Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: Another Place
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE: 1987
WEBSITE:
CITY:
STATE:
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY: British
RESEARCHER NOTES: “In Bloom” published in the US as “The Brilliant Light of Amber Sunrise”
PERSONAL
Born 1987, in Newcastle, England.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer. Has worked as a journalist.
WRITINGS
Contributor to publications, including the London Independent on Sunday and the London Observer.
SIDELIGHTS
Matthew Crow is a British writer. He has worked as a journalist, with articles that have appeared in publications, including the London Independent on Sunday and the London Observer.
Ashes and My Dearest Jonah
Ashes is Crow’s first novel. It is set in a crime-riddled neighborhood called Meadow Well. Jack has been in prison and has recently been released. He is adamant about turning his life around, but his mother, Shirley, is not sure he will be able to do it. Jack interacts with various ne’er-do-wells in the neighborhood, as well as his probation officer, who once lived in Meadow Well. Meanwhile, arsonists begin terrorizing the area. A contributor to the Ric’s Reviews website described Ashes as “a fine debut” The contributor added: “While this isn’t perfect it signals the arrival of a future main player in the genre.”
In My Dearest Jonah, Jonah and Verity are pen pals. Jonah is an ex-con, and Verity is a stripper and barista. They struggle to overcome their circumstances. Ani Johnson, reviewer on the Bookbag website, commented: “This will appeal to people who don’t like books written as letters and, also, the author writes first person alternating points of view very well.” Johnson added: “This is a novel that defies you to put it down and will haunt you once you think it’s come to an end. My Dearest Jonah would have been so much better minus letters, but even within that context, it would be a shame to pass it by.”
The Brilliant Light of Amber Sunrise
A teenager named Francis deals with leukemia in The Brilliant Light of Amber Sunrise, which was released as In Bloom in the UK. A bright spot in his life is his new roommate, Amber, with whom he falls in love.
“The story of young love in the cancer ward has been done before and other titles have been more masterful with the topic,” asserted Morgan Brickey in School Library Journal. Other assessments of the novel were more favorable. Jeanne Fredriksen, critic in Booklist, suggested: “Crow skillfully crafts his characters to be real teens who struggle to be normal.” A Kirkus Reviews writer described The Brilliant Light of Amber Sunrise as “mushy but satisfying.” Reviewing the volume in Voice of Youth Advocates, Katherine Noone commented: “The adolescent Francis may irritate a few teens, but the picture is a realistic one. … Crow’s first young adult novel is a splendid success.” Referring to Crow, Katie Clapman, contributor to the Bookseller, remarked: “He has written a genuinely likeable, and more importantly believable narrator.” “This is a very funny as well as a very painful book. The two teenagers are unique and utterly convincing individuals,” wrote Peter Hollindale in School Librarian. Martin Chilton, reviewer on the London Telegraph website, commented: “There are certain possible joys in reading and one of them is finding a book that is genuinely—without labouring to be so—funny. Matthew Crow’s In Bloom is such a book, yet painful and sad at the same time.”
Another Place
In Another Place, Claudette deals with mental health issues and recovering from an episode at home. When a local girl named Sarah disappears, Claudette begins investigating. In an interview with a contributor to the Almost Amazing Grace website, Crow discussed the origins of the story. He stated: “I had the idea for Claudette—her voice, her temperament, and maybe one or two little lines of hers here and there. And the rest sort of built itself around that. I decided early on that I wanted to use Claudette to write about mental health issues, as it is something I’ve always found interesting. Plus, having been on various cocktails of antidepressants since I was a kid, felt it time for some fucking cashback to be quite honest.” Crow continued: “Then the sense of location came through very quickly, too. The idea of a seaside town that had been ravaged by changes in times and tastes and left to rot.”
“Another Place will appeal to fans of issue-driven realistic fiction but may bore readers looking for a highenergy whodunit,” predicted Rebecca Jung in Voice of Youth Advocates. A Kirkus Reviews critic noted: “This ambitious novel plods at times and pirouettes at others.” Reviewing the book on the Bookbag website, Em Richardson suggested: “It is an excellent read for any young people wishing to learn more about either what it is like to live with depression, or what it is like to live in extreme poverty.” A writer on the Random Things Through My Letterbox website remarked: “Another Place is a wonderful book. It is heartwarming, yet gritty and down to earth. It is full of humour and sometimes is overwhelming in its sadness. It is an insightful and clever observation of the world of teenage mental health, grimy towns and people who will hurt others to protect themselves. A truly beautiful story. Poignant, gripping and witty and deserves to become a classic.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, February 15, 2015, Jeanne Fredriksen, review of The Brilliant Light of Amber Sunrise, p. 79.
Bookseller, September 13, 2013, Katie Clapman, “Bloomin’ Good,” review of In Bloom, p. 35.
Kirkus Reviews, January 1, 2015, review of The Brilliant Light of Amber Sunrise; September 1, 2017, review of Another Place.
School Librarian, summer, 2014, Peter Hollindale, review of In Bloom, p. 126.
School Library Journal, January, 2015. Morgan Brickey, review of The Brilliant Light of Amber Sunrise, p. 108.
Voice of Youth Advocates, December, 2014, Katherine Noone, review of The Brilliant Light of Amber Sunrise, p. 59; October, 2017, Rebecca Jung, review of Another Place, p. 57.
ONLINE
Almost Amazing Grace, http://www.almostamazinggrace.co.uk/ (August 10, 2017), author interview.
Bookbag, http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/ (May 1, 2012), Ani Johnson, review of My Dearest Jonah; (August 1, 2017), Em Richardson, review of Another Place.
DHH Literary Agency website, http://www.dhhliteraryagency.com/ (March 19, 2014), article by author; (May 29, 2018), author profile.
Lippy, http://www.lippymag.co.uk/ (April 14, 2012), author interview.
Little, Brown UK website, https://www.littlebrown.co.uk/ (May 29, 2018), author profile.
London Telegraph Online, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/ (September 19, 2013), Martin Chilton, review of In Bloom.
Random Things Through My Letterbox, http://randomthingsthroughmyletterbox.blogspot.com/ (August 9, 2017), review of Another Place.
Ric’s Reviews, http://ricsreviews.blogspot.com/ (December 29, 2010), review of Ashes.
Simon & Schuster website, http://www.simonandschuster.com/ (May 29, 2018), author profile.
