The Stars at Oktober Bend

Alice is fifteen, with hair as red as fire and skin as pale as bone, but something inside her is broken. Manny runs at night, trying to escape his memories. He sees Alice on the roof of her river-house, looking like a figurehead on a ship sailing through the stars. He has a poem in his pocket and he knows the words by heart. He is sure that girl has written them. Nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Award and long-listed for the UKLA Awards 2017, this is a poetic and powerful coming-of-age tale. You cannot fail to be moved by the warm friendship that builds between Alice, damaged by a trauma at twelve years of age, and Manny, a former child soldier, living as a refugee in a foster family in Australia. Together, they confront bullies and the experience of being an outsider. Strong ties hold the family of characters together and enable them to face the dangers of their perilous life. Ultimately, you will be uplifted by their strength of character - but sustained throughout the novel by the quality of Millard's writing and the light touch with which she handles difficult subjects.


Genre: Young Adult Fiction