Book Review – The Borrowed Boy
This week on the blog, I review the wonderful book ‘The Borrowed Boy’ by Deborah Klee. I actually read this book a few weeks ago, but even after moving house and moving onto another couple of reads, this story has stayed with me. Here’s a flavour of the book:
Fearing she only has a short time left to live, Angie Winkle feels she hasn’t done much with her life. However, after a chance encounter at a London Underground station, suddenly Angie has to care for a four-year-old lost boy, ‘Danny’. She tries to return him, but after that goes awry, Angie decides to borrow him. She takes little Danny to Jaywick Sands, where she spent some of her earlier life.
The narrative also flips to Nikoleta, the distraught woman new to London who lost Danny at the station. The story follows her attempts to find Danny, but the search, alongside her partner, may be more complicated than it first appears.
This book gripped me right from the start. I’ve been used to reading historical fiction or fantasy books lately, which I love, but the worldbuilding/scale of it can sometimes be a bit overwhelming.
The Borrowed Boy was refreshingly simple in comparison, in the best possible way. The raw poignancy of this novel kept me glued from the first page until the last.
The writing is stunning, with such clear description that I really felt I could be walking on the beach alongside Angie and Danny, following them on their journey. The characters are colourful and substantial.
In particular, the author’s use of the past to tell the story of Angie’s earlier life is done brilliantly. This book is also unafraid to give an honest look at the world and the dark issues still facing us today.
This has easily become one of my favourite indie reads and I think this book will stay with me for a long time to come. I heartily recommend and I’m excited to read the author’s next work, ‘Just Bea’.
Hit the buttons below to check out ‘The Borrowed Boy’ on Amazon!
You can also check out the author’s website here to find out more about her writing and life as an author, including her podcast series Castaway Books and weekly Twitter author chat series, #FriSalon.
Till next time,
Maria 🙂
PS Thanks so much for reading this blog post! It’s nice to be back. Apologies for an unexpected break in my blog posts. I’ve recently moved house and then we’ve had some issues with the internet. I’ve also had some time off, but excited to be getting back into writing and blogging more regularly.
While you’re here, why not check out my published books or my other blog posts? You can also sign up for my newsletter. You’ll get a free preview of my fantasy novel Lottie’s Locket. I also include a free preview of my first historical fiction novel, ‘The Boy from the Snow’, with every edition. Finally, feel free to hit the buttons below to check me out on social media. I’d love to connect with you! 🙂
Sounds like a really interesting read!
Hi! It really was amazing, recommend heartily! 🙂