MATTHEW CROW
Matthew Crow was born and raised in Newcastle. Having worked as a freelance journalist since his teens he has contributed to a number of publications including the Independent on Sunday and the Observer. He has written for adults and YA. His book My Dearest Jonah, was nominated for the Dylan Thomas Prize.
Matthew Crow
Picture
Matthew was born and raised in Newcastle and began freelancing for newspapers and magazines whilst still at school, writing about the arts and pop culture.
He has written four novels, Ashes and My Dearest Jonah - the second of which was nominated for the Dylan Thomas Prize for Literature - and one book for young adults, In Bloom, which was nominated for the Carnegie Medal and the North East Teen Book Award, and listed in the Telegraph's Best YA of 2014 List.
His fourth book, Another Place, will also be for young adults and was published by Atom in August 2017.
Advice To Myself As A Young Writer by Matthew Crow
3/19/2014 0 Comments
As In Bloom is my first book for young adults, the one question that seemed to reign supreme when doing the publicity rounds is “what advice would you give to young writers?”
The truth is I have none. So invariably I just shrug and mumble something about reading widely and not being disappointed by rejection.
However, as it is now eight years since I first signed up with a literary agent, below I have bulleted the advice I wish I’d received as a young author. Take of it what you will.
– “More sex and adjectives” is a good approach to life, but a bad creative manifesto. Tone it down a bit. They get the gist.
– Show don’t tell.
– Do it because you love it and treat everything beyond that as a bonus.
– Email is not like real life – introductions do not require Dutch courage. Do not drink before submitting work. It will end in a hangover you do not deserve.
– Everyone’s selling something. Do not be afraid to push yourself. But learn from the mistakes of the creeps that do nothing but.
– With regards to the above, balance is key. As things stand you put more effort into writing books than you do into ‘being an author.’ Keep it that way.
– The only people who “sell out” are those with something worth buying in the first place. Don’t be a fucking idiot- swallow your pride, take the money, and RUN!
– Try to be kind. There are always a hundred ways to say something is crap. The real skill is finding an interesting way to say why you liked it. The older you get the more you should treat acerbic put-downs like two-day benders: infrequent but spectacular.
– Enjoyment shines through. Write the books you’d like to read.
– Read Stephen King’s ‘On Writing’ because it’s so good. Do not read any other writing guides. They’re shit. Spend your money on adventures and the like. If you know how to write then all you need is experience. The rest will come naturally.
– Every embarrassment makes you feel like the world is ending. It is not. One day each mortification will become an anecdote.
– Don’t take boring books to read on the bus because you want people to be impressed by how clever you are. You won’t even talk to strangers, let alone sleep with someone who approaches you on the top deck of the 363. Take a book you enjoy and stop being such a tit.
– A good story, well written with believable characters is all it ever has to be- which in itself is a big ask. Stop trying to reinvent the wheel. It works just fine as it is. Nobody wants to read an eighty thousand word Power Point presentation on your command of the simile.
– There must always be a beginning, a middle, and an end (no matter what order you stick them in.)
– Semi-colons are not as sophisticated as you think they are.
– In time you will learn to enjoy others’ success. It is a good sign. A healthy industry is the most you can ask for. The rest is up to you.
– Never accept a drink from an aspiring author. It will be the longest pint of your life. Pretend to receive an urgent phone call and throw yourself into the nearest taxi.
– (Try to be kinder)
– Lower your expectations.
– Send thank you cards.
– Stop worrying so much. And stop being in such a hurry. Finishing a book is a huge achievement in itself. Sits back and enjoy the spoils every once in a while.
– Read widely and don’t be disappointed by rejection.
One day you will be proud.
In Bloom is published tomorrow in paperback, you can order it here
Follow Matthew on twitter: @mizzlecrizzle
QUOTED: "I had the idea for Claudette- her voice, her temperament, and maybe one or two little lines of hers here and there. And the rest sort of built itself around that. I decided early on that I wanted to use Claudette to write about mental health issues, as it is something I’ve always found interesting. Plus, having been on various cocktails of antidepressants since I was a kid, felt it time for some fucking cashback to be quite honest."
"Then the sense of location came through very quickly, too. The idea of a seaside town that had been ravaged by changes in times and tastes and left to rot."
THURSDAY, 10 AUGUST 2017
ANOTHER PLACE; A Q&A WITH MATTHEW CROW.
Matthew Crow's 'Another Place' (published August 3rd), is his latest novel that follows the beautiful, genre-defying and much-praised 'In Bloom' (2013).
'Another Place', takes us to a strange and sad seaside town, where one girl is trying to put herself back together, and another girl has gone missing.
The story centres around sixteen-year-old Claudette Flint, who is released into the care of her dad after a stay in hospital with depression. She is told that to continue getting better she must set small goals for each day, larger ones for each week, and one significant thing to aim for. Meanwhile, the close-knit community of her town seems to be falling apart in the wake of the sudden disappearance of one of her school mates - and secret friend - Sarah. Everyone knew Sarah; and at the same time, nobody knew her at all. But Claudette can understand her in ways that others didn’t. She soon decides what will be her one overarching aim in life: finding Sarah.
Hi, Matthew! Thanks so much for doing this Q&A with me. I recently finished 'Another Place' and am so excited for everyone I know to read it, too.
There are so many things I wanna know about this story and your writing process...
Firstly, where did this story come from?
The character, Claudette. The same way all my books do. I had the idea for Claudette- her voice, her temperament, and maybe one or two little lines of hers here and there. And the rest sort of built itself around that. I decided early on that I wanted to use Claudette to write about mental health issues, as it is something I’ve always found interesting. Plus, having been on various cocktails of antidepressants since I was a kid, felt it time for some fucking cashback to be quite honest. Then the sense of location came through very quickly, too. The idea of a seaside town that had been ravaged by changes in times and tastes and left to rot- much like the ones I grew up in and around. The mystery aspect came about last and very gradually. I wanted Claudette to be released into a version of her world that wasn’t quite hers. Like the sort of dream houses you get sometimes, when you open a door that was never there before? So initially the book was going to be purely the story of her recovery set against the backdrop of a police investigation/ media deluge; mainly to further the feeling of displacement, the idea that even your home isn’t your home anymore for a while after depression has ripped through your foundations. But the more I wrote the more the external horrors came to the fore, and before long it seemed to be a fifty-fifty split between what happened to Sarah and what was happening to Claudette, and how the two things wove around one another.
Was it different writing this novel, compared to your other books?
