description of the pain Zofia and Tom were going through. The language she used made me feel as if I was really there and experiencing their emotions. One of the quotes I really liked was “The sea is bright today. Far out towards the inky horizon are little licks of white foam that mirror the lazy clouds above them.” This quote shows us how powerful Katya Balen’s descriptions are and it made me imagine how the characters might feel.
One thing I didn’t like was how ruthless Fiona’s last husband was and how brutal he was towards Tom. The quote “I tell her that Dad used to hurt us and now he’s in prison but I’m still afraid” shows the impact Tom’s dad made on him. This made me empathise with Tom but I also found it difficult to read because it made me feel fearful. I thought that the end was quite predictable and I usually prefer a twist at the end of a book.
I would rate this book 4/5 stars and highly recommend it to readers who enjoy a heartfelt story about relationships and family.
This is Milan’s first book review for Alphabet Soup. To send us YOUR book review, read our submission guidelines. Happy reading!
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