Reviewed by Melissa Wray
How do you continue your life when a member of your
family disappears?
Wren is about to begin high school. She should be
excited and looking forward to this milestone event. But it’s been three long
years since she saw her younger brother and now everyone knows her as the girl
whose brother went missing.
Gordon has created a tender story about older sister,
Wren, who doesn’t quite know how to move on without her younger brother, Finch.
Nobody knows what happened to him. Or to another girl Ava who also disappeared
on the same day, in the same place as Finch. Her family were wealthy and got
most of the attention. Finch was slowly forgotten.
Gordon doesn’t shy away from the sadness felt in
different way by all members of the family. Nor does she avoid the guilt that
weighs heavily on this young character. Gordon’s masterful writing tackles both
strong issues of guilt and depression with care and consideration that creates
an even bigger impact on the reader.
The story is told through Wren’s point of view, but
scattered throughout the story are conversations she has with her missing
brother. This clever and unique approach is used by Gordon to facilitate
conversations between Wren and her brother. He tries to encourage Wren to make
friends with the new girl, Freddie, check up on the other strangely quiet girl
Ava, and most importantly, keep living her life. There is also a third
narrative as Wren’s wrestles with her subconscious and the conversations she has
with herself. All three are carefully constructed with just enough conversation
that it doesn’t slow the overall storyline down; instead supports it to move
forward. Each dialogue included has a distinct voice, along with a certain font
printed within the book which is helpful and enjoyable.
This story will keep you curious until the very end.
It will also pull on your heart strings. Keep some tissues handy!
My Brother Finch is
suitable for a 12+ year-old readership.
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