Writing about something that’s at once very personal and yet at the same time universal was quite strange. Depression can sometimes feel like your child, in a way. It sort of waltzes in, ostensibly smaller than you are, and yet it takes over your life; how you conduct yourself; where and when you can carry out your duties; how you see the world and how you’re certain it sees you. Moreover, I’m pretty sure that every person believes, in their heart of hearts, that their depression is the definitive one; the version from which all other maladies should be judged. This obviously isn’t the case. So after the first draft I had to backtrack and make sure I wasn’t writing too much in absolutes, if that makes sense? Changing sentences to “My depression….” instead of “Depression…” when describing it. Otherwise writing it was much the same; coffee and cigarettes and a lot of missed nights out.
What made you choose to write from a young female perspective?
It wasn’t a political decision or anything like that. Like I said, I always start with a character. Just the one. And this one happened to be female.
If you were instructed to make small goals for each day, as Claudette was, what would they be? (Mine would be to put my phone down for longer than 5 minutes...maybe)
I think mine would be to read three-to-five chapters of a book each day. I’m a very compulsive person, but also occasionally a dismissive one. And so I read the way I do everything in life- smoking, drinking, eating, socialising. I either blast through four books in a week, or I just don’t bother, sometimes for months at a time. I’d like to have more balance in that department and plod along at a steadier pace. So, a manageable amount of reading each and every day, I think.
And finally...
Early on in the book, you casually mentioned female masturbation. Claudette says that on one particular day she had simply planned to: 'spend the day in my own bed, reading passages from books, half-heartedly masturbating and picking at junk food'.
Just wanna say, THANK YOU. This is something I am passionate about – not just the act of masturbation, but getting female wanking normalised and the concept of it out into mainstream media. YAY! Oh wait, this wasn't a question. It was just a thank you. Oops!
Oh god don’t get me started! It fascinates me- the disparity between the two, especially in print, where it’s either not talked about at all, or treat as something shameful or- just as nauseatingly- sacramental and significant. Why do you think that is? Is it genuinely that we’re so thick we see something internal as hidden and shameful, whereas something external as par for the course? Anyway, thanks. I spend most of my time with tough broads with no filters, so it’s unthinkable to me that a person doesn’t a) use a good, quick wank to clear their heads, scratch an itch or simply occupy themselves during the adverts, or b) chat about this stuff freely. There was tons more of Claudette wanking in the first draft, but I ended up having to rewrite an entire narrative strand that had hit a brick wall, so out with the bathwater went the baby, more’s the pity. Anyway, I’m in entire agreement. More throwaway references to wanking in teen fiction, please!
Thanks so much for your thoughtful questions, it’s been a blast!
Interview // Matthew Crow
APRIL 14, 2012 BY WEB EDITOR
Matthew Crow author - My Dearest Jonah & AshesMatthew Crow is a published novelist. His first novel, Ashes, was published in 2010 and his second, My Dearest Jonah, is set to debut in May 2012. Born in 1987 in South Shields, his career began as a young freelancer, writing for several online magazines. After moving to London, he secured a literary agent. I recently spoke to Matthew about his career and the challenges he faced as a young author.
Matthew Crow novel AshesI see you freelanced as a teenager. How difficult was it to get your work recognised at such a young age?
It never really occurred to me that age made any difference whatsoever. Trying to get any editor to take notice of unsolicited pitches is hard enough, regardless of your circumstances. Fortunately it’s a bit easier now, because with the rise of online magazines it seems that so long as you’re willing to do it for free then there will be someone, somewhere, who will take heed of your sideways glance at pop culture in 800 words or less.
What inspired you at the age of eighteen to begin writing a novel?
Boredom, mostly. And to see if I could do it. At the time I didn’t even know how long a novel was (I had to type out a page of The Great Gatsby and multiply it by 250 to see what word count I was aiming for.) Also I’d gotten a literary agent off the back of three sample chapters, and apparently just writing “The End” after it did not a novel make, so I selflessly had to finish what I’d started.
How daunting was the process of moving to London and securing a literary agent, being as young as you were?
I didn’t move to London with the aim of getting a literary agent. I moved because it seemed like a good idea at the time to spend my nights going to concerts and drinking Snakebite with strange, interesting city folk. It just so happened that during my first week there the great and gorgeous Broo Doherty got in touch regarding some work I’d submitted. There was no grand master plan, I just got very lucky very young.
How difficult was writing your first novel Ashes?
The writing was easy; I only write because I enjoy it. And although it hardly fits the idea of the plighted poet cleaving out his soul over each syllable, if a book stops being fun to write then I tend to give it up as a bad job. I know it hardly speaks of great art but there you go.
Were there challenges that you faced trying to get your first novel published?
The biggest challenge was the fact that people kept telling us they didn’t want to publish it. It probably didn’t help that we were pitching at the absolute zenith of the credit crunch, so publishers were being even more cautious than usual. So after being rejected by almost every publisher in London (and one or two provincial imprints) the lovely Legend Press relented and took the novel on. In fact I’ve just checked my emails, and from submitting the manuscript to the first lot of publisher, to signing a contract with Legend Press, took nine months in total. I’m not sure how the notion of the fey, genteel writer came about, because in my experience you’ve got to be hard as f**k to be an author otherwise you’d crumble and retire at the first rejection letter (and possibly be sectioned when they begin reaching double figures).
Sounds like a rough journey. Was the process of getting your second novel, My Dearest Jonah, published easier or more difficult than the first?
Haha, I’d signed a two book deal, so getting published the second time was brilliantly easy… they were bound by law to publish whatever I churned out!
At least you didn’t have to go through the publishing nightmare twice in a row. What are your plans for future literary endeavors?
Just keep doing what I’m doing. Everybody loves the idea of selling a million copies, or getting a major award. But to be entirely honest I write because I enjoy it. It’s an honour that anybody does buy my books, and even more so when somebody says something nice about one of them. But all that’s secondary, really. The biggest thrill, for me, is just being able to spend my time messing about with words and seeing what I can do. Showing off, basically. I just get a kick from looking at a page that had been blank an hour ago, and knowing that I did the best I could at the time.
Matthew Crow novel My Dearest JonahMy Dearest Jonah will be published on May 1st, 2012
Matthew Crow
Matthew Crow was born in 1987 and raised in Newcastle, UK. Having worked as a freelance journalist since his teens he has contributed to a number of publications including the Independent on Sunday and the Observer. He has written two novels for adults. The second, My Dearest Jonah, was nominated for the Dylan Thomas Prize.
