The Boy Who Couldn’t – review (AD)
I kick-started my maternity leave getting stuck into an advanced reader’s copy of The Boy Who Couldn’t which was kindly gifted to me by the author herself*!
It’s written by Rachel Coverdale and the timing of receiving the book was perfect it arrived just as I started my maternity leave.
Having a good book to sink my teeth into gave me the perfect excuse to sit with my quite swollen feet up for a couple of hours.
Synopsis of The Boy Who Couldn’t
A stirring action-adventure story about two very different boys whose lives unexpectedly cross, forcing them to create an uneasy friendship.
When they stumble upon a badger baiting plot by some dangerous criminals, their tenuous relationship is tested to breaking point. Can Greg and James overcome their differences and fears to help each other and save the badgers?
A heart-breaking yet uplifting story about becoming the person you can be, not the person you are expected to be.
My overall thoughts of The Boy Who Couldn’t
The Boy Who Couldn’t is available now on Amazon and Kindle! It is suitable for 8-15 years olds but I thoroughly enjoyed it and I’m 30.
I had planned to just dip in and out of this book but the story just drew me in and I read it in two sittings – only stopping because I needed to get on with household chores sadly.
Although this book is written with young adults in mind I really enjoyed the story.
I liked that we were able to see perspectives between two very different characters – middle-class James and working-class Greg as different chapters are told from their perspectives.
Not being a huge outdoorsy person I also felt like I learnt a lot about badgers too which was a definite added bonus.
I really enjoyed the illustrations that are littered throughout the pages too.
As a character Greg isn’t easy to like in the beginning but as the story unfolds we readers get to understand why he behaves the way he does and he won me over in the end!
Towards the latter chapters of the book I found myself holding my breath at times as I was so tense – I just had to keep reading so I could find out what their fate would be.
This was a great read that really transported me to the tree house with the three boys watching the badgers, Greg’s struggles and the drama of the badger baiting saga.
It’s a great read and I would absolutely recommend it to younger readers – it’s much more than just about badgers! There’s friendship, bravery, bullying and overcoming your insecurities and self-doubt to become an unlikely hero.
A huge thank you to Rachel for sending me a copy of this fantastic book.
About author Rachel Coverdale
Rachel is a children’s author who was brought up in the beautiful North Yorkshire moors and daydreamed her way through my school years. Being the adventurous type, she made the dramatic 11 mile move to Teesside where she continues to daydream.
As a grown-up she rediscovered children’s books through her own children, her ‘borrowed’ children and her job as an English teacher then a librarian.
See Rachel’s other books on her website here.
You can follow Rachel on her social media accounts:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachellouisecoverdale/
Twitter: @RLCoverdale
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachellouisecoverdale/
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Disclaimer
This review has been written with 100% honesty.
I was not financially compensated for this post. I was given an advance copy of this book for review purposes. The opinions expressed in this post are completely my own based on my own experience.
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