My Side of the Diamond

Description

Jazmin has been shunned ever since her best friend Becky disappeared. But what happened to Becky? Because she didn't simply disappear - she jumped off a tall building and was never seen again, almost as if she had vanished into thin air - but of course that couldn't be possible. Was the disappearance something to do with Jazmin? Or was it more to do with Ishmael, so beguiling and strangely ever youthful, with whom Becky was suddenly besotted... An extraordinary tale about the power of love from the acclaimed and Carnegie winning novelist Sally Gardner.

Sally Gardner is a multi-award-winning novelist whose work has been translated into more than twenty-two languages. Her novel MAGGOT MOON (Hot Key Books) won both the Costa Children's Book Prize and the Carnegie Medal 2013. Sally's genre-defying novel THE DOUBLE SHADOW (Orion) received great critical acclaim and was also longlisted for the Carnegie Medal 2013. THE RED NECKLACE (shortlisted for 2007 Guardian Book Prize) and THE SILVER BLADE are set during the French Revolution, the film rights for which have been purchased by Dominic West. Sally also won the 2005 Nestle Children's Book Prize for her debut novel I, CORIANDER. She is currently writing the popular WINGS and CO Fairy Detective Agency Series (Orion) for 7-11 year olds - hailed as 'Agatha Christie for kids' - and has recently released her latest Young Adult fiction novel, which is a modern gothic tale called TINDER, illustrated by David Roberts (Orion). Follow Sally at www.sallygardner.net or on Twitter: @TheSallyGardner

Presented in a Moleskineesque format, told from multiple viewpoints and scattered with intriguing illustrations, Gardner's novel is a unique and complex reading experience about the search for love, surprising the reader at every turn. * The Bookseller * My Side of the Diamond is a fascinating book - part science fiction, part social commentary - an unlikely blend that works in an enthralling way, making this a book I couldn't put down! The lifestyle differences of Becky and Jazmin are highlighted, but you never get a sense of 'preaching' about their relative differences. Becky's response to the charismatic alien - and her subsequent disappearance seem all too possible, as does the portrayal of the sinister, all too believable, government agents trying to keep a lid on and control all the activity. A unique book - thank you Sally! * Tricia Adams, Director of the School Library Association * Bizarre and brilliant, Gardner demonstrates her narrative dexterity as she shuffles and reshuffles the cards that holds up her thrilling story without bringing it tumbling down. I haven't read anything else quite like it * Kiran Millwood-Hargrave, bestselling author of The Girl Of Ink and Stars * A new book by Sally Gardner is always a cause for celebration and My Side of the Diamond certainly lives up to my expectations. The story is told through a series of interviews giving us the chance to discover the innermost thoughts of all the main characters. This beautiful book shows the true meaning of love in all its forms and what it means to be human. I read until very late into the night because I could not bear to put the book down * Jane Etheridge, Chair Federation of Children's Book Groups * Absolutely wonderful, with likeable and sensible adults (well, there is the odd exception), and a genuine mystery as to what might have happened; both this time and the strange goings-on in the past. There's not enough intelligent science fiction in YA, especially with romance * Book Witch * A heartwarming explanation of love, humanity and more besides: if sci-fi is your thing, then this will be too * The Roaring Bookworm * The book went into a direction that I would never of guessed, which kept me gripped in the story. This book is the perfect one sit wonder, I read it in a couple of hours * Dyslexic Reader * Once you scratch under its surface, it's clear that My Side of the Diamond is another gem from Sally Gardner * Children's Books Ireland * With detailed and intriguing illustrations, this mysterious tale will fascinate. A quirky and unusual science fiction romance for fans of Stranger Things * South Wales Evening Post * The sense of the extraordinary is heightened and enhanced by the atmospheric illustrations from Nat Barlex. As one might expect from this author, this is a rich imaginative narrative that may not appeal to all, but is certainly worth reading, and recommending * Books For Keeps * Riveting reads for the 12-plus age group include My Side of the Diamond. Vintage Sally Gardner, its mixture of class conflict, forbidden friendship and alien abduction shouldn't work but it does, thanks to her peerless originality * New Statesman * Replete with arresting phrases and elegant imagery; the other world that Icarus hails from is only briefly hinted at but is still lusciously enticing * Literary Review * A punchy thriller to fill festive downtime... My Side of the Diamond will entice fans of The X-Files and Stranger Things. The golem myth tangles with otherworldly encounters and conspiracy theories * Observer * Innovative and interesting * Armadillo Magazine * It's an incredibly satisfying read that, at just over 200 pages, also reminds us that the level of complexity in fiction is rarely proportional to its length * Irish Times * Sally Gardner has created an astonishing meditation on love in this bizarre and twisting tale of aliens, a teenage bestselling novelist and dysfunctional families. No doubt My Side of the Diamond is going to be a frequent award nominee, but more importantly, many readers will discover a story that will challenge them every exciting step of the way * Carousel Magazine * This young adult science fiction novel will take your breath away. It is heart-breaking, terrifying, uplifting, thought-provoking and beautifully constructed. Its secrets are revealed very gradually, as multiple narrators help to join together the pieces of a complex puzzle - and the story will haunt you long after the last page is finished * Booktrust *