QUOTED: "Another Place will appeal to fans of issue-driven realistic fiction but may bore
readers looking for a highenergy whodunit."
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Print Marked Items
Crow, Matthew. Another Place
Rebecca Jung
Voice of Youth Advocates.
40.4 (Oct. 2017): p57.
COPYRIGHT 2017 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
Full Text:
4Q * 3P * S
Crow, Matthew. Another Place. Atom/Little, Brown, October 2017. 304p. $11.99 Trade pb. 978-1-4721-
1420-4.
Claudette's loving but cautious father and unbearably affirmative stepmother welcome Claudette's return
home as a chance to regain control over a young life nearly lost to depression. After she is hospitalized after
a violent outburst at school and a history of cutting and manic episodes, Claudette's prescribed at-home
treatment includes a regimen of pills, a notebook for journaling, and a challenge to try something new and
constructive each day. Battling her impulse to satirize and diminish the efforts of her family and doctors,
snarky Claudette attempts to connect with other isolated outsiders in her claustrophobic, working-class
beach town. Her recovery is thwarted by the disappearance of a local girl who is homeless, Sarah, who
harbored many intimate and dangerous secrets. Claudette's road to recovery leads her to self-discovery as
she unwinds the case of the enigmatic missing girl.
Another Place is a coming-of-age story wrapped in a mystery that addresses issues of sexual identity,
familial love and loyalty, teenage depression, class conflict, school bullying, and the lifelong journey of
seeking a place to call home. Told as two parallel but interwoven stories, the novel shines as an insightful
and provocative narrative of Claudette's struggles but suffers from implausibility as seventeen-year-old
Claudette single-handedly solves a mystery that foiled the community, local police, and the media. Lovingly
sculpted Claudette is a smart, flawed, sympathetic protagonist, while runaway Sarah falters as a stilted,
impenetrable stereotype. Another Place will appeal to fans of issue-driven realistic fiction but may bore
readers looking for a highenergy whodunit.--Rebecca Jung.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Jung, Rebecca. "Crow, Matthew. Another Place." Voice of Youth Advocates, Oct. 2017, p. 57. General
OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A511785016/ITOF?
u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=46eb7939. Accessed 17 May 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A511785016
QUOTED: "This ambitious novel plods at times and pirouettes at others."
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Crow, Matthew: ANOTHER PLACE
Kirkus Reviews.
(Sept. 1, 2017):
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Crow, Matthew ANOTHER PLACE Atom/Trafalgar (Children's Fiction) $11.99 10, 3 ISBN: 978-1-4721-
1420-4
Troubled teen relationships weave around each other in this British import.Claudette lives in a dying seaside
town, dotted with boarded-up shops and once-grand houses turned to dilapidated squats. The white girl has
just been released from inpatient psychiatric care after a bipolar episode at school, and her doctor has told
her to come up with "small goals you can easily achieve, and a large goal to work towards." Her goal is to
"find Sarah Banks," a local girl with a troubled past who has disappeared under mysterious circumstances.
The story meanders, touching on Claudette's loving but contentious relationship with her father's girlfriend,
an unlikely friendship with the neighborhood crank, and an assortment of boys ranging from wholesome to
despicable. Numerous flashbacks show more of Claudette's history with the missing girl, but these never
quite achieve an emotional urgency. Far more compelling is Claudette's exploration of and recovery from
mental illness, set against the bleak landscape of her hometown, which is also when the most beautiful
writing shines through. The time spent on less-compelling side characters and plot threads detracts from
these moments, making for an uneven reading experience. This ambitious novel plods at times and
pirouettes at others, like the angst-y readers who are the most likely to enjoy it. (Fiction. 14-18)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Crow, Matthew: ANOTHER PLACE." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Sept. 2017. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A502192330/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=b4f6f54d.
Accessed 17 May 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A502192330
QUOTED: "Crow skillfully crafts his characters to be real teens who struggle to be normal."
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The Brilliant Light of Amber Sunrise
Jeanne Fredriksen
Booklist.
111.12 (Feb. 15, 2015): p79.
COPYRIGHT 2015 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
The Brilliant Light of Amber Sunrise.
By Matthew Crow.
Mar. 2015.304p. Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse, $17.99 (9781481418737). Gr. 9-12.
Frankie Wootton is a 15-year-old romantic loner with a wild imagination. He lives in Tyne-and-Wear,
England, with his single, hard-working mother, whose focus is on providing the best life she can for him
and his older brother. When Frankie is diagnosed with leukemia, his world becomes dominated by
excruciating treatments and a lengthy hospital stay. In the treatment ward he shares with three other
patients, he meets and falls wholly in love with the intrepid, exceedingly honest Amber Spratt, whose
lower-income worldview never fails to surprise and educate those around her. The two become inseparable,
and when they are released from the hospital, they do everything they can to be together, and they are
especially grateful when their good days coincide. When Frankie's health improves and Amber's spirals
downward, however, he is afraid of a future without her. Bravery and dread coexist, and the realities of
cancer and family dynamics come to the surface. Crow skillfully crafts his characters to be real teens who
struggle to be normal in the face of abnormal circumstances.--Jeanne Fredriksen
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Fredriksen, Jeanne. "The Brilliant Light of Amber Sunrise." Booklist, 15 Feb. 2015, p. 79. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A404590632/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=cd2c3a3a.
Accessed 17 May 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A404590632
QUOTED: "mushy but satisfying."
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Crow, Matthew: THE BRILLIANT
LIGHT OF AMBER SUNRISE
Kirkus Reviews.
(Jan. 1, 2015):
COPYRIGHT 2015 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Crow, Matthew THE BRILLIANT LIGHT OF AMBER SUNRISE Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster
(Children's Fiction) $17.99 3, 10 ISBN: 978-1-4814-1873-7
Learning, loving and surviving with cancer. Suffering from headaches, weight loss, bloody noses and more,
15-year-old Francis is diagnosed with leukemia, to the dismay of his functioning-alcoholic mother and his
older, gay brother. While in treatment at a local hospital in northeastern England, he meets tough, straightshooting,
sassy Amber, who intrigues and dazzles him. The two fall tepidly in love, and the novel
progresses as expectedly any romance between two teenagers with leukemia might. From the beginning,
Crow establishes that Francis is considered "sensitive" or "soft" by his mother and brother, and readers
should keep that in mind as they make their ways through. Parts of their affair will have readers rolling their
eyes in embarrassment, but other parts will grab their attention with Crow's cinematic ability to create an
emotion or character with such sharpness they'll want to read it again. All of the characters are rendered
with affection and plenty of detail; readers will especially like Francis' mother and his brother's friend
Fiona, both of whom have fiery personalities set against warmer cores. Francis himself may seem a bit
whiny at times, but his sense of introspection helps counterbalance the fluff. Readers who like to cry will
definitely need a box of tissues before they reach the end. Mushy but satisfying. (Fiction. 13-17)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Crow, Matthew: THE BRILLIANT LIGHT OF AMBER SUNRISE." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Jan. 2015.
