"A thrilling middle-grade adventure with exquisite characterisation and a page-turning plot"
April 2023 Book of the Month
Award-winning Lesley Parr’s gripping adventure story is made luminous by the exploration and celebration of friendship that underpins it.
Set in a tightknit Welsh community at the time of the miners’ strike in 1974, four children set off on a mad quest to be the first to spot and photograph a mysterious big cat that is said to be a large in a neighbouring valley.
The adventure has most importance for Jason, who narrates the story, as he and his brother desperately need the reward money that is on offer. Although they don’t need the cash, his three friends are equally committed to the trip: they are Jason’s friends and they want to be by his side as the best supports that they can be. Told with a lot of humour, the details of the two days of walking and the two nights of camping are full of mishaps as well as lucky breaks and moments of great kindness from strangers. For Jason, it is a hugely significant journey of self-discovery as he begins to come to terms with the recent death of his parents and learns how to share his sadness with his accept help from his friends and accept the help they so want to give.
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Surprising, historical, family-filled, friendship. This story is great for fans of Phil Earle and Vashti Hardy.
Long review: This book is quite different to Lesley Parr's other books as it is set in more recent history. Having said that, the themes of family and friends are similar. Jason's family need money so he sets out on a quest with his three friends to find the wild beast roaming in the Welsh mountains.... Read Full Review
I have book 5/5 because of the fact that it was set in a year when I wasn’t alive which was interesting and also gave me a message that you sometimes have to do things for other people to make life better.
Set in the 1970’s at a time when the power has been cut off and workers have a three day week, this books gives readers different messages throughout.
The main character- Jason is a 13 year old boy whose brother gets himself into trouble with people who he works for because he is trying to make ends meet.
The climax begins with a group of children setting off on an adventure- including Jason, in order to find the ‘giant cat’ who has been in the news and it’s seen as the cause of problems in the countryside. If they succeed and find it, they will win a cash prize.... Read Full Review
A beautifully written and touching story, some parts will still have you laughing out loud and others might leave you with a tear in your eye. As a child of the 70s myself, I heartily recommend it.
Another great read from Lesley Parr set in Wales in the 1970s yet filled with filled with themes that middle-grade readers will find relatable to their own lives.
After being orphaned, Jason is left under the care of his nineteen-year-old brother, Richie. However, with the country in turmoil, workers on a three-day week and a cost-of-living crisis, Richie is finding it hard to cover the mounting bills so becomes involved with a risky money-making scheme. Anxious to help, Jason sets off on an adventure with his friends in search of a wild beast rumoured to roaming the countryside and the reward that is being offered for proof of its existence.
The book cleverly weaves together themes of friendship, family, grief and hardship.... Read Full Review
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