Life in Bearmouth is one of hard labour, the sunlit world above the mine a distant memory. Reward will come in the next life with the benevolence of the Mayker. Newt accepts everything, that is until the mysterious Devlin arrives. Newt is soon looking at Bearmouth with a fresh perspective – questioning the system and setting in motion a change of events that could destroy their entire world. Bristol, 1896. Used to scraping a living as the young assistant to an ageing con artist, Cecily Marsden's life is turned upside down when her master suddenly dies. Believing herself to blame, could young Cec somehow have powers she little understands? I enjoyed how well the author incorporated magical realism with historical fiction. I wanted a little more explanation relating to the magical aspects of the read, but the author did offer enough explanation to keep me from being dissatisfied. The author also did a good job at emphasizing how intertwined science and religion was in England during this time, which was a driving force behind the antagonist of this read. A very well fleshed out story with a great setting and system. Really connected to all the characters. There were too many open questions! I one hundred per cent ‘got’ the story that Liz set out to tell. It’s historical fiction, yes, with magical elements, but it’s also SO MUCH MORE.

Bearmouth was one of the books recommended to my students by our Book PenPal Holly Race, so I couldn't resist reading it before I passed my copy round to those interested.Hyder has said the novel grew out of her research into the exploitation of children in Victorian mines, and there is certainly a harrowing, gritty realism in the descriptions of Bearmouth. Yet she has gone far beyond her sources, creating a mythic tale with the feel of a fable, one in which the young and vulnerable take on the powerful and mighty. Edward: An ambitious surgeon, Edward is tired of being under the shadow of his best friend Samuel. When an opportunity possibly leading to fame and fortune comes his way, Edward knows he mustn’t let it go. I am a big YA fan, and even more so i am a fan of when YA doesn't feel like typical YA that people expect. I like them when they are a bit darker and quite bold, well this one did not let me down at all! this for me just feels like such a breathe of fresh air and such a huge deal, i hope this book gets the love and attention it deserves, because it really does have everything it needs to be on the bookshelves next to some of the YA big popular books that are much loved by many. The ‘fallen angel’ starts to appear on the lips of those who love to gossip and spread rumours across London and when a surgeon stumbles upon this seemingly ethereal corpse, he is determined to use her as leverage to make not only a name for himself but fame and vast fortunes too yet as he delves deeper into working out the machinations of such a being, he will find himself in the vice-like grip of obsession which will see him search out and locate other women who appear to have been sent from the heavens to help him in his quest in which will test the very limits of human understanding when it comes to that which we could never comprehend. The nearest town is Drummond, approximately 8 miles (13km) to the east. The nearest large city is Missoula, about 40 miles (64km) to the west. The next large city to the east is Butte, 80 miles (130km) to the southeast.

Find out more about Liz’s novels — The Illusions, The Gifts and Bearmouth — and the inspiration behind them. This is a novel based on a slightly bizarre concept - in the mid-nineteenth century, a number of women grow wings. In an age of scientific discovery also still heavily influenced by religious beliefs, this piques the interest of doctors and captures the public imagination.I work as a freelance PR consultant in the arts and run creative writing workshops as well as writing. I think it’s very hard these days to be a full time writer – almost all of the writers I know juggle their writing with other jobs. I’d love to become a full time writer but I know, realistically, it’s also very hard to make it work – we’ll see! As the story progressed we learn more about Newt and their unease surrounding the appearance of new boy Devlin. With the arrival of the new face comes a sense of growing awareness of the injustice of their existence, and a slow-burning plan to change things.

What a magnificent and beautifully inspiring book this was! I devoured it in only a couple of sittings it was THAT gripping. It is a mixture of historical fiction and magical realism with interesting and engaging characters and is highly compelling. La storia è narrata sotto forma di diario da Newt, un ragazzino che ha passato buona parte della sua breve vita nei meandri di Boccadorso e sta imparando a leggere e a scrivere. Ergo, il testo è impregnato di tutti gli errori ortografici del caso.

This was definitely a very different sort of book! The first thing you'll notice in Bearmouth is the writing style- it's written as Newt assumes words are spelled, in a phonetic way, which does take some getting used to. We're told the story of the mine through Newt's perspective, one that has seen quite a few atrocities. So let's dive into what worked for me and what didn't! Natalya, another outcast, is a mesmerising storyteller. She travels from Orkney to London hoping for a new start. Separately, the two women undergo a strange epiphany and sprout wings. There is little explanation for their transformation except their shared belief that their gift is related to a deep connection to the land and “the wildness within us”. A unique story that will take readers a while to get used to. This book might be a hard sell to teens, but for those who are ready for a fresh narrative, this gripping story of hope, friendship, and revolution will be worth it. Winner of the Branford Boase Award 2020. Winner of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2020 for Older Readers. The Times Children’s Book of the Year 2019. Shortlisted for the Great Reads Award 2020. Shortlisted for the UKLA (UK Literacy Association) Awards 2021. Nominated for the 2021 CILIP Carnegie Medal.

There are some very emotional scenes that are described poignantly that made my heart break. It has a haunting and tense atmosphere throughout and the Victorian period is described and captured perfectly. It was a joy to read and I was so sad when it came to an end. I would love to revisit so many of these characters again.But also hard hitting and poignant, makes you think about some very serious issues including abuse, coercive control, the role of women in society and more besides.