General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A395222450/ITOF?
u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=6ff0d2b9. Accessed 17 May 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A395222450
QUOTED: "The adolescent Francis may irritate a few teens, but the picture is a realistic one. ... Crow's first young adult novel is a splendid success."
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Crow, Matthew. The Brilliant Light of
Amber Sunrise
Katherine Noone
Voice of Youth Advocates.
37.5 (Dec. 2014): p59.
COPYRIGHT 2014 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
Full Text:
5Q * 4P * J * S [A]
Crow, Matthew. The Brilliant Light of Amber Sunrise. Simon Pulse, 2015. 304p. $17.99. 978-1-4814-1873-
7.
At fifteen, Francis displays a fascinating range of self-awareness, pretentiousness, and naivete. He has
leukemia, and he falls heartbreakingly in love with Amber, a fellow patient in the cancer ward. He recovers.
She does not. Think The Fault in Our Stars (Penguin, 2012/VOYAApril 2012) from the boy's viewpoint,
but with a British setting and a different cast: a narrator earnestly delineating his melodramatic adolescence;
an older brother who swoops in to offer advice, provide fun, and swipe food; a mother with her own range
of exasperation, combativeness, and love. There are laugh-out-loud moments when reality gobsmacks
Francis's wry understatement. Some scenes are curiously elided, for instance, skipping from blood tests to
taxi home without mentioning the diagnosis he has just received. An early sentence indicates that Francis's
twin sister, Emma, died when they were seven, but not until the middle of the book does Francis reveal the
circumstances, and then only briefly. The reader may want more, but the omissions suggest what he is not
capable of dealing with.
Amber is a sunrise in Francis's life. Her take-no-prisoners feistiness and honesty jolt him out of his concern
for his image. Other supporting characters are also memorable, leading to an epilogue six years after
Amber's death, where a mature Francis takes his place in a network of friends and family. The adolescent
Francis may irritate a few teens, but the picture is a realistic one, rich in feelings. Crow's first young adult
novel is a splendid success.--Katherine Noone.
Noone, Katherine
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Noone, Katherine. "Crow, Matthew. The Brilliant Light of Amber Sunrise." Voice of Youth Advocates, Dec.
2014, p. 59. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A424530024/ITOF?
u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=2f76a2b3. Accessed 17 May 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A424530024
QUOTED: "He has written a genuinely likeable, and more importantly
believable narrator."
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Bloomin' good
Katie Clapman
The Bookseller.
.5591 (Sept. 13, 2013): p35.
COPYRIGHT 2013 Bookseller Media Limited
http://www.thebookseller.com
Full Text:
Francis Wootton doesn't have the easiest life as it is. He is a sensitive soul trapped in Tyne and Wear with an
outspoken mother, an even more outspoken grandmother, an absent father and a brother always on the
scrounge. So when he's diagnosed with cancer, it seems like life is just going to keep getting worse.
Matthew Crow's In Bloom won't be able to avoid comparisons to John Green's affecting 2012 crossover hit
The Fault in Our Stars, and while Crow is not as consciously uber-hip as Green--though his heroine Amber
smacks of aggressive Americanised sass--he has written a genuinely likeable, and more importantly
believable narrator.
Review by Katie Clapham from Storytellers Inc, Lancashire
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Clapman, Katie. "Bloomin' good." The Bookseller, 13 Sept. 2013, p. 35. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A342875964/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=45a987e4.
Accessed 17 May 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A342875964
QUOTED: "The story of young love in the cancer ward has been done before and other titles have been more masterful with the topic."
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Crow, Matthew. The Brilliant Light of
Amber Sunrise
Morgan Brickey
School Library Journal.
61.1 (Jan. 2015): p108.
COPYRIGHT 2015 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No
redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
CROW, Matthew. The Brilliant Light of Amber Sunrise. 304p. ebook available. S. & S./Simon Pulse. Mar.
2015. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781481418737.
Gr 8 Up--Fifteen-year-old Francis has enough problems. His awkward sense of humor alienates his peers,
his older brother only comes home to steal food from the pantry, and his mom is still mourning the death of
his little sister. The last thing Francis needs is a leukemia diagnosis. He is given an extended stay in the teen
cancer ward of the local hospital and has nothing but time on his hands. At first, his roommates do not
appreciate him any more than his classmates did. But then the indomitable Amber moves in and Francis's
world changes. Amber understands Francis in a way that no one else ever has. She dares him to be different,
and soon they fall in love. As their lives become more intertwined and Francis slowly gets better, he realizes
that Amber may not be able to follow him through recovery. Francis and his family are humorous and
special. Readers will welcome the different British cultural idiosyncrasies in this cast of characters.
Unfortunately, Amber falls flat. She is an extreme manic pixie dream-girl stereotype-one with which readers
are probably already familiar. She never has time to really develop on the page, so the romance between her
and Francis is unexpected and hard to understand. The story of young love in the cancer ward has been done
before and other titles have been more masterful with the topic. Recommend to readers who simply cannot
wait for John Green's The Fault in Our Stars (Dutton, 2012) to come back on the shelf.--Morgan Brickey,
Marion County Public Library System, FL
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Brickey, Morgan. "Crow, Matthew. The Brilliant Light of Amber Sunrise." School Library Journal, Jan.
2015, p. 108. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A443055436/ITOF?
u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=18e3a07a. Accessed 17 May 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A443055436
QUOTED: "This is a very funny as well as a very painful book. The two teenagers are unique and utterly convincing individuals."
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Crow, Matthew: In Bloom
Peter Hollindale
School Librarian.
62.2 (Summer 2014): p126.
