When Shadows Fall

I really enjoyed this story of friendship, loss and hope. It moved me to tears as it was heartbreaking and moving but also finished with optimism. Beautifully illustrated.

I loved the unusual structure and layout but mostly the use of different perspectives to create empathy for Kai. I tried and failed not to cry but despite this, the ending is full of hope and light.

I listened to When Shadows Fall yesterday via my Library Borrowbox app. Luckily my children are with their dad this week, as I couldn't stop listening and read it all pretty much in one session till 2am! What a powerhouse of a book! The writing is unflinching yet poetic and its lyricism drew me in from the start. I felt I was on an emotional rollercoaster with Kai. WSF is a book that will develop and boost empathy in readers. There's a significant event which reduced me to tears, and it certainly is a book that I would 'have a conversation' about before issuing to a student, as the 'triggers' are both strong and numerous. It has themes of grief and mental ill health as well as friendship and peer pressures, and our relationship with the natural world around us. A 5⭐ read for me! 😊

A series of first person accounts from a group of friends who watch their friend Kai descend into a mental health episode and realise too late that they should have dealt with it differently. A salutory tale for ages 14+ about choosing your friends wisely as Kai gets excluded from school and gets sucked into a world of drugs and theft. There are atmospheric illustrations.