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. However, the adventure turns out to be more thrilling than he could have ever imagined.
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.
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.
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. Jason struggles to bring together friends from different parts of his life and to cope with some of their attitudes towards him since the death of his parents. His friends are all united by the same things though: their desire to help Jason and keep Richie out of trouble, and get the school troublemakers off their backs. The petty squabbles, misunderstandings and inability to talk about the ‘big stuff’ make the friendships completely believable. Big brother Richie is desperately trying to fill the gap left their parents, and keep the family together whilst still being a teenager himself, leaving the relationship between the brothers in a fragile state. Adult characters in the book don’t always get things right and Lesley Parr uses them to great effect to show how grown-ups don’t have all the answers and are often just doing the best that they can.
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.
Enjoyable!
I am so pleased with this book. Very interesting story, written in a nice, easy to read language, that is set back in the 1974. The story is told in first person from a young and brave boy - Jason . Its all about Jason, who lives with his big brother Richard and they are trying their best to make ends meet so they can stay together. It tells the story of four best friends who set out on a quest to find a mysterious wild cat that has been sighted prowling through the valleys. It's packed full of emotion and subtle humour and has real Stand By Me vibes.