COPYRIGHT 2014 The School Library Association
http://www.sla.org.uk/school-librarian.php
Full Text:
Crow, Matthew
In Bloom
Much-in-Little, 2013, pp234, 12.99 [pounds sterling]
978 1 4721 0551 6
Francis Wootton, fifteen clever and hardworking, but solitary and unsociable at school--develops
leukaemia. In the teenage cancer ward of the local hospital he meets Amber Spratt, also fifteen, who
occupies the next bed. It seems they could not be less alike: Amber is feisty, spiky, challenging, aggressive,
but just as clever in her chosen way. Both are from one-parent families, but they too are diametrically
opposite. Francis's mother is a self-made businesswoman who visits the hospital in her Mercedes. Amber's
is a caricature of society's lunatic fringe, and comes on the bus. Between Francis and Amber there grows a
relationship which follows a convincing and moving course from suspicion to wary alliance to friendship to
love, a love which once, just once, goes all the way. It parallels the course of their cancer, which we see in
its pain, its physical effects, its gruelling treatment, and follow to two very different ends.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
This is a very funny as well as a very painful book. The two teenagers are unique and utterly convincing
individuals. Many schools will have cases of life-threatening, even terminal illness, and what In Bloom
does supremely well is to show how even in extremes of cancer much of life goes on as usual--the music,
the films, the repartee, the turmoil of first love. A teenager does not become an alien species by starting to
die. This admirable novel deserves its place in the school library as a life-affirming story of painful,
reckless, joyous adolescent life and love at the edge of survival. Francis and Amber are a memorable pair,
and teenage readers will be tested, entertained and enriched by their story.
Hollindale, Peter
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Hollindale, Peter. "Crow, Matthew: In Bloom." School Librarian, Summer 2014, p. 126. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A376205634/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=fd8f891a.
Accessed 17 May 2018.
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Gale Document Number: GALE|A376205634
QUOTED: "It is an excellent read for any young people wishing to learn more about either what it is like to live with depression, or what it is like to live in extreme poverty."
Another Place by Matthew Crow
Another Place by Matthew Crow
1472114205.jpg
Buy Another Place by Matthew Crow at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Teens
Rating: 3.5/5
Reviewer: Em Richardson
Reviewed by Em Richardson
Summary: An interesting read for teens, introducing the reader to some very adult themes, including mental illness, crime and the effects of poverty.
Buy? Maybe Borrow? Maybe
Pages: 288 Date: August 2017
Publisher: Atom
ISBN: 978-1472114204
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Another Place tells the story of Claudette, a teenager with severe depression, who is released from a stint in a psychiatric ward to discover her friend has gone missing. She quickly becomes engrossed by the hunt for Sarah, and is convinced finding out what happened to her will give her closure on her own mental illness by giving her an aim to focus on. I loved this premise, as Crow was able to blend the main plot point of the search for Sarah with the subplot of Claudette's struggle with depression, showing how her mental illness affected her desire to discover the truth.
I'd actually like to start by discussing the themes of mental illness, and the fact Crow can be applauded for managing to portray Claudette's depression in a way that managed to be sensitive, but also realistic. The way he described both how her illness made her feel, and how it affected her view of the world around her, felt realistic without being over-exaggerated or attempting to manipulate the reader's emotions. Equally, Crow was able to showcase many of society's bigoted views on mental illness through the subtle comments people made to Claudette, including those who seem to think they are being helpful or supportive.
I also liked the fact that, for all mental illness plays a major role in the novel, it cannot be said to revolve solely around Claudette's depression, once the first 100 or so pages have passed. Said pages do pass by rather slowly, as they feature a combination of descriptions of day-to-day life in a bleak, rather boring town, and a newly released Claudette gradually learning how to cope with both being reintegrated into society, and everyone in her small town being aware of her mental health issues. Yet, once the hunt for Sarah becomes more intense, the novel shifts focus to address Claudette's mission to find out what happened to her. I thoroughly enjoyed this part of the novel, and it built to a thrilling and harmonious conclusion, even if the ending was predictable.
My only issues with the book definitely lie with the characters. Firstly, there was Claudette herself, and the mixed feelings I felt toward her. On the one hand, it was difficult not to sympathise with her situation, and I admired the way she was depicted as trying to set aside her own problems in order to find out the truth about a girl no one else seemed to care about. However, that didn't always detract from the fact, depression or no depression, Claudette is depicted as being a somewhat unpleasant character, even if her actions at the end of the novel do redeem past immoral behaviour to some extent. That being said, she was not as irritating as her best friend Donna. I simply felt her entire character, and dialogue, were more like an exaggerated, satirical version of a teenager than a realistic sixteen-year-old girl, and that her conversations with Claudette sounded far from authentic. Instead, they were almost like a parody of the subjects an older person might assume teenagers discuss. I actually felt the most warmth towards Donna when she was arguing with Claudette, as her frustration at her friend's alleged reluctance to recover seemed to show her at her most realistic, and showed how some might feel when trying to help a mentally ill loved one.
In the end, my favourite character in the book was definitely Sarah, even if she did only appear in flashbacks from before Claudette entered hospital. The very nature of her friendship with Claudette appealed to me, as I liked the idea of two lost souls meeting up late at night, setting the world to rights and venting their frustration. Even relying on flashbacks, Crow was able to create a strong character, and make readers sympathise strongly with Sarah, especially when few people seem to care about finding out what happened to her. Like Claudette, she has certainly done some immoral things, but given she lives in a care-home and has questionable connections to a local drug-dealer, she does them to survive. She is also shown, through her behaviour towards Claudette, to have a strong sense of justice and a big heart, even if this isn't always totally evident. Most of all, Sarah is to be pitied, as Crow uses her to showcase what life is really like for some of Britain's most deprived young people.
Overall, this is a book aimed at teens which manages to discuss some distinctly adult themes. If nothing else, it is an excellent read for any young people wishing to learn more about either what it is like to live with depression, or what it is like to live in extreme poverty.
I'd suggest anyone who enjoyed this book might also enjoy Looking For Alaska by John Green, another teen novel dealing with mental health issues and featuring a mystery that needs to be solved.
Buy Another Place by Matthew Crow at Amazon You can read more book reviews or buy Another Place by Matthew Crow at Amazon.co.uk
QUOTED: "Another Place is a wonderful book. It is heartwarming, yet gritty and down to earth. It is full of humour and sometimes is overwhelming in its sadness. It is an insightful and clever observation of the world of teenage mental health, grimy towns and people who will hurt others to protect themselves. A truly beautiful story. Poignant, gripping and witty and deserves to become a classic."
