"Melding history, mystery and magic, Alfie’s Gift opens with a direct address that invites readers to try to recognise themselves in the novel’s principle characters, with its Prologue posing an engaging thematic question (“Are you safe?”), both of which showcase how Alistair Rainey works to draw readers into his multi-dimensional story of finding courage."
Melding history, mystery and magic, Alfie’s Gift opens with a direct address that invites readers to try to recognise themselves in the novel’s principle characters, with its Prologue posing an engaging thematic question (“Are you safe?”), both of which showcase how Alistair Rainey works to draw readers into his multi-dimensional story of finding courage.
Alfie’s journey to bravery comes in the context of him being born premature, which resulted in his parents shielding him from “any hint of a dangerous situation”. Happily, though, even though Alfie had been “suffocated and smothered” through his whole life, he has the support of two close friends, Charlie and Saima, which he very much needs when the trio start Year Five and have to contend with stern, vindictive Mr Finch.
Into this, the narrative shifts back to 1910, when “weary men in collarless shirts with sleeves rolled up to their biceps swept scythes through the hay”, and a thunderstorm sparks a fire that sees centuries of history “gone in a flash”. Back in the present-day, there’s a shift, too.
Everything changes when Alfie, Charlie and Saima visit the library and, strangely, the librarian somehow knows Saima wants to research the history of the school. Then comes the strangeness of Alfie’s friendship with a dog (in Charlie’s words, “I’ve never seen Alfie go anywhere near an animal”) ahead of a multi-layered, history-steeped adventure that unfolds at a suspenseful pace.
Shot-through with the magic of friendship (and, quite possibly, other forms of magic...), while characters’ thoughts and feelings are clearly signposted, and snappy dialogue often propels the plot, there’s also a strong, and atmospheric, sense of place and history, which makes Alfie’s Gift likely to be most enjoyed by 10+-year-olds who enjoy easy-to-get-into adventures that are rooted in real life and seasoned with mystery.
Joanne Owen, A LoveReading4Kids Ambassador
Mr Finch, Alfie’s Year 6 teacher, finds fault in everything Alfie does and even his parents worry about him just scraping his knees or walking to school on his own. Life is tough for Alfie. At school, the mistakes feel massive under the sharp eyes of the nasty Mr Finch; at home, even the smallest adventure gets wrapped in layers of, no, just in case.
| Primary Genre | Indie Author Books |
| Recommendations: |
Mr Finch, Alfie’s Year 6 teacher, finds fault in everything Alfie does and even his parents worry about him just scraping his knees or walking to school on his own. Life is tough for Alfie.
Alfie's Gift features in the following genres: Indie Author Books , Indie Books We Love, Recommendations
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Alfie's Gift was written by Alistair Rainey and published by Grosvenor House Publishing Ltd