LoveReading4Kids Says
Shortlisted for the UKLA 2017 Book Award and Shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2016.
Julia Eccleshare's Pick of the Year 2015 Guardian Prize winning author Jenny Valentine’s long-awaited new novel is clever, beautifully written, full of ideas. It tells the story of sixteen-year-old Iris: lonely and desperately unhappy, she finds self-expression and release through starting fires. Her vain, shallow mother, one of the least sympathetic fictional characters ever, has always told Iris that her father abandoned them when she was a little girl. This is a lie and he has in fact been searching for his daughter all her life. They are reunited, but only because her father is dying. The weeks they have together are spent learning about each other – they share a love of art for example, something that Iris’s father has been able to indulge. Just as the beauty and truth of her father’s paintings outweigh any monetary value, so Iris’s love and growing understanding transcends their short time together. Daring to examine what is really important, this original novel is full of insight and intelligence.
Andrea Reece
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Jenny Valentine Press Reviews
'A beautifully written story, soaked in love and important things.' Steven Camden, author of TAPE
“Stunning. Rich in prose, with a profound depth to the characters and themes. Extremely moving.” Sarah Lean, author of A Dog Called Homeless
“One of the very best books I've read all year. I finished this and immediately turned back to the beginning again.” Robin Stevens, author of Murder Most Unladylike
“I loved the unconventional nature of this book. Each character is vivid and unique;
intriguing and intricate.” Guardian Children’s Books review.
About Jenny Valentine
Jenny Valentine is an award-winning writer for Young Adults. Her first novel Finding Violet Park won the Guardian prize in 2007 and since then she has written many books, including Broken Soup and Fire Colour One, as well as young fiction series Iggy and Me. Her work has been published in 19 countries. In 2017 she was the Hay Festival International Fellow, spending the year meeting and learning from teenagers all over the world. She works to empower and give a voice to young people. She lives all over the place and has two daughters.
Find Jenny on Instagram @jennyvalentinebook
A Q&A with Jenny about her first novel, Finding Violet Park
Cool name!
I owe the showbiz name to my husband!
This is your first book, have you always wanted to be a writer girl and how did you make it happen?
My mum bought me a notebook when I was about nine that looked like a novel on the outside. I had to put the title and the author on the front and then fill it with a story. I knew then. I am not sure exactly how I made it happen - I put the work in I guess.
What was your favourite book as a teen girl?
Such a hard question! I read a lot and I always wish I had made lists of all the books I loved. One that stands out would be The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.
For people who haven't read your book yet - Finding Violet Park, what's it all about?
It's about a boy who finds an old lady's ashes in a mini cab office and decides to find out who she was. He learns a lot of other things while he's doing it.
Lucas is a great narrator, what made you write from a boy's perspective?
No idea! He just jumped out, fully formed, in about the second sentence. I'm not sure I had that much choice in the matter.
Secrets are a big part of the book, what's your biggest secret?
Good try!
If the book had a soundtrack, what would be on it?
Well, Lucas listens to all his Dad's old records so there'd be some early David Bowie, some Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Ella Fitzgerald, maybe Rolling Stones. Then there'd have to be some piano pieces for Violet to play, Rachmaninov gets played at Lucas's granny's. Then Lucas's own choices might be Sufjan Stevens, Will Oldham, and a song from my husband Alex Valentine's record TARDIS HEART. It's called SORROW and as soon as I heard it I said I'd want it in a soundtrack if I was ever lucky enough to get one.
Apart from your own, what's your favourite book for teens?
Holes by Louis Sachar. I love that book. I think it's perfect.
What's the best thing about being a writer?
Finding the exact word you've been searching for.
Do you have a writing routine, Jenny? Tell us about it¦
Well it's very un-HELLO! I drink coffee, I have a walk by the river with our dog, I sit down and I re-read some of what I did the day before. Then I get going. Sometimes I look up and three hours have gone by, sometimes it's like getting blood out of a stone. I think it helps to have no routine at all, just to go with it, see how it's working.
What's next in the world of JV?
I'm working on my next book. It should be out next year. I can't tell you what it's called yet because I don't know. I'm very indecisive.
The colour pink. Discuss.
Let's see...bubblegum, fake fur, rose petals, cold noses, underwear, marshmallows, candy floss, lip gloss... how am I doing?!
More About Jenny Valentine