WEDNESDAY, 9 AUGUST 2017
ANOTHER PLACE BY MATTHEW CROW @MIZZLECRIZZLE @ATOMBOOKS @BROODOHERTY
A small town. A missing schoolgirl. A terrible secret. And one girl's fight to survive.
Sixteen-year-old Claudette Flint is coming home from hospital after an escalating depression left her unable to cope. She may seem unchanged on the outside; but everything's different. The same could be said about her seaside hometown.
A local teenager, Sarah, has disappeared. Sarah had a bad reputation round town; but now she's vanished the close-knit community seems to be unspooling.
As the police investigate and the press digs around for dirt, small town scandals start to surface. What nobody knows yet is that Claudette and Sarah had a secret friendship. And that the last secret Sarah shared may be the key to the truth.
After weeks of focusing solely on herself, Claudette realizes she is not the only part of the world that needs fixing - and that if she can piece together the fragments of Sarah's story, then maybe she can piece herself back together too.
Another Place is a novel about lost girls, recovered life - and the meaning of home.
Another Place by Matthew Crow was published in paperback on 3 August 2017 by Atom.
Another Place is a book targeted at a Young Adult market. I am not a Young Adult. I haven't been a Young Adult for many many years. However, I am a huge fan of Matthew Crow. His last YA book, In Bloom remains one of my all time favourite books, I read and reviewed it here on Random Things back in 2013.
The sign, for me, of a great book, one that I have loved and enjoyed, is the number of folded back page corners in my copy. I fold back pages that contain beautiful phrases, wonderful description and writing that makes my heart sing. My copy of Another Place has lots of folded corners. There are too many marked parts to put into this review, if I included them all, you wouldn't really need to buy the book!
Another Place is Claudette's story. She's seventeen and lives in the North East of England, in a town that was once thriving, but is now dark and grey, with closed down shop fronts and an undercurrent of drug culture, and the violence and menace that goes with it. Claudette begins her story as she leaves hospital. She was there because she had a breakdown that involved broken glass and injured teachers. Claudette and her father live alone, her mother left years ago. She and her Dad have a fabulous relationship, he loves her and supports her. He is her tiger when she needs one. He also struggles to understand the scars on her arms and the moods.
Claudette is a strong and streetwise seventeen year old. No stranger to drink, or sex and not shy to confront anyone. It is the inner demons that she finds the hardest to confront, and the author's description of how she deals with the regular panic attacks is wonderfully blunt:
"It's fine, I have asthma, I said quickly, rather than the truth. ........... Asthma was a safer bet. Nobody ever wanted to talk about asthma. It was like saying you had stew for dinner. People accepted it and moved on."
Claudette is astute, and kind and determined. The town is buzzing because a young girl, Sarah, has disappeared. Claudette and Sarah had a strange relationship; a friendship that only they knew about. They confided in each other, they told the truth that was hidden from others, and Claudette is determined to find out just what has happened to Sarah.
Whilst the mystery of Sarah's disappearance is the centre of the story, the real detail is in the characters and the relationships between them. Matthew Crow has a magic touch when creating these. The blossoming friendship between Sarah and the elderly Mr Fitzpatrick is beautifully imagined, growing gently and exposing more truths that painfully bind them together.
The characters in Another Place are lively and so well rounded. Claudette's friend Donna is an absolute joy, her brother Adam is quieter but no less well defined, and then there is Paula. Paula is Claudette's Dad's partner and is probably my favourite of them all. So exquisitely detailed, I read this and I saw her:
"Paula was low-hanging fruit. She wore fleeces with Alsatians on them that she bought at the indoor market. She hand-made most of the presents she gave. She clipped a pedometer to the elastic of her jogging bottoms every morning without fail. She walked ten thousand steps a day and still ended up back in the same place she started."
Another Place is a wonderful book. It is heartwarming, yet gritty and down to earth. It is full of humour and sometimes is overwhelming in its sadness. It is an insightful and clever observation of the world of teenage mental health, grimy towns and people who will hurt others to protect themselves.
A truly beautiful story. Poignant, gripping and witty and deserves to become a classic.
Matthew Crow was born in 1987 and raised in Newcastle. Having worked as a freelance journalist since his teens he has contributed to a number of publications including the Independent on Sunday and the Observer.
He has written two novels for adults. The second, My Dearest Jonah, was nominated for the Dylan Thomas Prize.
Follow Matthew on Twitter @mizzlecrizzle
QUOTED: "a fine debut"
"While this isn’t perfect it signals the arrival of a future main player in the genre."
Wednesday, 29 December 2010
Book: Ashes by Matthew Crow
Nestling somewhere between TV shows Shameless and This Is England, Matthew Crow’s debut novel takes us into the heart of the Meadow Well estate, a grim inner-city jungle dominated by thugs, drunks and drug addicts.
Following his release from prison Jack vows to stay out of trouble but his long suffering Mum Shirley fears the worst and when two locals are involved in a fatal car accident her intuition is proved to be correct.
Also helping Jack stay on the right side of the law is his Probation Officer, a former Meadow Well resident who has proven that with work and ambition you can make it out.
The first half of the book is fantastic as we join a community of rogues and scallywags struggling to make ends meat, all told in a fluid style peppered with fine moments of gallows humour. Unfortunately the humour quickly fades as the mood changes, along with the story, to one of disgruntled youths on a path of destruction. The riots themselves become quickly repetitive as innocent bystanders fear for their lives and property while the only way the gangs can show outrage is by setting fire to buildings within their own estate.
A fine debut showing bags of potential from the 23 year old Matthew Crow and while this isn’t perfect it signals the arrival of a future main player in the genre.
Ric's Rating: 72%
QUOTED: "This will appeal to people who don't like books written as letters and, also, the author writes first person alternating points of view very well."
"This is a novel that defies you to put it down and will haunt you once you think it's come to an end. My Dearest Jonah would have been so much better minus letters, but even within that context, it would be a shame to pass it by."
My Dearest Jonah by Matthew Crow
My Dearest Jonah by Matthew Crow
1908248254.jpg
Buy My Dearest Jonah by Matthew Crow at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Crime
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Ani Johnson
Reviewed by Ani Johnson
Summary: A fast moving and sometimes brutal thriller following two pen-friends try to escape their pasts and outwit fate to forge a new future, whatever that may entail. It may be laid out as letters, but that small technical point can be (and is a better read if) ignored.
Buy? Yes Borrow? Yes
Pages: 304 Date: May 2012
Publisher: Legend Press
ISBN: 978-1908248251
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Jonah and Verity start to write to each other as part of a pen-pal scheme. They may only meet on paper but, as they reveal themselves and their pasts through their letters, they become the only constant in each of their existences, and what existences. Jonah has a troubled past (to put it mildly) including a stint in prison and a father serving a life sentence. Verity is the product of working class parents with aspirations which she has failed or refused to meet, splitting her working life between the local coffee shop and the local strip joint. Their futures begin to appear a lot brighter than their pasts but then clouds gather to prove that appearances can be deceptive.
This, young Geordie writer Matthew Crow's second book is rather interesting. Forsaking the north east of England he knows and reproduced in his debut (Ashes) he based this book further west, as in small town America. His aim to write the book as letters between Jonah and Verity is a useful technique (for instance, CS Lewis's Screwtape Letters) but, there's a mild glitch. Where My Dearest Jonah is concerned, these aren't letters.
The 'letters' may start with 'Dear' and end with a sign-off, but the rest is almost totally alternate first person point of view, i.e. a whole episode is related including word for word conversations and without acknowledgement of it being written to someone. There's the occasional comment or paragraph aimed at the letter's recipient, but this is slightly out of kilter as the language for these brief interludes is different - mannered, stilted and not, perhaps, in keeping with the level of schooling the two would be expected to have. Don't misunderstand me though; this is not a bad thing. This will appeal to people who don't like books written as letters and, also, the author writes first person alternating points of view very well. In fact, once the letter format is ignored and expectations adjusted, the story takes flight.
The first thing you'll notice is that this is atmosphere-saturated prose. Whether it's the seediness of the strip club or the doom hovering over the townspeople enjoying the fair, the gathering sense of menace and foreboding grows with each page. Cleverly, Crow begun with a slight hint of menace; just enough to ensure enticement. Then the crescendo grows and explodes. (For those of a delicate disposition, there are scenes of graphic, bloody violence that I imagine would earn a certificate 15 if filmed.) Also there is no neatly tied up ending, and that takes a certain confidence to achieve this well.
The perilous feel is nothing if the characterisation isn't right though, but Crow has this covered... mostly. Verity and Jonah may not be loveable, but they're sympathetic; you can't help wanting them to rise above anything thrown at them. Jonah comes across as someone who has fallen into trouble due to upbringing and peer pressure rather than malicious tendencies. By contrast, Verity has chosen her lifestyle wanting to experience everything, never turning an opportunity down. She is strong and empowered by living rather than its victim. Michael, Jonah's old friend, is another person who feels very real but discussing him here would be a spoiler so... moving on...
The other characters feel perhaps two-dimensional. This works where Verity's fellow 'exotic dancers' are concerned because, apart from Eve, Verity isn't there to befriend them. However characters like the sinister 'J' and the nefarious 'King Pin' deserve a meatier presence. Having said this, Jonah and Verity are both big enough personalities to fill the void.
All considered this is a novel that defies you to put it down and will haunt you once you think it's come to an end. My Dearest Jonah would have been so much better minus letters, but even within that context, it would be a shame to pass it by.
I would like to thank the publisher for giving Bookbag a copy of this book for review.
If you enjoyed this and would like to read another novel about someone trying to re-master their future, this time in the UK, we suggest Tears of a Phoenix by Helen Noble.
Buy My Dearest Jonah by Matthew Crow at Amazon You can read more book reviews or buy My Dearest Jonah by Matthew Crow at Amazon.co.uk
Buy My Dearest Jonah by Matthew Crow at Amazon You can read more book reviews or buy My Dearest Jonah by Matthew Crow at Amazon.com.
QUOTED: "There are certain possible joys in reading and one of them is finding a book that is genuinely—without labouring to be so—funny. Matthew Crow's In Bloom is such a book, yet painful and sad at the same time."
In Bloom, by Matthew Crow: review
Matthew Crow's novel In Bloom is a moving and wonderfully witty tale of two teenagers with cancer who fall in love.
5 out of 5 stars
In Bloom by Matthew Crow
In Bloom by Matthew Crow
Martin Chilton By Martin Chilton, Culture Editor online7:45AM BST 19 Sep 2013
There are certain possible joys in reading and one of them is finding a book that is genuinely – without labouring to be so – funny.
Matthew Crow's In Bloom is such a book, yet painful and sad at the same time.
The main character and narrator is Francis Wootton, a quirky 15 year old from Tyne-and-Wear (Crow's hometown). You get the picture from his droll observations: "They lived on a street where they seemed to film quite a lot of Crimestoppers."
Crow has written two novels for adults. The second, My Dearest Jonah, was nominated for the Dylan Thomas Prize. Although this is marketed as a tale for young adults, it is a book adults would enjoy. Francis has Leukaemia. His deadbeat Dad is long gone and Francis has almost daily battles with his feisty mother. When he accuses her of being a functioning alcoholic, she replies that no one has accused her of being functioning at anything before. He has a laconic and lazy brother, a wonderfully idiosyncratic gran and a friend his mother dismisses as the idiot with the lank hair.
When he goes into hospital he meets fellow cancer patient Amber and they fall in love. Their moving love story is the heart of the book. That the tale does not turn maudlin is a tribute to Crow's skill with sharp and believable dialogue. When they kiss, Francis notes: "Our teeth clacked together, and I could hear it magnified in my head. Teeth never seem to clack in films."
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Francis is so likeably droll. He says of a hospital orderly: "I guessed that all sorts of unpleasantness lurked in his backstory"; and remarks of uncouth teenage patient Kelly that "she's doing the best she can with grim genetics".
The book deftly uses cultural references - the film The Apartment features heavily in banter between Francis and the spikey, well drawn Amber – and of his run-in with the police, Francis says: "Having seen Slumdog Millionaire, I knew all too well how authorities dealt with youths of unlikely intelligence".
Crow has not dumbed down to a teenage audience and his writing is original, with descriptions such as: "The snow was practically gone by Boxing Day. It was as though it had arranged a suicide pact with Christmas itself".
It won't do to give away much of a heartrending plot but even in its dark moments there is humour. "The last thing I needed on days like this was to see someone else as bald and miserable as I was," says Francis, who shows us that we are most alive when we're in love.
This excellent book is worth anyone's time.
Matthew Crow: In Bloom (240 pp, published by Constable & Robinson, £12.99)